"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Winter Takes Hold ~ All Is Well ( Thursday Update )

 Time to pull the Christmas dishes out of the pantry. This chickadee teapot is not strictly for Christmas but I use it especially this season. The teapot reflects the sights around Cedar Pond this time of the year. We have so many chickadees helping themselves to the sunflower seeds filling our bird feeders. The chickadees don't seem greedy either. They grab one seed and fly to a nearby branch to crack it open and eat the seed meat inside before flitting back to the feeder for another seed. The chickadees are with us all year and although easy to overlook for the more dramatic birds , they make me happy. Chick-a-dee-dee-dee !
 Ella and Fella my Sebastopol Geese hang out under the bird feeders eating any seeds the birds fling over the feeders. It is good to know the expensive black oil sunflower seeds don't go to waste around here.
 The bees are snug in their hives during the very cold weather. My husband makes his honeybees sugar boards to eat during the winter.
 Deciduous trees have shed their leaves . Our cedar and fir trees seem even more beautiful to me in winter with their deep green showing against the stark bare trunks and branches of the aspen, oak, alder, and maple trees.
 The last few days were very cold, below 30 degrees. We kept a fire in the wood stove the whole time. Nothing warms a body up as well as hauling several loads of firewood into the house. Now the temperatures have risen sharply and according to the weather man we're in for a very big wind and rain storm. It is good to be prepared for these storms because we frequently lose electric power when the high wind gusts knock trees down onto the power lines. I've already filled containers with water , have the candles and matches near, firewood stacked and ready to burn, a battery powered radio , and books to read. Especially books to read !
 Our pond was almost bone dry the end of September and two weeks into October we had big rains . More rain in November helped fill Cedar Pond and the water overflows the banks of the island in the middle of our pond.
 Our creek ran dry in June ( very early for this to happen ) and is now flowing rapidly adding more water to the pond.


 My sheep don't suffer the cold or wet because their wool coats keep them very comfortable. ( This is Tovah , one of my 4 horned sheep.)
 I found some dishes for our Christmas table settings. The green goblets and cream cloth napkins I bought at the dollar store go very well with the dishes. My winter teapot also looks pretty nice with these dishes.
I could easily use these dishes all winter because this is a common winter sight for me, wild bunnies bouncing across our lawns, gardens, and under the firs and cedars. Winter has taken hold and all is well here at Cedar Pond. God is so good to me and I am thankful.

Don't forget, any time you enter a comment ( limit 1 comment per post ) you're entered to win a pair of Wee Little Sheep * .

28 comments:

Debbie said...

I enjoyed the tour of your homestead and your winter report.And I love your beautiful Christsmas dishes! We have had some terrible wind storms in the past few months. In fact it seems like we've seen more and more of these types of storms in the last few years.
I've probably posted pics of the back of my house and that giant Hackberry tree on the East side. The streets of these old neighborhoods used to be lined with those 100year plus trees. Many have blown down or broken off and I'm expecting something similar to this one as it's one of the few left.
While you're getting cold weather we'll be enjoying seasonably warm for a few days. Enjoy that fire, and I hope all the trees stay in place and hold on to their limbs!
Debbie
Please enter me in the drawing. Must....Have....Sheep.....

Debbie said...

PS Chickadees are my very favorite birds! I've never seen a teapot with chickadees. We have many at our feeder and have introduced them to my 3 yr old granddaughter. Now when she sees one she hollers "Chicka-dee-dee-dee! :D

Marilyn Miller said...

Lovely Christmas plates and Cedar Pond too. Oh I love seeing your Sebastopol geece.

Anonymous said...

I love your blog! It really makes me want to have a little farm. My husband and I have always dreamed about living off the land as much as we could.
We moved recently to a place with a nice sized yard for our little man. We are in love with the space that we now have! I love our cozy fireplace when it's been so cold here. We just need to find some wood! Tea by the fire is so calming! Blessings and prayers to you and your family this Christmas! ~Meghann

ellen b. said...

That chickadee teapot is so cute! We have gotten some interesting weather patterns lately! Have fun getting ready for Christmas...

Deb said...

BIG fan of the chickadee here. I have about 20 that hang around the feeders all day. I love them and am so happy to feed them all year. The tea-pot is adorable and would be used all winter here. So cute! Your homestead looks so beautiful and the fir trees look their best covered in snow. We have mostly maples here but a few firs at the back of our land. We have not seen any snow yet this year which is very odd for Ontario, Canada. I'm hoping for a white Christmas, though. Hugs, Deb

Mitzi said...

