Baking for Valentine's day...

Take two cups of kindness,
add one cup of trust.
A half of cup of caring,
and a dash of pixie dust.
Take a spoon of kisses,
add it from above.
Stir it slow and gently,
that's my recipe for love.
(author unknown)
Alexis is visiting today and I am helping her make Valentine's for special people she loves. She doesn't need much help though as she is an experienced little baker and quite a talented decorator. Actually, I am learning a lot from her....
First, if you squirt any frosting on the counter...you are supposed to lick it off and not waste it by wiping with a cloth.
Second, any M & M's that spill out of the bag you are supposed to eat. You can only put the ones on the cupcakes that you reach into the bag for.
and most importantly, make sure you taste them for quality control...you would hate to give away any that were not up to your own standards.
Next you have to pick out just the right Princess Valentine for all of your family and write a loving sentiment.
All bagged up and ready for delivery!

In a rush...

I didn't take the time to find a quote or a poem this morning because I have a busy week and it's time to head out the door again.

I just wanted to show the two little types of nuthatches that entertain us so at the feeders. Usually they feed "upside down" so it was fun to capture a few shots of them with their heads up...

Here is Mr. White Breasted...









and here is Mr. Red Breasted. Looks like I wasn't the only one that had to rush off...I just love the bluejay's wings on this shot!

This is my Father's World...

We woke up this bright and sunny Sunday morning to -16.6 degrees (gotta love those digital thermometers so we can credit every last 10th of this coldness)! First thing I do every morning is look out the window to the backyard...today, a rabbit was enjoying the corn buffet...
a bluejay was all puffed up against the cold...
and the redpolls were once again at the feeder. I took this shot for those that commented on the last post (re: looking like sparrows)...if you see them look for the bright red patch on their heads and the males have beautiful pink chests.



Soon, it was time to head to church...
and lo and behold we turned the corner and faced an empty street. It was still 14 degrees below zero at 10 am so the services were canceled. Jeff suggested since the car was already warmed up and it was a beautiful sunny day that we go for a drive (remember those good old fashioned Sunday drives of our youth?)
There was silent beauty in lonely scenery but we had expected to see lots of wildlife. I guess at these cold temps most everything must have been staying warm in protected hiding places...we did manage to spot a doe & fawn hiding in the woods and a beautiful hawk.

This is my Father's world;
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world;
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.
(Maltbie D. Babcock)

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,
But on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.
(Martin Luther)

Say Uncle...

Today, I was trying to get some shots of the redpolls when one attacked a junco that was trying to feed underneath the feeder. I flashed back to elementary school when bullies would make you "say uncle"...
Anyone know where the phrase 'Say Uncle' meaning 'I give up' came from?
It seems that while "crying uncle" is today regarded as an Americanism, its origins go all the way back to the Roman Empire. Roman children, when beset by a bully, would be forced to say "Patrue, mi Patruissimo," or "Uncle, my best Uncle," in order to surrender and be freed.
As to precisely "why" bullies force their victims to "cry uncle," opinions vary. It may be that the ritual is simply a way of making the victim call out for help from a grownup, thus proving his or her helplessness. Alternatively, it may have started as a way of forcing the victim to grant the bully a title of respect -- in Roman times, your father's brother was accorded nearly the same power and status as your father. The form of "uncle" used in the Latin phrase ("patrue") tends to support this theory, inasmuch as it specifically denoted your paternal uncle, as opposed to the brother of your mother ("avunculus"), who occupied a somewhat lower rung in patrilineal Roman society. (from the Word Detective.com)

Amazing what you can learn these days :-) Though it looks like the junco said "uncle" in the last shot he soon righted himself and scared off the redpoll but I wasn't fast enough with the shutter...

Hang in there...

I may be showing my age here...but remember those posters in the 1970's that usually showed a kitten hanging from a branch in a tree with the caption "Hang in There"?Today, I captured my own version :-)
The woodpeckers like to "hang in there" while getting their fill of suet too...My amaryllis is now in full bloom...such a beautiful flower to brighten up these gray February days.

Clad with radiance...

"There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance."
(William Sharp)


From the tips of branches to the tips of pine needles...

the grove (forest) and everything else was once again clothed in hoar frost this morning. The beauty of it made a gray and cloudy day come alive.



