Rainy Days and Mondays ALWAYS Get Me Down

Well...

that's not totally accurate.  It's more like, rainy days that seem to have no end

AND frigid winter temps that force me to stay inside 

make me...

Let's just say, winter and cold weather DO NOT agree with me at all.

But then, that's a little tidbit I shared with you...

 right from the start.

And I also happen to be someone who likes color—something greatly

lacking during these dismal winter days.

It's no accident that I still have a fall banner at the top of my blog.  It makes me

smile to see all those warm, sunny colors up there.

Alas, the trees have all shed their gorgeous autumnal apparel

and have left an ocean of brown, crackly leaves upon the forest floor.

The raindrops hang from their now-bare branches...

like glistening miniature ornaments.

It has been raining here for days, and, at times, the fog has settled so

densely upon the surrounding hills...

that they take on the appearance of an Impressionist painting—

though lacking the color 

The landscape that only a short while ago teemed with abundant plant life

now feels lifeless and dull.

Even the field grasses, which during fall were a delightful, golden hue,

have grown pale in this intense cold.

As I walked around the farm—in my wellies and layered

clothing—I was struck with just how quickly the color

has seemed to drain from my surroundings.

Another good reason to just stay indoors

and hibernate for a few more weeks, I thought...

until I caught a glimpse of this sight!

The daffodils are suddenly beginning to spring up beneath the trees—

their beautiful green leaves dotting the landscape with life...

AND color. 

 

That's one of the reasons that daffodils are my very favorite flower. 

At the point when the earth seems so gloomy and barren, these

little bursts of sunshine shoot up...

displaying their golden splendor.

In a few days, I'll be able to venture outside and pluck a handful

of these beauties to brighten up the inside of the cottage.

Hooray! 

Just what I need to cheer me up on a rainy Monday!   ; )

Time Travel Thursday #27 - Nature's Crystal Cathedral

CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE PARTY HERE!

Welcome to the 27th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Fantastic!  Then let's party on!

Since I don't have a finished project of my own to share this week...

I thought I would share a bit of God's creative handiwork around the farm—from this past weekend. 

On Saturday and Sunday we got several inches of fine, powdery snow—

our fifth snow, in as many weeks.

Now, for those of you who live in regions of the world where snow is commonplace in the winter, you may not find that to be a big deal.

But, in the South, to have had this much snow—so soon in the season—is A BIG DEAL!

Personally, I love snow here around our farm.

Things that might otherwise be missed—like bunny tracks—become highly visible, beautiful additions to the wintery scene.

And the deer—seen around here almost daily—leave definitive signs, in the fresh fallen snow, of their comings and goings.

Which do you think came first, the bunny or the deer? ; )

By the way, did you notice that God uses glitter in His projects, too?

On Monday morning, we woke up to discover that, during the night, ice had covered everything in sight!

The once dull, bare trees now glistened in the sunlight.

The winter grasses—in the field where last year's Valentine soireé was held—looked like crystal wands.

The sumac—at the edge of the forest—had been transformed into woodland chandeliers.

Even the little thicket where the bunnies like to hide had taken on the appearance of an icy palace.

Over the past several days, as I have wandered—totally awe-struck—around our farm and forest...

and have taken in the glorious scene all around me, I've been reminded of the infinite creativity of my Maker.

And I am so thankful that He lets me experience it through things like this marvelous crystal cathedral that He has created on my little farm.

Now show us all the creative endeavors you have to share.  ; )

Let it Snow!

Be sure to enter my fantastic year-end giveaway here.  Just a few more days
until the winner is announced!

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of cold weather.  As a matter of fact, that's something you
 learned about me from my very first post—
way back in January of this year!

Really, the only time I even like winter is when there's snow on the ground.

On two separate weekends this month, Mother Nature teased me into believing

a winter wonderland was in the making.

The first time it snowed—during the first week of this month—it amounted to nothing

 more than a light dusting of the white stuff.

Then, about a week later, I watched snowflakes the size of large cotton balls

 fall from the sky.

Not only were the flakes gigantic, but the snowfall was so heavy, I just knew there

would be at least a foot of snow to blanket the landscape.

But when all was said and done, the accumulation was not more than an inch or so.

Well...

it is only December, after all, and good snowfalls don't usually arrive here

 until late January.

