A-void-ance

I had a Big project this weekend, I wanted to cut back one of the huge overgrown junipers in my garden I chopped out an area the size if 2 phone booths (about 18 sq feet) and got perhaps half of one. So what do you photograph? The negative space? The huge ugly piles of former juniper and roots? the big pile of dirty rocks that came up with the junipers? My manager stopped by, but as she only wants to show the world her tail, of which she is justifiably proud, that wasn't appealing either. I have a Laceleaf maple with a beautiful interior structure, but I haven't found a way to do it justice yet. So I avoided the unattractive evidence of my efforts and instead offer this lovely fern, one of a number of native species that thrive here. It lives next to my Elephant Leaf and close to, you guessed it more junipers. Beneath the Elephant leaf is a shady nook that will have a hosta in the spring

We had a more pleasant avoidance, also. The cold weather broke last night. While it was still frosty early this morning, it was merely brisk by 10 am and by noon was in the mid 60's. While I was out the finches, martins and other wintering birds were out and about enjoying the fine weather and comparing notes with the crows about how everyone got by during our cold snap. We should miss the freezing rain as even if it rains tonight it won't be cold enough to cause more than a few temporary problems.