I Write: The Snowwoman Wears Prada

 Different from the I WRITE posts, this is a short story written for the Winter 24 hour writing contest. Writers are given a prompt and have 24 hours to write and submit a story based on the prompt with a limit for words.

WINTER 2024

The prompt: It was a cozy neighborhood where everybody knew everyone else and there was never a shortage of people to help when one was in need. There was also a lot of tomfoolery going on, which he and his wife had always enjoyed, until now. The winter snowman practical jokes had been funny over the years but, this time, their neighbor had taken it way too far…  (1,000 words)

Honorable Mention

The Snowwoman Wears Prada

After two days of heavy snowfall, Harry was struggling to get the family home from vacation driving slowly with caution on hazardous roads and dodging disabled cars and accident scenes.

He gave a deep sigh. “We’re not going to get home until midnight at this rate.”

“We’ll be fine,” Lisa answered, glancing over her shoulder, and seeing Spence sleeping.

At home, after managing to get down the unplowed back alleyway, Harry pulled into the garage. Lisa unhooked Spence’s seatbelt and Harry tried to lift him out of the car.

“Not happening,” he said quietly then walked his half sleeping son to bed. As Spence went to the bathroom, Harry threw the Indian blanket across the bed. He was able to remove Spence’s sweater, shoes, and socks and get him to lay down on the blanket. The boy was asleep before the comforter was tucked around him.

After the long drive and unpacking, it was time for bed. Lisa looked out the side window as the snow was letting up and moonlight cast deep blue shadows on the snow. Very tired and relaxed to be home, they both fell into a deep sleep.

The first early light woke Spence. He lay there thinking about all the things he did on vacation – hiking, learning fly fishing, going to restaurants, and movies. He managed to untangle himself from the comforter and, wondering if it was still snowing, he walked quietly to the living room window. Pushing the curtains aside, looking out on the front yard, he screamed.

His loud scream jolted both of them awake with Harry up first and running. Spence ran and clutched his father as he came into the room.

There was a nightmarish assembly of snowmen approaching the house. There was a hodgepodge of mismatched accessories, and all had large black eyes and frozen grins. The many protruding arms made with gnarled branches created a sense of movement coming toward the house. In the dim light, they appeared terrifying to a 10-year-old boy who had recently seen “The Snowmen of Wolf Mountain.”

Looking up, his voice quavering, he said, “Why are they here? Why did they come here?”

Lisa rushed into the living room. As Harry moved toward the window Spence broke away and ran to his mother.

“What is it Harry? Spence, whatever it is I’m sure it’s all right,” Lisa assured him as she tried to move to the window.

“No! No! Stay here with me!” Spence yelled. “Why are they here? Remember the movie - the killer snowmen? Do you think it could be true? Why are they here?”

Turning from the window, running his hand through his hair, Harry looked at Lisa. “He had a hard time sleeping the night he saw that movie. It really was more a M movie and not a PG one.”

“What is out there?” Lisa demanded, hurrying to the window.

In their absence neighbors had built a variety of snowmen to welcome them home. As the morning light increased it was easier to see them. The biggest one in front wore a straw hat with donkey ears and had a small Welcome Home sign around its neck written in red marker that had run down in streaks. There was a small one with a sand shovel taped to an arm and several with radish noses and short pine pieces protruding out of their heads instead of a hat. There were two wearing hoodie zip up jackets with hoods over their heads and sleeves hanging from long branches.

Lisa started laughing and her son was not amused.

“Mom, it’s not funny!” he cried, looking from his mother to his father. “Why are they here?”

“Well, it IS sort of funny. Come over and stand by me and look at them,” Lisa said. “The snowmen aren’t coming after us. That was just a movie. The snowmen aren’t going to hurt you. Or snowwoman, look at the one with Mrs. Moore’s fancy Prada scarf. It isn’t going to hurt you.”

Spence moved cautiously to the window.

“I believe Josh and Danny and some of the parents made them to welcome us home,” his father explained, “See the welcome home sign.”

Spence said, “It looks like blood.”

“No, it’s just marker. I see Josh’s hoodie on that one and the little one has Connor’s T-ball cap on,” Harry said as he pointed them out.

“Now that the sun is coming out I can see them better. I’m sorry I was scared. I shouldn’t have watched that movie.”

Over breakfast it was decided to keep this morning’s excitement to themselves. After all, it was a nice gesture to welcome them home.

