How deep is it? (I'm referring to the snow, not the "B.S." :) Even in March, my yard still looks like this.........where's my "moon garden"? (Why, under the white stuff, of course!)Did you ever hear bird watchers say "Downey is dinky and Hairy is huge" when identifying those two different woodpeckers? See, they're right!Nice little trail I didn't make for myself with the shovel........it's just that the snow is so "heavenly"..... .....but maybe not inside the feeder...
....or all around the birdbath (think they'll land anyway?)....
....most of my "decorations" are just bumps in the snow...even the tall ones!

My so-called "road" was a real challenge for my good neighbor to plow...
....my driveway would have been a real chore to shovel too, but since I don't, it was just challenging to bull my way through! (Hey, I only got stuck once! :)
These odd little signs are for the "roads" that never get plowed...snowmobile trails!
This one veers off from my road and heads back to town.......there's even a cute little stop sign at the intersection! Canadian readers see this stuff too-sledders in town! I've lived up here 10 years, and I still think it's really cool....
....this trail is right in town, too........I mean, think how much gas you could save commuting by sled in winter and motorcycle in summer.... .....I just think the fresh air and scenic beauty would be worth it! (Too bad I'm too chicken to ride either!)

Look how contrasty the red willow twigs are against the snow...nice!
And what's this?! See the two white dots in the center near the top? Pussy willow blooms! Signs of spring despite the snow...yay! At least somebody knows what month it is! Guess I'd better get my "winter sowing" started, pronto!

Early thaw?! Geez, I hope not! I mean, how am I supposed to winter sow if there's no winter?!
Now, I know this is January in Wisconsin, but this thaw nonsense is much more "Indiana-esque"....
.....deer sure are rather "universal" though, regardless the season...
....but snowmobiles are very Wisconsin and they most certainly are reckless enough to ride them on the percariously iced river! These tracks were made just the day before this picture was taken, and look how thin this is! I'm sorry, sleds are fun and all, but there is no reason whatsoever to put your dumb-ass self in a position to lose your life over it! I mean, what about the damn cost/benefit ratio here people?! (Sorry...I get so fired up about this because a dear old friend of mine and his buddy died going through the ice on lake Michigan, sledding from Marinette to Door County in April. His foolishness left a ridiculous wake of destruction, especially for his two young children and sister...senseless.) Anyway...
.....speaking of shit, here's a bunny poo smiley face!

And another one! Those crazy wabbits!
Uh-oh! What happened here? My late-season, "round-tuit"-losing self allowed the washtub water garden to freeze solid, plants and all! D'oh!
But look at the green! This is corkscrew rush...is it alive, or "freeze dried"?
Yellow flag, too...and this looks like new growth for sure.
And mullein...I like the wooly leaves, they look kinda cute next to the snow... like a fuzzy scarf or something...

...and my previously installed "cheap insurance" needs some work!
There! I don't mind the exercise, and the cold air feels good to me (which is of course why I moved here in the first place :) ... ...looks like somebody else has been wandering around, and I'm pretty sure it's a possum. I try to tolerate them, because they can be a really okay creature to have around, despite some freaky and hard to get around looks. The one in my yard, however, seems to feel that being under my river-side deck is okay. Well it isn't, and he needs convincing, so stay tuned. Some of my ornaments are re-appearing too....
.....say what?

More of the "winter interest" (a.k.a. sloppy cleanup to some folks) is still standing...

...I like this echinacea seed head in particular.
And the droopy Mountain ash fruits...
...heh, and speaking of "ash", look what we have here.... ....columbine growing out of the bottom of the ash bucket in this little micro-climate. Unwise move, foolish plant!
Naturally, the thaw is producing plenty of fog, which makes for a most charming commute to work...
...and makes this abandoned farm look even more spooky than usual........oh yea! Funny how "de-construction" and decay are every bit as fascinating as building and design, IMO. But then, as the weekend approached, we got a welcomed winter "reeee-miiix"!!!
Yeehaaa! Just as my road began to "get it's spring on", maybe I'll luck out and this will all be a bad global warming dream!

Snow for the football playoffs! Go Pack go! (Yea, I am an established Colts fan, but I also root for the Packers, and the Bears...I just like hot beefcake in tight pants! Well, combined with mad athletic skills, of course...sue me! ;-)

NIMG afterthought...as the growing season fades into the "off-season", I had an afterthought regarding the "Not in My Garden" thread that Kim started back in September. My post was a little incomplete, because I forgot to mention one important NIMG for me-vegetable gardens. Up here, it's a challenge to raise vegetables, mostly because of these beasts.... .....and these..........these guys aren't any fun to deal with, either..........even these cute little buggers like to steal veggies, especially when they're small, like cherry tomatoes and tiny squash. I'm totally overrun by critters like this, and to be fair, they were here first! So to compensate for hungry animals, people up here must resort to this: a completely enclosed garden!Now this isn't necessarily all bad...I mean, look how cute this is with the "windows" and doors... ....but most of them look more like a stockade or prison yard, like this one. And while I have no aversion to fences, I just don't want to use up that much of my .6 acre for a setup like this, and to garden without it would be futile.
So that's my final "Not in My Garden" contribution-vegetables....love to eat em', just can't grow em'!