For about the last week, we’ve had the old ‘Ellis Hollow lake effect’ on a daily basis. An inch or two here, four to six there.

Haven’t had a lot of screen time to blog or comment much, as we’re taking care of our ‘grand puppy’ Charlie, who’s a handful under normal circumstance and requires special care after three surgeries in two weeks around the holidays. Here she is ready to roll.

Had a little time to fiddle with time-lapse videos today. Long story short: Closer, faster. The same views cropped in closer and sped up.

Learned three things: While I like the wide landscape videos, next season I think I’ll focus in closer on particular areas. I need more bulbs for early-season interest. (I crammed a lot in those beds this fall.) And I need to get Fred and Jade to cooperate more to get them in to more images.

Beds around the veggie garden looking east …

Veggie garden beds (east view) from Craig Cramer on Vimeo.

Looking west.

Veggie bed close up from Craig Cramer on Vimeo.

Hope everyone has a safe and prosperous new year.

I had time this week to finish up the videos I did from stills for the August Garden Bloggers Design Workshop, adding images from fall and early winter. (It seems out of sequence, but there is a shot in the stack from our mid-October snowstorm.) I discovered that PhotoShop isn’t so good at aligning stacks with this many images (probably because I wasn’t very precise with I shot them), and had to do some fiddling around. Still, it’s a fun little exercise, and I may have more to share later today or tomorrow.

West view, March through December.

Ellis Hollow - The Year in 100 Seconds from Craig Cramer on Vimeo.

East view, March through December.

The Year at Ellis Hollow (east view) from Craig Cramer on Vimeo.

Bringing this week of holiday music to an end with what is really my favorite song at this time of the year. Brings me to tears every time, but still it fills me with hope. I’ve been a big fan of John McCutcheon literally for decades, having had the privilege of seeing him live about 30 years ago when he had a lot more hair.

Go ahead. Listen again. This version with a great story lead in and images that bring the time to life — no less nor more poignant than the images we see today of our current conflicts.

Next week I should get to my long belated bloom day scans, Ellis Hollow time lapses finishing up the year, and a year in review.

Thanks for visiting and commenting. You’ve brought great joy to my life.

Genres, something for everyone …

Singer-songwriter (’60s division): Arlo Guthrie/The Pause of Mr. Claus (embedding disabled).

Blues: Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ (The Alligator Records Blues Christmas CD is always the first one we play each season. Lots of other songs that celebrate Santa Claus sliding down your chimney that don’t take a subscription to Psychology Today to understand.)

Country and Western (Bakersfield Division): Buck Owens/Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy

Rockabilly: Chuck Berry/Run Run Rudolph