Early Inevitability

Here in Tidewater we got our first taste of winter weather this weekend. Until last week I hadn't even had a killing frost, but this weekend it got below freezing cold at night with highs in the 40's during the day, and this pattern is expected to remain through the early week. Last night we even got snow, albeit a very light dusting. This type of weather is not uncommon here, but it did arrive earlier than we normally see. I do apologize to my northern, western and European friends if I sound like I'm whining about it.

So to mark the occasion of winter, here are the obligatory shots of foliage and flowers with snow, I believe it is a garden blogging requirment to do so. All of these were taken at work this morning before we opened and before the sun melted everything.

Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Camellia sasanqua (unknown cv.)

Black and Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue')

The exact species name of this Agave has been lost to the bad record keeping annals of history.

Santa Rita Tubac Prickly Pear (Opuntia santa-rita 'Tubac')

And finally a more seaonally appropriate shot of one our Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Christmas trees. I am pleased to say that this species appears to have grown wings as they were flying off the lot this weekend.

Three Mornings, Three Skies

Over Thanksgiving weekend we headed to my parents house on Virginia's beautiful Eastern Shore. In the mornings I was able to get up early enough to see the sun rise. I would have liked to have slept longer, but the dogs have not gotten adjusted to the time change yet, and once I am up, I'm up, so a walk to the edge of Metompkin Bay seemed like a good way to start the day.

Thursday:
The skies on Thanksgiving morning were what is often termed leaden. However there was a little sliver of pink peeking out from the eastern horizon. The water was calm and the air still, making it easy to hear the snow geese starting their day on the barrier islands.

Friday:
This morning the sky seemed unstable and was mixed with several different cloud types. The scenery changed rapidly, it was much windier, almost balmy and my walk was cut short due to rain. About the time we made it to the water, the hunters came out in force. I did not see any of them, but their presence was made known by loud gunfire, causing Loretta to disappear for a while. She made it home, but was anxious to get in the house.

Saturday:
I awoke to cooler and more seasonable temperatures. Apparently the hunters chose Saturday to sleep in and things were quiet. Though the skies were cloudless, the morning light was crisp, clear and uplifting.