I am almost finished with my morning coffee.  The hour, though, is late morning.  I am about to start the coal stove.  Everything is set:  there is wood I collected and coal in buckets.  I just have to play with it.

Last night I was up in the wee hours (1:20AM) reading a book I could not put down (“The Soloist”).  It was made into a movie I wanted to see and could not find.  I happened to be in the library and was looking for the movie to rent but they did not have it.

It never occurred to me until then to read the book.  The prose was scintillating.  I was riveted by the writing and could not put it down last night until I finished it.  Now my wife is also reading “The Soloist”.

To see two at one time was a real treat and so close to home.  Then when I was driving to Newport along the Juniata River I saw what appeared to be a blue heron perched on a branch on this side of the river.

Later in the distance at the mouth of a tributary a great egret was wading in the water.  I also used to see a blue heron always in the same pond, same spot.

I realized last winter something was wrong when it was still in the same spot after the pond froze over.  To my chagrin I was looking at a statue of one all along.

Those were a few of my bird discoveries today.  A turkey vulture reluctantly left the road and his prey when I came across it.  I watched it fly away slowly.  I never know what bird I will see and always have my eyes open for the next discovery.

The downy woodpeckers travel up and down its trunk seemingly at attention.  Only one bird is allowed to feed on the suet at one time.  The others make sure of that.  Sometimes there is as much as two or three downy woodpeckers on the trunk of the tree at one time.

Occasionally a red bellied woodpecker makes its entrance.  The sight of it makes me gasp.  It is a bigger woodpecker with an one inch red stripe that goes from the back of the top of its head to its nape of its neck (at least the male looks that way).  I had never seen one before and now they are regular visitors.

The white breasted nuthatch also likes the suet as well as the Carolina wrens who I have fallen in love with.  I did not know wrens could get that big.  Occasionally a cardinal will alight on one of its branches briefly.

We get occasional visits by the brown creeper who has a long curved beak and is a small brown colored bird who appropriately creeps up and down the pine’s trunk.  And these are only the birds we remember seeing.

This year a large branch was brought down by an ice storm which became our Christmas tree when I cut off part of it.  We used the rest of it for our tree.  It was one of the most beautiful trees we ever had lit up by several hundred multicolored lights.  Both of us love this tree and consider it to be our friend.

When I see the bird feed on the ground there are generally two at one time–his drably colored female is usually with him.  They mate for life.  As a rule they are somewhat cautious and flush easily.  It is always a treat for me to see the male.

There are others like a white breasted nuthatch who likes feeding on the suet I put out for the woodpeckers.  I never had a large living room window facing the yard before from where I can watch the birds come to and fro several bird feeders.

Our window faces a large white pine and there are bushes on the edge of the porch.  When the frost is ended I will put out sugar water and watch the daily parade and antics of the ruby throated hummingbirds feeding on them.

I consider myself lucky to have this situation.  I have always loved birds and I get a lot of pleasure of watching the steady stream of them.

I saw as many as three downy woodpeckers on the trunk of my large white pine tree at one time.  They do take turns feeding on the suet.  And of course there were the squirrels.  I did see “stumpy” a squirrel who is missing part of his tail.

A female cardinal made its appearance briefly.  And there was the occasional Carolina wren.  A little later I will toss a little more bird seed on the ground.  I do not want to waste any.

There still is some sunflower seeds on our porch not covered by snow.  The birds keep coming.  And I have my eyes open for any unusual visitors.

It had snowed over a foot last night.  We were in good shape for I went food shopping two days ago.  I did park closer to the curb so I had less driveway to shovel.

The man from our town was plowing the edge of the road so the local post man could reach into our mail boxes to make his deliveries.  He offered to plow the rest of our driveway.

We had shoveled part of it already.  My wife offered him money but he said he did not want any.  Both of us were thrilled.  It only took him a few minutes to complete the job.  He was an angel.  There is nothing like being in a small town.

I used to keep bird seed in the garage, too, but I had the same problem.  Some animal probably a mouse took a liking to it, scattering the shells of the sunflower seeds, creating a real mess on the floor.

My cobs of corn which I put out for the squirrels hoping they would eat less birdseed were not safe there either.  There would be neat even rows of corn kernels gone.  This creature was winning.

I decided to keep my potatoes in the closet in the house hoping no creature could get at them there.  I will see.  I was running out of hiding places.  I was fighting a battle with an invisible enemy.  And I was losing.

I must miss quite a bit since I usually do not get up before 9 AM.  I was going to church this morning and had set my alarm for 7:30.  I finally closed the door:  the brief concert was over.

Presently there is not one bird out there.  The dogs were out and just charged in.  Now I am waiting for my visitors.  I do not remember exactly where I read it in the bible but it says if God can feed the sparrow how can we possibly doubt God won’t take care of us.

I think it uses the word lowly to describe the sparrow.  I put out birdseed on the ground and keep three feeders full.  The birds do not, I am sure, spend one second worrying where their next meal comes from.  Even in winter.

If God takes can take care of the lowly sparrow how can we possibly doubt He will not take care of us?  Of ye humans of bad faith!

It was one chilly day and I made sure there was plenty of seed on the ground for the birds to feed on.  I saw the red bellied woodpecker come several times to our suet.

There was a period when the bird did not make an appearance for several months.  Now every day I see it.  I know the pickings must be slim for the birds.  The ground is still snow covered.

Every day since I have been looking for it.  I found out it is a game bird, somewhat rare.  I will just consider the sighting serendipity.  Nevertheless, I will keep hoping to catch a glimpse of it.

We are getting a steady stream of downy woodpeckers feeding on the suet placed by the trunk of the large pine tree.  I am still waiting for the entrance of the red bellied woodpecker.  I am always awed by its sight.

There are usually a few tufted titmouse at one time coming to and fro the feeder just outside the window.  They like the sunflower seed I put out for them.  Once in awhile I see a chickadee or a cardinal.  I love watching them.

Maybe, today I will see an unusual species.  You never know.  Today I will have more time to watch the birds.  It is snowing and there is no where else to go.

And I know they have not stopped coming.  The sunflower seed in the bird feeder closest to my window keeps going down so I know there has been a steady stream of mostly tufted titmouse with an occasional chickadee and white breasted nuthatch feeding there.

To me it is interesting I do not always see what is right in front of me.  My mind is just elsewhere.  And how many other things do I not see which are happening in front of me because I am preoccupied?

All that is interesting to me.  I always wonder what am I missing every day because my thoughts are somewhere else…

I happened to notice looking out through my large living room window a flock of slate covered juncos feeding on the ground (three to be exact).  It was only the second time in months I have seen them– the first time more than one at a time.  The advent of Autumn seemed to have brought them here again.

I was passing a house in my car and I saw their young black goat for the second time.  It was crossing the road right in front of me.  For a second it reared on its hind legs as if to say “hello” and then walked across.

Another one of their animals a hen turkey stood for the longest time in front of my car before it made it to the other side.  I brought my car to a total halt waiting for it to pass.

Theses are just three incidences but they enlightened my day.  You never know what surprises lay ahead–usually when you least expect them.  All you have to do is face each day expectantly.