Winter of 2025-26 has been very eventful with my official breast cancer diagnosis in early December. Several of my December days were filled with appointments, making many trips to Winston Salem. Then came January… Surgery, recovery, and radiation all during the remaining winter months.
I did find time to snap a few pictures that I loved in this unique season of my life and compiled for a Winter memory album. Photography is an outlet for not only creativity, but the beauty that comes to my mind as I go about my daily activities, essential for hope and a great force in cancer recovery. All of these captures are from right here in our beautiful home, Wilkes County.
I hope you will enjoy these pictures as much as I have in a winter season filled with challenges, hope for healing and yet grace abounded in the winter season of 2025-2026.
I personally enjoy the winter season in regard to photography, the contrast of the starkness of barren trees with the vibrant colors of sunrise. I have organized this blog so that you can witness the evolution of the winter with a glimpse into each month of the winter season.
Thanks for supporting my blog and I deeply appreciate all of your prayers.
Clear December SkiesHope Abounds…December morning sunrise taken about a week after my cancer diagnosis… I now view the pink skies as a beautiful sign of HOPE.Perfection!!! Last Sunrise of 2025Happy New Year!!! The First 2026 SunriseJanuary Rainbow SunriseSnowy January MorningThe Hope of SpringEvergreen GloryJanuary Sunset over the MountainsA Rainbow of Colors in Evening SkyGood Night Y’allGood Morning Blue Ridge!Foggy February Winter MorningMarch SkiesMarch Morning GlowHope Reigns in the March Pink SkiesMuted March SkiesBlue Skies Ahead Stormy March Morning… Thunder Rolls March Storm Cloud Watch… Black and WhiteGood Morning!!March Red Sky in Morning
March is in Bloom… The Hope of Spring
March Yellow DaffodilsAnother cute little ButtercupLenten Rose beginning to blossomForsythia
Pup Interlude…
Cookie posing for the camera 📷My little sunshine seeker… JoyJethro… morning nap timeOur sweet little crew of pups… Cookie, Joy and Jethro (Ro)
The weather this week is warming up nicely. It’s time to take a quick inventory of some of the essentials that you might need to replace or upgrade this Spring to make your outdoor gardening experience go smoothly. Nothing is more annoying to go look for a needed garden tool to find it is gone and or completely out of sight… leaving you to think where on earth did I put that???? 😬
With 10 Gardening Seasons now under our belt, here’s a quick guide of some of Wilkes County Hardware’s BEST SPRING SELLERS… year after year.
Thanks Susan for the picture!
Spring Gardening Essentials
1. Water hose/replacement sprayer nozzle – Yes, this has happened to us too! We quickly realized that our old water hose nozzle needed to be replaced in the middle of a project. Luckily, we knew where to go get one…
If you water frequently during the spring and summer months, you need to evaluate the wear and tear on your water hose AND also consider the consistent sun exposure on your water hose! Did you accidentally leave your water hose outside during the winter season??? It might be a good idea to replace the old worn hose or stop by to pick up a new hose washers, or replacement sprayer.
Wilkes County Hardware also has a good selection of replacement parts for hose ends, washers etc.
2. Pair of new Gardening gloves-Can’t find your trusty gardening gloves??? 🧤 Why should you replace those old, dirty, grungy gloves??? First of all, the wear and tear factor of your old gloves, notice any holes??? You probably need to get rid of them. Then you must consider the dirt itself… soil does what is does… soil has bacteria and fungi that are constantly breaking down organic matter, wearing gloves just makes good sense as you garden. Been fighting in the weeds already??? Notice a patch of poison ivy? Definitely replace your gloves after the exposure. It’s definitely a good idea to get rid of those old ones for a new pair. I must admit I’m guilty about this one!!!
Two of our best sellers!
3. Hand clippers- I cannot tell you how many times I have misplaced my handheld clippers that I frequently carry around as I’m working in the garden. It’s always good to have an extra pair!
Good stock of garden trowels, and stop by to pick up a new tool, the Hori, Hori. A fantastic addition to your garden tool collection
4. Grass seed- Need to fill in a small area with grass seed? Wilkes County Hardware stocks 1 pound to 5 pound bags.
5.Weed Eater String – Check your storage cabinet to make sure you have enough weed eater string to finish your garden chores. No one wants to stop halfway through a garden weeding eating task and have to run out to the hardware store to grab another roll. But if you need us, we will be there!
A variety of different types and lengths are available for purchase
6.Pump Up Garden Sprayer- Two sizes are readily available… 1 gallon and 2 gallon pump sprayer are our best sellers at Wilkes County Hardware.
7. Potting soil– Get growing with a fantastic growing medium. Baccto is definitely in order to refill your pots this Spring. Our repeat gardening customers love this potting soil AND it is a fantastic value!!! Other potting soils price their bags per quart or by Cubic foot(based on volume of product and additives) but not this brand! It’s priced by the gallon, making this a very affordable option and a much better value for quality potting soil! As a FULL service hardware store, we load these heavy bags into your vehicle for you!
