Winter is setting in here with a vengeance. I am determined to spend more time outside-even though my tee shirt and shorts weather is long gone. Howard and Milo cannot figure out what my problem is-my not wanting to play ball outside our usual three or better times a day. They leap right into winter-literally. As their legs can’t be any longer than eight inches at the most, they know they have to get their speed up, and just plow through. I think my corgis must have a Texas jackrabbit somewhere in their lineage. My habit is to hole up indoors, with my stocking feet on the radiator-probably as I have been poor at gearing up.
No wonder Milo has no problem being outdoors in really cold weather for long stretches at a time. All that hair of his traps air, which warms up from his body heat. I envy him that fur coat. But I am taking a look at my winter garden gear-maybe I haven’t spent enough time and effort to get myself dressed for winter. My first move was to buy 10 mile hike socks from Woolrich. These socks have lots of loops of fiber on the inside; it is amazing how much warmer my feet are now, even inside. Warmer yet are sheepskin lined boots. I was dubious about wearing them without socks-but it works. My main objection to most winter boots-how heavy they are. The lightest-and for my money, the warmest-moonboots. First manufactured in the 70’s, they put a lot of space between your feet and the cold ground. Unfortunately, I am way too old and not nervy enough for the look of these-pity.
De-snowballing Milo is part of the daily routine. That warm fur is a magnet for cold snow. By the time he comes in, he is carrying a quart of water with him-in frozen form. How he puts up with snowballs stuck to his belly is beyond my comprehension. My idea of winter gear is enough layers between me and the cold to keep the snow as far away from me as possible. I have finally learned that layers of clothes protect me from the cold better than a single layer. Whomever the person is who invented fleece, and microfiber long underwear-thanks a million.
Howard doesn’t have half the hair of Milo-maybe that’s why he is so much more sensible than Milo. He has a winter shelter-underneath my moss cow. Even though he has the classic Corgi short coat, that coat is several layers. A dense fluffy undercoat is protected from the weather by a longer more oily outercoat. He must have a whomping lot of hair, as he sheds like crazy. My outercoat does keep me warm, as it is stuffed with a whomping lot of down.
Its obvious from this picture that Howard’s tail will likely never be cold. But his bare feet on that snow-yikes. I take them out for shorter periods, multiple times a day when the weather is like this-his feet and ears do get cold. In this case, I do not mind the look of my wool hat and honking big gloves-they are doing a job.
The Corgis seem to enjoy being outside in the winter as much as they do in the summer-maybe more. The cold energizes them. The lesson here? When outside, move it. Build up a little head of steam. Can you tell I am trying to talk myself into this winter wonderland thing?
You would never know from this picture that it wasn’t a balmy June day-but for all the white stuff. I am sure how animals of all sorts survive in very cold temperatures has fueled some of the technology that makes for what winter gear is available to people. Trading in a spade for a snow shovel is a little tough to take, but it gets me outside. Once I am outside, there is plenty to see-as usual. I’ve made plans to look more closely at winter landscapes-what they do, and don’t do, and how they could be better.
Today our snow is accompanied by a good stiff wind. I am glad that I was sure to water my evergreens plenty before the ground froze. On a windy 22 degree day, they are loosing precious moisture from the surfaces of their leaves and needles-and have no way to replenish that until the ground thaws.
We’re gearing up.
I go to work on the holidays too, as MCat lives at the store. I need to make sure he is ok; he gets pets, and holiday treats-daily attention. I have a greenhouse roof, modine heaters, and plants; any of the above could fail on any day-including a holiday. I only live 1.5 miles from work-this makes a quick trip easy. I figure I can handle any weather for that distance. But for a storm some ten years ago which had me holed up at the shop for 2 days, I am free, and lucky to be able to get to work, and just appreciate my snow.
Though I am a person delighted by color, in the past few years I have become interested in Belgian design. Rob has persistently bought Belgian garden ornament; the Belgian landscape reminds him of Michigan. Long before Cote de Texas featured Belgian design (www.cotedetexas/belgian design) and Restoration Hardware got the notion to organize an entire collection with a Belgian flavor, he was out there, shopping in a country much like our midwest. Those interiors built around natural materials-the raw wood floors, linen drapes, the whitewashed antiques-the unexpected crystal chandelier-I love this understated look. This particular New Years Day looked like a Belgian day to me. The white, chocolate, taupe and cream- fresh, and not over wrought. Just how Rob would have it.
This heavy snow wiped out all the extraneous details. This copper pergola only suggested that aged copper color. Brown,white, and taupe-a limited color palette. There is such great beauty from just a few quiet details. 
The snow added volume to what was already massive, and form to what had only been slightly suggested. The snow caught on the wall-an entire but silent discussion about surface. The irregular surface of the wall-I had never really seen this before. The snow detailed this for me.
The Belgian hazelwood fence panels-if you thought you could live without them, you might reconsider. Do they not look beautiful outlined in snow? The squared boxwood planted in natural concrete pots, the black iron benches, the trunks of the willows outlined in snow, the cream metal doors on the building beyond and next door-I am thinking this looks great.
My old Scotch pines on standard, planted in these incredibly beautiful Belgian oak barrels, withstood the storm with equanimity. The white, the chocolate, and the bright light-what a gorgeous view I had out my office window. The old fashioned clear white c9 lights in the window box-my garden’s chandelier.
In truth, I could spend one year planning a single project-and it could never keep up with what nature whips up overnight. My 2008 New Years day-extraordinary. 
Were I to ask you which of three wallpaper patterns appealed to you the most, or which person you have most patterned your life after, you would have no problem understanding and answering the questions. A written definition of pattern is not this easy. A paisley is a shape that is readily recognizable; a series of paisley shapes, that repeat in a certain order, that the eye can recognize, forms a pattern. My steel grate plant table tops, dusted with snow, bring the pattern of the extruded metal into focus. 
Many patterns exist in nature; early winter may be the best time to study them. The oval shaped dried flower heads of these hydrangeas make a visual pattern that repeats. They remind me of the old boxwoods at Dunbarton oaks that are pruned to resemble clouds. Cloud pruning is a gardening term gardeners recognize; the particular shaping and direction taken by an individual gardener makes a pattern. A distinctive pattern. 
Milo has a ball decorated with raised dots in an all over pattern. An all over pattern reads the same regularly, no matter what direction your view should take. There is no left or right, no up or down. The pattern of this light snow is very subtle; every diaphanous flake randomly covers the gravel in the drive. Nonetheless, the individual flakes make a pattern-a pattern I did not really pay attention to, until I saw the imprint of the ball dots-so regular and clear. The relationship of what came from the sky, with the pattern evidenced by that manufactured ball of his-on my mind today. 
This wreath is comprised of small flower shapes constructed from wood shavings, twig stubs, and dried bay leaves. The pattern, to my eye, is all about the circle, repeating. A wreath is an ornament; the arrangement of organized shapes makes for a pattern. When I see pattern, I am at my most focused.
Early winter is the perfect time to think about pattern. The snow, the cold, and the low light, the absence of leaves and flowers that blur the patterns, presents me with a landscape graphically black and white. Now is the best time to see patterns. RobB just forwarded me a post from A Way to Garden (awaytogarden.com)-a doodle by Andre. His idea-to send a card to his garden. Thank you for all you have done for me, beloved garden. That post, and his card has been on my mind all day. My garden gives me so much; this quiet time gives me plenty of time to think about this. Though some years ago I was certain my gardening ended with the first killing frost-now I know different. These first early snows come with lively lessons, debate, original source material; I know to pay attention. Who knew there was so much to see, and think about in late December? I am looking, and listening. December-I welcome it. No kidding.