This gigantic holiday ribbon arches over the doorway to the BoTree Hotel in Marylebone. Subtle!
We got some snow last night, to my complete surprise. I got up this morning to about half an inch dusting the ground. The forecast said rain, and the temperature was only 35ยบ F so not even freezing -- but apparently it was cold enough at cloud level to create snow.
Of course I took the canna lily out of the shed yesterday, while repotting that geranium with the broken pot, and I forgot to put it back. Hopefully one light dusting of snow won't be enough to kill its roots, but if so, oh well.
Here's what our dining room looks like at the moment. Only two of those plants are from outside, seeking sanctuary from the cold. The rest are houseplants that always live there. Yes, we have too many.
Yesterday was very low-key. I walked the dog twice, stayed in and read some New Yorkers, caught up in blogland and edited the latest video from the garden cam.
This one starts with me doing yardwork a few days ago, dumping leaves I'd raked up. The animals promptly move in to check out the pile and mark it as their turf. Then there's the usual parade of foxes and cats, with these highlights:
1. At 1:52, some excellent footage of two foxes together.
2. At 3:02, a fox jumps into a tree! I didn't even know they could do that. Admittedly, it doesn't go very high.
3. At 3:23, Olga is getting excited about the foxes, which presumably she can smell. Yesterday morning she was barking so much that I had to interrupt my blogging to come out of the house and get her, a moment you'll see on the video. And the fox showed up three minutes later, so clearly it was very close the whole time.
This is our last day of Winter Break. Back to work tomorrow! (The kids don't show up until Tuesday, though.)
At 3.37 Olga appears to lose her footing or stagger a bit.
ReplyDeleteYeah, she's an old girl. Not as sure-footed as she used to be!
DeleteThe garden is like Grand Central station! Definitely two foxes, proved now.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you believe you have too many plants!
It is amazing how many critters wander through over just a few days!
DeleteToo many houseplants? Never!
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, normally I would say that, but it's getting hard to get to the window in the dining room. In the summer some of them will move outside.
DeleteOf course I loved this video with the foxes, especially seeing them at daylight in full colour was nice!
ReplyDeleteDo you know where the cats live?
It's funny how dark they are in sunlight, because they look so pale in the infrared. I have no idea whose cats those are!
DeleteOh look at that poor, shivering bush at the front of your flat! Why on earth don't you bring it in with the other plants? The fact that it is not in a pot is no excuse.
ReplyDeleteThat bush insulates the wall!
DeleteSo much fun to watch the video. I didn’t know you could have too many houseplants.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to feel like we're at maximum capacity!
DeleteA good collection of houseplants there.
ReplyDeleteI presume you don't use your dining room for dining!
Rarely! We eat there when we have company, but right now there's no space!
DeleteSo Dig All The Activity - Olga Girl Is A Champ , Even When She Almost Rolls Down The Slope - Definitely Adds Character - Stoked You Have That Trail Cam
ReplyDeleteStay Strong ,
Cheers
P.S. Lets Slip A Just Because Biscuit Under The Pink Blanket
Ha! She definitely WANTS to chase those foxes, even if physically it's beyond her!
DeleteWe have a section in our den that looks like your houseplant collection. All plants from outside wintering indoors. I loved the video. I still cannot believe that there are foxes in London! And Olga...her bark reminds me of my Shirley!
ReplyDeleteOlga never used to bark when she was young. As she's grown older she does it more and more.
DeleteYour dining room looks like our sunroom!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Christmas decorations, Christmas is the least subtle of the holidays.
That's true. The more the better at Christmas!
DeleteCan I just say- that bow is too big. It's weird and scary.
ReplyDeleteYep. Foxes can and do climb trees. A bit unsettling to realize that as we walk through the woods, foxes may be watching us from above.
It's an interesting look. I didn't really look at it very critically -- but now that you say it, it does have a kind of creepy air!
