Winter
An article to be published on the first of January must, of necessity, be written in December. As an indication of global warming our usual January thaw has already taken place. Crocuses had broken through and were looking for spring earlier this month. I must admit, however, that the current weather report is threatening six to twelve more inches of snow just to the north of us, on top of their two to three feet, with lesser amounts locally. We reside a tad south of the lake effect snow belt. Unfortunately, it sometimes sweeps over us and we are snowbound. Sometimes for a week. That has not happened for many a year. One good thing, possibly the only one to come from a violent windstorm of a year ago, is a plentiful supply of fireplace wood. One of the joys of winter is to sit in front of a fire while the world outside rages. It is comforting to be snug and warm while the snow deepens despite it seeming to come down horizontally.
I am ready for winter. The favorites of the deer are festooned with Irish Spring Soap. I am puzzled by their appetites. The first winter after planting, four Ilex meserveae were stripped of their harsh leaves. I would have thought they would be immune. On subsequent winters I enfolded them in burlap. Last year the soap was successful in keeping the deer at bay. Our local laws prevent me from keeping a pet mountain lion and Kay's cat is useless. A friend of one of my sons used a paintball gun to scare off deer. While direct action must be satisfying and marking deer would highlight any returnees, staying out on cold nights when they are most prevalent is not for me. I have not been able to protect tulip beds from them. It is discouraging to have the buds nipped off and a year's wait for flowers a wait in vain.
We have recently returned from a long weekend near Washington D.C. A further indication of a warming trend was blossoms on some of the cherry trees. In December no less. One of my goals was to revisit the Conservatory next to the Capital on the Mall. I stumbled across it an eon or so ago when I finally succumbed to Kay's entreaties to take our children on a vacation to see our nation's capital. I had resisted
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