Niagara Falls in Winter

A leisurely drive today to see the frozen falls. Very beautiful! We were bundled up to the eyebrows in fabric, trying to stay warm, but I noticed that all the German and Scandinavian tourists were breezing along with just sweatshirts...

It would be glorious to be there when the ice on the river breaks up this spring.

Then we went into the greenhouse, where we were enveloped in the rich scent of hyacinths. I felt stunned, standing there in sudden warmth and sunshine, with the sound of songbirds all around me. I miss the sound of birds in winter, but I don't realize it until I hear them again. It was like being transported to Hawaii without warning. How is it that this place has been here for decades and I didn't know? The orchids were amazing, the size of plates and frilled like dance hall girls. I wished they had provided benches for us to sit and just soak in the light. But they didn't, so we shuffled out again, filled with new optimism and well-being. We drove home discussing how to transform our backyard garden into a winter oasis. In a place where summer is only three months long, finding a way to extend it is worth thinking about.