It must almost be spring. Today I saw a robin near our feeders. I ran out into the yard to make sure I was not mistaken and saw a pair of them hip hopping in the snow across the street. A little later both of them lit on our front white pine tree: I guess they could not find any food in the snow. I was thrilled. And brought them to my (???) attention of my wife. It was my first sighting of a robin this year. Both of them were pretty fat so they had no shortage of food. It was March 8 less than two weeks from spring.
Tags: almost spring, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, first robin, March, robin, snow, spring, white pine tree
Posted in beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, marriage, nature, seasons, time |
When I woke up and looked outside our large living room window everything was blanketed by white. The trees, ground were all covered by white. In fact, it was a wet snow. It was just cold enough to snow last night. The branches of our large white pine in front of our window were bowed down by the weight of the snow. There were some broken branches lying on the ground.
This was a rough year for that pine tree. It lost several large branches during at least three storms. I immediately put out more birdseed when I got up. This may be the last snowstorm of the year so I took a long look at all the trees and ground. I may not see such a scene until next year. It was March 7, so it is possible we may get another such storm but the days were getting warmer and warmer. This storm had taken us by surprise.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, birdseed, blanket of white, March, snow, snowstorm, trees
Posted in beauty, local, nature, seasons, time |
All I want to do is hibernate today: it is 23 degrees out. I am trying to think positive. A month of winter is gone–almost. No snowstorms yet. Meanwhile I glance out my large living room window periodically and watch the multitude of birds feeding on the sunflower seed I have strewn on the ground and placed elsewhere. Soon night fall will come and in two days a person will check our chimney (and clean it if it is necessary) and it will be safe to heat our house with coal and wood and it will be toasty, again, in our house.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, chimney, coal stove, heat, hibernate, snow, sunflower seed, winter, wood stove
Posted in birds, life, local, nature, seasons, time |
There was a blanket of white when I got up. It was a dusting–maybe an inch. Through the back kitchen window I saw the ground and trees were completely white. I immediately put some sunflower seed on my platform bird feeder and I am watching a brilliant red cardinal partaking of his meal. This was the first snowfall of the season. December and January have been mild so far–thirties and forties most of the time. There has been no deep, extended “arctic” freeze so far. I was delighted to see the snow.
Tags: arctic freeze, bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, blanket of white snow, cardinal, December, dusting of snow, first snowfall, January, kitchen window, snow, sunflower seed, winter
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
It is not even winter (less than a week to go officially) and I want to join the black bears and hibernate. I checked the ten day forecast: at most the temperature will only creep slightly above freezing. Praise the Lord I have heat. All I want to do is stay in. I will make a dash for the car when I have to go out and be happy when the car heater kicks in. I will put out the feed for the birds quickly. To think, winter has more than three months to go. Presently they are not calling for snow. It could get worse.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, black bears, cold weather, hibernate, praise the Lord, snow, ten day forecast, winter
Posted in animals, local, nature, seasons, time |
Winter finally arrived. There was a low swish as the wind was blowing through the trees and they were bare. It only seemed yesterday when I noticed the trees still were clothed in leaves. It was thirty-eight degrees and the clouds were dark and ominous as if snow was around the corner. Now I knew I could not avoid winter only weeks away. And now I wanted to hide inside my heated house until next spring. I knew I could not but that was the way I felt. I go through this every year.
Tags: bare trees, cold weather, dark clouds, snow, snow around the corner, spring, the wind, tree leaves, winter
Posted in life, local, nature, seasons, time |
Winter is almost four weeks away and there has only been at most two or three nights of frost. I can’t ever remember it being so warm this late in the season. It is supposed to hit the sixties the next two days. The contractor who was going to work on our patio said it was going to snow in a few days so maybe this mild weather is almost finished. We will see.
Tags: frost, mild weather, snow, warm weather, winter
Posted in local, nature, seasons, time |
Spring was less than a hair away–less than three weeks. Perhaps by then all the snow will have melted. The snow seems as if it was on the ground forever. Though it was only February and now the bare spots are bigger.
In fact, the daffodils have already poked their their heads through the ground. I checked today. The primrose can’t be too far behind.
I know the temperatures will rise gradually. Before I know it, spring will arrive and all this cold weather will just be a memory.
In ten weeks I will take my annual camping trip with Chuck. Maybe even catch some more trout on the lake. Who knows?
Though, I am still bundling up–even in the house. I don’t like to be cold. Winter is still a reality but I am now anticipating spring already and the warmer weather. I know it will have arrived for good when I start wearing my tee shirts again.
Tags: camping trip, cold weather just a memory, daffodils, February, fishing, flowers, primrose, snow, spring, tee shirts, trout, warmer weather, winter
Posted in flowers, God, local, nature, seasons, time |
Less than four weeks away–spring. Already it has become slightly warmer. Temperatures been averaging 30’s and 40’s. I am anticipating spring and the end is near for the snow and the colder weather.
This is something I go through every year. Winter appears endless. I bundle up, even hide in my house and go out only when it is necessary to shop for food. Thank God for heat.
I once had a speech teacher who could not understand all the literature regarding spring. The reason was simple. She was from Hawaii.
I really have no idea how it would be if I lived elsewhere. I have always lived in a temperate climate where there are four distinct seasons.
I have considered moving to Florida but I wonder how I would feel without a winter season. Then I would have to deal with hurricanes. I guess you can’t win.
Tags: bundle up, Florida, four distinct seasons, hurricanes, snow, spring, temperate climate, thank God, winter, winter appears endless
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, nature, seasons, time |
Spring was less than five weeks away. I started my countdown. It was close enough to it. I do this every year. It is a little game I play. I am waiting for the warmer weather. The spring. The blackberries and raspberries I pick. My annual camping trip I take in May with my buddy. The explosion of life. The first flowers — daffodils. Everything. Every year I have a countdown. The winter that passes me and I endure just makes spring that much sweeter. Right now there is quite a bit of snow on the ground. I know in less than six weeks it will be all gone and the daily temperatures will gradually rise. My countdown is my anticipation of spring and what follows.
Tags: annual countdown to Spring, anticipate Spring, beauty, blackberries, camping trip, daffodils, daily temperatures, explosion of life in spring, flowers, life, May, my buddy, nature, raspberries, seasons, snow, snow on the ground, spring, warm weather, winter
Posted in beauty, God, life, local, nature, seasons, time |
There were lots of birds feeding in my yard in this storm. I sprinkled some birdseed two and an half hours ago on the snow. I counted about a dozen slate cover juncos feeding on the ground (my friend calls them appropriately snow birds).
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.
Tags: bird feeding, bird seed, bird-watching, birds, cardinal, Carolina wren, downy woodpecker, my yard, nature, slate covered junco, snow, snow birds, snow storm, squirrels, stumpy, suet, sunflower seeds, white pine tree
Posted in animals, birds, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time |
I watched and listened to the Carolina wren, which alighted on a branch just outside my kitchen window. I stood there for what seemed an eternity and was serenaded by its song. I had never seen one from that spot or that close up or even heard one. It was a small gift I was given today. Thank you. I hope you can find some food in this snowstorm.
Tags: bird feeding, bird food, bird song, bird-watching, birds, Carolina wren, feed the birds, gift, kitchen window, nature, serenade, snow, snowstorm, thank-you, winter
Posted in beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, music, nature, seasons, time |
