MEMORIES OF SNOW

IT'S JANUARY 2015!  

Jill and Allen have flown south to La Paz in Mexico 

where they have views like this sunset from their terrace.

 Cora and Willow the Cat are back at the Duck Inn, 

hoping for a snow free winter...although they loved

 this view from the office window  last year.

The swans weren't bothered at all by the ice on the river.

And It took more than a little snow to keep this

 hearty soul off the water.

One year, everything got a snow topping, 

and Jill's car almost disappeared.

All the garden sculptures were surprised by their new looks.

 

 Down on the dock, ponds and planters froze.

 

Snow fell on cedars,

willows,

 berries

 

and the ivy covered staircase!

Even the hockey player took a hit.

 Madly trying to keep up with all the snow was ALLEN, constantly shoveling and sweeping.

 

 

To Jill's dismay, he insisted on clearing all the roofs....

even the one over the dining gazebo.

 

CHRISTMAS AT THE DUCK INN

For as long as we can remember, the first weekend in December has meant parades of the Ladner Carol Ships on the river in front of our house and the Duck Inn. Years ago, when Allen still had his commercial gillnetter, the Stormy Monday, we would light up the boat and join the procession. Many of our friends had young children then, so each little person had a turn steering the boat. 

Picture a stately parade of 15 to 20 Carol Ships,

 with one little fish boat weaving back and forth as small hands grappled with the wheel!

Now we are content to watch from home, with a few friends over to join in the merriment. 

Here are some of this year’s ships.

The larger ships have church choirs on deck, singing merrily as they make their way to the Government Dock in the Ladner Harbour ~ where more choirs and lots of warmly dressed families welcome them.

Those of you who have been here know that we use the Duck Inn as an excuse for keeping our Christmas lights up all year. And then we add a few extra lights to mark the season. 

Allen, the ardent hockey fan, has to have this

 Vancouver Canuck lit up to help the team’s chances.

Every year we decorate a Grand Fir for the house 

because we love that Christmas Tree scent.

But our favourite tree photo is this one taken by Cora last year. When we took the tree down in January, it still had lots of life in it, so we put it in an oak barrel and let the rain and snow keep it fresh. It finally went out with the yard trimmings in April!

We strew the house with more lights to keep the winter darkness at bay.

And, of course, the Duck Inn  gets a holiday sparkle, too.

Each cottage has a fibre-optic tree ~ very hard to capture as the lights move constantly.

Here's the Water Garden

And Willow Cottage

And finally, Willow the Cat, gets the Christmas spirit!

 ~ or not ~

 

KELLY PUTS THE GARDEN TO BED…AND THE FIRST SNOWFALL PROVIDES THE BLANKET

The Hanging Baskets, which provided so much Summer Colour…..

 have gone limp, so Kelly takes them down.

This Rose, which gave us hundreds of flowers

for Summer Bouquets

has been cut back to its Winter Shape.

The straw which held up the Witch at Halloween

now covers the dahlias to keep them dry when it rains.

The windsocks and hammocks

have gone to the Garden Bodega to join the lawnmower for the winter.

The Garden Bones are now visible.

And Allen casts a long shadow as he snaps a shot
 of the greenery along the driveway.