The extremely cold, gray, dreary winters we experienced in Rochester inspired a great dislike for this first season of the year and drove us to escape as much as possible. But,  I now have an appreciation for winter since settling in the mountains. Snowfalls don't usually last too long here but when they happen they are spectacular. Being retired we no longer need to drive to work and deal with slush and icy roads. We are now able to stay put and enjoy our cozy cabin. Gary and I enjoy being able to see more of the landscape that is hidden when the trees have leaves. We get enough warm days that allow for outside projects and I find winter to be a great time to work at clearing trails in the woods. Our land has some old logging roads that I have been clearing over the years to make a loop around for walking and 4 wheeling. 

I discovered a new use for all that pretty white snow . . . an Apple Snowtini. So good.

My woods cleaning project came to an abrupt halt when I tripped over a stupid little stick in early March and broke my right wrist. I had been very fortunate up until that point and had no broken bones or serious accidents. I was not happy about this handicap to my normally active lifestyle. Desperate to do more that read, watch TV, look at Facebook, etc. I had Gary set me up with painting our Adirondack chairs in the barn. After they were done I painted our two outdoor umbrellas. All this was done with my left hand while my right arm was in a cast and sling. Bob and Ernie kept me good company while working. 

By April I was able to pull some weeds but not do much of the other gardening that required strength and tools. So, I was unable to plant my normal amount of veggies and my fenced in garden grew weeds. Gary did help me plant some tomatoes and cucumbers near the cabin in grow bags that could be more easily managed. 

We also worked on filling in holes in the boxwood field where they had mostly been removed for sale last fall. This was a lot of tractor work for Gary and I helped by throwing some seed with my left hand. By summer it had filled in with some grass and lots of weeds but looked good when cut. ​

This is my last picture of Angel, our beautiful piebald deer. She was old and we hope she had a peaceful passing . Later in the summer we saw twin piebald youngsters in the field across the road from us. They have not yet come on our land and I haven't been able to get a good photo of them. 

By May I had my cast off and just had to wear a splint. I was able to ride my mower and cut the lawn plus do some light planting and more vigorous weeding. All was going well and plants were flourishing. Strawberries were not prolific this year but the raspberries crop was great. Dogs were happy and we went on our usual afternoon walks with Beau and Kathie,

All went OK until July, then I had a bad accident with our UTV when it crashed into a tree. I ended up with a bad concussion and spent about 2 weeks in bed. It took me a while to get back up to speed with gardening but things flourished, especially the weeds.

I threw in some zinnia seeds along the driveway up to the barn where the strawberries grow and they provided beautiful flowers through November. I will do this every year from now on. 

Our Mimosa tree was started from a tiny seedling in 2007. This was the first year it bloomed and was quite spectacular. 

The tomatoes, cucumber and zucchini we grew in felt grow-bags along the fence by the cabin did well but needed tons of watering. I will not use these felt bags again as they do not hold water well. It evaporates to quickly. I also threw some moon flower seeds in with the veggies and they were spectacular in September. The patio got lots of use this summer. 

Peaches! Amazingly, after I managed to control the Japanese beetles, we had a phenomenal crop from one of our peach trees. Deer got some of the lower ones but I was happy to share. To pick the ones on the higher branches I got in the bucket of the tractor and Gary lifted me up. They were delicious and I have quite a few frozen for the winter. 

Continuing on with my woods cleaning project I started some paths lined with rocks in the area above the garden cabin. Another late summer project was clearing all the nasty weeds from around my fruit trees and planting some marigolds and perennials.

Beautiful view from outside the Penland School Coffee House during an afternoon coffee break. 

Amazingly beautiful rainbows this summer and before we knew it fall was here. ​

Eventually all the beautiful leaves were gone and it was time to decorate for Christmas. I love the bare trees, especially at night. We have up-lights on the trees behind the cabin and bus to show them off at night. Gary loves a nice vintage plastic Santa so we have a few. He also loves colored lights and I like white. Guess who won that battle? I put a a live tree with big colored and bubble lights on the porch for him but forgot to take a picture of it. That last picture is for you Rochester peeps! A good friend from Maryland who loves Wegman's sent it to me. Can't believe I had to get this via Maryland!!!!!

The daffodil above was blooming at the end of December! I now like winter but am kind of excited for spring because I planted almost 1000 bulbs this past fall. Check out our 2016 pages in the spring to see what pops up.  

Click on the link to continue to . . . 2016