I got up this morning to find all of the trees laden with ice that had been deposited overnight

Japanese Maple heavy with ice

As pretty as that is, it came with a cost. The very same “first Christmas tree” that I mentioned on January 4th had three major scafold branches break off and a number related branches hit the deck too. The result is that the tree is even more looking like an artist has been pruning it. In fact it is the only self-pruning tree that we have on the property. It is remarkable that of the hundred or so White Pines that we have on our seven acres, this one tree has had by far the greatest number of branches break off, usually from ice but wind has managed the feat as well.

Several ice-covered branches off the big White Pine in the back yard

This being my birthday it was kind of a pain to haul those branches out of the yard (didn’t quite have the energy to take them all the way to the woods on this soggy day). But the reward for clearing them away was to discover two Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis I think). These are the first real flowers to show themselves for 2009.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)

Finding the snowdrops stimulated me to take a wet misty walk around the yard to see what else was stirring. And, despite what has been generally cold, cloudy weather for the last week, I found many daffodil tips showing and the first of the crocus tips emerging as well. Now that was a nice birthday present indeed!

A long established clump of daffodils in the front yard