A bright sunrise is a welcomed harbinger of a bright New Year. I look forward to new adventures and new experiences. I look forward to sharing good times with family and friends. Thoughts of new additions to Heatherwood and the Yakima Arboretum dance through my mind. I am anxious to reintroduce myself to my old hobbies that I have let lapse over the last few years. Being and enjoying life with loved ones is always at the top of my list. Each and every day is precious. I hope to live each one to its fullest.
Kotoji and Dry Winter Stream Bed Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Today is December 31st, the end of the year. How fast the year has flown by. It just seems like yesterday that we were cleaning the garden to prepare for spring. Heatherwood is still full of winter color. We anxiously wait for the first major snow storm of the new year.
Just like the year has flown by, my strolls through the garden flash by as well. Today I started out for a quick stroll to create a few foggy images. Two and a half hours later, I came in. It is so easy for me to get lost in thought as I walk through the garden with my camera. I see one interesting vignette, then another, then another. Today, I started out with a thin layer of fog covering the garden. I could not see the surrounding hills. By the time I finished, the fog had moved through the valley leaving the hills projecting up over the garden. It was a wonderful last stroll through the garden for 2023.
Even though we do not have snow this Christmas, I can always dream! Christmastime is a time for dreaming. I dream of all the wonderful times we had with Grandma and Grandpap up at the ranch. I dream of the time that Dad stayed up all night putting up the Christmas tree and our first American Flyer train. We kids could hardly contain ourselves on Christmas morning when we could not come out of the bedroom until Pop finished helping Santa to get the train running. I remember the wonderful years when our whole family, Mom, Dad, we kids, Grandma, Grandpap, aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered together at our Hillcrest home for Christmas Dinner. I smile as I remember how our family grew and we watched all our nieces and nephews energetically opening their presents. Many times when Karen and I were in the Washington, DC and Philadelphia areas, we could not make it home for Christmas. I fondly reflect on those special quiet Christmases. And now as Mary and I enjoy the wonderful Holidays, I dream to the future Christmases with family and friends. And as I dream, I reflect and contemplate on the true meaning of Christmas.
It is now winter. Snow is suppose to be on the ground. Santa needs the snow to land his sled on. Not this year here in Eastern Washington. Oh well, I can always close my eyes and imagine!
The Woodland on a Bright Winter Day Heatherwood Early Winter
It is hard to believe that it is December 23, just two days before Christmas. Our early snowfall has vanished. Today was an absolutely gorgeous early winter day. The sky was blue. Warm winter sunshine spread across our Heatherwood garden. Even though I had a lot to do inside, I could not help myself from strolling around our little Eden with my camera.
Based on today’s beauty and looking ahead to the forecast, it does not look like we will have a white Christmas. Last year we were blessed with snow. This year we will be blessed with what ever nature will bring. We look forward to a beautiful day filled with family and friends as we reflect upon the wonder of Christmas.
I love the four seasons. Above is one of the reasons. In early spring the red buds are bursting and the daffodils are blooming. Leaves on the woodland maples are just starting to emerge. Six months later, the leaves on the red buds have dropped and the leaves on the maples have turned brown and are just starting to drop. The foliage on the perennials have turned brown and are starting to die back. As winter moves in, the branches of the red and yellow twig dogwoods along with the red winterberries will provide winter color to the woodland.
Spring is just five days away and we are making progress getting ready for the spring emergence! Grasses and perennials are being cut back, trees and shrubs are being pruned, and leaves and clutter are being raked up. Every day things are looking more neat and tidy.
I woke up this morning to a new blanket of snow. It was beautiful, but … my spring clean-up crew was scheduled to start cutting back the grasses and perennials. I guess I will have to wait for a few more days.
The beauty of the new snow blanketing Heatherwood was worth the delay. I enjoyed a two hour walk around the garden with my camera. Each day is a gift. My challenge/opportunity is to make the best of each day. Yesterday was a great day!
Throughout our Heatherwood Garden, we have designed several sitting areas that have a nice view of the garden and the surrounding hills. This area is in the southwest corner of the property looking east over an in-process garden room area and toward the background bluff. As we fill in the planting areas around the lawn and behind the chairs, this sitting area will be a secluded peaceful retreat. It will be a special place to watch the morning sunrise or a late afternoon’s amber glow on the garden and bluff.
