Finding Hidden Treasures In Wisconsin's Winter Wonderland

Expect The Unexpected

November 24, 2014  A 5 inch Snow Fall.

     Waking up, rising, stretching, pulling up my blinds on the windows, WOW  to my amazement I had a whole new World!  God had wove his creative handy art work across my home and land.  The chicken coop had a soft thick white covering along with every bit of nature that was on my land.  The dreary browns, grays, and blacks now sparkled with a whole new dressage.  

     

The only tracks in the snow came from critters who were active at night.  Rabbits and deer had been moseying about here and there and in-between the many gardens.  Up till then, I didn't think the deer were around, and I very seldom see the rabbits. 

    Nature had them well hidden until now, tracks all over the place! 

     Out back around the side of the house, up on the hill there is a deer trail.  With the snow my eye catches the slightest movement.  Last night, Dec. 3, our Luke put in his deep barking alarm.  I always go to see what he sees and it is always a critter, a cat, a rabbit, and sometimes it is a deer.  Sure enough it was the three legged deer along with four others crossing in back land behind our house up on the hill.  I had been fretting about weither she still lived.  The hunters, fellow neighbors, had just been hunting our land all week.  They know I favor the three legged deer so avoid killing her.  But, there are a few hunters I do not know spotted off and on out there in our wild area too, not getting permission to use the land, just doing it.  So I never know until the three legged deer is sighted. 

Three legged deer with her yearling in March 19, 2013.  They were eating
twigs off wild bushes in my garden.  Notice in front where the leg is missing.
There is a dark spot .  I have no idea what had happened to her but she has
been sighted around our area the past four years.  She usually has yearlings
with her.  I hope to get another picture of her up close this winter.

Another Hidden treasure in our midst is under the round melted spot on our deck.  A family of Opossums, a mommy and three young ones.  The snow melts from the warmth of the mother and her three little ones cuddled up with her under there.  Our Airedale spotted one of the babies all by itself just a few feet from where they crawl in and out of their protected area.  Luke has a deep bark that I can hear anywhere in the house.  He constantly watches for anything moving outside. 

Luke always ready for action.  Watches all the windows and gives me
notice that there is something interesting  out there.  He has learnt he
cannot bark at cats, squirrels, or rabbits,  but he gives out his deep loud]
bark when he sees one of the opossums is out and about.  I come running
with my camera and take pictures from the windows that are by the deck.

"Rick author, author of a book on Lyme disease ecology and senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecoosystem Studies, explains..."

     "Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York have stated and I quote, "Possums, like many other small and medium sized mammals, are hosts for ticks looking for a blood meal.  But possums are remarkable efficient at eliminating foraging ticks.  "  "Because ticks try to feed on opossums and few of them survive the experience.  Opossums are extraordinarily good groomers it turns out - we never would have the thought that ahead of time - but they kill the vast majority - more than 95 % of the ticks that try to feed on them.  So these opossums are walking around the forest floor, hoovering up ticks right and left, killing over 90 % of these things, and so they are really protecting our health. " 

I giggle out loud as I watch these strange looking little babys, waddel around looking for bird seed that has dropped from the feeder above them.  There funny little pink feet look like they have sharp nails.  I always thought they were in the rat family but they are not!  They actually are in the kangaroo family.  The mother has a pouch like the kangaroo and has about 13 babys but only a few manage to find the pouch to keep them warm and protected.  There are three babys with their mother who lives under the deck.  I only seen her a few times.  But the little ones come out everyday when the weather is nice.  

     I have grown to love the little critters.  I think our Great Creator must have had fun creating this funny looking little Opossums.  :)  I would NEVER try to touch them, they are wild and probably exposed to rabbies desease.  I do not know for sure.  Will have to do some research on that.  They have really long sharp teeth.  While researching this little critter I found out when they are in danger they play dead and have a horrible smell come out of their mouth.  That maybe keeps preditors away like skunks.  Not sure about that either.......