8. Weed control sprays and concentrates– As the weather warms up the weeds seem to grow better than flowers 😳enough said right ??? Wilkes County Hardware has a variety of different type of ready to go sprays and concentrate weed killers suitable for your specific needs. Stop by to chat with us about your garden care needs soon!
9. “Critter Control”- Many questions arise in the Spring about how to deal with pests in the lawn or garden. Moles, grubs, deer, slugs, snakes, and other insects… the list is long but Wilkes County Hardware has a few product solutions that are readily available.
Deer repellent- This is a vigilant and necessary action in our area. It is also very frustrating for homeowners who have a high deer population in their areas to work so diligently for months on creating a beautiful landscape to wake up the next morning to find their hard work all eaten up by 🦌 deer. Ugh!!!
In order for this product to work Effectively , you MUST reapply after a rain storm, or weekly to keep those pesky deer out of growing gardens.
FYI: On a personal note, I have had to switch methods from using pods to sprays/ granular to keep deer activity to a minimum in my yard. If one method doesn’t seem to work well, don’t feel guilty about moving to another method to see if you can minimize the damage to your plants.
Moles– Tunnel networks visible in your yard??? The food source for a mole is the GRUB. If you can get rid of the grubs, the moles will go away. Wilkes County Hardware has options available for mole control or grub treatment.
A variety of options are available at Wilkes County Hardware
Snakes– Ugh! I definitely don’t want to come face to face with these critters in my backyard! Repellent options are available in store.
10. “Wheels”- That’s right… when working in the garden or lawn you need a good set wheels to get the job done. A wheelbarrow or a garden cart can help you move debris, mulch, or even load it up with tools to work efficiently.
Our team at Wilkes County Hardware is ready to assist you with your lawn and garden maintenance this Spring. Let’s get growing!
The Winter season officially began December 21st and will end on March 20th. From cold wintry temperatures, a few snowy days, and even icy morning conditions the winter weather has been season to remember in 2025. Thanks for the beautiful photographic memories Winter!
FYI: Two photos below have active links to more recent blog posts!!!! (New Orleans and Cloud Dancing) Please check those out as well 😊
Winter Solstice Sunrise New Beginnings… January 1, 2025 Golden Sunrise Icy morning Waiting on the SnowIt begins… A new coat of white… snowy afternoon Snowy Morning Snow Day Snowy Branches Crunchy! A Walk into the Woods Snow on the Mountains Sunset at Buck Mountain after the Snow Snow Capped Golden Hour Looking into the Valley January Wolf MoonWinter BeautyHello Sunshine Colorful Sunrise Pink Sky Winter Sunrise Glory Drama in the Sky Rainbow SunriseWinter Days are Lazy Days, JOY All wrapped up, COOKIEWinter BloomsMorning CoffeeNew OrleansCloud DancingButterfly SkyMarch MasterpieceMagical March Sunrise Lavender Sky A Little Floral Volunteer… a prelude to SpringReady to emerge In full bloom Hello Buttercup!New Growth
Beginning in early 2024, I wrote these opening lines: “I have decided to take this year and document and capture memories… from our everyday life activities. Everything isn’t glamorous, we work long hours, 6 days a week, but Richard and I find time to share and unwind. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite collected moments via photography.”
What a journey it has been! Here’s a look at a few of my photo favorites from each month in 2024. Below each photograph, I will include the original link to each month from 2024, in case you missed it or would like to see more photos from each month.
Many people consider clover as an invasive weed in their lawn. I believe it is now a LUCKY task for the finder… no matter if you find a 🍀 four leaf clover, all are lucky!
Why do you suggest it is a lucky task???? Clover spreads and often can take over in your grass. Is that lucky??? Well maybe not if you love a perfectly manicured lawn. But for those who continue to read this story maybe you find a bit of inspiration in finding clover today.
I found this green patch of clover flourishing several years ago in my grandparents yard. It was a thick patch of clover that was overtaking an area in their lawn near the driveway.
It was a beautiful capture for me as a photographer, and I cherish it as a sweet memory of my grandparents yard and flower garden.
Time has passed and I recently found this quote concerning clover that is too good not to share today as we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and it provided me a bit confirmation of what I already knew.
Legend says that each leaf of the clover has a meaning: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and, if you can find a 4-leaf clover, the fourth leaf represents luck.” —Jean LeGrand
I never found a four-leaf clover 🍀 in that small patch of clover at my grandparents house, but I was definitely LUCKY. My grandparents gave and showed me all three of those characteristics…hope, faith and love. So I consider myself to be the luckiest person alive. Here’s to you finding a beautiful patch of clover today.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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