Thought this was supposed to be an "El Niño" Winter

Catchup post (preparing for a New Year's Resolution to start blogging again..): 

Maybe I just jumped to the conclusion that warmer temps would mean less snow.    But, so far that is not the case.  There was no snow at all until after Thanksgiving.  But then, on December 9th we got hit with about 15 inches of wet, heavy stuff.  It weighted down the white cedars and covered everything with a white blanket.  branches bowed down on nearly every tree, the pond aerator had a hard time keeping a spot open, and we had to turn on the small heater.   It was beautiful at first for sure.  The Pagoda Dogwood is particularly nice with its structure outline by the contrast between branches and the snow. 

The thick blanket may well keep the frost shallow this year, especially if we don't get a total melt down before really cold weather. 

And, looking now at the NOAA site about El Niño predictions, I find that around here for the next month or so we have "equal chances" of above and below normal temps and precipitation.  So far this year we've certainly had a mix of warm, cold, dry, wet.  What might come next?

Today, on Christmas, it is raining and 37 degrees in Green Bay where I'm staying with my Dad.  Supposed to get cold tonight, and the rain will likely change to snow before its all over. 

Robins in the Dogwood

The fruits on the Pagoda Dogwood bush on the south side of the house are ripening. And every year the robins find them around now. They continue to eat them until they are gone, much later in the fall. I suspect that by September there is some sort of intoxicating effect. But now they are bringing the young ones to the bush and teaching them how to get to the berries. Each bird lands on the roof nearby and moves over to the gutter just above the shrub. They look around, then jump, leap, fly, whatever over to a branch that still has unconsumed berries and begin to gorge themselves. If disturbed they fly away quickly. As we sit out on the deck, we hear each feeding attempt as a rustle of leaves and branches, often punctuated by the chirp of a robin - the clown bird of the yard right now.

Over the weekend, while I was weeding in the front of the garden, a red-tailed hawk swooped down and grabbed a baby rabbit just 10 feet away from me. It was spectacular.

Pictures from this week follow. This is the height of maturity for many things in the yard. At the Gala at the Gardens of the Fox Cities last weekend we bought a garden armillary that was donated to the silent auction by old friends John and Lee Parker. It will make a nice addition to our garden, and we hope they are happy that it has a good home.

The planter is doing very well, and becoming the overlowing wonder that it usually does. I should really restrain myself a little more than I do, because things really do become overwhelming by this time of year. I planted some Queen Alberta salvia just because I though the display might need a vertical element. But now, they are almost disruptive and I think I'll actually remove them even though they are the nicest salvia in the yard. Maybe I'll try to transplant them, but I doubt they will make a successful transition.

The Joe-pye weed is spectacular right now. And there are more mature plants around the yard than ever before. Maybe too many once they really get established. I hope I never come to regret the addition of this plant.