Here we come a wassailing Among the leaves so green, Here we come a wandering So fair to be seen. “Health to thee, good apple-tree,Well to bear, pocket-fulls, hat-fulls, Peck-fulls, bushel-bag-fulls.” “Here’s to thee, old apple-tree, Whence thou may’st bud, and whence thou may’st blow, And whence thou may’st bear apples enow Hats full! caps full! Bushel-bushel-sacks full, And my pockets full, too, huzza!” #Wassailing #Apples #Orchard #gardening #Allotment #NewEngland #BeetBear

#SilentSunday #Winter #NewEngland #Orchard #Apples

Well, another trip around the sun brings another birthday for me. Another chance to have some coffee and cake and sit around doing nothing while looking out at all the snow. Happy New Year! Calendar says I'm 76 but my head says I'm still 25... #Gardening #NewEngland #birthday

Very disturbed night with the temperatures plummeting and the wind gusting to 50 mph / 76 km/h. Really rattled the house all night. Wind chills in the 15°F range (-10°C). Could we please stop with all these wind events please? Screen shots from my weather station this morning. The remaining wet snow is now 4 inches of solid ice. #Gardening #Allotment #NewEngland #Weather

Here's my Project Feeder Watch data for count week number 9. We had 20 species and 116 individuals visit this week. Things of note: did not see any raptors this week and the heavy snow brought us a Northern Mockingbird, first one I've seen in months. Only one squirrel this week. It's been a tough week for the birds with the heavy snow, high winds and now freezing rain. And yet they still show up. CU all next year! #ProjectFeederWatch #Birds #NewEngland #Gardening #Allotment

Winter has returned. Six inches (15cm) of the fluffy white stuff overnight. It's a poor photo, but I was busy with a snow shovel. #gardening #Allotment #NewEngland #Winter

When your daughter is a botany professor and she brings beverages to the Yule festivities, you get some interesting (and quite delicious) choices. I offer here a selection of Apple and Gooseberry Birch Sap seltzer, Black Currant and Thoroughwort Birch Sap seltzer, and Mulberry and Nettle Birch Sap seltzer. all quite refreshing. #Gardening #Allotment #NewEngland #Yule #Solstice #Botany #Feast