Walking to my office this morning I was enjoying the sun and the fact all the snow and ice around this area was gone. The morning was so still and there was a mirror reflection on a pond. I like the way the border on the right almost looks like a floating shelf. For a foggy version, check here.
Author Archives for pchemkelly
Beautifully cold
There is a lot I’m not enjoying about winter where I am. We’ve had significantly more snow and ice than usual – the ice is especially bad. This morning I woke up to a freezing fog advisory. While this is not fun for driving, freezing fog turning into hoarfrost does pretty things to tree branches.
This tray is for the birds
We keep giant bags of birdseed in the garage to keep the birds fed and happy. However I’m not about to drag them out to fill the feeders. For a while I had a large tub that I would fill from the bag and then I’d drag that out. But then I realized that I have a bunch of quart mason jars that I got to use for my salads in a jar – but I only use a few of them for that. So now the others are used for seed – I fill directly from the bag. I was carrying them out in my arms, but then I remembered I have a serving tray that I never really use and it was just sitting in the top of a closet. So now it’s the permanent home of seven quart mason jars of seed, ready to be carried out and served to all the happy birds. I don’t think they realize how fancy it all is, but I do know they appreciate the seed.
Waiting for a turn
A beautifully marked white-crowned sparrow sits perched on the red-tip waiting for a turn at the feeders. Finally a bird that sat still long enough for me to get the focus set properly!
Scene in Paris, #2
Another view of the Eiffel Tower, this time on a sunny day from below. It’s a fantastic structure.
Why the (un)caged bird sings?
I have two feeders like this one. They are designed so the birds can hang on the outside and pull the seeds through the mesh – and because they are spheres they can get all of it right to the end. However, somewhere along the way the lid for this one was lost. I keep filling it, and the birds eventually decided it’s easier to drop inside for their meal, as demonstrated here by this white crowned sparrow. It’s telling that the one with no lid empties at twice the rate (or faster) than the one they have to use in its intended fashion.
Scene in Paris, #1
My husband had business in Paris in November, and so I wisely agreed to travel with him and spend Thanksgiving there. Our hotel was very near the Eiffel Tower so I got to spend a lot of time finding interesting views of it. Lit up at night it is quite a sight from any angle.
Baby it’s cold outside
Spotted this puffed-up white-crowned sparrow on the rosebushes near the feeders. I think it’s the waiting area when there’s too many birds in the restaurant. With lots of snow and cold temperatures, the birds are going through seed like crazy.
Happy New Year!
I got my camera back out to try to capture the happy Oregon Juncos at the feeders in the snow. Not a great photo, but a very happy bird.
A reason to come back
Okay – I actually had no good reason to stop posting here other than things happened and while I kept walking and taking photos I somehow never made it a priority to come back here and post properly. But today changed that. Today when I got home I went to feed the fish in our pond, and saw something I’d never seen. I ran to my camera and thought I have to post this to my blog. This needs more than a fleeting share. This needs a home.
I want to be able to find this whenever I want. Seeing that our red and yellow water lilies had crossed and made this gorgeous flower made what was already a nice day into a great day.
@KellyOSullivan 