A FEBRUARY MORNING FOG

February 20th, a Very Foggy Morning

We woke up to pea soup fog this morning. OK, OK, watered down pea soup. Maybe it was not the worst fog I have ever seen, but it was in the top, um, 20, anyway. So far, here on the Eastern Shore, I have never seen fog that could compare to the fog in Maine.
As I have said before on this blog, I love the way fog changes the way the world looks and sounds. It puts a new perspective on things. Patterns that we don’t notice on clear days become more noticeable with the backgrounds hidden by the fog. Vincent really wanted to cut this tree down but I told him it was too beautiful to cut, I loved the way its branches were shaped. And the birds love the little berries.
This morning’s fog was a cold penetrating fog with temps just under freezing. It was chilly walking around the yard. I decided to hike up to the end of the property see how the neighbor’s barn looked.
Back home, the feeders were under attack by the poor starving masses of birds fighting each other for a spot on one feeder or the other. Have you ever seen so many birds in one clump! And check out all of them on the ground! The blur is a finch fight. Scrappy little fellows... like there isn't enough food to go around! Like the feeders don't get refilled every day. Geeez!
Papa cardinal came and took over the mixed seed feeder.
I really love having these feeders out the computer window. I must admit they are a distraction… but so much fun!
It is hard to believe I ate my lunch sitting out in the sun in a t-shirt!

THE FIRST BORN - 2007

The first daffodil of the season opened Thursday and the wind flattened it a few hours after I took this shot. So I picked it and brought it inside. Thought I would share it with you........

And this is the beginning of the cold front that brought the 42 mph winds and sent me scurrying for a jacket. sigh.

I had been resting my aching back in the adirondack chair I never got put away, eyes closed, soaking up the sun, listening the birds twitter away, listening to Punkin purring on my lap, when suddenly somebody turned off the lights! I looked up and here were all these black clouds that had been nowhere in sight 10 minutes before! This shot was taken around 2:30 PM when it rained about 30 or 40 raindrops.

A FEBRUARY MORNING

A February Morning

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for them springing fresh from the world.

Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the One Light, Eden saw play.

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's re-creation of the new day.

Remember that song by Cat Stevens? Did you know he converted to Islam and is now Yusuf Islam? I have always loved that song.

I could not help thinking of that song when I went outside this morning. February, here on the Eastern Shore, can be bitter brutally cold, or it can be a beautiful gentle reminder that spring is on the way.
The robins returned February 7th, right on schedule. Of course, we have a few robins here year round. I figure they are the robins from up around Caribou, Maine where it is below zero from September – to June. Well, OK, I exaggerate, but it does sometimes seem that way. http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=caribou+maine. Or Mt Washington - http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=MT+Washington+NH. Well, OK, maybe not that bad, but it might as well be for all the complaining that goes on.

On Sunday, we had snow! I swear I saw all 47 snow flakes come down. It was so exciting. Well, there might have been a few more – that was just out the front window.
Anyway, a nice February morning is truly a delight. I think it is the promise – the promise of daffodils – the promise of azaleas and camellias – the new garden growing in my mind – seeds begging to be planted.
The birds have changed their songs. New birds have moved back into the yard back from the winter spent in warmer climes.

The little goldfinches look so silly with their patchwork of colors as they change into their show-off breeding clothes. Territorial chattering starts about a half an hour before the sun comes up. I am so grateful that is earlier – makes it so much easier getting out of bed.
Baby digitalis have survived and are looking good.
The camellias are trying to decide if this is just another trick or dare they really start to bloom again? The old flowers, frozen almost instantly a few weeks ago, stand as a reminder to a warm January and a frigid February.
The crocus is making another attempt at blooming as the daffodils push their buds up ever higher.
Even the new blueberry plants have started to leaf out.
Punkin loves the warmer days, love sunshine and long walks thru the woods. He also loves to roll on the moss.
In another week or so, I will have to clean up the gum balls. Sigh. The trees are so beautiful and strong, why did god put those nasty gumballs on them? But Punkin will roll over in almost anything.

