Waiting for the snow

9 a.m., sky was blue, sun was shining, beautiful. 11 a.m., beautiful sunshine, dazzling the water. The swans (after an early-morning trip up the creek and back) were at the beach and Fury wanted to chase them (not a good idea when she's attached to me by her lead, I was emphatically not going into the water). 2 p.m. still sunny, breeze coming up.

4 p.m. I saw seven--yes, seven--adult deer running and jumping and leaping across the creek into the wetlands and away. Also heard gunshots. Hopefully the hunting was going on over on Smith Point and not 'our' wetlands. But seven adults is a good sign. Can't wait to see the babies in spring. Still haven't seen the "Ten Pointer" that's supposed to be around.

5 p.m. The sky is grey, heavy, sinking, and the wind has risen. It's getting in around the windows and doors. I turned the heating up. The trees are sillouettes against the brooding sky. No sunset tonight: just anticipation of the snowstorm that is expected to deliver overnight.

I found some sprouting hyacinths and tulips still in bags in the bulb box, forgotten after the rest had been planted in November. What was I thinking???? Dashed to HomeDepot for compost and pots. Hyacinths will come indoors. Tulips outside. Some are white, some are white-with-green-stripes (what?) and I call those, believe-it-when-I-see-it. Planted some mini-tulips lazy style in the bed behind the mail box: set them on the soil, covered them with lots of compost and then a layer of mulch. The bed was sunken anyway and needed building up. Again, we'll see.

One snowdrop has sent up leaves. Snowdrop for the snow?

Nearly 6 p.m. The wind is gusting, out of the east. Wind chimes going mad... no rain or snow. Yet.

9 p.m. Really windy but still no rain, no snow--and still relatively warm. Latest forecast was for rain to begin about now, turning to snow by midnight, with up to three inches out here by morning, up to eight inches in the city BUT as always, just the educated guess of the weatherman.

My bet is that the sun will be shining and the daffodils flowering in the morning.