DeleteGreat video! The amount of wildlife activity in your garden is amazing. That bow over that door is very unique. I don't think I've ever seen a decoration quite like it before.
ReplyDeleteThose days off go rather quickly, don't they?
I was astonished at how busy the animals have been. Of course, keep in mind this footage is very compressed. There's a lot of "dead time" between the occasional animal wandering through.
DeleteGoodness, your backyard is busy! Maybe you need a small greenhouse in your backyard for all of the plants you are trying to keep warm.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE a greenhouse -- a big one to house the avocado! But that's probably more than we want to invest in a rental property.
DeleteI think it would be so cool to have a fox though I did see one once crossing the back of the property. The possums and armadillos are enough. I rarely see them but they drive Minnie nuts. I got a chuckle out of you clearing the rake of leaves and then immediately plunging it back into the pile to spread it around a bit.
ReplyDeleteI think my decision to spread it around was sort of belated -- I was already cleaning the tines when I decided to do that! LOL
DeleteThat bow just looks strange, tbh, as if you are walking between a giant's legs to get inside. You had a fox. Now you have two foxes. I wonder how long it will take before you have a family of foxes? PS: baby foxes are cute as heck.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to see some baby foxes. I should be sure to keep the camera out in early spring.
DeleteFoxes definitely have enough patience to wait out pesky barking dogs!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the foxes are fascinated by the dog, as long as they can watch from a position of safety.
DeleteLove the markings on that cat. And well done, Fox, with that big leap! I'm glad you have a day back with no kids!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful cat, isn't it? I'm glad they gave it a collar to scare away any birds it might be intent on eating.
DeleteThe only plant in my house is the poinsettia a friend gave me during the holidays. I think I've learned which window they like (and how much water) having managed to keep last year's alive for three or four months. We'll see how I do this year.
ReplyDeleteModern Christmas poinsettias really aren't made to last very long. They never have very good root systems. so good on you for keeping one going for so long!
DeleteHas Olga ever been face to face (muzzle to muzzle?) with a fox. I'm just wondering how each would react. Love that big bow! It can stay on into February for Valentine's Day. :)
ReplyDeleteNo! I think she really would try to attack it, and the fox would probably kick her butt. Good thinking re. Valentine's Day!
DeleteI'll bet if you took some of those plants to school kids would take them. Kids used to ask me to start plants for them.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to imagine any of our kids bothering to take a plant home, but maybe they would.
DeleteWe were supposed to see snowflakes of some kind today, but alas. It's been a while since we had snow around here (and meanwhile everyone north & west of us is getting hammered).
ReplyDeleteYeah, given what's happening in the rest of the country, I'm surprised you're NOT getting snow!
DeleteIf you are happy with the number of house plants, then it isn't too many. I have four and they are all plastic because of my hayfever/asthma. Did you rush out and make a mini snowman?
ReplyDeleteSadly, the snow wasn't enough to make even a tiny, tiny snowman!
DeleteThat hotel front entrance looks like a vulva, all dressed up and waiting.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely seeing the foxes. When Olga was barking, Charlie heard her and came over to the computer, looking concerned.
Ha! I'm not sure that's the look they were going for. You're such a nurse, seeing things in anatomical terms!
DeleteI had a giggle when you walked into the tree. Foxes make me uneasy. They are not popular in Australia. A friend has one that sits on her neigbours' garage roof overlooking her garden.
ReplyDeleteThat part of the garden has a very low overhang, and I was wearing my glasses on my head, so it caught on the glasses! Fortunately I grabbed them before they fell off.
DeleteThere are foxes that pass through my property, and I've never seen a fox jump into a tree. Your video proves they can climb. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteOlga seems interested in defending her territory. She's hot in pursuit.
The large bow seems intended to be like an arch over the entry. It seems odd to me. If the bow was smaller and just over the top of the door it might be more attractive.
Olga is very assertive about other animals in her space!
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