I have retyped this thing over a dozen times and blogger keeps rearranging it differently each time. It has taken Morning Has Broken and lumped it is one continuous paragraph, and then the next time I look at it - each line has 4 or 5 spaces between it and the next line. So far I am not impressed with the "new and improved" version that I was forced to accept the other day. How about you? It has not made it faster or easier... it has taken me an hour and a half to down load and retype and retype and retype or respace, backspace... etc! AAAAAAAAAARrrrrrghhh!

Still here - sorta.......

Still here…… sorta.

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Who was it that said that?

To answer your questions – where are you? Why have you been away from your blog???
Well, I have been SOOOOOOoooooo busy! I am taking a class and it is including learning Arabic, and the last time I spoke any Arabic was 40 years ago and that was less than a dozen words anyway! - Just enough to tell the beggars to leave us alone or to ask the price of something, you know, the touristy thing.
My class is Islam (as part of my doctorate) and it includes learning to pray in Arabic and follow the life style of a convert to Islam. The life style is not a problem, wrapping my tongue around reciting the Qur'an is! Maybe I am just too old to “do” another language.
So I will be back soon… Inshallah! Just gotta find some time!

HERE BIRDIE!

HERE BIRDIE!
Hadji in his bedroom window watching for a customer!

Maybe they will not notice me, ya think? Obviously someone has been eating here, it was just filled yesterday.

PIGGING OUT BEFORE THE STORM

PIGGING OUT BEFORE THE STORM
Yeah, I know, these are not good shots, but they are out my dirty windows next to the computer with the only setting I can find that will not do a flash and make the shot totally ruined. But I am glad to have a picture, as poor as it is with this cheap digital camera, of the goldfinches who have been strangely missing until about a week ago. As you can see, they are on a thistle seed feeder and thistle bag. Sometimes I have as many as 12 thistle seed feeders going at one time, and all of them are covered with birds. That is a sunflower feeder on the right protected with a pie plate and held tight with clothes pins. Real high tech! But it works. If we get the snow they say we are supposed to get in a couple of hours, this seed will remain dry. That is a chickadee's butt you can see on that feeder.

While taking the finch picture, I noticed a cardinal checking out some dropped sunflower seeds under another feeder. See how high the daffodils are? They just popped up in the last week or two and are not nearly as high as the ones on the side of the house. Again, I apologize for the poor quality of thses pics but I was excited to have 10 finches together. The tree is my big redbud.

1st CROCUS - 2007

The first crocus bloomed today - inspite of the bitter cold weather we have been having. Once again, snow is in the forecast. I wonder if we will get any this time?????

WHEN PIGS FLY

WHEN PIGS FLY

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN PIGS FLY?
Well, I feed ‘em!
Of course, the pigs I feed aren’t pink with curly tails that go oink. No, I am not even going to talk about any of the 4 legged pigs that I feed, most of which go “meow,”

I am talking about the pigs that fly- those feathered bipeds that frequent the feeding stations in my yard. Of course, when I hurry out to the yard with the camera in hand, they quickly disappear so all I am left with are pictures of empty bird feeders. If we are having a bad snowy winter, I may have as many as 22 feeders going for the birds, some specialized (thistle seed only, sunflower seed only, peanuts, a covered ground feeder for doves and juncos, woodpecker feeders) some general mixed seed feeders and 2 feeding stations for squirrels and a food station for possums and coons.

However, since I got so much mail about the bathroom window shelf feeder, I thought I would do a bit on what I have learned about feeding the pigs, I mean, birds. First a close up of the bathroom feeding shelf:

See the screw eye and wire? The shelf is a cheap wire thing probably from K Mart for adding a shelf to your wall or cabinets. It is screwed in place then wired so it does not drop down. Put it at a slight angle so it will drain better in the rain or snow. An old cookie sheet is on that shelf. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the cookie sheet especially on the lower end or all your seed will go sour. That is all there is to it. Now I have added the big piece of wire fencing to protect the little birds from the occasional hawk and the board in the back to help keep the seed out of the storm window track when the window is open, which is most of the time.

