Winter Scenes

We haven't seen the sunshine much here lately, but when we do, it puts on quite a show this time of year.

I took my daughter trout fishing on a nearby lake last Tuesday.  The water was mostly frozen, except for a few spots where someone had broken up the ice.



The lake is stocked with rainbow trout once a month by the DNR this time of year.  I am hoping to catch enough fish to recompense the cost of my fishing license! 

Ava was really excited at the idea of catching "rainbow fish" using the brightly colored Power Bait.  We were not lucky this day though.

I told her we would eat them if we caught them.  She said no--we would pet them gently and put them back.  I love broiled trout with lemon, sage and butter.  I'm afraid I will not be casting mine back!  She can still pet them though, if she wants.  ;)

This was a bright and beautiful late January sunrise, taken from my front yard.

A feathery seed from my Autumn Clematis hangs on with determination.  The chickens love these and have picked most of them off.

The weather reached nearly 45 degrees last Saturday.  A quick check on my honeybees found them alive and active.  I am hoping they will come through the winter strong enough to do a split this spring.

A few landed on the snow and froze themselves to death.

I am too new to beekeeping to know exactly what they were coming outside for during this break in the weather.  I believe some of the older bees will come out just to die, sacrificing themselves for the good of the colony so as not to use up precious resources.  Some will make short trips out of the hive for the opportunity to relieve themselves.  I checked the landing board for any sign of Nosema.  So far so good.

We were treated to a particularly colorful sunset last Saturday evening.  I happened to stop shovelling snow and look up just in time to catch this one.  This is the view from my back yard.

My father-in-law always got tickled with me this time of year, as I insist that spring is almost here.  But really, it is.  We are on the upswing now.  My glass is half full! 

The buds on the trees are beginning to swell.  It's time to spray the fruit trees with dormant oil and do my pruning.  I saw over a dozen male bluebirds on my curly willow last week too.  It's time to plot out my garden and start a few flats of seeds indoors.  Spring is heading our way... It will be here before you know it, so hang in there and stay warm folks!