The Christmas Fairies are Having Their Fun

Well, if it's getting close to Christmas, it must be time for the fancy Dacor ovens to go on the fritz. Yes, for those following my misadventures for a while, you'll remember that last year, these ovens turned themselves on and cleaned themselves all on their own, frying the mother-board which took weeks to replace. This time, just the top oven has died - probably the marathon baking session with Norma yesterday - it's message is "U22 OVER TEMP". So now my oven is having its own little hot flashes? Fortunately the second oven is working just fine, and I've got a type of biscotti/cracker in the oven that was cut from a date/Brazil nut loaf I made yesterday. Almost went mad trying to get 80 slices out of a 9x5" loaf. Perhaps a first and last time for this recipe.

And it appears that Bart is possessed as well. When we took my mother-in-law out for dinner, he busied himself, letting himself out of his crate and then taking Kevin's size 15 shoes and organizing them in parallel fashion throughout the house - here's his work on the edge of the dining room. They are facing North East. Whatever could it mean?

The day is dull, so I'm reaching back to some photos from the end of November - one of those days of fog and frost. Look how Lake Ontario just melts into the horizon.

This lovely creature was visiting with the Canada Geese? Could this be a white Canada Goose?

We don't get a lot of photographic frost in this neck of the woods, so I was delighted to go outside to find that there was some photo-worthy ice. Here's a ground covering evergreen.

Some fuzzywuzzy geraniums.

Gallium odorata.

Can't remember.

Heuchera 'Palace Purple'.

I think the geranium look the best because they've got the little hairs on their leaves for Jack to paint on.

I'm thinking that is a Symphyandra - at least it was in the spot where I planted the Symphyandra.

More of the fuzzy geranium.

What a great colour of red - and so long lasting. This is a maroon berberis with a lime edge. Frankly I think Fall - and especially late fall is its best season.

Mahonia aquifolium that I grew from seed. It's going into the winter in great shape. With any luck I won't lose too many leaves over the winter.

Hopefully by my next post, all will be well: The snow will be falling gently; the ovens will be repaired; and I will have figured out what Bart was trying to tell me last week.