and the year winds down...

A good day at Kingwood today.  There was a light snow cover for the first time this season.  Was wishing for a nice snowfall on the house with the Christmas Wreaths out, but missed my only one shot at it before the season ends tomorrow. 

I have been waiting to use this picture of the urn in some manner.  I have decided to use it as the facebook page icon for the winter months.  Jen had taken some better ones, but since she removed her pictues from the Kingwood Facebook, I am going to have to make due with mine!

Hello Spring meet Winter

Blooming on the 30th and snowcover on the 31st. 

In like a lamb and out like a lion was the saying of the day.

Still beautiful under the blanket of snow...
...I rescued the blooms for a picture.

Could it be the last snow?

Today was a beautiful day to be at Kingwood.  Snow covered trees bring a special quiet magic. Also a busy day. Don Miller is back from a two month lay off.  Kathy M and I visited with him on the peony project that we had been working on over the winter.  After that we headed up to the house to work on the attic library project.  Had to stop many times along the way to take just a few pictures of snow covered Kingwood.  Kathy M took this picture of me taking pictures and now it is my favorite picture of me.  We saw Kay Hostetler on the way in to the house.  She was on her way out to take pictures.  Glenna Sheaffer is also back from lay off and we popped our heads in her office on the way up the stairs to the attic. She lent me a book on animal tracts.  I plan to use it in the snow!

Charles Applegate is also back from leave. He showed us the newly created dried flower arrangements.  Christmas removed, the rooms looked strangely barren so the arrangements gave the rooms a pick-me-up.  Charles recycled an  arrangement by removing peacock feathers, replacing with dried flowers.

Glenna Sheaffer created this beautiful arrangement.  I love the sweeping look.  Most of the other new arrangements were created to be place under a dome glass.  Which although beautiful, difficult to get a good picture.  Well, as I said it was a busy day.  So happy to see the staff back at work and to have been able to see just one more snow covered Kingwood before the busy spring begins. 

Winter Ducks

Watching my woodpeckers eat peanut butter treats in the back yard, my mind wanders to feeding the Kingwood Ducks.  Shown are a few random pictures that I took in previous years.  These haven't been touched up, but I enjoy them as they are.  I like how they fly toward me and then they sit down in the snow to eat so their feet don't get cold.  Funny.

Snow Bunnies



Lucifer



Lucy

Ok, the snow bunny in the middle was visiting my back yard last night.  He reminded me how Lucifer and Lucy turn into snow bunnies this time of the year in the Kingwood Herb Garden.  I saw them today as I was working on my peony project, and yes they had turned into seasonal snow bunnies.  Lucifer has been a long time resident of Kingwood.  He previously lived in the old herb garden when it was up closer to Kingwood Hall.  In 2009, when the herb garden moved down close to the rose garden, he followed and invited a friend.



Dreaming of Spring

ZZZZzzzzz  ZZZZzzzzz



Dreaming of Spring Glory

The peonies are asleep under a warm blanket of snow.  Kathy M and I are working on a project to make sure that each peony will have its own label come spring.  We were out in the garden this week scoping out the tags and marking on our map while listening closely to hear if they were snoring.  Although we may not have heard them in their slumbers, I am sure they are dreaming of a colorful spring.  And so am I.

Snow

I love that sticky wet snow that clings to the trees (and in the right temperatures makes a good snowman).  It has its drawbacks though.  As in if you have to shovel it or drive in it.  Unfortunately a sticky snow fall occurred on the day scheduled for the Interest in the Winter Garden Tour and it had to be rescheduled to the 26th. I did get out to the gardens soon afterward to get a winter photo in the perennial garden.

I am aware of the damages freezing ice can have on tree branches, but I guess I didn't realized that the snow can be damaging as well, until I noticed the guys were diligently removing the heavy snow from the hedges.  My arms were aching just watching them push the snow with brooms.  As I fed the ducks, it seemed they made quick work of it and moved on to another project.