Winter day down south. . . . . . . . .

It felt different this morning. Really like a winter day.

 I was out out on the front porch just before 7 AM.  

Scattered more birdseed along the rail, flipped the frozen WELCOME 

flag which had become tangled around its pole in the strong night wind, 

and noticed the fountain was frozen solid. The birds use it as another

 place to drink and bathe. A word to Bob later and he was out melting the

 ice with the tea kettle of warm water. Within minutes many birds arrived 

and I took a lot of photos through the window.

 I'll sort through them and share with you later.

Tall and elegant, the now blooming Apple Blossom amaryllis is part of my

 tiny tabletop "garden of earthly delights" and a third flower is opening with a

 fourth still in bud. There are new pots also, both from that quick run to

 LIDL yesterday which was mainly for salad greens and veggies. 

Snow, perhaps several inches coming today, we need to be prepared.

I couldn't pass up a pot of fresh bright green basil to snip, and of course the

 blue hyacinth in its own glass vase (just $2.99!) called out to be taken home. 

Who doesn't love a hyacinth before the garden ones appear in spring.

The fragrant aroma is wafting toward me as I write.

Note: These hyacinth bulbs are grown by a Women-Owned business in Pennsylvania. 

Way to go ladies, thank you.

The green bud in the the righthand pot will hopefully be another tall stem, 

and is the third amaryllis I've managed to regenerate this winter!  

As mentioned previously, patience and care often brings them into bloom

 over and over, so although good quality bulbs are somewhat expensive, 

you can get many years of pleasure from them.

Take care today, and over this weekend if you live in the areas where

 very cold and possibly dangerous, weather conditions are expected.

Here the southeast, and mid-Atlantic, may be bad with snow, ice and 

windstorms. Firewood at the ready, soup made, warm socks pulled on!