Ice Twigs

Ice Twigs, originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer.

Winter Flower

This Ruby Glow Witch Hazel was found blooming after our January ice storm.

This Brevipetala Witchhazel (Hamamelis mollis) is a winter blooming shrub, but the earliest I have seen it, before today, was in early February and that was last year. Other years, it's been March before it bloomed. I also saw Snowdrops in bloom today and saw new leaves on Honeysuckle shrubs in our plus eleven Celsius temperatures. There were also a variety of wild flowers in bloom here and there.

Frosty Morning

We are having above freezing days but nights just below freezing.

January 1

January first came with a cough just as the last seven morning have. I sure am getting tired of the cold virus that has me by the throat.

Meanwhile, the temperatures are anything but January like this morning. It was 8 degrees C this morning at 5:00 and the temperature has only dropped a bit during the day. It should start moving down soon as it's supposed to be -2 this evening.

I found two wild flowers in bloom before 10 a.m. this morning. Both are varieties of chickweeds. This first one is the Common Chickweed. I have found it blooming under snow before but . . .


The second flower is Mouse-ear Chickweed. It's the first time I have ever seen it blooming during a January day.

This Woolly Bear was crawling across the lawn this afternoon near the dog's pen. Lucky it didn't drown.