Squirrel baffles not only protect your feeders from squirrels, they help keep the seed dry in moderate rain. But sometimes it seems like there is no way to hang a baffle with its tiny hole over a feeder with a wide wire. I use a big twist tie, put it on the wire and up thru the small hole.



Got a smaller feeder and don’t need a big baffle? This is a pie tin – just cut a hole in it and slide the wire handle thru. I have discovered I need to put clothes pins on the top to keep it from blowing too far away from the feeder. It keeps the seed dry.

The wire enclosed feeders are great for the little birds, but beauties like the cardinals have a tough time getting much to eat from these feeders. They have to be kept clean or the seed sours and grass grows in them in the summer. And, they are hard to keep clean.

There are a number of “squirrel proof” feeders out there, some cute, some very utilitarian looking. I like them because they store a lot of seed and are easy to clean and the squirrels and coons cannot chew them to pieces as they do the plastic and wooden feeders. The only wooden feeders I have that have not been damaged by the squirrels are the thistle feeders.



Even with the baffle on the pole feeder, the coons sometimes decide to stage a raid and I have had to repair this feeder many times. But, the cats love to sit in the bedroom window and watch, so I keep it full.




The tall cylinder (on the left) is my favorite! It has a battery pack and is guaranteed squirrel proof. If a squirrel or coon grabs onto the bottom round perch that the birds sit on, it starts to spin and the 4 legged jumps off. Since I feed the squirrels at a different place, I do not feel bad about keeping them off the bird feeders. I do have to replace the squirrel feeders every year or two because they (and the coons) will chew the wood even though there is seed available. Go figure.




This sunflower seed feeder is kept dry with a plastic base from a hanging flower pot.

This little thing is a solar warmed water dish. It does get ice in it when the temps go into the teens, but it thaws fast in a little bit of sunlight. I have seen birds use it, but not often.

Things to watch out for – plastic parts, the squirrels will chew them to pieces quickly. Vertical seams on plastic feeders – they leak and then you have rotten seed. Tape helps but does not hold up in bad weather.

Got ice in your driveway? Or a light covering of snow? Even hard packed (but not deep) snow? Scatter bird seed on your driveway and all those little pigs will peck away at the seed and help break up the ice. Maybe their little warm feet help, too, ya think? Whatever it is, it sure works for me.

SNOW (Really!)

SNOW!

Yep, it really is snowing. Everybody is out in their yards taking pictures. I guess I started something.

Well, I was afraid it would turn to rain and all wash away and then nobody would believe me. This is Aunt Alice in the snow.

Spook went in his little nest and came out only for a bite of dinner. It really is warm in there!

Once we went 7 years with absolutely no snow. Now that was rough for a gal who had lived in Maine and the Poconos to take. I even lived one winter in North Tonawanda, NY - a suburb (sorta) of Buffalo.

It is getting dark, the snow is deeper, the birds are feeding so I won't go out to disturb them. It is still coming down pretty good... Maybe more pictures tomorrow!

SNOW ! ! !

Yep, it is snowing - it started about an hour ago - regardless of what the blog thing says - it is 2:30 PM on Sunday Jan. 21st. And it is starting to stick to the camellia leaves. Maybe I will have some snow pictures on here tomorrow!

A COLD DAY

A COLD DAY

“Well,” my friend said on the phone yesterday, “I bet you are glad to have a day off from working out in your yard!” With temps in the 30s – maybe 40 – in the warm part of the day, no, I sure am not out working in the yard. Actually, it is more the wind than the low temperatures that keeps me inside. I HATE the wind! I hope I live long enough for my pine trees to grow back enough to block the wind from roaring around the house so hard the poor birds can’t even land on the feeders long enough to catch a quick snack. If only the pines grew as fast as the Leyland cypress.

