Saturday, February 6, 2021

The Longest Month

 It's only 28 days. Why does it always seem like twice that?


 Our January was terribly mild as Januarys go. February may be the month of love, but when it comes to snow, it is not being so kind.


I really can't complain when I consider my friends in the East with well over a foot of snow. And I have to admit, it's very pretty. And watching the wildlife is rather amusing! 

I should name this one "Pretzel" because he can contort himself into any shape!

The snow is so lovely when it falls -- I enjoy watching it come down in the back yard because really, I don't have to do anything with that.


The driveway is a different matter. My snow guys came after about two or three inches. I just got in from pushing the inch or more that fell after they were finished. Not bad but heavy and I can already feel my back seizing up! After I took this pic, I made a path to fill the feeders. My tweets are hungry!


The ditch looks rather pretty. A bit brutal, but pretty. Areas of water don't seem fully frozen so if there are ducks still hanging there (and I think there are -- I've seen them flying overhead) -- they have water. 


I saw a lovely deer, too, but didn't have my camera. I hustled home to get it but when I returned it was gone. I'm not sure where they are going for food but I could have sworn I saw deer tracks in my yard.


Don't you love the contrast of these ditch weeds and the snow? It's so stark, yet lovely.


Once winter comes, no one shovels or plows the path. But it looks tamped down enough that hearty walkers might enjoy a jaunt or two around the ponds.

I'll pass.

I was headed home from an appointment and happened to pass by this cheerful house.


I haven't met the people who live here. But I'm pretty sure I like them!


In the pet peeve department, the other day I got this enormous box from Amazon. The legal-sized envelope gives you a sense of scale.


This is what was inside. Most of it would have fit in a padded envelope. Maybe all of it, in one or two.

I have so many boxes in my garage I could start my own shipping company. I really think Amazon should design a smaller sized box for deliveries such as this. 

Meanwhile, my computer has been very slow of late and making odd noises when turning on or accessing one of the other drives or a video. "Not Responding" (which is what I should have named Lizzie) is a common sight. Needless to say, there may well be new hardware in my future.


 Meanwhile, I leave you with a bit of blue. 


These days you grab onto it when you can!

Sharing with:    Let's Keep in Touch    /    Timeless Thursdays     /     Pink Saturday     

65 comments:

Lynne said...

Squirrels contorting for a bite or two are certainly fun to watch.
I agree . . . pretzels!

I am looking out at the feeders, and seriously, each feeder is wearing a hat,
about a foot high. We haven’t had this much snow in a long time.
Truly gorgeous here! And the wind stayed away so the snow could stay.

Happy February . . . maybe it will fly by!

DUTA said...

February is probably the snowiest month of the year in many locations, and brings with it winter's white beauty, beauty which we don't have in our neck of the woods. Enjoy it while you have it!

Martha said...

What gorgeous photos Jeanie! It really looks beautiful there. Stay inside and all bundled up. Computer problems are never fun, I hope it's an easy fix. Enjoy the weekend!

William Kendall said...

That squirrel is a cutie pie!

Prims By The Water said...

Pretzel is a great name! Last year February felt even longer being leap year. Janice

Linda Sue said...

Gorgeous shots of snow and dried weeds- lovely to see, I do not miss it! Especially the back breaking work shoveling! No thanks. I hope you have not done yourself in!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Those neighbors certainly have a great sense of humor, jeanie. We did get more snow than yourself and I agree that it's lovely to watch it fall. And we don't have to worry about shoveling anything which makes the enjoyment even nicer!

My name is Erika. said...

Your January sounds like here in NH, as well as your February. Love your winter photos too. You've had some gorgeous blue skies. Dried plants always look so fascinating. I love the cattails especially in that photo. We're in the second half of winter, but I agree, why does February always seem so long? Take care and have a great weekend. Hugs-Erika

Pam Richardson said...