Unexpected flock of crows flying up and away, for luck I had my camera.
I am not especially fond of crows, but they do their job cleaning up road kill,
and other things that crows do, but when I saw this picture after I entered
it into my computer from my camera, I thought, how beautiful and how
brave to stay all winter.  They make quite a racket sometimes flying over
but I do have a little more appreciation for them and will not judge them.

Squirrels can be trouble once in a while but last winter we did not see any at our feeders.  I know many people work real hard to keep them out of their feeders and gardens but after missing them for a whole season I appreciate them once again doing crazy things like flying from a tree down onto the feeder, sometimes missing it completely.  But it does not stop them  This fall the squirrels were back.  Four of them went from Walnut trees way up on the hill down into our wilderness to plant these large walnuts .  Some in my gardens.        This picture shows twin Bur Oak trees into their 4th or 5th winter that the squirrels planted The trees are gorgeous in winter with the snow outlining their artistic sway with gnarled bark thick and beautiful.  The tall light brown birdhouse has been giving shelter to many Chickadees I have been watching flit in and out of the holes.
I plant natural, leaving most of the dried dead plants for nature critters in the winter.  It provides seeds for the birds and I have spotted deer munching on the dead left overs.  The Pyramid Cedar trees to the left of the picture were trimmed up as high as the deer could stand on two hind feet.  At first I was stunned with the damage but an unexpected bonus was their comical look in summer.  Adding whimsy to the garden sceane.  Showing me that my bad attitude about damaged plants or irritating sounds can really turn out to be an unexpected blessing.  I try not to judge people or nature less and less.  Never know what the outcome will be in life.

Dream

Love

Peace

as always

blessings to all

Kate

To Everything There Is A Season. A time For Every Purpose Under Heaven Ecclesiastes 3:1

As With Age, There Is No Holding Back, 

Natures Swing Into The Next Season.

View of out back in the wild area.  Stormy skies vie for position with the Fall
Sun showing less and less.  Typical weather for Wisconsin Fall, gloomy, rainy days
with Sun peeking out on days in between.  Melancholy moments, remembering the
hot, sunny days of summer with bursts of new flowers every day also peek in
to my mind but I gently brush them away with busyness, consisting of a new
colorful quilt, reading a novel that makes me waist a whole day needing to
reach the end.  Writing and researching my novel I am trying to write.
Trips to the library to stock up on another week of reading material.
Stops at the florist shop to see what their genius minds have thought up,
 their displays, luring us in to spend money on their delightful ways of
making me smile.  

        

      The gardens are bare of buds and bloom.  Picture is an open view of what was hidden throughout the summer.  The chicken coop lies open and ready to give chickens shelter from the cold, the many days of rain and perhaps the above flying hawk looking for a meal.
Two white outer shelters in the pen  give a quick refuge for the chickens from danger along with a large weeping pine that hugs the earth with its confining branches.

   

 Each morning the chickens are fed, given fresh water and the door of the large 10ft x 15ft. coop is opened, giving them freedom for the day. ......... But much to their dismay, the outside pen's door is firmly closed and will be all of winter.  No more free range eggs, but sunflower seeds are thrown in the pen, the chickens eating them, passing omega 3 into their eggs and we happily consume these luscious eggs every morning before we start our winter's day.
      Leaves are brought into their outside pen 8 inches deep and spread on their ground for scratching. A fresh green hay bale  placed in the coop is giving the hens something to peck at.  Scurrying around the bale also gets them away from a hen pecking sister. Their white shelters outside, get a loose layer of hay  for protection of the Sharp Northern winds and rains if they choose to stay out in the fresh cold air.

Chickens are in their prime colors after molting their summer feathers, growing again
a warmer layer of feathers for the frigged cold winter ahead.

The group of hens now confined to the large outside pen, instead of free ranging
the 27 acres we own, they are gather under the weeping pine.  A safe haven from the large
hawk that swoops in capturing anything that is silly enough to be out in the open.
With the leaves now all down from the surrounding trees there is little shelter from the hawks
 sharp prongs.Tthe leaves provide insects, and worms a place to hide with the chickens as the predator.

Luke is confined in the house often himself along with me, gazing out at the rain
coming down in its drizzle many more days than not.