After cleaning up the kitchen, everyone dressed to go outside. The neighborhood was busy with snow blowing driveways and shoveling sidewalks. Down the street there was yelling at a snowball fight and Spence ran to join in.

As neighbors visited and helped each other, Lisa and Harry thanked them for the welcome home and commented on the creativity of the snowmen and snowwomen. Lisa left Josh’s favorite hoodie at his house and returned the Prada scarf to Mrs. Moore.

As the days began to warm, the hats and clothes were shed from the shrinking snow people. Lisa and Harry gathered them and invited the neighbors to claim their clothes and enjoy some hot cider and cinnamon buns.

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Winter Trees (Poem)

 

Winter Trees

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Here Comes Winter - Got salt?

 

Ice-laden trees provide an icy wonderland effect

Waking up this morning to a beautiful but icy wonderland, it was a reminder to find the bag of “salt” in preparation for the next winter event. It’s not really salt in the bag but calcium chloride.

Icy surfaces can be hazardous to your wintertime health so removing snow and ice is a priority. You don’t want to be quoting the Muppets all day – “Watch out for the icy patch!”

Oops!

 Although safety first, gardeners also want to consider run-off damage to lawns and gardens. A special challenge is for plants near roadways, sidewalks and other hardscape areas so gardeners might consider a salt tolerant garden. The Penn State Extension Service in Montgomery County has a demonstration salt tolerant garden with more information on their Website.

Chemical deicers come in various forms - pellets, flakes and liquids - but research shows that pellets from 1/16" to 3/16" work faster.  Regardless of the type, overuse causes problems. Only use as much as necessary.

Don't overuse deicers

Sodium chloride, also known as rock salt, melts ice down to 25 degrees and is inexpensive but it can burn plants as well as corrode metal and concrete. It is the most harmful, seriously injuring or killing plants near sidewalks or paved areas. Additionally, when it washed into storm drains, it is a nonpoint source of pollution to waterways impacting fish and marine life.

Rock Salt Damage to Grass

Other chemical choices include calcium chloride which melts ice down to -25 degrees. Overuse can harm plants. Potassium chloride is effective to 12 degrees and is a fertilizer; however, overuse can be deadly to plants. Urea, ammonia and carbon dioxide, works down to 15 degrees. Although used as a fertilizer, high concentrations can harm plants. Calcium magnesium acetate, a salt-free deicer using dolomitic limestone and acetic acid, is effective down to 5 degrees and is particularly useful in environmentally sensitive areas.

For areas where deicers can't be used, sand or kitty litter can provide traction but also can be a source of nonpoint pollution.

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

~    ~     ~     ~

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Buy one for yourself and consider getting a few more as the winter holidays approach – hostess gifts, housewarming and holiday presents.

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it. 

2024 WINTER SOLSTICE

Chambersburg, PA
Winter Solstice on Thursday, December 21, 2024
Winter Solstice Sunrise - 7:29 AM

Winter Solstice Sunset:- 4:49 PM

This is an astronomical event that occurs because our world is tilted on its orbit around the sun, a fact that explains the seasons in our temperate zones. The shortest day and the longest night of the year. It marks a turn in the seasons as the length of the days get longer.

IF THE DAYS ARE LONGER WHY IS IT SO COLD?

The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reports that “even though daylight slowly increases after the solstice, many places don’t see their coldest days until mid-January. This happens because the Northern Hemisphere continues to lose more heat than it gains for several more weeks. The oceans – which take longer than land to heat up and cool down – play a role in this seasonal temperature lag. Only after the Northern Hemisphere starts to receive more solar energy than it loses do average temperatures begin their upward ascent.” 

Doug Wenztel of Penn States Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center says there’s a bright side as well. This is an opportunity to go out and explore your local areas and see a different landscape. Each year the Center has a Winter Solstice Stroll.

A walk along a favorite summertime wooded path reveals the shapes of trees and their branching patterns. Sit still and quiet for 15 minutes and soon you will see the birds that stay with us all winter. Discover mosses and evergreen ground covers nestled against the rocks near the path or check the edges of a pond for ice crystals. Think about the bit of shelter they provide for wintering birds as they perch among the rattling leaves, away from winter’s wind.

WHY ARE THERE STILL LEAVES ON THE TREES?

