Trails of Hats'n Hospitalitea

The first snow came last night.  I woke up to a blanket of snow that covered up all the leaves and weeds I still hadn’t finished gardening.  I went out for a short walk about to see what else I forgot in my fall cleanup.  There were small animal tracks all over the yard.   I wondered if they were dog, cat or fox.  When I got inside, I saw my buddy in the garden hunting for mice.

Fox hunting in the snow

I love all animals, so I did not know who to cheer for.  Every time his snout went into the snow I was hoping he would not come out with a mouse.  On the other hand, I am not to fond of having the mice move into my house for the winter.  I have heard that on PEI, the mice have been particularly bothersome this fall.

I love the first snow.  The kids get excited and want to build snowmen.  Everything looks so pretty with that little wet snow clinging to the branches.  I have heard the first snow ploughs going down the road, but I have yet to hear the first snowmobiles running on the trail beside the house.  That will come soon enough and it will really be winter.

Some people complain on long cold winters. I look at them as a time to relax from a busy summer.  We also take some time to make our business plans for next year.  We make a few changes to our Bed and Breakfast, make a few renovations, and look for ways to make our guests stay more enjoyable.

Also in the winter I have more time to blog.  So check back soon to see what I have been up to.

cheers

Cindy

M’J is taking in the last few days of the heat of the sun, enjoying watching me as I string my gladiola bulbs one by one on a rope clothes line to dry.  I’ll then cut the stems off and put the bulbs up for the Winter months in a dark cool place where they will be kept dry and safe until I can plant them again in the Spring.  Oh the mention of Spring sounds lovely especially when it has been a cold rainy day and this is the first day we had to make a fire in the fireplace.

I’m sharing pictures I took last week when I started to get the gardens tucked away for the Winter. The bulbs are large and healthy.  They had tons of mini bulbs growing off them and I separated them and they are tucked away in egg cartons for the Winter. 

Putting the garden to rest for the Winter involves a great deal of work, time and another pair of hands.  I’m lucky to have a French Gardener, he is quick to respond with a tall glass of lemonade when I”ve been spending wee little hours in the garden then he will take over just about the right time for me to nap on the back porch swing.

If you have been following Grandma’s Tea Room on Facebook  or my blog, you would have noticed I’ve been making Fairy Mini Gardens for the Tea Room gardens next year.  I try and do something different each year and so far I’m having a ton of fun.

“Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful!’ and sitting in the shade.” – Rudyard Kipling

Darkness has fallen and the solar dragonfly lights have lit the back pond, quiet time again.

Cindy