Leaves of all sorts and color cover most surfaces even with Dick using his leaf blower and Big lawn tractor  to rid them on the few sunny and warm days.  Brisk winds blow them from one way and the next, again to cover the cleaned areas.  Most will be collected and put in the gardens or the chicken coop.

Leaves from the Purple Plum Ash tree covering our whole deck.

     We also get 7 truck loads from the city's collection centers brought out here, to be piled up and left for the following season of spring to use mulching the gardens and shrubs in the more formal areas.  Most areas are either natural landscaping, a somewhat planted area using shrubs, trees and bushes made to look natural.  Wild flowers are in abundance, with graces of weeds, small and tall trees sprinkle the area.  We mow lawn only on paths or areas we need to work on.  Very small stretches of grass hold any width in the upper gardens between the three perennial gardens, enough for small gatherings of company.  

Purple Plum Ash tree the day after the Fierce North winds stripped it naked of leaves.

Purple Plum Ash tree colors with the lovely russet-reds and underneath
a lovely yellow underskirt of leaves before the storm.

The tiny bouquet is the last of the flowers in the gardens.  I had to look
long and hard to find even them.  They survived two hard frost that knocked
nature to her knees, releasing the leaves and drooping anything strong enough
to have survived the frosts before that.  It is time and we did have a beautiful
warm fall.  November 1st is only three days away.  The quilted table covering
Is one I made a couple years ago.
I have a Poppy wall hanging I want to do this winter.  It is quite large so will
probably take longer to get done.  It will fill those below zero days ahead and make
the winter go as fast as the past summer flue by.  Mom always said, " A busy mind
is a happy mind."

Many of my pictures will be take from the window.  My walk abouts will be more quick to beat the chill.  Once it gets to 32 degrees I have to wear a special cold weather mask which is an irritation to my being, but it keeps me alive, seeing I have Asthma  allowing me to enjoy winter weather outside instead of looking out from the window.  Most all trees and bushes have shed their leaves.  The burning bush which is usually a bright red is a blushing pink because of the shade.  It carries lovely red dainty berries and holds on to them most the winter.  The seedlings from the year before get ate by the hungry deer, so I do not have to worry about it spreading all over the acrage. 

Up close this picture shows the lovely berries.  They are hard as a button, and not
interesting to the birds.  I am able to enjoy their cheery color throughout the winter.

This lonely petunia had braved a harsh living .  The seed from a year ago's flower pot sitting in this space, produced this little plant.  It struggled all summer, just missed being swept off the tiny edge between the foundation and the stepping stones in front of it. Knowing it was a seedling from a petunia I decided to let it grow. Curious to see what color it would be.  Just the other day, it finely popped open the lovely deep purplish-blue colored bloom.  I am going to enlarge this picture to remind me how easy a life I have and what struggles that might come my way are livable, through the Grace of my loving God.

Under the picture will be the saying,

                                                        

                                                      "The color, the texture, which You have brought into my being,                                                               have become a Song and I want to sing it forever! 

                                  Praise You My Jesus.  

May love and blessings come your way each day in surprises you never thought could happen.

Kate

Looking For Treasures Finding Joy and Peace

This Driveway Goes Out And It Goes In

     So often I have traveled this route in the past 30 years.  So often I started on an adventure driving out this path.  Looking for an adventure, big or small I have to drive this path to get started.  Leave....
     But "Home is where the heart is" quote by unknown author, finds me re-entering this same path.
Sometimes the adventure fizzles out, leaving might just be everyday errands to be done quickly and returned to, where my heart is, Nature Within, Cherish The Moment ! My own quote where I find most of my adventures leading me to surprises, joy, peace.

The trees out back of our property is bursting with color.
Very uplifting on a cool sunny day.

A sunny day brings me lots of energy, joy, and well-being.

These golden hues were caught on my long lens attachment.  Bringing the wooded area up close  when in reality I have to walk 20 minutes to get out there to see this loveliness up close.

     On a rainy day I am held captive, inside looking out, snapping pictures through a window.

Not wanting to brave the cold air and wet moisture running down my cheeks, I accept the fact of being cooped up, safe from a bad cold I might get, which triggers my Asthma.  I love summer rains warmth, feeling like the lovely flowers that surround me as I walk through the gardens no fear, just pure pleasure getting soaking wet.

