Winter in this area can be a wonderland. I love winters here just as much as spring summer and fall. The only difference is driving the other three seasons is much better. Not having to drive in the weather conditions we have here would be a plus.

Still, the scenery is breathtaking.

I do have two 4x4, having finally (after 12 years) sold the Sebring. Husband finds it nice not to have to clean off the truck or car before leaving for work in inclement weather. That was just another plus to doing what I did with the cars. This way we keep both cars in the garage which is nice for both of us.

If you recall I often mention the toad pond behind my house. In this earlier photo, my property lies about 1000 yards off the right of the picture. This is a manmade drainage ditch for the homes on the mountain that aren't built yet. This pond is one of about 4 on this side of the mountain. Something happened here and it is no longer a drainage ditch, but an actual pond. It is a watering hole for the many deer and other wildlife as well as a stop over for the geese, herons and ducks. Toads and frogs live here year round now and the eagles and hawks watch this spot closely. Swampy and unusable for crops or development, this area which is about 2 to 3 acres is left wild for the creatures of this area. There is another within 1000 yards of my house but that one isn't as nice as this one. It hasn't filled with water but is still a bit swampy and supports all the swamp vegetation that provides so much food for the small song birds here. There is a third one in the woods about a half mile from my house and this one is just beginning to fill up with water. That one so far seems to be clear of overgrowth and will probably remain a water pond. Thr 4th is just over a 1/4 mile and is a pond where you can often see geese and ducks. That one is filled with mostly bull frogs and supports bull rushes as well. All four ponds do seem to have all the proper natural cleaning and filtration. Underground water seems to flow freely into them and they drain into one of the many rills all over this mountain. There were also manmade filtration systems installed. They are all beautiful spots to visit.

I get all kinds of insects and wildlife in my garden and now you see why. Deer bed down right behind my herb fence at the back of the property. I get fox, opossum, skunk, badger, mice, groundhogs, snappers and a whole variety of beings wandering through the garden. Some of them stop for a bite (rabbits!), but most of them don't.

The earth has taken over something that man has created and challenges man to take it back, but the residence of this neighborhood enjoy the wildlife on this mountain and are willing to give these 3 acres back to the earth.