Baby it's COLD outside

It's been feeling more like January than November lately. Hat, scarf and gloves weather. Tonight is to get down close to 20 degrees, I've got a quadruple layer of remay pulled over the fall veggies and hoping for the best, things looked pretty good after a night in the mid-20's with just one layer so I think it will be OK but we'll see. We ate two small heads of broccoli last night and boy were they sweet.

Keeping the wood stove cranking and it got so warm in here yesterday I thought I was going to pass out, the thermometer read 76 when I finally gave in and went to bed. I picked these gorgeous nasturtiums a few days ago, they were the last, the plants a mushy pile after the night in the 20's, but they sure looked spectacular up until then.

Out walking late yesterday and the low winter sun could not make me warm. It's time to start carrying my binoculars with me again now that the leaves are down and winter residents are active all day looking for food. Lots of sparrows by the pond, woodpeckers everywhere, been seeing pileateds pretty regularly too, I can hear them loudly thunking their giant beaks against the tree trunks, pulling out chunks of bark in search of grubs.

Walking along the road coming home the sweet gum saplings were still a luscious shade of purple and juncos and sparrows were skulking around under the little pine trees looking for a place to hunker down for the night. If you are reading this- I hope you are some place warm.