Dec
6
2009
The Trees Blanketed By The First Snowfall…
Author: siggyThe trees blanketed by the first snowfall were beautiful. It was a “dusting” but nevertheless breathtaking. It made me glad to be alive. I was heading for church in the morning. Everything–the ground, bushes and trees were completely covered with white. I would be glad when winter would be over and the warm weather returned but I really was in no rush. It was a brisk thirty-two degrees outside. And everything was white, a sight my brother-in-law would never see, who lived in San Francisco. In a few hours the snow would melt. The morning truly was a “miracle”.
Tags: brother-in-law, church, dusting of snow, everything covered with white snow, first snowfall, glad to be alive, God, miracle, morning, San Francisco, snow, snow melt, thirty-two degrees, trees blanket with snow, winter
December 6th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Our snow came late here in Lansdowne. But it was beautiful to see! The snow flakes where huge and drifting slowly down to the ground. Looking out my large picture window, I could see a woodpecker on our woodpecker feeder. He was happily munching away. Several squirrels were scampering around as if they too were enjoying the first new snow. (I had placed several cobs of corn around the yard and they were busy munching on their “snacks”). A male and female cardinal were perched at the big bird feeder enjoying some sunflower seeds and safflower mix. They kept looking around as the snow gently floated down to earth. Several mourning doves were eating some of the spilled seeds from when I had earlier filled the feeders. It was a beautiful sight!
Brother John
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania USA
December 6th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
The birds I usually watch out the front window, some on the ground, others feeding on my three bird feeders: one thistle, another sunflower and the other one is the suet cake. The scene of the woods and bush fifty feet out from the house viewed from my back window in the kitchen remained beautiful today for hours blanketed in white. I never know what I am going to see from that window, sometimes cottontails playing and chasing each other and often nothing unusual but I still get pleasure just glancing out that window knowing it is still relatively wild, at least, not cultivated by me. About once a year a large box turtle makes its presence known and I wonder how many decades did it take to get that large (at least six to eight inches long). There is a tiny creek further in back and toads appear from there at our doorstep–all sizes from humongous to tiny feeding on the insects our porch light attracts.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Sounds beautiful the way you describe it Siggy. One of my favorite wishes is to own a rather large bit of land someday and keep it wild. And I’ve always wanted a creek to flow near to, or on the property and have it be visible from the house. You describe the “perfect” environment. At least I’m lucky enough to have a large “corner lot” in Lansdowne. I have several mighty oak trees that even predate the house. They soar up into the sky. I also have some rather large pine trees. And then there are all the other trees. Kathy and I feel like we live in a forest. From what my neighbors say, we used to have a creek running right across our front yard. But years before we moved to Lansdowne, the township rerouted the creek underground (before it could reach what would become our property). I can still walk down to the houses where they route the creek back up, and those neighbors still have their creek! I’m so envious. But we do have bunny rabbits, squirrels, a whole variety of birds, (including some who camp out in our bird house), a fox or two, raccoons, possums, groundhog (I’ve only ever seen the one), and the occasional black squirrel. It helps that our next door neighbors have a huge natural property and, like us, they also live in one of the first homes built in our area. So I have a long view with lots of nice nooks and crannies to support wildlife. But your place sounds like the “real deal”.
Brother John
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania USA
December 7th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I don’t know about my property being the ‘real deal’. The grass always seems greener elsewhere. Whenever you move, you gain something and in the process you lose something.
In Duncannon where I lived for fifteen years I did not have that large window to view birds from, nor the proximity to woods but I could walk to the shore of the Susquehanna River, which was only three or four blocks away. Now I have to drive there(five minutes away). It is not the same.
I miss “my spot” on the shore of the River. I never knew what wildlife I would see(or flush) when I crossed underneath the railroad trestle to the other side to get to the shore. I have flushed osprey, great egret, killdeer there,etc. I never knew what I would see there. Sometimes it was “nothing” but the River and the Mountains and the surface of the water always looked different each time I paid a visit.
I was very possessive of that spot: i would pick up trash fisherman left there and I was happy when a deep gulch developed there that made it dangerous for fisherman to launch their boats from there any longer. I wanted that spot all to myself. I did not see too many people there.
I have written a series of poems about that spot several that have been published over the years. You could hear the swoosh of cars on the other side of the river(Rt. 322).
I am always fascinated about the juxtaposition of wildlife and humans. I really miss the shore of the River I once was able to walk to.
It would take five or ten minutes when I was there to start noticing other things from the Shore like the swarming baby fish (bass) the hung near the shore in schools.
It was my spot to get away from everything, everybody although I did not go there too often in the cold weather. Everybody needs such a spot and sometimes we carve it out in our house in our own way. Everyone needs mini-vacations.
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Yes, I do not have The Shore any longer but as you know I have gained other things when I moved to Liverpool when I married Lynelle six and a half years ago.