Jeanie, the snow photos are so beautiful. We rarely have snow so it is so nice to see beautiful pictures. I can imagine how difficult shoveling snow would be, take care of your back!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Our Rockies have had two feet of snow this weekend but where I am on the front range it is dry as a bone with no snow on the ground. I hope that situation improves soon as we need the moisture. There is never any rain this time of year here so snow is needed. We actually were in the mid 60's last week. I put out a few Valentine heart decorations and a heart-shaped wreath on my door, but I loved your neighbor's fun Covid skeleton valentine theme..lol!
I agree that Amazon often uses boxes that are too large. I wonder if they have a suggestion box on their website?
I hope your computer problems can be rectified. I know how annoying that can be.

Have a good weekend!

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Beautiful photos of the snowy scenes - the sky is so blue! Haven't seen a blue sky in a while here. Squirrels are so fun to watch. Seems such a waste of resources with all the packaging. At least they stopped using the foam peanuts....Nothing like opening a box with those things and having them spill everywhere. Love the weathered fence with the dried weeds. Hope you don't get too much more snow. Be careful. xx K

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

We have two foot of snow here and deeper drifts with no end in sight in the ten day forecast. No liking February.

I miss the antics of squirrels at a feeder. They are so determined and smart.

I get a lot of stuff from Amazon and once in awhile I'll get a huge box for a dab of stuff. I think they have to work so fast they just grab the closest box sometimes. Or the person filling the order sees 5-6 items and miss judges the sizes of the stuff.

I didn't know Greenies cam in a salmon flavor! Levi knows he gets one at 3 everyday and lets me know what time it is if I forget.

Little Wandering Wren said...

It's easy for me to say sitting in the middle of high season in Thailand and gorgeous sunny days - it looks so pretty with you, especially with the sunshine.
Sending you a warm sunny hug from Thailand, have a lovely week Jeanie
Wren x

Valerie-Jael said...

Wonderful photos, love that squirrel! Stay safe, hugs, Valerie

Iris Flavia said...

Oh. Our kitchen-calendar still is on January, LOL.
Love the "LOVE"-sign, have one here, also. To love!

Ohhh... that cutie-pie!!! I cannot feed our "Peanut(s)" as I would get snow inside (and I know that neighbors above feed them, too).
Beautiful pics, especially the one with the hard shadow!
Uh-oh, may not show Ingo this pic of the skeleton, our bedroom might get pimped with such hearts (and it´s a small bedroom).

Yes! Ingo once ordered a bathroom mat. It came in a huuuuge box, too. Why, just why???
LOL, great idea with the shipping company!
Awww, poor Lizzie, getting called names ;-)
Yes, hate when that happens, too - server/pop-problems? We have that at times, reset and all good (over here).

Rustic Pumpkin said...

Did you know that here in the UK we have an actual cardboard shortage? I think it's due to so many shopping online. We are being asked to be judicious as to our recycling, and more cardboard than ever is being recycled. It's such a waste of resources that you have shown us.

Deb in Wales

Joyful said...

Lots of pretty winter images. I too get peeved when someone sends items in a far too big box. I am constantly breaking things down for recycling. Or sometimes I try to reuse the padded envelopes and boxes but of course one can only use so much. My computer often says 'not responding'. I think part of the issue is once you save too many things on your desktop the computer has to work that much harder to do things. If you have this problem like I do, try moving or clearing some of it up first and see if it helps. My computer is very old now. I'm surprised it's still going.

Rita C at Panoply said...

I love the art on your Feb calendar page! And I love looking at the beauty of the blue skies, the snow, and yes, the silhouettes of the ditch weeds...from afar! I'm actually ok with Feb, it is Jan that always brings me down. Watch that back, girl! You know better!
Well, if misery loves company, I'm definitely in the market for new hardware. I just hope that's all. Last night I was minding my own business, on my desktop, and suddenly, BANG! It sounded like a gunshot! My computer blew a fuse with a vengeance, smoking and smelling like burnt wire after. Heading to Geek Squad to see if it's what Mr. P thinks it is...the fan, and hopefully restoring all programs will be as simple as replicating a [hopefully] intact hard drive. Fingers crossed! I'm deep into taxes already...

Karen said...

My favorite is the shadows from the fence on the snow ~ so pretty. Love the squirrel, clever little critters! Stay warm ~ 3 weekends to go and we will be in March :)

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I agree that February is giving us more "weather" than January did. We have a great computer repair place close to us. Our old clunker (as opposed to the laptops) had slowed to a near death pace and they replaced some "innards" for a reasonable price and it's back to it's young self now. Have a good day, Jeanie! -Jenn

David M. Gascoigne, said...