But...

 this year, I got an extra Christmas present—snow on Christmas Day!

And not just a flurry, but a good snow!

What constitutes a good snow, you ask?

One that keeps this Southerner indoors, near a warm heat source, sipping a hot drink,

 and reading a good book.

Hey, it's the closest I can get to winter hibernation!!!   ; )

Joining Kathleen for White Wednesday and Susan for Outdoor Wednesday.

In the Eye of the Beholder

Have you ever found beauty in something that someone else thought of

as less than beautiful?

To many—including the Yankee—this modest, nondescript, little well-house, situated
 in a remote corner of our front yard, is anything but beautiful.  Yet, from the
moment I laid eyes on it, I thought it to be quite charming.

 It was midsummer, the year we located our small farm with its tiny, quaint
cottage—affectionately called the Brambleberry Cottage. 

I instantly fell in love with this simple, bucolic structure—its bright white architecture
 contrasting sharply with the deep greens of the lush environment surrounding it.

It was fall of that same year, when we purchased the property, and, by that time,

the landscape had begun to cloak itself in the various hues of the season.

Perhaps it was because it was my favorite time of year that when I spied the well-house,
 enveloped by a kaleidoscope of fall color, I became even more
enamored with it.

Even as the last of the gorgeous, multihued leaves cascaded from the trees, and

the scenery filled more with gray fog than fall-fanfare, my enthusiasm for this charming,

little structure did not wane.

Although I had witnessed its beauty in a wide array of conditions, all paled

in comparison to the dramatic display of its snowy winter covering.

As I have observed the little well-house through every distinct season, year after year,
it has become apparent that its surroundings have only served to enhance
the simple beauty I find inherent to the structure itself.

The Scottish philosopher, David Hume, expressed the sentiment this way,
"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

Indeed, it is true. 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Woodland Path to the Frog Pond

I've wanted to start a blog for some time now.

But...

it was just one more thing on my to-do list that kept being
forced to the bottom of the list.

You know how that goes!

The Frog Pond

The fires that rage the hottest are the ones we attend to,

whilst the little smoldering embers lie there

virtually exstinguished until...

Snow-covered Driveway to the Cottage

Then it finally dawned on me.  Blogging will never be a raging fire in my life,

because it is not something I have to do.  It's something I simply want to do! 

And, unfortunately, the have-tos in my life seem to
always win out over the want-tos.

Beloved Well-House

But, this is a new year, and with a new year comes new opportunities—

or, as some would say, resolutions.

So, with the onset of this new year, I have resolved to do some of the

things I've been really wanting to do—such as blogging!

The Pump House

I had originally set a goal of starting my blog on 01/01/2010.

(Wow!  That date looks so futuristic to me!)

For weeks, I contemplated what to write about...
what to share with all of you...what photos to show you, etc.

I just couldn't seem to lock in on where to start.

The Log Barn

Then this frigid weather descended upon us! 

And I thought,  "That's it!  This place is quite beautiful when it snows, and I

already have some great photos from last year

that I can share."

I knew if I waited for my brain to finally register some other

start-up topic, I might just never get this

blog up and running!

The Reconstructed Barn—in Progress
So...
I've filled these first two posts with
snowy images of the outside of my home.

And I bid you welcome to The Brambleberry Cottage—
all decked out in her winter finery.

It's truly some of her grandest attire, don't you think?!   ; )

The Chicken Coop

Baby…it's cold outside!!!

OK...so maybe it isn't snowing here at present. In fact, there's not a single

frosty flake upon the ground,

nor even in the forecast.

But, I really wish there were...

then perhaps I could justify this bone-numbing cold!!!

With night temperatures in the teens and daytime highs

barely above freezing, all I want to do is cozy up in front

of the woodstove with a cup of hot tea and a good

decorating magazine!

I'm definitely not a lover of cold weather. Nope...never have been

...never will be!

For years, my family has poked fun at the fact that I seem to

always be cold.

Photo by Adam Jones, adamjones.freeservers.com

I've forewarned them. 

One day, I will most likely be one of those little old ladies...

all bundled up in the middle of summer.

Yep!  I think bears have a good thing goin' on...

being able to hibernate in the winter!   ; )

Sharing this at Mary's Share the Love Wednesday.