Hunkered down

A winter storm came through yesterday. The snow fell first like powdered sugar, then like corn flakes, then back to powdered sugar. Maybe six inches all told? It's hard to tell today, as the temps rose far enough to cause some melting. Today it is also extremely windy. A good day to stay inside.

Let it snow!

And watch birds. These pix are from yesterday. Between the window and the falling snow, they are not the best. They are symbolic of how my feathered friends may ignore my offerings when the weather is fair, but not so much when it turns for the worse.

Nuthatch

Junco

Downy woodpecker

Bluebirds

Mr. and Ms. Cardinal

(Sometimes I think about getting a "real" camera instead of using my phone.)

Before the snowfall, I did manage to get the gutters cleared. A bit of yard cleanup occurred as well, on what I considered a perfect wintery day - cold and overcast, but not breezy. So many people complain about this kind of weather - why don't they just move? - but I love the changing and challenging seasons.

Can o' worms

I follow a group on FB called Indiana Wildlife. A week or so ago, I posted a pic of the bluebird house I have. O.M.G. A lot of people "reacted" to it, but I got a few snotty comments as well, specifically how the house did not meet requirements set by the National Bluebird Society (NABS). If you want to view their recommendations, go here. All I can tell you is the sparrows don't take over this nesting box, but the bluebirds do.

I was going to post the following pix on the FB site, but decided to just let it go, not fan the flames, etc.

This past week, I was looking for something on this blog and came across many summertime photos - so much color! Quite a difference to the current gray and taupe. Spotting this nuthatch at the birdbath raised my winter-worn spirits, especially since it hung around long enough for me to take its photo.

BTW, my hip is fine, no changes since the last check. The discomfort is muscular, so I've been repeating the physical therapy, taking Advil to reduce inflamation, and shortening my stride when walking the dog, all of which seem to help. It's Groundhog Day and very overcast here, so let's hope for an early spring.

Power up

I was lying on the couch when I heard something beep, something chime, and something roar. Since I had a cat in my lap, I didn't want to get up to check on the noises. It turns out there was a brief power outage. It lasted less than a minute, but the whole house generator I had installed this past summer kicked in like it is supposed to. (That was the roar; the other noises were devices coming back online.) So at least it works.

The weather has been barely tolerable for dog walking, which means it brings the backyard birds. These photos aren't very good, but they document some of the most recent visitors.

Junco

Robin

House finch

Nuthatch

The appearance of this guy was a bit confusing at first, as I thought it was my cat Finn... but wasn't Finn inside? Yes, he was. I think this feline belongs to some new neighbors that live about a block away. Finn isn't very interested in birds, but this one was in stalking mode.

Not Finn

I'm still working on my outdoor xmas decor. The flamingo chorus is up, with a solar-powered spotlight this year. The fall wreath on the front porch is now an evergreen one (plastic - it will outlast us all). All that is left is a net of lights for the trellis.