She's back...

...winter that is.  How quickly the winds started blowing from the north and within a day the weather changed to its seasonal normal.  Remember the Witch Hazel Bush?

Here it is with a blanket of snow.  I realize a close-up shot would have given the sweet blooms more justice, but I took it from inside the house where it was warm and I could stay in my slippers. 

In the back yard, I caught a glimpse of this male cardinal (now from the kitchen window)... and still in slippers...

Tonight when I was finishing up a baby quilt I was piecing, I realized how much my environment influences my color palette.

 

 We'll see what happens in the spring when the flowers start to bloom to see if my theory is correct.  For now, back to sewing...