Cabin Fever in Mid-January

The Icelandic Sheepdog pack is getting kind of antsy because they've been inside so much lately. They do go out but are actually kind of anxious to come right back in after they've had their potty breaks. We've had lots of rain and some freezing rain but at least we've had no snow although it's very messy now. Of course hope is in the air because the days are starting to get longer, at least that's what is supposed to be happening now. Clicking on photos will enlarge them,

The spring garden catalogs have started arriving; I think I start looking forward to their arrival some time back in November. They help me get through January and February. This may sound strange to non-gardeners, but during my garden walks with the dogs at this time of year I am already looking for signs of spring growth. The witchhazels (Hamamelis sp.) have plenty of flower buds; they are among the earliest flowers. I have four of them and, although they are all different in size, they all have flower buds this winter,

I bought three different kinds of cornelian cherries (Cornus mas) which are scattered around in the north forest. I'm pretty sure they will eventually do well there because they are a species of dogwood like the red and yellow twig dogwoods which are common here.  Two have been kind of picky eaters, alive and green in the summer, but puny nevertheless. The third one has several flower buds on it. At least I will get to see what those few flowers look like. When I lived in Royal Oak I would visit the cemetery in the late winter because there were very old, large witchhazels and cornelian cherries. I wonder if anyone else enjoyed them as much as I did. For winter dinner parties I would often have a bouquet of them on the table.