Wintery Fresh

I made my wreath today.
Filled with Douglas Fir and a bumper crop of Pinecones, Blue Spruce, Nandina, Holly from my Mom & Dad's and Viburnum Spring Bouquet - I like my wreaths in the natural state. Everything smells so wintery fresh.

Most of the fir blew down in a recent gale-force windstorm. The Blue spruce  has needle-sharp needles. The 'trick'? Let the blue spruce wallow for a week and it becomes soft enough to handle.

flash

The air is smokey today at ground level. Neighbors on both sides of me are trying to cope with our 22' cold snap by smoking me out with their wood stoves. This morning when I left for work it was 10' so the day has warmed a bit - must be the wood stoves at work.

My friend, Pencil Girl, is due to come over on Sunday. However, the long-range forecasts are troubling with threats of freezing rain and snow. I'm afraid to make her a wreath. If I make her one, then she won't be able to come over. If I don't - you can see where superstition takes you. Down the road to 'crazy'.
I usually make one for my neighbor Vicki and even Betty. I have plenty of material. And I found a dozen wreath hoops at an estate sale this summer. Actually, this is the second wreath I have made. The first was shipped Monday to Minnesota to my sister.

If I ship my sister a wreath, then she won't bug me for an Oregon Christmas Tree to be shipped to her.

This is what I spied Monday coming home for my mid-day break. 
My neighbors have the cutest alpine A-Frame house.

I think if I had gotten a ride in the buggy, I'd make them a wreath.