Our First Snow of the Season

All week, the weather forecasters kept telling us to expect snow today, and they were right!  I took our grandsons over to see my parents as the rain was changing to snow, and it was fun to see the excitement of the almost 4 year old.  As we were driving up our street, the beauty of the snow on the plants caught my eye, and I exclaimed how pretty the house looked.  Grandson #1 said, "All the houses look pretty!"  I looked to make sure no cars were coming, stopped, and took some photos from the car then drove a little more to stop and take more.  I wish I'd have noticed the water on my lens and dried it off.

After I got the guys inside and the car in the garage, I walked around and took some more photos.

When I walked into the front door, I was informed that waiting for me to come in so the guys could go outside to play in the snow was boring.  We had a fun time getting extra socks and other layers on KJ, and out they went!

 Little Brother and I tried to see the guys from inside, but I had to change the batteries in my camera, and the photos of them playing in the snow didn't turn out the best.  I did manage to get a photo of a sparrow making a run at the safflower seeds in the feeder.
 

The holiday cacti plants are looking pretty good.  This is 'Naomi'.

I don't remember the name of this one.

After the guys left, around 3:00, I took a few more photos.

I am staying up to watch the 10:00 p.m. news to see how much snow we got.  I was going to wait and do this post after trying to take some better photos tomorrow, but decided to go ahead and post it since I ended up putting so many photos in already.  Happy December!  In a few weeks, the days will start getting longer again.  Yippee!

I am way behind in my blog reading, as usual.  I hope all are well and ready for winter.

Wildflower Wednesday on Thursday

I didn't know if I was going to get a post in today (yesterday), but it was pretty nice out after work, and my camera batteries allowed me to take a few photos for Gail's Wildflower Wednesday before quitting on me.  I have been having problems, either with the battery charger or the camera, and don't get as many photos at a time as I used to.  (Added 11/24: I got the photos in, but did not get a chance to finish the post until this evening.) 

These are the plants that caught my camera's attention.  Some I've shown recently, and others have been in recent Wildflower Wednesday posts.

I am looking forward to seeing the several Zizia aurea, Golden Alexander plants in bloom, hopefully next year. 

I think I showed this wild quinine plant more often than the others this summer, partly because it bloomed all summer.  I planted another, but am not sure if it survived.

I'm looking for the Ratibida pinnata, grey-headed coneflowers to do well next year.  The clumps are nice sized.  I hope the blooms are more upright than some in other parts of the yard that don't get as much sun.

I sure am enjoying the little bluestem plants.

The Culver's Root plants look pretty with the leaves turned brown.

I planted several varieties of switchgrass.  This is the only one that is the straight Panicum virgatum.  It didn't get as tall or wide as the others.  I need to move the daylily that is behind it.

A car drove by as I was taking this photo of the ironweed.  This was still the best photo of the seedheads.

The Rudbeckia Herbstonne looks OK in brown.

The amsonia tabernaemontana could be cut back, but I'll probably wait until early spring.

I hope the Solidago flexicaulis, zig zag goldenrod spreads some next spring.

Gail, I noticed you were posting on wildflowers more than one day, so maybe you are still today. 

We had a very nice Thanksgiving.  I cooked for us, our kids, and grandsons.  I started early, putting things in slow cookers to keep warm as I went.  We were ready to eat at noon, so we could leave a little after 1:00 to go to my parents' for dessert.  Larry did most of the clean up, so we could go.  Linda made some pumpkin bars and a birthday cake for Larry to take to my parents, so I didn't have to make any dessert.  We'll have the grandsons early in the morning so their mom can do some shopping.

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, too.

November Foliage

It's time for Pam's Foliage Follow-up.  The foliage is pretty this fall.  The temps have been on the mild side, but still chilly enough that I haven't made it out as much as I'd like.  It doesn't help that it gets dark early.  I do enjoy the light in the morning when I go to work, though.

The perennial geraniums of different kinds are turning pretty colors.

The grape hyacinths have been sending leaves up in the fall, but still making it through the winter.

Arum is a weird plant.  I'm glad it's not invasive in my garden like it can be some places.

Larry's pink blooming spireas are a pretty color for fall.

I hope the euphorbias make it through the winter.

I like the colors of the grasses, such as this heavy metal switchgrass.

This may be the only sweet woodruff that lived after I transplanted some from other parts of the yard.  It looks ready to do some spreading.  The annual it's mingling with whose name I can't remember is still nice and green.  It's supposed to get down to 14 tonight, so I'm thinking these may not be green tomorrow.

I didn't know this persicaria would have such lovely fall foliage.  I hope I still have the tag out there to remember the name of it.  It did not have many blooms this year, but I have great hopes for next year.

Here's a foxglove that isn't ready for winter.

This euphorbia was green in the summer.

'September Charm' anemone is still nice and green.

The new statice I got from a farmer's market vendor looked good until recently.    Still, the colors are kind of pretty.

This is the verbena a friend gave me from her acreage.  I didn't expect the foliage to look this pretty.

I'm excited for the pasque flowers I planted in front to grow and look as pretty as these that have been in this spot for several years.

This yarrow gets more moisture than it likes, but it hangs in there, and is almost looking like it thinks it's spring.

The amsonia hubrichtii is past its prime, but still showing nice fall color.  I kind of like the brown of the liatris, too.

Amsonia tabernaimontana and baptisia are a good combination in all seasons.

I am looking forward to seeing the blooms of the hellebores and the spring that will bring them.

I'm still enjoying the little bluestem grasses, which won't be as little next year.

I am pleased that I found a little start to this gooseneck loosestrife, which has grown nicely in this tub. I hope it overwinters in it.  When the late afternoon sun shines on it, it lights up beautifully.

I wonder how many wild columbines will come up from this plant.  The purple coneflower leaves look like fall, too.

The strawberry plants under the bench are looking healthy.

Oh, dear, I didn't get this put in the egress window.  I better get it brought inside tonight.

I hope you are well and warm.  It's the middle of November, and in a little over a month, the days will start getting longer again.  That makes me smile.