I am the WORST vs Ali's "The Greatest" (Ali wins hands and feet down)

Ice storms, writing deadlines, volunteering commitments, a lack of seed starting (surprise), and generally gloomy weather have kind of made my brain flat-line.

I suck at blog updates in the winter and am seriously wondering if I've got SAD or something because lack of warm sunlight and I feel like a puddle of mush.  A puddle of mush that just wants to hide under blankets.  Reminds me of genteel times when gentlemen would put coats over puddles for women to step on top of to cross a street or something. 

Except I'm the puddle and not the lady. 

Had a plan to write for the longest time about cold damage and with recent snows and ice storms sort of nudging me at that/poking me in the eye to say, "'Bout that time you planned to write a great blog article about terrible cold weather conditions, how to handle and prepare for them and repair damage... eh?"


So, I am sure that you all have seen a plethora of icy pictures as of late, and as I am late, maybe these icy pictures will still be fresh for you?
(PS click on any of the pics to make them bigger, some of them are quite nice that way)

(hurray, good to know, Bok choy is super hardy har har in the winter!)

(spiffy generic spirea, I think!)

(oak limbs with dripping icicle/stalagmites)

 

 (saffron leaves all individually iced over, click on it! Might make a nice desktop pic)

  

(The colors Duke!  Nandina with ice drops on the EDGES)

  

(Poor under-going vernalization rose... new shoots starting only to be greeted by the icy touch of winter)

  

 (Even the gnome/gremlins could not escape... it looks like the frogs have a freezing stare power!)

  

(more colors!  Fall/dying azalea leaves colors being magnified by the ice)

  

(same deal, less color, still pretty)

  

(Bad news, I'm a terrible gardener and left my hose AND wheelbarrow AND various door mats outside in the weather... just testing the durability of this hose's material... yes.)

  

(sugar gum maple ball!)

 

Hope this was a decent update and until then, I am giving my brain some serious CPR and getting my butt into the local seed shop to pick up good potting soil for seeds.  Alas, no soil blocker this year for seed starting, but yes... I'll get you my pretty!