Winter Solstace

This morning I took a snap of the sun at it's most southern rise.

 

It climbed over the horizon between the mailboxes and the hydro pole. I'll watch in the coming days as it snail paces toward the mailboxes. 

And so winter begins. I've changed my car tires to winter treads and charged my snow blower's battery. The pantry and freezer are well stocked. Winter, I'm ready for ya! 

Before the freeze-up, I rescued a few viola plants from the garden. Last winter the one I brought in bloomed steadily so I'm hoping these will do the same.

A frost adds icy prickles to a mountain ash.

 

One of the winter pleasures here is watching the wildlife. I seldom see the local foxes and coyotes but their tracks in fresh snow is unmistakable. Feeder birds aplenty enliven the backyard. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker has again turned up. She has been arriving alone for the past several winters and staying until Spring.

 

An Eastern Screech Owl has again been using the roost box for a winter refuge and larder. And a Northern Shrike has been keeping the little birds on guard. 

As for inside entertainment, there is knitting, music, movies and YouTube videos. 

My hearing is still pretty good but I sometimes misinterpret what I hear. Yesterday I was watching a video of two British men chatting. They had very strong Yorkshire type accents. One guy said he was keeping fit with "...diets and of course the gym." My brain thought he said, "...diets and of course the gin." Ha!

Anyway, 2025 will soon fade into history. For the most part, my friends and family have faired well. This year's low point was my brother's trip and fall which broke his hip. The high point was a lovely visit from my Nova Scotian cousins. Life is ever textured! 

I don't go mad with decorations but a few coloured window lights do cheer up the darkness.

Ellie Mae, content and dreaming of Spring.