The one thing I like about February is that the days are noticeably longer, and when we have dinner,usually around 6:00 pm, it is still light. And even on a cold day, when I am outside, the sun is higher in the sky and you can feel its warmth. And it's already a week less to go, Jeanie. March is on its way!

Joanne Huffman said...

I agree, February seems like the longest month (I say they try to stretch it out a day once every four years and get beaten back and don't try again for another four years). The combination of the snow and the cold does provide some nice sights; but the cold is getting into my old bones. I'm making plans to drive to Florida after my second vaccine - it's been a long year since I was there.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,
We seem to be having snow storms every couple of days now. It is coming down fast and hard right now. Your photos are beautiful, I love the shadow shot with the fence. Your neighbors have some cute decorations. Some of my Amazon boxes are big and other are small enough to fit in my mailbox. Take care, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I always thought Feb seemed like the longest month too when I lived up north. Down here in sunny Florida it is whizzing by! The snow does look pretty. Hope you get your computer problems fixed!

La Table De Nana said...

Jacques plows pathways to the door and out back..must be 2 ft deep..
I put the boxes in recycling.
That J Bezos..mastermind..
Feel priviledged to have been able to order things..we are fortunate..in this way:)

Hate computer woes;)
Take care!

La Table De Nana said...

Privileged;)

Mereknits said...

Winter has such a stark beauty to it. Enjoy every minute even though it is cold. Stay safe.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

We have blue skies but horribly cold weather!! The air temp is -15 right now. It’s just awful! But January was beautiful so I guess we were due for some bad weather. I will take snow over these temps!! I can’t wait for it to warm up again! Computer problems are such a pain!! My brother works in technology so he has come to my rescue many times!

The French Hutch said...

Such lovely shots of you snow and wildlife. We have the cold temps this year but not snow. I think it's probably a blessing because eventing comes to a standstill when we do. We love watching our "little critters" in our back yard, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks not mention all the birds. It is too cold and rainy for walks to our ponds but can't wait for spring for that. Yes, February is a long month and January felt like is would never. In the mean time, enjoy all your beautiful winter scenery.......

Sandra at Maison De Jardin said...

Jeanie, your snow photos are so pretty. We have had snow this week as well, but not as much as you have had. We woke up to about another 2 inches this morning and more on the way for this week. Very cold temps will be with us as well. My mom always said, "Beware of February." I think she was right.

Love all your gorgeous shots of nature and especially of your squirrel. You must give him a name.

Have a good day, Jeanie, and leave the snow alone. Spring will be here soon and you want to enjoy it.

gigi-hawaii said...

There is snow on top of our volcanoes, but none at sea level of course. Lovely photos. As for the boxes, don't you have a bin for recycling? Ours goes out on the curb every other week. We are constantly cutting up boxes and shoving them into the bin. Gotta laugh, though, at the humongous box for a small item. But, at least, that small item won't get lost in the shipping.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

fresh snow is really beautiful - I just hate the dark chunks in the road the next day

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

It had been a mild winter hadn’t it. We have suddenly plummeted into single digits at night and only the teens during the day plus we’ve been getting a steady amount of snow. I am glad February is only 28 days and am anxiously counting them off!
You know Jeanie I have to comment on the computer. A) your hard drive is failing. B) get it backed up immediately, and if you don’t know how get help.

SingingRiverSoulSpa said...

Snow against blue sky is one of the sweet pleasures in life, don't you think.
Sunsparkles on snow - one of my favs:)
Just dropping in to check on you this long and snowy winter.
Glad for the wildlife that keeps you company.
And for the warm roof over your head - stay snug until Spring:)
Wintery hugs,
Jennifer

Anonymous said...

Jeannie: It looks cold! But really beautiful. The only time our garden looks pretty in winter is when it snows..Love little Pretzel. Blue skies are wonderful, we have had a few this past week..Stay well..xxoJudy P.S. Well, I don't know what happened last time that it all went through, but not today so I am signing in as Anonymous to see if that works. You know who I am..xxo

Rain said...

