Welcome February

....and welcome this warm beautiful day!  Another one, two in a row, with temps around 70 degrees today.  We're very fortunate to be having such a mild winter here in NC.

I planted my potted mums (from fall) in the ground today.  I was surprised of all the green leaves already. Perfect day for puttering in the garden!   

It's February

"February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer."

~Shirley Jackson

To brighten the gray days of February, I hung my valentine windsock on the front of the house ~ bright pink and red hearts and long streamers that blow softly in the cold wind.

February is such a dreary month ~ dead of winter..... so cold. I'm always happy when March rolls around and there is some hope of spring. And speaking of spring, this past weekend we enjoyed some warm temps around 70 degrees on Sunday. I spent the whole day outside puttering in the garden. True bliss.


Below is a photo of Otis that I captured of the morning sun, shining through the window and casting a pretty shadow on him while he napped.




Otis and Riley both, have been following the sun around the house looking for warm spots. They were basking in the warmth of the fireplace this morning.....and so was I.


Only 27 more days left of February. I guess that's not so bad.

February/March

It's that time of year again to do some pruning in the garden and to cut back the lirope (in our zone anyway). So this weekend I was able to spend some time in the garden since it was quite nice outside.


Do you see this furry little head right here? That's Riley. He likes to play and hide in the lirope.

Sorry, Riley. I have to cut it back. You'll just have to wait until it grows tall again.

Today we are inside. It's cold and raining and a chance of snow in the forecast. Tonight we'll have a cozy fire and curl up on the sofa,

and hope that spring is not too far off.

February

Time to turn the calendar page to a new month. Can you believe it's February! Another month and spring weather will be here.

My Old Farmer's Almanac Calendar shows the beautiful hellebores flowers. I never use these flowers in my garden because as beautiful as they are, they are also very poisonous. Often times, Otis and Riley will nibble on plants in the garden, so this one is off limits for me.






I was at the store today and picked up a new scented candle. This one is called Cranberry Mandarin. It smells so fresh and sweet and the fragrance is all through the house. I like to have candles burning during the cold winter months. A simple pleasure!

Enjoy your day!

It's February!

Yea! January is over and February is here. I'm always glad when January is done with, it seems to be the hardest month for me to get through.

February is birthday month for our family. We have five birthdays in February and every year we celebrate with a birthday dinner at a restaurant near all of us and choose a different place each year. We don't exchange presents but instead buy funny birthday cards and have a great time. This year there will be 16 of us around the birthday table.

So February is not so bad, even though I'll be turning another year older, ugh! and then spring is just around the corner!