From the hydrangeas to the roses...
and everywhere in between...Marsha's garden was "clad with radiance"...

Who's the boss?

Jeff & I have been putting out corn and watching the pheasants come into feed almost daily. We have one rooster and three hens.But then this fat (well he is corn-fed) squirrel decided it was his own personal "all you can eat buffet"...so we put out 2 piles...nope, they are both his...
Yesterday, I watched as the squirrel was under the bird feeder pole eating spilled sunflower seeds and a rooster pheasant came in. Immediately the squirrel ran over to the corn and the pheasant backed off.
The pheasant watched and tried to take a few steps closer to the corn...but nope Mr. Squirrel turned around and scared him off.

It was hard to watch this beautiful bird walk away without his daily corn ration. Once again...Mr. Squirrel showed me who's the boss...Dag Nabbit anyways!

The North Wind

"The north wind is cold,"
The robins say;
"And that is why robins
Must fly away."

"The north wind is cold
And brings the snow,"
Says Jenny Wren,
"And I must go."

"The north wind is cold
As cold can be,
But I'm not afraid,"
Says the chickadee.

So the chickadee stays
And sees the snow,
And likes to hear
The north wind blow.
(Rebecca Foresman)

I am so happy the chickadees stay...
Another bright spot in the house...my Minerva amaryllis is in bloom...it is so beautiful!

The second of February...

There's only one day the whole long year,
That I hope the sun won't appear.
The second of February, you all know,
The groundhog goes searching for his shadow.
If he should find it, the story is told,
We'll have six more weeks of winter's cold.
But if it is cloudy, his shadow's not there,
There'll soon be warm weather and days will be fair.
So please, Mr. Sun, for just this one day.
Find a big dark cloud - and stay away!
(author unknown)

Cloudy and frosty in Marsha's garden...does that mean spring is near? I decided to go out and look for hints of spring...

First, I found one of last year's blossoms covered in frost...

and then a tiny spot of color on the berry of a wild asparagus plant...













the grove was a frost covered wonderland...
Where's Ruger?

No signs of spring here...there was frost on an angel's nose....














and the branches around this nest...

but then...there it was... a sign of SPRING...frost on the buds of the lilac bush...yes, only 6 more weeks till spring!

Buds and Blossoms...

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
(Anais Nin)



I needed a little touch of summer to help me say goodbye to January...
I am getting sick of winter and all these below zero temps and even colder windchills so I sure hope Mr. Groundhog makes the right prediction on Saturday!
Think spring everyone!

That's what friends are for...

Tonight just as the sun was setting the phone rang and it was my friend, Kari. She said "Who would ever think you'd see a rainbow on January 28th! I said, What! So I asked where and ran to the windows to look...since my house is surrounded by trees I said...I can't see it but I better go outside and take a photo...Great Friend that she is...she said...THAT'S WHY I'M CALLING!In my rush to get on a coat, shoes, grab my camera and run out to the road, I completely forgot to check the camera settings.
The beautiful rainbow I saw was photographed in manual mode with the wrong settings and the photos show a rather pale looking rainbow amongst the clouds reflecting the setting sun. It disappeared before I thought of checking my settings.

As I turned back to the yard...this sunset was peaking through the trees...

So around the grove I went...and was greeted with this sight.
I zoomed in and got this shot...
Thanks, Kari..I would have missed all this without your call.
Keep smilin' Keep shinin'

Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
that's what friends are for

In good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
(Stevie Wonder lyrics)

a life full of pleasures...

The pleasure you get from your life is equal to the attitude you put into it... (author unknown)
Those pesky redpolls are so camera shy that I haven't managed another shot yet so there has been nothing new to blog about for a few days. I have just been laying low, enjoying life and dreaming of spring. Lucky for me I have lots of photos to remind me of sunshine and butterflies.

Looks like I may have been watching a little too much food network too...but when I read that our pleasures in life equal what we put into it...I put a little extra effort into Jeff's dessert last night...and yes, I even think it tasted better!

winter joy...

Do you know what this crater filled object is?how about this shot...do you know yet?

My beautiful "Red Lion" amaryllis is in full bloom, the first photo was a pollen loaded stamen and the 2nd the deep inside heart.




The card reads "Joy is a miracle...like flowers in winter". These beauties are sure bringing me winter joy, a bright spot on these cold January days!