I had to share this morning’s beautiful sunrise. The frost covered ground just made everything feel so crisp and cold. Of course, I was standing bare footed on my front porch when I took the picture.
Until next time…peace
Morning Sunrise
Another Spring Day?
Another Spring day here in Michigan. I say this with a tone of sarcasm. Even though the weather is really typical for Michigan. I woke up this morning to snow. Not much just enough to let me know the air would be cold and damp all day. In fact the snow has actually disappeared already. According to the weather report, there is a promise of warmer weather coming in.
So, I took my own advice from yesterday’s blog and went for a walk. The walk was a bit “crispy” but I enjoyed seeing all the wildlife. I was able to view a magnificent Sand Hill Crane fly over the back property. She (no I don’t know if the crane was a female for certain, I don’t have that knowledge) was spectacular to watch. Her enormous wind span is such a sight. I could watch cranes all day especially when they use that low throttling call. I find their “song” beautiful.
The Canadian Geese were making their voice heard down on the river flats as I approached. I accidentally startled a small pair of wood ducks. When I returned to my house, I noticed a small herd of Whitetail Deer (around 12) were making their way across the field. I am happy to see the wildlife returning to the area. As more and more wildlife becomes visible or heard, I know the warmer weather is fast approaching.
Torn
“In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.” Henry Rollins
Winter has definitely come back to Michigan. Today’s snow fall left me torn between the beauty of winter and the desire for warmer days. Like any good writer, I took advantage of the cold wintry day by accepting extra articles. I got ahead of a couple deadlines which is a wonderful feeling.
For the rest of the evening, I will work on my personal writing while having the fireplace roar with warmth. I am grateful for winter days as I look forward to spring’s rebirth from the coldness.
I hope everyone had a wonderful day.
Until next time…..peace….
Frozen Clouds
Ok, I know clouds cannot be frozen. I do remember some parts of my science classes from grade school. Tonight, when I had to get outside and away from the computer, the air was so cold. The clouds just looked as if they were frozen in the sky. I loved watching them as they slowly changed.
The air is suppose to be colder and colder throughout the rest of the evening. I really do not seem surprised by this; we’ve been experiencing this cold snap for a few days now here in Michigan. So, I am going to focus on my novel. But I thought I would share my frozen clouds first.
Have a great night.
Until next time…peace.
Beautifully Cold Morning
I am not sure if the words “beautifully cold” are proper together. But those two words are how the morning looked to me. The last few days, the mornings have been cold. The windchill has been in the negatives. Mid-Michigan has warnings out, do not expose any part of your skin for more than 30 minutes or risk frost bite. Needless to say, I have been spending most of my time indoors.
I really cannot complain. I can deal with cold, there are many areas that are being hit with massive snow storms. So, this seems to be mild compared to what Mother Nature could truly unleash. Anyways, I just stoke up the fireplace a little more especially in the evenings. The wind is colder during the evening hours, the extra heat is truly a blessing. My house has been nice and warm the last few days. My cats and dogs are pleased, I find them all gathered around the fireplace throughout the day.
During this cold snap, I have been putting extra seeds out for the birds and other little critters that visit my feeders. I think, it is the least I can do for my feathery little “friends”. I love watching them around the feeders. I can sit at my table, work on my book, drink my tea and watch the wildlife.
If you are in a cold snap, stay warm.
Until next time…..peace.
Winter Has Arrived
I was playing around with some software. Winter has definitely arrived in Mid-Michigan. The temps are so cold…below zero with the high of the day being 9 degrees and a wind chill of minuse 24. Brrr! I haven’t been able to get out and take many photos. It’s a little too cold for me.
Hope everyone is having a great week so far…..
National Bird Day
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”~~Lou Holtz
Today, January 5, 2015 is National Bird Day. I like the idea of birds having a day dedicated just to birds in general. To me, birds are just interesting creatures. In the last couple of years I have become more involved in bird watching which is something I never thought I would do. The changing weather earlier in the spring brought about different types of birds to the area that I had not previously viewed in the wild. The rains had left the creeks full and standing water in the ponds that usually dry up quickly. I was able to see a King Fisher and lots of Herons. I spent a lot of time photographing these lovely birds. I had days I just spent outside.
Now that winter is upon us, I have making certain that the feeders are full especially today with the temperature belong zero and the wind chill being even colder. At least, I know that I have done a little bit to help out my feathered friends while the snow continues to build up.
Anyways the little Black Capped Chickadees will let me know if the feeders are low, they love to voice their opinions as soon as I open the door. But I love to hear the diminutive bird chirping at me as I fill the feeders. I also love how the Sparrows with all their feathers puffed out sit on the branches near my window. I think sometime they are waiting to be fed. Or they are telling me to hurry up.
Now with Snowy Owls and Pileated Woodpeckers back in the area, I am hoping to get some better photos of these magnificent birds as well.
Favorite Photos of the Week
I am going to try to upload photos every Sunday night. My favorites throughout the week, I am planning to do one every week though out the year. The week was cold except for today which was snowy. I actually enjoyed the snow; I walked around the back property and just relaxed in the peaceful atmosphere.
My old barn standing against the snowy background.
The sun peaking through the clouds on the snowy day.
My favorite walking path.
The crows at the public access.
The last sunset of 2014, I hope everyone has a great 2015.
Crows: Fascinating Creatures
“Keep to Nature’s heart….and break clear away,
once in a while, climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods,
wash your spirit clean” –John Muir.
The last couple of days were just cold. The temps barely crawled out of the teens and the wind chill was always in the negatives. Today has been a little warmer plus the sun is shining brightly which always seems to make everything seem more pleasant.
Since the weather has been colder than I really like, I have been spending my free time just driving around in my car. No matter what I do like to get out for a little while. If I can’t get out and walk around, I will go for a short drive. I originally was out to find Snowy Owls to photograph. I know, they are in the area. But I have only seen one. Of course, I did not have the camera I wanted to use at the time.
I did park my car at the public access to watch what types of birds were around. The area was mostly quiet except for these Crows. Now to be honest, I have always been fascinated with Crows and Ravens. There is just so much mythology and folklore surrounding these birds, I can’t help but be interested.
Crows are very intelligent little creatures. Here are some quick facts about the Crows intelligence.
- Crows can remember your face.
- Crows will often work together in a manner that is almost conspiring in nature. If there is an obstacle in the way of getting to a food source; Crows will work together to overcome the obstacle and achieve their goal.
- Crows memories are so good; they can go to the exact location where they have hidden food away for later consumption. They actually will hide food in different places to get them through the colder months when food sources are scarce.
- Crows actually have the ability to display signs of happiness, sadness and anger.
So as I watched this group of Crows (also known as a murder of Crows), I was wondering if they were watching me as much as I was watching them.
Rebecca's Vintage and Wildlife Photography 