A forumer in asawa.org wanted some insight from Filipinas about their first winter experience. One suggestion I gave was to have a dark surface on which to catch snowflakes when the snow falls. He said it was new to him...so I am posting here some quite blurry yet clear enough to see such snowflakes. Best to catch them at a time when snow falls thinly (if they fall in clumps, they'll melt before you even get to see the individual flakes).

(CLICK on the photos to see larger images)
These are snowflakes caught the moment it starts snowing, with the surrounding air cold enough to not melt them while they descend. The snowmobile seat is still not fully covered with snow so it makes the individual flakes distinct enough to see the hexagonal pattern.

Baby racoons scavenging for food...they were attacking our garbage cans. No matter how angry one might be because of scattering of trash all over the place, how can he/she be when she sees these cute faces?

My first harvest of green peppers...

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Additional new blooms (they're annuals from my Mom, but I don't know what they are)

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Found this small nest (the hollow middle just about the size of a regular egg) on the lawn.

Tomatillas (husk tomatoes) are used for salsa, according to Mom.

The lilies along the driveway near the vegetable garden also have started to bloom.

False Sunflowers

As the name implies, these are like miniature sunflowers.

I gathered some and arranged them in a vase -- beautiful...

Zinnias...small yet lovely and dainty.

Delphinium

very striking cluster of purple flowers (Thanks to Bingbing for identifying the flowers!)

Bee Balm

Feathery soft layer of petals upon another layer underneath. Bees love them.

This is milkweed. We have 3 patches of them along our driveway and several patches more surrounding the fields. They smell so good I wanted to transplant them but Gary said they attract all sorts of insects.