You most likely will hear the rustle and rattle of dead leaves still clinging to the branches of some trees. Kathleen V. Salisbury, Extension Educator, asks,  "Have you ever noticed some trees hang on to their leaves after all the other have colored up and fallen to the ground?"  in her article "Why Do You Just Keep Me Hanging On?"

 “…there's a reason why some leaves keep on hanging on all winter. Marcescence (use it 3 times in a sentence today and you own this word!) is the term for this winter retention of leaves. Beech and oak are deciduous native trees, losing their leaves each fall. But young beech, as well as their cousins [the] oaks, not to mention musclewood, witchhazels and parrotia, hang on to some of their leaves throughout the winter. They are marcescent.

In the fall trees create a separation zone (abscission layer) between petiole (leaf stem) and branch. If the separation layer is complete, the leaves will drop to the ground, to add nutrients to the root zone as they decompose. 

Trees shed their leaves to prepare for harsh winter conditions by conserving valuable resources. They create this separation zone so the falling leaves do not damage the plant in the process of shedding. Marcescent trees do not form this abscission layer completely and so some of the leaves hang on through the winter.”

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

References:

The Washington Post: Winter Begins Today-Answers About the Solstice

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/12/21/winter-begins-today-five-questions-and-answers-about-the-solstice/?arc404=true

Penn State: Winter Solstice Walk 2022

https://www.facebook.com/shaverscreek/winter-solstice-stroll/wentzel/819053985832668/

PennState: Why Do You Just Keep Me Hanging On? 
https://extension.psu.edu/why-do-you-just-keep-me-hanging-on

Pennsylvania State Climatologist: Greencastle, PA Max/Min Daily Temp: 12/21/2023 to 03/19/2024

https://climate.met.psu.edu/data/ida/index.php?t=3&x=cwop_hourly&id=CW4362

Weather Atlas: Monthly Average Temperatures

https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/pennsylvania-usa/mont-alto-climate

* * * * *

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The Heirloom Gardener - Wreaths

 

Wreaths (from the Middle English wrethe, a twisted garland or ring of leaves and flowers) have been used ceremonially...

Posted by The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti on Sunday, December 5, 2021

Winterizing Strawberries

 

Photo courtesy of StrawberryPlants.org

From a news article by Karly Regan, Penn State Extension, Franklin County

As winter sets in for our area, the fresh berries of summer may be far from our minds! However, to have delicious strawberries to eat, we need to make sure to tuck our plants in for winter properly. If you haven’t already, now is the time to put mulch or row covers over strawberry beds to protect them from winter temperatures.

In matted row production, straw mulch is an essential tool for protecting the crop from winter extremes. Apply four inches of clean mulch (about two tons of straw per acre) after temperatures have dropped into the mid-20s F for 3-4 consecutive days. At this point, plants will have developed some cold tolerance and gone dormant for the season. In our area, this typically occurs between late November and late December. In addition to protecting above-ground tissue from cold temperatures, the mulch protects root and crowns from exposure due to frost heaving. In areas exposed to wind, straw mulch can be held in place by laying wire or plastic fencing over the mulch with bricks or other heavy objects weighting the fencing down. Avoid using leaves as mulch since these can trap too much moisture and lead to ice formation.

For plasticulture production systems, floating row covers are applied when daytime temperatures reach into the low 70s to enable continued growth and crown and bud formation. The row covers will also provide winter protection by reducing desiccation and exposure to low temperatures.

In the spring, you can remove straw mulch when approximately 25% of your plants are producing new growth and temperatures remain above the critical temperatures for strawberry blooms, around 20° F. Another good metric for if it’s time to remove the mulch is when soil temperatures reach 40° F at a 4-inch depth. If early-fruiting is a goal in plasticulture beds, row covers should be removed early in spring.

If temperatures are fluctuating, it is best to partially remove mulch so that photosynthesis can begin but some mulch is still insulating the roots. Once removing, move mulch into the aisles between rows or other area nearby in case it needs to be reapplied for a springtime cold snap. If using row covers over plasticulture, follow the same practice of removing to between the rows in case it needs to be put back over plants for colder temperatures.

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Plants for Winter Interest - In a Master Gardener's Yard

White birch

From a Franklin County Master Garden blog entry in February, 2012

In planning her garden, Master Gardener Iris Masters included plants that would provide winter interest: birch trees, Japanese andromeda, Oregon grape holly, magnolia and cypress trees, nandina and crape myrtle.

