Mosaic Monday...

My favorite colors in the February garden are black & white with hints of red.

Sunday Steeples...

another one from the archives...
Eksjo Lutheran Church, Lake Park, MN

the winter games...

Since the winter olympics will be here before we know it, I hung out some old skates. Ice skating was always a favorite event to watch with my daughter, Jayme. Her favorite skater was always Kristi Yamaguchi...so today I present the budding skater - Kristi Yamablujai. The judge is standing by for her scores :)








I love the look this one gave me to say the the skates were empty!

Outdoor Wednesday...a gift

Today is a gift:
A package filled with time,
Beauty, and love.
Inside are thousands of seconds
Waiting to be shared
With family, friends,
Co-workers, one's self.
Today is a gift
Filled with sunshine,
Smiles from strangers,
Tears of goodbye, and
Touches of love.
Today is a gift freely given
To you and to me
With no conditions,
Only that we cherish
And use it well.
(Today Is a Gift, by Vivian Doering)
Another beautiful albeit cold day, filled with sunshine and birds waiting in the early morning light for me to get out and fill the feeders.
Please head over to Susan, A Southern Daydreamer, to view the many other bloggers participating in Outdoor Wednesday. She has beautiful camellia blossoms posted, I just cannot imagine such beautiful blossoms in January!

another day...

If there is one thing that can said by our weather this week it would be described as a roller coaster! Above normal temps, a January rain storm, 40-50 mph winds, a blizzard and cold sunshine - all happening within 4 days! This is a view out of our windows yesterday, considering we are protected by a windbreak of trees it was still nasty. Looking across the open fields, it was a whiteout and all the major highways were closed by 3 pm since it was a danger to have snowplows out in the zero visibility.Today is filled with bright sunshine and clear skies but it is still only zero degrees out.
The birds are all fluffed out in the cold...
enjoying the sunshine! Gotta love that beak shadow...
and the sparkle in their eyes!


I'll take sunshine even on a cold day...
rather than gray skies any day!

Mosaic Monday...birds

the white breasted nuthatchimmature Harris sparrow
Chickadee
bluejayand the starling (took away half of the good food and they are still here)

Sunday Steeples...

this week's steeple photos are from my archives...

Wang Lutheran Church, rural Maynard, MN.


Yesterday's weird January rain event stayed rain...the birds are dry and fluffy once more, the snowpack went down about 3 inches but the gravel roads are the pits to drive on. The rain turned the snowpack into slush and after it froze once again they are slippery and full of frozen ruts.

scenes from Saturday...

What's wrong with this photo?Yes, those are rain droplets and here in MN we are not supposed to get rain in January. We do not want rain in January because that usually means it will start to freeze and the roads will be come dangerously ice covered, not to mention the possibility of losing electricity.

This morning I especially felt sorry for the wet little feathered friends coming to the feeders in the rain. This bluejay looked half drowned.
The wind blowing this guys feathers up really highlighted the black parts on his head.
The juncos must have been sheltered more overnight as they did not appear quite as wet...
and these darn rascals are nesting in one of the wood duck houses.
Finally the rain turned into giant wet snowflakes and the little Harris sparrow decided to pose for me, he is a regular at the feeders and while I at first thought he was hanging out with the house sparrows it seems to be that he is seen more frequently with the juncos these days.
By the time I got around to posting we are now back to rain - hopefully it doesn't turn to ice before going back to snow by tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend and if you are a fellow Minnesotan, I hope you stay dry.