A White Christmas
Yesterday morning we woke up to a dusting of snow, which was perfect because we celebrated Christmas with my family. So we enjoyed a white Christmas.
It turned out to be a beautiful day with lots of sun, although super cold (in the single digits with a windchill in the negative double digits). There was lots of great food and great family fun! We always celebrate a homemade Christmas with my family, all gifts have to be made or used (except for a few gifts for the kids). It’s always fun to see what homemade items everyone has come up with. I always make cinnamon rolls for all the families so they have something delicious to pop in the oven on Christmas morning. I even found these great tree-shaped pans to put them in this year instead of the usual aluminum square.
I also made reusable cloth shopping bags for everyone this Christmas. I had a great time stitching them up earlier this week.
In the afternoon we also made birdseed pine cones with our nieces in the afternoon for their homemade gifts for everyone. They really enjoyed giving something that they made themselves.
Now only one more family Christmas to go and our own personal Christmas celebration and the season will be finished.
How many family Christmas celebrations do you attend?
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Ok, You Caught Me
I guess for all of those who have been calling me a tree-hugger you’re right and here’s the picture to prove it (I’m the in the pink on the right).
This photo was taken a few years ago at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We saw this tree while hiking up to Ramsey Cascades and were amazed at how huge it was. We decided this would be the best way to display the size of this tree.
Ramsey Cascades is the highest waterfall accessible by trail in the park. We ate our lunch at the top and while we were sitting, huge chunks of ice kept falling off the waterfall into the river below, awesome! Worth the hike through snow and ice (at least to me, I think the others in my group were less than humored by the snow/ice).
For those of you who are hikers out there and live in the midwest, I would highly recommend this trail. Mr Chiots and I have hiked it twice (although once we got rained out by big thunderstorms).
RAMSEY CASCADES
Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in the park and one of the most spectacular. Water drops 100 feet over rock outcroppings and collects in a small pool where numerous well-camouflaged salamanders can be found.
The trail to the waterfall gains over 2,000′ in elevation over its 4 mile course and the 8-mile roundtrip hike is considered strenuous in difficulty. It follows rushing rivers and streams for much of its length. The last 2 miles pass through old-growth cove hardwood forest with large tuliptrees, basswoods, silverbells, and yellow birches.
Anyone else made the hike up the Ramsey Cascades? Or any other great waterfalls? (I know Joe always has great photos of waterfalls on his blog).
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In the Eyes of a Child – Dandelions
A while back we went on a school field trip with our nieces & nephew on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
While we were waiting for the train our nephew found a dandelion. He though it was the most wonderful thing and carried it around all day. It was his prized possession.
I don’t mind dandelions in my yard, but many people view them as noxious weeds. They are willing to spray toxic chemicals all over their yards just to have a dandelion free zone. I think they’re kind of pretty and since we have an organic chemical free lawn here at Chiot’s Run we have a few dandelions. Perhaps this coming spring I’ll start eating the greens as a way to keep the population under control.
What do you think, noxious weed or beautiful flower? Anyone eating dandelion greens?
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Hens and Chicks in the Garden
I love Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum). They’re such fascinating little plants (see how they bloom). This spring I bought some and planted them in the rock wall on our front hillside, they work so well filling in the dry rocky cracks in the rock wall. They seem to thrive in harsh conditions. I was out yesterday looking around the gardens and I noticed how beautiful these little chicks are. One kind has turned red in the cold winter weather and they other is still a beautiful shade of jade. What a wonderful little plant.
There are some people that are fanatical about these little succulents and they collect all different kinds. There are around 50 species and over 3000 named cultivars with a wide range of rosette sizes, forms and colors. Someday I may have a little sempervivum rock garden full of all different kinds. Check out a few of the different kinds at Mountain Crest Gardens.
Any Hen and Chicks in your gardens (plants of fowl)?
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Freezing Rain
While taking a bowl of kitchen waste out to the compost pile yesterday I noticed some rain had frozen on the Red Russian kale leaves. So beautiful, especially with the purple veins of the kale running underneath it!
This is what you get when you have a 50 degree day with rain and a 30 degree drop in temperature by nightfall. Everything is covered in tiny jewels the next day!