Hi Jeanie :)) Lovely photos, I love the ditchweeds and snow photo, yes, the contrast is lovely! Oh Pretzel lol, very cute! And I think I like those people who have the Valentine's decorations up too! :)

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Pretzel is a good squirrel name.
The walk way has pretty scenery.
Boxes. A 4 ounce jar of acrylic paint in a box that easily fits two pairs of size 8 womens's shoes. Don't despair, it is smaller than the shipping box containing the one 8 ounce jar of acrylic paint that fits 2 pair of boots, (Not bought or shipped by Amazon).

Arti said...

You too! Lots of snow. At least not the temperatures we're getting now. -22C (-8F) last i checked an hour ago. Your winter scenes are beautiful and not so cold as ours, for sure. I've just posted some pics and you can see, when it's sunny, it's really not that bad.

Mary Rose's said...

Tom Robbins (author of "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Jitterbug Perfume," among others) wrote "February, February, you may be short but you sure are long."

Thanks for the beautiful sunny winter photos.The Blue Ridge has been a little moody (overcast, cloudy, rainy) of late but it's okay.

XOXO, Maryanne

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Your snow with the beautiful blue sky is stunning, Jeanie. Such pretty contrast. I really like snow, but of course we don't get the volume or the low temperatures that you have. We had snow this morning and by this afternoon it all disappeared and the sun came out so we could go for a walk.

Pam said...

Loving all the snow, and yes I can say that cause we have not had any! lol....Questioning the skeleton but I have to say that is cute.

Marilyn Miller said...

Winter blue is always welcomed.
A walk around the ditch is welcomed too.
Love, love you picture in your garden of the bench with wreath and snow.
Fun neighbors!
Love that someone shovel snow for you.
I agree about the boxes from Amazon. Sometimes when they send a big one I want to save them thinking one day I will want that box. How many can I store in the garage before my "live-in gardener" notices.

Barb said...

Love those stalks and seed heads against the backdrop of white! When we go to recycling the huge bins are full to the brim with cardboard! We just had 2 storms drop about 20" of snow - we're grateful for the moisture.

Yvonne said...

February does seem to have started off slow. That valentine display is a priceless piece of humor, and the snow in your backyard is so beautiful. We rarely get snow like that.

Anca said...

Love the squirrel, she is so cute!! I also love the pictures with the snow. We don't have any here, in Liverpool, and I miss it a lot.

The packaging from amazon is terrible. Amazingly, I buy from another company (for work) and they are even worse. A package similar to yours for a few pencils and some stamps, because the rest came in its own package.

thepaintedapron.com said...

I am surprised Amazon doesn't have recycling centers, it is scary how many boxes everyone acquires now with so much online buying...I have received many boxes like yours, way too big for what's inside...The snow is beautiful but keep it up there please :) Good luck with your computer!

Sami said...

The squirrels are just so cute, I'm sure I would stand by the windows the whole day just watching them.
The snow makes for beautiful photos, but I would also not enjoy going out for walks on snow.
Packaging can be a menace, we also get small parcels at work that could be put into padded envelopes and instead just swim inside big boxes!

Bella Rum said...

It snowed here last week and again yesterday. It's very pretty, but I don't venture out. No need to slip and fall. Your winter pics are beautiful. I think we sometimes forget or miss the beauty of winter. Spring and summer are so lush and fall so colorful. Winter's beauty is more subtle, but it's beautiful all the same.

Nancy said...

Good Morning! I enjoyed seeing your snow captures! And those squirrels are so darn cute!
I agree with you on packaging... crazy!
Happy week to you my new friend!
~Nancy
www.TwoTrailsOneRoad.com

Friko said...

What a lot of lovely pictures. Snow does make for pretty landscapes.

Could that arrangement of balloons be a marriage proposal? Or just for Valentine’s Day?

I use up all cardboard boxes in one way or another, either torn up and wet for the compost heaps or the very large ones are put down on the ground as weed suppressors on paths or open spaces. The cardboard rots and will eventually disappear. I also put it on beds under a mulch. Yo can plant straight into cardboard and again it will soon disappear, particularly when there’s rain or snow.

