Embracing Winter... *and more!

Caution: You are about to enter THE FREEZING ZONE. 
(You will find no Spring here.)

It's Winter in my gardens...still.
And I am embracing it's beauty! 
(But maybe not so much the frigid air.)

"The name "winter" comes from an old Germanic word meaning "time of water" and refers to the seasonal precipitation. The winter solstice—the moment when the sun's apparent path is farthest south from the equator—is used to officially mark winter's beginning. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter begins on the "shortest day" of the year, which most frequently falls on December 21, but occasionally occurs on December 22. Winter lasts until the vernal, or spring, equinox--equal night--around March 20, thus marking the beginning of spring when day and night are equal in length." 

                                                 From the Library of Congress

Began on December 21st

Ends on March 20th

Yes, it is officially Winter in my part of the world and will be until mid-March. As we get closer, I may get a little giddy about the emerging Spring. Spring tends to do that to us. But for now, it is Winter in my gardens, and I am totally embracing it's beauty.

Spring comes soon enough. Well, in theory it does. I must admit there are years when Old Man Winter wants to linger longer than we'd like and sometimes reappears at the oddest times. Last year, for example, when my gardens were covered by a surprise snowfall in May.  But it only lasted for a day or so as it warmed up again very quickly. Weather in Utah often holds surprises... one of the reasons why I love it here.

So don't expect to see a countdown to Spring mentioned here. We celebrate all the seasons and it's Winter's turn to sparkle and shine.

Here's the *and more!

You may notice a change in my name. Meredehuit has been my screen name since I entered the blogging world. In French it means "Mother of Eight", which I proudly am.  But I've decided it's time to embrace my given name... Carolyn.

Carolyn... that just sounds right to me.