This morning we woke up to Mother Nature’s diamonds. Otherwise known as a lot of glittery ice.

Even the screens on one side of the house were clothed in tiny, sparkly ice crystals. Ice is now tumbling off of trees and shrubs, and soon I will go out to rescue a rose bush from the heavy hands of winter and tie it back up.

We have had big branches come down all around us, but fortunately have not lost power. My neighbor’s lost a giant tree limb, but thankfully for it missed their house.

Everything in my garden and woods are gripped in the shiny coats of ice and snow. My neighbor’s cornfield looks other-worldly pale and almost shimmery.

As I look out the window and listen to one of the dogs growl and trill at a garden Buddha brought inside for its own safety I find myself already thinking of spring! And I keep reminding myself that Mother Nature’s wintery cloak of snow and ice will indeed give me a better garden.

The indoor plants are of mixed opinion. My bay leaf tree keeps threatening to call it quits on me, but (knock on wood) thus far the rosemary seems to be holding its own. The clivias are happy in their pots and so is the grapefruit tree I grew from seed. And as luck would have it, my Christmas cactus had new buds!!!

Now as the sun reaches probably what is its peak for the day I listen to more bits of ice tumble off the trees and roll down the roof. Next door I hear the faint buzz of a chainsaw. Such are the sounds of winter.

Enjoy your Sunday and if you live in Chester County, enjoy what is shaping up to be the first White Christmas in ages!