A tree a day....

 The temperature has risen from -29C (-20F) yesterday morning, to -5C (23F) this morning. The forecast calls for more cold temperatures over the coming weekend, actually colder than those we've just experienced. I sure wish we could have a good fall of snow to insulate everything. This crazy temperature fluctuation is hard on everything, especially since there is such a scant covering of snow. (the present header picture was taken mid January 2019)

It being so much milder today, we headed out and got back at tree harvesting.

We are working away at felling beech trees, cutting them for firewood before the Beech Bark fungus totally takes the good out of the trees. We are trying to haul in enough wood to replace what we'll be burning this winter.

The rounds will be split in the spring, hopefully before the biting insects come out, and will be piled to cure in the empty space in the woodshed.

All that bending and lifting is good exercise, and doing just one tree a day ensures that we don't overdo it.  

January? Not according to this weather.....

 Well...it is January, and the weather is not January-like. Our temperature has been going up and down like a yo-yo. We've gone from mild and rain, to beautifully cold, crispy squeaky boot walking for a day, and now we are a little above 0C. Tomorrow we are supposed to plunge to even colder temperatures, and the wind is ushering it in now, howling around, the temperature slowly dropping back below the freezing mark.

We don't have a lot of snow cover, just enough to get one thinking that maybe snowshoes should be brought out and readied for use. There have been a few brilliant sunny days, but they've been few and far between. 

I've been doing some baking, some sewing and some knitting, and going for regular daily walks. 

I tried my hand at a bit of colour work, and made this simple cowl, holding one colour in each hand. One colour is knit English style, the other Continental style. It sure keeps the yarn from getting tangled up.

This is a summer top, knitted with a new to me yarn, a rayon/bamboo. It is very slippery and a little 'splitty', but the summer top is now complete, blocked, and is drying. The edges are all I-cord bind offs, a very nice finish to the garment.
This morning, I got out my graphed garden bed sketches, and have penciled in prospective plantings, made and sent a seed order.

Best get it in before all those 'sold out' banners get splashed across the seed order site's pages! I've ordered 3 blueberry bushes, compliments of a gift card from a friend. The local wild crop has been very inconsistent, and it would be nice to have a small harvest we can count on. 

 Recently I retrieved my dried cayenne peppers, ground them up in a coffee grinder I reserve for such things, and have a nice little amount, enough to last quite a while.

In the woods, the deer are slowly progressing down to their winter yard, a few still showing up on the trail cameras.