Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Before the Snow Flew

Before the snow arrived, my Mom and I went to Gray's Nursery to look for a Christmas wreath.  We were greeted by the shop cat, Gracie.  It was a bitterly cold day, and Gracie, being no dummy, was inside the store rather than prowling around the nursery outside.

There was a large selection of Poinsettias. 

And lots of Helebores, also known as Lenten Roses.

A nice selection of wreaths.

Some very cute bird houses.

Several Camellias in full bloom.  I would expect that our single digit temperatures have put an end to that.

Lots of boughs for the do-it-yourselfer.

I'm more of a "Purchaser of Finished Products" myself.

Sometimes simple is the prettiest...

...like these boughs of Juniper - nothing additional needed.  

These cones gave me an idea.  I could find some and spread them with peanut butter and I bet my woodpeckers would go NUTS! 

A wreath with a bow, or without one...that is the question.

For just the right person, ornaments for the tree.

Take what nature has given you, and glitz it up!

I wanted to share a couple of night-time photos of snowy cheer.

Driving around town I spied this snowman.  He is the Gold Medal winning snowman in my book!  He is enormous and perfectly proportioned.  I especially like this traffic cone hat.  In Glasgow, Scotland the statue of the Duke of Wellington often sports a traffic cone hat - this is the Eugene, Oregon version of that! 

A lighted tree in the Park Blocks of downtown Eugene.

We have a lighted garland on our driveway gate and we also lighted this small conifer.  I think it looks even more atmospheric now that it is snow-covered.

A neighbor called me to say that when she got ready to take her feeder in for the evening, she found a hummingbird frozen to the feeder.  She brought it in, and warmed it in her hands.  It revived and she fed it sugar water.  They are such tiny, fragile birds -  I don't really hold much hope that it will survive the night, but I encouraged her to try and see what the morning will bring. Here's hoping! Ironically, after speaking to my neighbor I read an article in the local newspaper that said bird enthusiasts reported hummingbirds' tongues were getting stuck to frozen nectar feeders. 

13 comments:

Catherine said...

What a great garden center! Love those night time pics ~ fab snowman and love the gate with the lights! Poor hummingbirds.....please let us know if the one your friend has survives!

Giovanna said...

Poor little hummers... I hope your friend's makes it. Shopping for a wreath looks like great fun in that lovely Nursery.

Margaret said...

Oh no! Poor little hummingbirds! :( This weather is so hard on them. I loved the tour of the nursery. So pretty! I saw the cat before I started reading and I thought -- that's funny, Beth doesn't have a cat like that. lolol! Love your snow covered lighted conifer. lol about the traffic cone snowman!

Melody said...

what a nice tour of the nursery! Pretty things there, and I especially like their cat. :)

The poor hummingbird! Hope that he made it. The extreme cold is hard on them I'm sure.

Your snow covered lighted tree is cool. Almost looks otherworldly.

Vickie said...

Oh my goodness! How sad for the hummers. I wish they would fly with their other hummer friends to warmer parts in the fall, instead of toughing it out. =(
That conifer looks so wonderful.
Wow! That is the best snowman ever.

Andrea said...

Some lovely items in the garden centre. Poor hummingbirds.
Love that snowman!

Tea said...

The birdhouses are really cute. The snowman is really, really big. Merry Christmas~

linda said...

Poor little hummers! My aunt calls them "thread toes" because their toes are so tiny. I never thought about their tongues. It reminds me of "the Christmas Story" movie where the boys tongue gets stuck. I like your idea for the pinecones and p'nut butter.

Pam in IL said...

Love all the pics, especially the huge snowman and your snow covered conifer.

Sure don't like hearing about the hummingbirds freezing.

Barb said...

What a great store! I'm so sorry to hear about the hummingbirds. Thank goodness, we have warmed up a bit. Our feeder was out all day and no freezing!

Maggee said...

Oh I HOPE the neighbor is able to keep that hummer alive! Too bad everyone isn't cognizant like you, and taking in the feeders at night! Love that great big ole snowman in town! Hugs!

Chris said...

I hope that the hummer made it.
What a lovely outing.

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

THAT SNOWMAN IS PERFECT! OMG, I can't wait to show my Ellie this tonight!