Brrrr!

The temperature dropped to 16(F) last night. Thankfully, no snow like the Midwest and Eastern States are getting. Just crystal clear skies and ice in the courtyard fountain.

The persimmon tree has finally dropped all its leaves, and the birds are feasting on the fruit left on the tree. I didn't pick the ones that had marks where the birds had already tested them for ripeness. (No problem, I still got two big boxes of persimmons that the birds hadn't gotten to yet, which will get washed, peeled, quartered, and frozen to use throughout the year.) The birds manage to peck a hole in the fruit and then hollow it out, leaving the skin almost intact. The tree looks like it's got holiday decorations hanging on the branches!