Iris and I took a turn ‘round the yard through the season’s first snow flurries and I snapped some photos. I missed the hawk roosting in the birch (Betula jacquemontii) but captured the contrast of the tree, listed as the whitest one available, against the evergreens.

The Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica) provides a bright greeting near the front door. The Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium) displays its yellow-green holly leaves.

Magnolia tree

Iris’ landscape plan provided shelter from winter winds for the large magnolia shown above in the front yard which holds its deep green all winter.

Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) is not a true bamboo but a member of the barberry family. The berries are beautiful but they are not as popular with birds as holly berries although mockingbirds and others will eventually eat them.  The Hinoki cypress tree (Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Kosteri’) has beautiful form and evergreen foliage.

Crape Myrtle

The crape myrtle (Lagerstromea x ‘Zuni’) with beautiful lavender flowers provides striking seed pods that reach toward the sky.

Other yards around Penn National show winter landscape interest using ornamental grasses, unusual evergreen specimens, or bark as well as trees placed so their winter-bare branches create eye-catching silhouettes.

Barberry

Although the red-berried bushes of Barberry (Barberry vulgaris) really add to the landscape of this white house with red shutters, this is an invasive PA plant. Choose Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) as a substitute.

When there’s a break in winter weather, take a turn around your yard and see what you have and when those post holiday plant and seed catalogues start coming perhaps plan to add something in the coming year for next winter.

Check out the eBlog FRANKLIN COUNTY (PA) GARDENERS for many more Winter Interest plants. 

 https://franklincountymgs.blogspot.com/2014/12/revisit-winter-blogs-of-interest.html

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Plants for Winter Interest - Miscanthus

Sun Perennial Demo Garden-Jan. 2021

Tall grasses add structure and interest to the winter garden. Most common is Miscanthus which has approximately 20 different species. The name comes from the Greek mischos meaning “stalk” and anthos, “flowers.” This refers to the tiny flowers on its tall plumes. There are a variety of sizes and foliage that can fit in most landscapes. Miscanthus sinensis [miss-KANTH-us sih-NEN-sis] is also known as Maiden Grass.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'
CC BY-SA 3.0 (N. Nagel)

Allowing frost-killed grass to remain throughout the dormant season, its buff-colored foliage, stalks, and airy, plumed seed heads provide striking winter interest. The plumes shimmer in winter sunlight and the slightest breeze will add movement to the landscape. Tall varieties are excellent for mass planting and screens that last into winter. The plumes are excellent in dried flower arrangements.

The plant prefers full sun, tolerates moist soils and is relatively pest- and disease-free. It is highly salt tolerant which makes it an excellent choice along sidewalks, driveways and roadways. It is important to note that Miscanthus can become INVASIVE. Some cultivars produce many seeds and heavy mulching helps prevent germination and prevents the plant from becoming invasive. 

Arriving in late summer, the  airy, plumed seed heads endure from August until late January or longer. Cut foliage down in late winter or early spring before, or just as, new blades appear.

One variety, Miscanthus giganteus, a perennial grass hybrid, is being researched at OHIO UNIVERSITY as a possible option for a bio-fuel. 

[ https://www.dispatch.com/article/20160318/NEWS/303189757  ]  

More information on Miscanthus sinensis at NORTH CAROLINA EXTENSION

[  https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/miscanthus-sinensis/ ]

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Plants for Winter Interest - Lavender

Bright gray mounds of Lavender stand out- Jan 2021

Lavender (Lavendula sp.) is usually thought of as a seasonal perennial, prized for its beautiful and fragrant blooms. But checking the Franklin County Herb Demonstration Garden in January I discovered that the bright gray, over-wintering plants in our Fragrance Bed are quite the eye-catchers.

Basket of Lavender flowers (Photo: B. Petrucci)

Lavender needs sun and a well-drained site to thrive. Our herb garden is in raised beds in full sun all day so it is a perfect site for lavender. It is especially important, when planting, to consider the winter conditions. Snow will provide water to the plant, but excessive amounts can waterlog it. Don’t place it where the shovel or snow blower will cover it. Consider what sun it will receive in winter.

During the growing season deadheading after first bloom can promote re-blooming. Use this as a chance to start to shape the plants into rounded mounds. A rounded shape will  minimize damage by snow and ice. As summer comes to a close, stop harvesting. The plant will go dormant, but the silvery foliage will remain and stand out.

