First Snow

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Puppy Phoebe, our Corgi

Our long border and garden Gazebo

Rock walls rediscovered in snow

Snow falling on our woodland "Borghese" garden urn

Yesterday, we had our first real snow. It brought the birds to the feeders, especially the Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows who ate the seed we sprinkled on our deck. The Juncos would crouch down to warm their legs, looking like little black puff balls.

The snow covered the garden and revealed wonderful shapes — the hardscape, or "bones" of our bird garden — that lie hidden among the eye-catching blooms of summer.

It was our puppy, Phoebe's, first snow and it was fun to see her reaction. At first, she tried to catch the snowflakes in her mouth, just as she did with flying insects she saw in fall. Don wrote a Haiku poem about it below. Then, she became a hoover snow scooper and tried to eat the snow. Finally, she just shimmied and romped around, excited by her new discovery. One of the many joys of having a new puppy is to see her reactions to her "firsts".

First Snow Haiku

Imaginary
Moths are chased and fill the night
In Phoebe's first snow.

Photos © Lillian Stokes