The camellias look so sad and sorry. Well, from the street they still look like a bright patch of color on the winter landscape, but up close and personal I can see the brown bruising from the below freezing temps.








Debutante opened up a pretty new bloom in the sun today – but see the old bruised bloom behind it?

The windsock… OK, wind parrot, actually, has practically beaten itself to death blowing and snapping in the cold wind.

The cats struggle to find a warm spot out of the wind. God forbid they should go in their nice toasty heated little boxes. Yes, heated – there are vents in the wall to the furnace room so the inside of their boxes are never below 50 degrees even on the coldest days. But, they like to be in the sunshine if at all possible or at least behind a tree out of the wind.

So, I am told, on days like this, I am supposed to curl up in my chair with a good book. So why can’t I just relax and enjoy the day inside? WHY indeed! Guilt! That is why. Working out in the yard is my excuse for not doing all the things I need to do in the house. The cold weather robs me of my excuse for avoiding my inside chores. Rats! (No offence, rhodent!) Even the violets look better from the outside looking in. Well, maybe not.

So I try to sit and read for a few minutes… and then I get sleepy. We can’t have that – so I grab the camera in one hand, the cane in the other and go out to get up close and personal with the cold weather. It is really going to snow today????? I walked out on the east end and noticed I can actually see my next door neighbor’s house and barn. See it over there?

I guess I really need to fill a couple of those feeders, especially if it is going to snow. The cats’ favorite bird feeder is the shelf feeder I built outside the big bathroom window. The piece of wood just prevents the seed from clogging up the track on the storm window. The wire keeps the birds safe from the hawk that knows there are lots of little snacks on this shelf. There is a shelf inside usually occupied by Rascal where he sits and chatters to the birds.

I planted this Acuba and Nandina when I moved here. I have to chop the Acuba almost in half every year so I can get to the feeder. A small colony of sparrows lives in the Acuba. It is more private than any curtain!

The greenhouse plants look warm and cozy. It is 38 outside, 74 in the greenhouse.

I am so glad so many of you enjoy sharing my yard and cats with me. How cool to be able to share the day to day moments of life with complete strangers hundreds and even thousands of miles away. Thanks for looking and thanks for letting me know you like my efforts!

The LAST DAY OF SUMMER IN JANUARY

The Last Day of Summer in January

Today the windows are closed; the peepers are silent. The only sound is the wind and a flock of snow geese flying over. Well, they say winter is about to arrive. They say this after weeks of way above normal temps, and several days of temps in the 70s! Mosquitoes were beginning to swarm. There were clusters of bugs buzzing around and around in circles no doubt confused with the world being a bit out of sync. The roses and daisies are putting out new growth about 3 months ahead of their time.

Weeds are starting to flower that we usually don’t get to see until April or May.

The grass is green. And I was glad to see that I am not the only idiot to have my mower out in the middle of winter. I heard then saw my neighbor’s mower while walking around taking pictures of things blooming a month or 2 ahead of schedule.

The white camellias have started to bloom

As have some of the later red camellias. See the white pattern on the petals?

The pussy willows are putting out their soft little catkins.

Is this a flower bed or the cats’ bed? This is where they take their naps in the summer... but it is January! See the daffodils coming up behind Spook?

The pansy garden is getting prettier and prettier, just in time for another blast of cold air.

Punkin is really enjoying the warm sunshine.

It was 62 degrees when I got up this morning and looked out at the camellias next to the carport. Two hours later, it was 52 degrees and windy. By dinner time, it was 20 degrees colder than the day before. Tomorrow morning, they say, it will be in the 20s!

It was tough getting a picture of Aunt Alice as the wind was moving the bush too much to get a clear shot. I took 4 or 5; this is the only one that was sharp. I picked the prettiest ones to have on the dinner table. I picked pieces to try to root even though I have never been successful. Maybe this time!

I have enjoyed having fresh flowers on the table everyday. Soon they will be bruised from the wind and cold. That will be sad. But it would be fun to have a bit, just a bit of snow.