Monica Knits

This week we have had both record snowfall and record cold temperatures. For most of the week we saw neither birds nor deer, but today a couple of deer stopped to browse on the tops of yews in our garden. I noticed this one as I was doing dishes and looking out the kitchen window. The deer was less than 3 feet from me and she brought friends and family.

Click on the thumbnail to read more about the visit and view a larger image.

The blue sky and brilliant morning sun hinted at 50^oF temperatures and the promise of spring. The sun created prismatic effects on the snow and the crystals of snow sparkled in the sunlight. These late winter colors inspired me to knit gloves in 4 colors: sky blue, winter white (snow), and rust and marigold (morning sun on the deciduous trees and dry grass).

Heidi and our other German Shorthair Pointers showed us new ways of exploring and enjoying winter. Heidi always displayed a joie de vivre and would never walk if she could run, prance or leap. As I mentioned yesterday, the dogs have a way of engaging us in play and I fondly remember Heidi's habit of catching snowflakes, bounding through the snow and tracking. I managed to find a few photographs that made me smile, including one where she was catching snowflakes on her tongue during a pretty intense snow storm. Read more... to see additional photos of Heidi in the snow.

As I admired the rich blue sky, I noticed these ornaments hanging 40' or more above the ground in our neighbor's yard. I hadn't noticed these before because there are tall evergreens in front of them, plus you need binoculars to tell what the round shapes are. I'm not sure what kind of nuts these are, but they are beautiful.