It was Wednesday, a day predicted to be cloudy and cold with possible snow showers in the afternoon. The perfect day to be inside as I had a good project to focus on. But first, something lovely to light my day. I realized, after I’d taken a few pictures, that the sparkle of a tea light in the unique beauty of mercury glass could not easily be captured with a camera. It’s quite magical, so I’ll offer my best try, and you can imagine the light shimmering within.
At a certain point in the late morning I felt restless and too much inside. The sky had been a nearly colorless grey-white since daybreak and was less than inviting, but I needed some fresh air. I opened the side door to my porch and was greeted by a chorus of happy song. The many sparrows that abound around the house raised their small voices to the sky from the privet hedge and cheered my heart. Soon I heard Β the nasal call of a Canada goose overhead, then three, then perhaps seven or so, as they winged their way southward, dark silhouettes against the paleness.
Despite the faded grey skies, I felt inspired to step outside, even if for a little while. The privet hedge nearest my driveway remains green for a surprisingly long time. However, with the temperatures now dipping to 18 degrees at night, even these leaves are turning and starting to fall.
Before the spring earlier this year, I had an arborist come out to trim it and cut back the vines that insinuate themselves among the gentler stalks of the hedge. There is no killing the intruders as all their roots are totally entangled, but once cut back, I can keep a better eye on the vines and continue cutting them to the ground. I watched the arborist out my tall office window – he was an artisan with a ladder, clipping here and there, then climbing down and standing back, assessing his work, much like an artist at an easel. It was a delight to watch him trim the branches so carefully to their natural inclinations. When done, he assured me that it would look beautiful and grow wonderfully in the spring because privet hedge loves to be cut back. He was right.
The tall tree in the furthest corner of the yard was a pattern of lace in the sky, also still holding on to some of its last leaves. In the foreground to the left is more privet hedge which the owner lets grow tall and wild for privacy. Totally untended for a while now, however, it has slender maples growing here and there, and I wonder if they might choke it out at some point. On the occasions that the hedge was trimmed, it was always with a chainsaw, so I suspect my little area of privet along the driveway may be counting itself lucky indeed.
At the corner of my front porch is a tall shrub, perhaps some sort of hemlock. From the recent rains, it was covered with droplets of water, sparkling without the benefit of sun, just catching whatever light they could, and looking quite festive.
Also still wet from the rains of the night before, the branches of this evergreen glistened with moisture, cradling several of the now crisp maple leaves that have flown by from neighboring trees. This shrub has quadrupled in size since I’ve lived here – it’s in a very happy spot. It didn’t get its chainsaw shaping this year, so I hand trimmed it myself to keep its nice natural shape. Still, I suspect it will need more attention come spring; it has a very expansive nature and gets just the right amount of sun to fulfill its dreams.
Holding on to its once-bright green leaves is another shrub, sporting its cheery red berries. The branches are a tangle of dark criss-crossing patterns, and the leaves have now turned coral and copper, soon to join the slumbering grass below.
I didn’t venture far. It wasn’t that kind of day. But the caroling sparrows and gently changing plant life around my house and yard brightened my spirit, and invited me back into myself.
What a visual treat! And the caroling sparrows add such a lovely musical background…thank you!
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Thanks, Kitty. We have so many sparrows – and cardinals – here. Sometimes a little sparrow will pop onto the sill of my office window and peek in at me when I’m working on the computer. So sweet.
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It’s amazing what stepping outside can do for the soul. xx
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Isn’t it? it’s like a little Happiness Re-Set. π
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I enjoyed the the lovely tour of your yard. Isn’t it amazing how we don’t need to go far to see interesting things. They are usually right under our noses. Anyway, I wonder if the plant you are calling hemlock is a variety of juniper…??
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I know – it doesn’t take much to find a little beauty. It could very well be a juniper; I don’t know that much about shrubs. And it does get berries at some point in the winter, though not yet. Thank you, as always, for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and heart. π
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It’s amazing what nature can do…AND that beauty and wonder can be found in all kinds of colored days—including gray π Thanks for sharing your beautiful, gray day π
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My pleasure, of course. Working from home with a lot on my desk can sometimes leave me forgetting that I really need to – and can! – get up and enjoy the lovely outdoors, no matter what the color sky!
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Winter trees are so beautiful. I love seeing the bones. Thanks for inviting me to step out with you. Lovely tour.
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I do, too. Imagine what you’d see if I actually got my butt out more often! LOL. You’re welcome to come along anytime!
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Trees and shrubs, even in winter, are beautiful. Wishing you all the best this season, and in the coming new year.
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I agree – a constant quiet comfort. All the same to you – now and the year to come.
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Those textures are definitely not grey, you found lots of sights and sounds to brighten the day and ours!
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My pleasure, always! So much can be found in the little things. I remembered, the day after I’d finished the post, that when I was growing up we used to call those bushes with red berries “sticky bushes” because they have little thorns.
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