A curled up Queen Ann's Lace flower seeds brings to mind how I huddle up
keeping safe and sound in the cold rainy fall days.  Snug and warm but oh
missing so much just looking out the window with my camera at my side.

                             

 Luke feels the same way I do on rainy days.  He would rather be out walking the trails, checking out each critter he spies on the way.  Always sniffing, looking, peering into this patch of wild growth or a hole deep enough to hide that chipmunk that just scurried at jet speed to his safety.   Waiting for what?









                                                                         Kate                         

Flower Gardens, Nature, Telling Me A New Season Is Entering

Rainy Days, Shorter Days, Cooler Temperatures,

Tell Me Nature's Fall Season

 Is Pushing In

     The long shadows reaching out at 6:00 P.M. instead of 9:00 P.M. alert me it is time for the chickens and horses  to be fed and put away into their dwellings for the night.   Safe from predictors, nor worry for me, while I too, find myself stepping into my home, saying goodnight to my busy day.  

     Looking down the path in the lower gardens it is again quiet, peaceful, as daytime recedes, night time seeps into my day. 

     The Goldstrum Rudbeckia are in full bloom in the mature perennial beds.  Impatience in raised flower pots are brimming over with bloom.  A full summers growth and plenty of rain have given the fall garden a lush look.

On the right side of the picture, the Chickens outside run is quiet of the clucking, fussing about who is going to get in the coop first.  The shorter days bring less eggs.

Flower beds are past their prime.  Chickens are taking a drink out of birdbaths.  Won't be long the chickens will no longer free range the property.  Hard frost will eliminate their protection of cover from hungry Hawks flying over.  They will be confined to their outside run attatched to their chicken coop.  Leaves trucked in from the city near by, will be spread deeply so they have place to scratch and eat bugs, worms and grubs that they discover in the 6 to 12 inch depth.  Oh the clucking and sputtering they do so their fellow hens do not grab them away.  

Heavy dew coats the blooms of Hybiscus early in the morning.
Fall brings tempetures in the 40 degrees instead of the hot 70's or 80's like the month of August here in Wisconsin.

Crabapples are ripe.  Dewdrops cover their deep red fruit.

     It's a happy time, a sad time, knowing in a month it might be all gone.  September 1st show it as a tell-tell sign, summer is at an end.  A new season is about to start. Even Nature is a less noisy, baby robins, cardinal, no longer are flapping their wings demanding a bug, a sunflower seed.  I see them fly to the bird feeder helping themselves now.  The young robin, still carrying its spotted colors hopping along the lawn searching for that big fat worm.  Swallows are gathering on the wires, hundreds of them all lined up, getting ready for their flight south.  

Thunder clouds form again.  Coldfront is trying to push out the hot summer days.
Had quit a few rainy days this past week and more is ahead.  Typical  Fall weather
here in Wisconsin.  Summer high heat demanding to stay with loud claps of
thunder, cool air winning out.  I love fall weather.  Good times for long walks,
Weeding and digging in the garden without sweat trickeling down into my eyes.
Gathering produce for the table, fresh and without chemicals on them!

     Its a time for letting go,  facing what is ahead bravely .  My son and daughter in law  first two daughters are leaving for college.  Moving them into their first apartments.

     First time living away from mom and dad.  An exciting time but leaving a big hole in a close knit family of six kids.    They are still just an hour away or call, text away .  Very level headed girls, doing great in high-school, having jobs, driving well most times.  But even with knowing all that, the quiet settling in.  Not hearing those cars coming and going.  Seeing that smile, or maybe the grumpy reply missing.  Yes my own kids grown, in their 50's and 40's experiencing themselves their grown up kids departure.  Letting go, letting God do for them now that they are out on their own.  

     Yes fall brings big changes!

Seeing summer taking a final bow, letting Fall slip into the foreground.  So good to know we can lean on God. 

                                    Psalm 119:50  "This is my comfort in my affliction.  For Your                                                                                                word has given me life." 

