Staples Deals

Two really good Staples deals are running this week until Saturday.  You will need to be registered online and have a Staples reward card to take advantage.

Today I went and grabbed 100 FREE business cards.  This deal was perfectly timed because I was nearly out of cards that I use when I ship my Etsy Shop orders.  The selection was very good and I had many options.  The computer system is easy to use and the Rt 29N Staples staff are always great help.  You have to go to the store to get this deal, paying the sale price of $14.99 up front and getting matching rewards points.  Reward cash is mailed once you reach $10.00.

The second deal was a package of 750 Avery address labels which I use to create return address labels for my Etsy Shop orders.  This is a rebate offer, you pay up front the sale price of $9.99 and you go online and get a cash rebate mailed to you or even credited to your paypal account.  Super simple and the end result is that the product is FREE!

Thanks Staples!

-Rebecca

First Snow of the Season

Our coop and hens complete with a dusting of snow.

I happen to love being mesmerized by the snow as it sprinkles down from the sky.  I never mind being home bound for a few days or even more.  Staying warm beside the wood stove, a good homemade soup, and the computer or a good puzzle keeps me occupied.  Albeit, this first snow was here and gone in about 4 hours, it was still pretty and the chickens seemed to not be bothered. 

"Pop Art" - Little Moltie watching it snow this morning.

Each morning during the cold months I have to bash the frozen chicken waterers on the ground to remove the ice and retrieve water from the house.  My husband and I laugh every time we have a "chicken project" and the fact that people always say, "chickens are easy".  Ha - ask my husband his opinion on that claim.  New Year's Day we were expanding the fence to give the chickens a grassy area in which to peck around.  Winter has really done a number on the grass around the coop.  This past Fall I was happily moving fences in order to toss out grass and finch seed to cover the barren soil, giving the chickens newly sown green patches. 

It's to get down below 20 degrees tonight and that means it's our first time to turn on the heat lamp in the coop.  Fingers crossed that all are OK tomorrow morning!

Cheers to lots of SNOWFALL.

-Rebecca

New Year's Day Nature Walk

White seed heads of Golden Rod dancing in the breeze.

On this first day of 2012, my husband and I headed out for a leisurely hike on the Monticello trail system.  We decided instead to walk the trails of the 215 acre Ivy Creek Natural Area because it is just a few miles away from Forsythia Hill.  It was fairly busy but most of our 1.5 mile walk was peaceful and relaxing.  I so enjoy walking in the quiet forest removed from the man made noise of the world.  You don't realize how much sound you have to contend with until you get in a totally isolated place where all you can hear is the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds.  Quiet has a certain sound to it that is very hard for me to describe.  All I can think of is "white" or sssshhhhh - a blankness but a sound that I crave.

Running Cedar or Clubmoss.

Being a plant lover and collector, I love walking the woods in the winter trying to discover what the forest is hiding beneath the layer of fallen leaves.  I tend to think that most people focus downward on the foot path and miss many of the plants that are less than a foot off the trail. 

Navite Wild Ginger, easy to spot.

I spotted a nice clump of one of my favorite woodland plants, Gound Cedar,  Diphasiastrum digitatum.  Quite commonly spotted along our walk was native Wild Ginger and Striped Wintergreen.  There were many pretty seed pods such as Golden Rod and one red berry that I could not identify.  Pine cones and tree fungus were a common theme.

The coolest of cool tree fungus.

As I write this I hear the wind picking up outside and the forcast is a deep dip in temperature.  It was so nice getting outside today exploring in just a sweater, in JANUARY.  Now there is no sound of "white" and more of a sound of howling cold dark winter finally approaching.

Dream of Spring! 

-Rebecca