I will happily leave another comment to boost my chances to win. I love hearing about your winter preperations. When we had our large yard, I really enjoyed putting my flower beds to sleep for the winter.

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

I love the glimpses of your life...Tovah is a beauty, I haven't seen four-horned sheep before!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Kathy ~ I love your chickadee teapot and your holiday dishes. Very festive.

I enjoyed seeing the scenery around your home. It is gently raining here and is supposed to rain off and on through the next few days. No cold though, very warm and humid when it's not raining. It does not feel like December at all.

Hope the winter storm does no real damages to your place. It sounds like you are prepared.

Happy winter holidays ~ FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy, I adore this tea pot with chickadees and the dishes are so cute too. Nice to see the change of seasons at Cedar Pond. I think we will be more prepared for a power outage this year after our March ice storm earlier this year. You'll have to share what books you have to read.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Love the chickadee teapot, it and the dishes are perfect to use all winter. That's what I like about my snowflake dishes, they come out in November and get put away in spring.
Interesting how the water levels are up and down, our inland lake sees highs and lows different years which must make for different food sources for the resident ducks and Canada geese.

LL Farm said...

Those geese are so beautiful, as is your homestead...and those dishes. Our weather has been up and down also...love having a fire burning, but we were in the 60's just a few days ago.

Unknown said...

Your place is just lovely. Snow at this time of year sounds perfect. I am glad you and yours are prepared and can now enjoy your warm fire. Sending prayers that weather stays calm.

Lesley UK said...

More about sheep. When we visit the Lake District the fells are covered in sheep, and the farmers daub their 'own' colour on their sheep (any colour you can think of!) As well as showing ownership it makes them easier to find in the snow. From a distance they look like a moving rainbow, To be cont.
Blessings

Thistle Cove Farm said...

This time of year and for the next few months, any green is welcome. Your Christmas place setting is lovely, Kathy, and the teapot cute as a button! Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Susan said...

A perfectly lovely post, Kathy. And those dishes are darling! Love the little bun bun. Susan

Nib's End said...

It looks like Cedar Pond is all settled in for a long winter's nap. Well, apart from slogging out into the cold to feed the animals. But then there is that moment when you walk back into the house and you feel its cosy embrace and it makes the trip outside worth it.

My bird feeder came down in a storm three years ago and I haven't replaced it yet. So I scatter seeds and nuts on the deck when it isn't covered with snow. It brings the birds and critters in closer to watch.

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

Oh what lovely Christmas dishes. Very pretty.

Wishing you a Happy Friday...
Brenda

L. D. said...

I really like your Christmas dishes. The little bunny next to the tree is a nice addition to the design. I remember you posting the pond almost dry or dry. The boat was in the dirt. We got a lot of rain this past month too. The teapot is so wonderful. My sister in law had a set of dishes that had quail painted on them. This reminds me of it but the chickadee is really great

Theresa said...

Beautiful dishes. I love them:) Your scenes around your neck of the woods are gorgeous. Have a blessed evening dear friend. Hugs.

Connie said...

Lovely photos, Kathy. I enjoyed taking the tour of your land as winter takes hold. Your Christmas dishes are so pretty.

Ashley said...

That's so cool you have bees. Your dishes are really pretty. I would like to be entered again for the giveaway. Thank you. :)

Love,
Ashley
creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com
ashleysyarnworks.blogspot.com

LesleyAnn said...

Your dishes are the prettiest I've ever seen. I love the tea pot. I'd certainly use them all winter. That's what I do with mine. I think they add "pretty" to sleepy days of winter.

Beautiful animals. :-)

Rian said...

Hi Kathy, I just came by to visit your blog via Deb at Just Cats. Love that Christmas plate with the tree and bunny! Will have to check back and surf more of your posts since I love tea, teapots, teacups, and critters! I was trying to figure out where you live, but couldn't find your profile.

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

This is my first visit to your blog - I hopped on over from Deb's blog Just Cats - and it definitely won't be my last visit!! I'm enjoying learning about your lovely home - it looks so gorgeous there!

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

Happy Monday Morning Kathy,

Wanted to let you know that I've posted about your adorable sheep this morning.
http://beautiful.wordfromhome.com/2015/12/seven-cutest-sheep-for-your-nativity.html

Wishing you a beautiful week ahead...
Brenda

Judy said...

Thanks for the great tour of your lovely home. I bet it's so nice to have a fire burning on a cold day. Your table setting adds such a festive touch to your table, I bet you were jazzed about finding the green goblets to go with your dishes!

Karen said...

Everything looks cozy at your place. What lovely Christmas plates!