                                                                                          Blessings
                                                                                               Kate

.  

Gardens Flowers Grace Lazydays Of Summer In Central Wisconsin

August Brings Times For Peace Filled Days

Today I Can Handle
Yesterday is Gone
Tomorrow Isn't here
Yet

    In my walk about in the gardens Percilla often follows me along.  She loves the attention and the rubs I give her.  She knows how to relax, just let the lazy days of summer float along.  The time is usually 4:00 p.m., the best time for picture taking.  Still plenty of afternoon sun, which has softened with shadows and just the perfect lighting to catch the beauty of color and form in a photo.  9:00 a.m. is also a terrific time to take pictures of my flowers.

Star Gazer one of the prettiest lily I have, and it always blooms last of the
 Lillys.  A splash of color that makes my heart and soul do a flip flop of  Joy
when I look upon it!  It certainly is a show stopper but not at all peaceful.

     Ambling down the garden paths, searching for that perfect picture, I found myself in the Fairy Garden.  It is half the size it use to be, and the glass plates that use to line its borders are gone.  I had to downsize the gardens because of health issues.  No longer having the energy or age to continue what I had started at 50 when I established most of my gardens.  I centered my camera on a neat old birdhouse, and in the picture

I was so happy and surprised to see the neat Tree Frog looking back at me!

     There it sat, just checking me out, didn't even pull back when I aimed my camera up closer.  Peaceful, and unthreatened.  Was his mind on bugs, had he watched me off and on all summer knowing I would not bother him?  What brings peace?  What makes that Tree Frog live one moment at a time?

  

White balloon flower draws a white spider, blending in to its surroundings.
We have so many spiders in the gardens.  Find them in the house too.
Daddy long legs use to give me the panic mode but no longer.  Just work
around them or in house get something to dispose of them so they don't
multiply!

Globe Thistle, a garden perennial has the most beautiful blueish purple blossom.  It is picky to touch but the bees swarm in and out with no effort.  There must be lots of nectar to offer them.  Not a care in the world, just coming and going and doing what bees do. Do Bees have Peace?  In this picture is white Queen Ann's Lace with the Blue Globe Thistles.  It is a very quiet, peaceful setting. 

Queen Ann's Lace is really a wild flower but I let it do its thing in the
garden.  Here it softens the yellow in the daylily setting.  

Three fairies sit on logs from the old Ash tree that had to be cut down.  It was dying from the Ash Borer bug, and leaning towards our horse barn, too dangerous to take a chance.  The Ash tree was large and mature when we bought the property 29 years ago.  Dick placed slices of wood from the tree in the fairy garden.  The setting has serenity, makes me feel peaceful.

Hibiscus flowers bloom just before September sets in.  These are the size of a desert plate.  Its leaves are on stiff stems almost bush like with large leaves.  The Hibiscus comes up late in Spring like the Balloon flower, showing its existence  with slow growing buds pushing its way in between all the other plants.    So many times I forgot it was there and dug into the nice open space of earth, finding out later that was were the Hibiscus or Balloon flower grew.

Here you can see the size better compared to the leaves.

I miss my Hibiscus in red, but the hard winter must of killed the plant or maybe it was that giant root I dug out in Spring, while weeding and transplanting.  Oh my, I need to do more marking where I put things.

Amur Maple is fading and will be soon turning its Auburn reddish color.
Here it branch reach out to blend nicely with the daylilys bright orange.

    Our animals even seem more quiet and peaceful.  Seeing the cats just sitting around the barn on the cool mornings, not in any hurry to get out on their job of discontinuing rodents.
     Chickens are slowing down laying their eggs with the coolness in the air.
    The peacock lost its long beautiful tail feathers when they molted not too long ago.  They will grow back in next spring.

Peacocks - The colored one is the male.  He no longer has the high screeching
 pitch in his song that he would use early summer, its now peaceful.  The brown and white
one is female.They are in the tall corn crib a local farmer gave us.  It is attached to their
outside run pen.  They fly way up to the top to a perch and sit.


Ahhh, wishing you all peace


"peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you; Let your heart
not be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  "  John 14 in Scripture


Kate