Hena Tayeb said...

That squirrel is quite the contortionist.
We have been loving the snow.. especially since we have no were to go. We can just watch in wonderment.

That box bit happens with other companies as well.. such a tiny little thing will arrive in such a large box.

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Jeanie,
Love the pictures of the squirrel....The snow is pretty!! we will have ours for a long time even though 2 days of above freezing did melt some but no temps above 30 for the next week or two..we are in a deep freeze and snow expected every day....I have been tirelessly working in my craft room trying to get things organized....Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your kind words!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Karen said...

We had to order a new plug for a heater last week. It came in a huge padded envelope! It was announced that our county is going back into the green level as of Wednesday. If only we'd waited, M. could have walked right into a hardware store and picked it off the shelf.

Lowcarb team member said...

You've shared some lovely photograph here.
Your new neighbours colourful display is certainly colourful :)

I read recently that due to the huge increase in online shopping many companies are running out of packaging boxes etc. Perhaps this may explain why so many of us are getting a small parcel delivered in an outsized box/envelope!

All the best Jan

shoreacres said...

Spare a thought for those poor Amazon fulfillment people. I've read some articles about life in the warehouses and fulfillment centers, and the reason boxes often are oversized is that they're required to fill so many orders per hour, the size of the box doesn't count. Speed is the issue, not a perfectly fitted box. Life in the Amazon world is pretty bad, and I've nearly stopped ordering from them because of it. My convenience isn't worth another person's pain.

Your snow is gorgeous, and that squirrel is hilarious. Just wait until I post my latest squirrel photo! I probably won't title it "Get A Room!" but I sure could!

gretchenjoanna said...

Your squirrel pictures make me laugh out loud!

Divers and Sundry said...

Such lovely snow scenes!

I agree with you about the boxes. They've stopped recycling here, so there's not even that mitigation. What a shame there's so much waste!

R's Rue said...

Hugs

Victoria Zigler said...

You know I love me some snow, so wish you could send me some of yours (even though I did get a good deal of my own snow throughout January). But I can see how the need to shovel it would make y ou less enthusiastic about it than I am.

I think that about Amazon too. Such huge boxes when they really aren't needed, and then a whole load of paper for packing material that wouldn't be needed if they just used a smaller box. The other thing that irritates me with them is the thing like they did yesterday with us where two things I ordered in the same delivery that were due the same day were not only packaged seporately when they needn't have been but also came at totally different times (one came around 10:00am, and the other not until almost 5:00pm). They're great for getting things delivered, especially now with so many places closed because of lockdown, but they really need to stop wasting packing materials and fuel.

crackercrumblife said...

February is known as the Snow Moon month for getting the most snow! It seems to be the truth for Michigan this year. Enjoy your birds and creatures. We have been getting a little woodpecker friend every morning - he is so cute. :)

Red Rose Alley said...

I enjoyed seeing your snow pictures, Jeanie. When we had out first snowfall, they say it was around a foot of snow, but it looked like two feet, there was ALOT and it was deep. The snow picture with the bench in your back yard - did you put that wreath on there? I love that picture. I bet the ditch looks lovely this time of year. Thanks for sharing the snow, Jeanie. I get so excited when I see it.

~Sheri

fredamans said...

I live in Canada so I know snow. It's snowing now, has been for two days. UGH. It's pretty to take photos of but still.... Stay warm!

Sketchbook Wandering said...

what a nice winter portrait, Jeanie. We didn't get too much snow up here. But it is a tad cold! I adore winter, so February is a good month for me. Especially since the days are longer. Happy Valentine's Day! Card to come.

Lisbeth said...

Beautiful photos. You are really good in catching nature at its best.
I agree with you about packaging material. Sometimes you get surprised to see the box when you consider what you ordered.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Your LOVE sign is beautiful. I tink you did a great job with all those buttons. Your cute little squirrel is adorable and I'm sure quite fun to watch.

You had more snow than I had and I thought I had a lot for a change. Even the ditch looks cold and deserted.

Had to laugh at the skeleton with the Valentine hearts. Some quirky sense of humor.

Sorry to read about your computer. I was glad to read you use firefox, though. You can't do better than that.

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