Prints and Gifts

My drive is wet.....but it does NOT look like this!

Nor does it look like this anymore!

The snow has melted!

~

Warmer temperatures...

have given it a slightly foggy dreary look...

~

and I think.....the turkeys are taking over...

~

Back when snow was still on the ground...

I saw what I thought was a Turkey Vulture...

high in a tree......Wrong.

It was.....Turkeys.....Three!

~

~

I never knew they could fly so high.

The noise they made...

with their large wings...

was a flappity floppity sound...

rather loud and startling!

Another time

I found prints they had made in the snow

...with their wings.

~

They had trampled all over the snow...

in an area...where the deer had been sleeping.

~

Sleeping after....

a party they had...

in the field...the day before!

Here's a closeup of one print maker now.

These prints however.....

have me puzzled.....

They are repetitive.....

start and end abruptly.....

so I guess...they were made by a bird.....

or maybe...

this strange looking creature!

This is a photo of Alivia's

Treasure Hunt Tree...dressed in snow!

Here she is...back in May...

finding her treasure!

Recently...Alivia gave me a treasure...

a gift of a necklace she made herself!

At school...

they had a Santa's Gift Shop for the students.

Alivia bought this beautiful ring for me.
When giving it,

she smiled with pride.....

and I wear it that way too!

~

That deserved a pan of cookies.....

that she helped bake...

it's the least...

I could do in return.

~

Herhusband...

gave me an after Christmas gift too!

After watching me make a single cup of

coffee.....my way....by....

removing the coffee pot and filter holder....

then placing a paper filter in a

gold mesh filter.....I can brew a single cup...

and the coffee pot/filter holder remain clean.

Anyway...

Herhusband bought me this....

It's much simpler and quicker.....

uses little pods of coffee, tea or cocoa....

and there's nothing to clean...

except your cup!

I bet you thought I was going to sit here....

with that coffee....put my feet up.....

...and daydream about Spring!

Wrong!

~

I gave it to Herhusband...

it's the least I could do in return....

~

while we both.....wait on Spring 2010!

March 2009

......Cling, Watch, Walk, Wait

The snow crusted raspberry vines cling to the fence...

while we cling to the warmth of the house...inside.

From the windows we watched the birds...

feed at the feeders and come to the porch...

to sit awhile.

~

Cardinals and a Chickadee



While clinging to the house...

I threw together (literally) some

Cherry Somethings...

....and watched a Downy Woodpecker...

visit the feeder.....





I also....
while clinging to the house...
had a few special treats with Alivia...






I often watched my favorite bird...
this little round Carolina Wren.
He spends the night, in the blinds...
on the front porch.






Home from school, because of the snow...
Alivia and I played dot to dot...
when she visited...







and we watched while the little wren...
did his dance on the suet feeder.




up and down.....




.....round and round.





Alivia loves to cook with me.....
Here, she seriously works.....
with a plastic knife.







With a slight bit of help.....
she makes a beautiful...
cheese filled omelet.....





and eats it with a smile!






Then.....
it's back to bird watching the Cardinals.....
while we cling to the house!






Some birds seemingly.....
were starting to disapprove!

Finally though,
I did manage a few walks in the snow!

One was a 2 hour walk on the frozen creek bed...

I followed some unknown tracks in the snow...

At the top of a hill...

looking at the valley below...

I saw 7 deer

slowly making their way

from one hillside to another.

(If enlarged you can see 4 deer...

they are small...like my shadow in the previous post!)

I found several spots.....

where deer had slept the night before!

Sunday morning.....

after a good night's sleep....

(walking does that for you)

.....we woke at dawn.....

to find...

Twinkling Snow!

Everything was frosted overnight.....

Icicles were hanging on the eves....

The swing by Walnut tree in the field.....

looked distant and Cold...

like it was waiting for Spring.

Along with a snow covered nest...
there was a

Cardinal, a Goldfinch, and a Sparrow

sitting in the apple tree....

They seemed to be waiting too!

(enlarge to see)

The tall grasses in the field...

had billowy snow at their feet!

The Forsythia and Bamboo

had fluffy snow.....

on their branches and leaves.

(enlarge to see how fluffy)


As I circled the Bamboo...

it started to snow.

Going home...
I walked through

the tall grass of the field...
and startled a Cardinal...

seen by the left

edge of the grass.

The snow became heavier...

and I became colder...

although dressed in many layers...

It was 7 degrees!

I'm just trying to stay warm like these

Chickadees!