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Are you interested herbs? Check out the Herb Sampler at this Blog  POST : [  gardenandlifenotes.blogspot.com/2021/01/herb-sampler-my-book.html  ]

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon at this LINK. [ https://www.amazon.com/Herb-Sampler-Second-Carol-Kagan/dp/1482067463  ]

Plants for Winter Interest: Coral Embers Willow

 

Coral embers willow (Salix alba ssp. vitellina 'Britzensis') - nothing special in the gardening' world, just a fast-growing, hardy, colorful shrub for a large area - is a real delight this time of year.

When the leaves fall in autumn, it shows off its branches for the winter: yellow, orange, red in varying degrees all over...and it really stands out in a winter landscape.  Add some snow and you will really appreciate it.

It's inexpensive to buy, it's vigorous (grows 2-3 feet a year), gets large (my 9 year old specimen reached about 13 feet this year), gets woody (you need to trim it back), serves as a great nesting place for all kinds of wildlife (I've seen it all), and looks really cool when it snows especially.

It serves as a great screen shrub, and you can pick it out in the winter from quite a distance (if you happen to have trouble finding your house).

Important:  it needs to be trimmed back as far as possible into the current year's wood EVERY year, or it gets very large.  So, in Feb-Mar, before leaves start to come out, go out and trim everything but an inch of the colorful stems off.  The new growth will start from here, and the further you cut it back, the more colorful it will be the next winter.

Here's a way to propagate: Put your cuttings in a bucket of water and once they root, plant them in the ground, and they seem to do just fine.  They are not fussy about soil, like sun, and after a year will start giving you a colorful winter backdrop.

Captured from a previous post by Jerry Lewis, Master Gardener (January 2013)

CKagan, Master Gardener

Winter Solstice - Out of the Darkness

 

Tuesday, December 21, 2021 @ 3:59 PM EST

Monday, December 21, 2020, is the Winter Solstice. This is an astronomical event that occurs because our world is tilted on its axis with respect to our orbit around the sun, a fact that explains the seasons in our temperate zones.

Late dawn. Early sunset. Short day. Long night. The shortest day and the longest night of the year. It marks a turn in the seasons as the length of the days get longer.

The Washington Post’s Weather Gang reports that “even though daylight slowly increases after the solstice, many places don’t see their coldest days until mid-January. This happens because the Northern Hemisphere continues to lose more heat than it gains for several more weeks. The oceans – which take longer than land to heat up and cool down – play a role in this seasonal temperature lag. Only after the Northern Hemisphere starts to receive more solar energy than it loses do average temperatures begin their upward ascent.”

Doug Wenztel of the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center says there’s a bright side as well. This is an opportunity to go out and explore your local areas and see a different landscape.

A walk along a favorite summertime wooded path reveals the shapes of trees and their branching patterns. Sit still and quiet for 15 minutes and soon you will see the birds that stay with us all winter. Discover mosses and evergreen ground covers nestled against the rocks near the path or check the edges of a pond for ice crystals. Think about the bit of shelter they provide for wintering birds as they perch among the rattling leaves, away from winter’s wind.

You most likely will hear the rustle and rattle of dead leaves still clinging to the branches of some trees. Kathleen V. Salibury, Extension Educator, asks,  "Have you ever noticed some trees hang on to their leaves after all the other have colored up and fallen to the ground?"  in her article "Why Do You Just Keep Me Hanging On?"

 “…there's a reason why some leaves keep on hanging on all winter. Marcescence (use it 3 times in a sentence today and you own this word!) is the term for this winter retention of leaves. Beech and oak are deciduous native trees, losing their leaves each fall. But young beech, as well as their cousins [the] oaks, not to mention musclewood, witchhazels and parrotia, hang on to some of their leaves throughout the winter. They are marcescent.

In the fall trees create a separation zone (abscission layer) between petiole (leaf stem) and branch. If the separation layer is complete, the leaves will drop to the ground, to add nutrients to the root zone as they decompose. 

Trees shed their leaves to prepare for harsh winter conditions by conserving valuable resources. They create this separation zone so the falling leaves do not damage the plant in the process of shedding. Marcescent trees do not form this abscission layer completely and so some of the leaves hang on through the winter.”

~ Carol Kagan, Master Gardener