Wowza, here comes February temps in the forecast. What a start to winter. I hope it shakes out for all the critters. I also hope everybody has their heated water bowls out. I do love the excuse to tackle a little inside holiday chore time though. Nothing like a warm oven to take the chill off & the calories that come with it are handy. I can’t wait until its homemade butter. So worth the work. 659 days…

I love sharing from my Monarch News google updates: the kids are on it!!! Way to go - I hope its a fabulous spring for their planting. https://www.ktnv.com/news/milkweed-for-monarchs-local-middle-school-students-get-las-vegas-mayor-to-sign-butterfly-pledge No seeds left here : ). Yes - I’m still checking.

Everybody’s fluttering around with these polar dips. This birdiee was driving me nuts, because it looks like the prettiest little Mockingbird, but its coloring is too distinctive & a crossbill?! I checked my trusty Merlin & the books, cue Google ‘birds mistaken for mockingbirds’ & wohoo!! Its been a few years since I have seen a “new” to me bird. & its quite the bird: Happy out-siding! Fresh snow = tracking time. Go get your free clues from nature. : )

We topped out at 6.5”, mostly powder. Working on all the indoor projects + family time, when the snow suits off ; ) After all - there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Now - if I can just find my ski boots…

Nothing like snow to set the holiday mood! Barnhouse stockings up, both trees by Monday, lots o’ cooking coming shortly ; ) and culled buck n rail fence supplies starting to look ‘enough’ enough to get after it soon. It’ll be time for lights on next years lil sprouts right quick - so outside I must go. ; ) what a life.

Morning Coffee outside is my preferred way to start the day, and its always a different happening, to make me smile. Today was one of my all time favorites: the escort lights, of someone getting home. I love watching the houses go by, two pieces scooted with the professionals, whenever our pesky breezes allow. And we all know, somebody’s just praying - let it get here… all the time to get payment, wait for it to be built, and then its gotta roll?! … so I always stop to chee

What a spectacular morning, leading us into winter weather with project time, so we can all get after those projects that will look beautiful sprinkled with white gold, soon enough. This time of year has always been sacred to me. My favorite holiday rolls around, where we gather not for religion, or country, but to celebrate the bounty of friendship & cooperation, when we all belly up for a food coma, simply grateful for the time together. And we have so much to be grateful

Always sad to run out the hoses, dry out the hums for pack-away, but…. Coming soon, tree climbing pruning time, working with my Mary Beaver & her happy family, heck yes Ph Adviser plant says - berry ready in the Spring. 🫢😁 Can’t wait to see who nests first… what a beautiful day for fresh air & sunshine.

What a beautiful fall we have had. The yo-yo of ‘lower water on / lower water off’ & can’t quite bring myself to pull on the coveralls yet so NorSari it is!! If you haven’t seen these made in Minnesota wonder skirts yet - put them on your outdoor woman Holiday Shopping list: https://norsari.com/collections/made-in-minnesota I have had mine for a few years, & I’ve been told I’m pretty tough on things (I like to point out - bought it to use it), but boy they hold up well. Mitt

Thank you Veteran’s for your service to our nation. You are never forgotten, your sacrifice & service, and your family’s. We all have an obligation to never forget the honor and gift it is, to dream in America. Set the Line. Hold the Line. Move the Line. We don’t believe in too hard. I asked Grandpa Sarge once, in the mid 90’s when he & I were having our “Grandma & Mom are in Germany” Letcher time… “Don’t you want to go visit the overseas family too?” And he told me, “Nah,

It’s wonderful to see someone has found where our Butterfly friends who haven’t made it all the way to the “known to us normal” winter haunt are hanging out. https://www.wlox.com/2025/11/07/monarch-butterflies-linger-mississippis-cat-island-instead-migrating-mexico/ Hopefully all the other critter nerds are gonna get eyeballs on more of those trees, because - the nature of nature says, they’ll show us what they need. We just have to be paying attention. Happy Friday!

Wow https://abcnews.go.com/US/farmers-almanac-announces-final-publication-after-208-year/story?id=127277448

It’s a well known fact I don’t usually enjoy the work on dead trees inside, but…. Sometimes it’s good paper! Retired year # 2, and oh boy, here comes 2026. I can’t believe it’s LESS than 2 years from front planting, but at least interior the winter prune list is shorter this fall. Progress in process. Onward. : )

20’s coming, last move arounds. I knew the Azalea was unhappy - but I had to giggle - full on root refusal but thats ok. Pot up it is & less clematis to steal your sun. Unfortunately last night - a lovely compaction problem in the CRP from someone lost & unfamiliar with what a pasture looks like apparently. I’ll share the process when I’m putting in the orchard on our work to fix come fall 2027. Just over 13 years raw - less than 2 years from planting, just awful. Hope

The first year I was able to e-mail the DNR folks, with my… could it be.. the extinction line says farther north but, what do you think? was magical & it never gets old. River otters back in the pond, enjoying all the summer work of the beavers & muskrats. Its just delightful to hear them playfully swimming around. They’re such happy critters, it’s easy to pass the time with them. Think this is fun & want to help me grow faster? Hoody weather is here, go get ya some cozy in s

It was delightful to see the kidlets & the grown ups enjoying the holiday at Trunk - or - Treat Next year - 3 large plant in grounds full of candy, no running out allowed. Sunshine & planting temps in the forecast next week… not quite other shovel season just yet; although yes, thats a snowflake & it came with friends. ☺️

Mister Mittens wanted to say hi this morning. Mittens is the OG of the domesticated critter crew. Bunny hunter #1, nobody (human or critter) has spent as much time outside here with me, as ol Mittens. He is protocol based like me - has to have his daily walk around, see whats up, & always awake for coffee time, no matter what time sun’s coming out He’s been known to bring home a pheasant from time to time, and always available to chat in his office. Just pop by the deck,

Seeding work this time of year leads to lots of time on the land. It’s always fun to spend more time with my wild friends. Dani Doe has twins every year. Nice to know they appreciate sunset too Not enough sunshine these days, lights on in the barn to keep it rolling forward. Hopefully some sunshine days sneak into the forecast soon. Happy last week of October! PS - Sweater Weather is here & the hoody’s (or crew neck) are CoZy!! Women’s cut tanks & tees run a lil small - ord

Chilly walk-around this morning. Good solid hard frost all around, really makes the sunshine that much sweeter. Beavers are hard at it. I love natures original conservationist. They have done a fantastic job cleaning the water, all the critters love their work, & boy, they don’t waste a bit of what they take: Hopefully all these beauties get a good blanket of white gold this winter, and a slow spring melt. That would be just lovely - so long as we get a lil more time to fini

Had a visitor just now on the nursery phlox. Always some loli-gaggers behind the flock. : )