Dear Friends,

Christmas Greetings to you all on this sunny but very cold morning (18 degrees Fahrenheit—about minus 10 Celsius) in the eastern hills of  Tennessee.  There is a 4-inch (about 10-cm) powder-deep snowfall on the ground that came down, quickly but gently, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. We’ve not seen much snow in the last few years; most comes, if it comes at all, in January and February and then usually disappears pretty quickly, but this one has been here to stay for days.
Of course, as we’ve all experienced in this year of difficult times amid moments of joy and gratitude, there had to be a bit of trouble and it came later on the evening of Christmas Eve with a power outage that lasted 12 hours while the temperature plummeted. I never cease to be grateful for running water, our gas fireplaces, water heaters and stoves! And it all makes me remember our years of hauling heated water to horses at Lanntair Farm during some record years for cold and snow.

I’ve been in isolation at Blue Note Garden for ten months—six of those recovering from breast cancer surgery and chemotherapy—with growing appreciation for the world of nature that surrounds me here:
For several weeks, we had 60 goats—yes, that’s right, sixty—munching their way through the property across the lower road from us. We’ve had so much rain in the last couple of years that undergrowth on forest land that hasn’t been regularly maintained can become almost impenetrable—except for goats. The sounds of their work and play reminded me of when we first came to Knoxville and lived across the street from the playground of an elementary school—adorable to have nearby.
A couple of weeks ago, a large flock of cedar waxwings came through from the north and ate every single berry from all of my (my?!) holly trees and bushes before winging their way south. They left not a single branch for Christmas decorations. I was reduced to cutting down a couple of nandinas remaining here—which are invasive and warrant removal anyway. So the birds did me a favor in prompting me to get that done.
Unfortunately, a large robin collided with one of our living room windows several days ago. I put him in a cardboard box, hoping he was merely dazed, but he did not make it. It made me resolve to get around to putting together a bird mobile kit I purchased last year from Germany, of a large Merlin hawk to hang and ward-off birds from one particular north-facing corner where birds see-through to another series of windows and assume they can fly-on-through. If I build another house after selling Blue Note Garden I will be sure to install bird-safe glass—yes, there is such a thing and humans can’t tell the difference, but the birds can.
This morning a large, handsome red fox was walking around outside the house as though he owned the place. He just about does, because there have been far fewer human guests here at Blue Note Garden during this year’s Christmastime.
Still, I am very glad that most of you are not traveling unless quarantined, tested, or vaccinated. I think of you all in your own homes and it gives me great comfort to know that you are able to shelter, work and keep reasonably well. Please stay well and stay safe!
Much love to all,
Theresa