January 1-31

Snow, wind, and rain storms continue to move through the islands -- a wearing winter for most of us islanders. It's still too miserable outside to start moving the limbs that fell in the snow and ice storms in December. Everywhere I go on the island, limbs encircle the Douglas Fir and Cedar trees. Groves of Alders are cracked and leaning over in every direction. Some limbs still hang down, half cracked and too high to trim. It is a sorry sight, but I keep reminding myself that somehow this replenish the forests and make them stronger.

On a cheerier side, the sun is starting to rise on the horizon and every day is noticeably lighter. Sometimes the new brightness almost hurts my eyes and seems to be shocking my system to come out of "hibernation". I saw some plump pussy willows in town that are always harbingers of spring for me. Later in the month I saw that the first snow drops were up. Other bulbs are a few inches up and seem oblivious to the cold and damp.