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!

Walking on water....

Last swan shots...this time the "take offs". It was amazing watching these big birds get the momentum to lift off.

you can tell their stride by the splashes behind them but it literally was a running (and flapping) take off...




such a graceful flight once airborne...

Something good....

Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.
(Abram L. Urban)

Something good came out of the artic blast of subzero temps we had to endure this past weekend...redpolls! Yesterday, I noticed 3 of them at the feeders for the first time. They are a rare occurrence here in the garden. I hope to get a better photo soon as this one is taken from about 25 ft through the window.
The juncos like to hang out around the water dish and use our discarded Christmas tree as shelter. I love how this female is all puffed up.
The male is a beautiful steel gray. They are one of my favorite winter birds.

All the excitement of Nathan's birthday and the redpolls arriving pushed back the last swan photos till tomorrow.

one of life's greatest blessings...

A recent addition to my home's decor is this magnetic board with the words "FAMILY Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom." I've also been crafting these tiles with the words "The love of a Family is one of life's greatest Blessings" ...this one will soon be heading to Tanya.
Last year my friend, Kari, gave me this photo frame which reads: Family - "Love one another deeply, from the heart. I Peter 1:22"


I just love these expressions of what FAMILY is all about.

Today is our firstborn's birthday...it was such a joy raising him into the man he has become.

Happy Birthday Nathan!

We are so proud of you and you truly are "one of life's greatest blessings..."

Love, Mom & Dad

Your sister has some great wishes for you too!

Your the one that I want...

You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
The one that I need, oh yes indeed!
(lyrics from Grease)

I was shooting landings when I captured these two, notice how they are coming together before they are even fully down? Interesting swan & courtship facts at the end of the post that you can skip if you are sick of bevies, cobs & pens...






Courtship ended rudely with a fly by...shucks!

Interesting facts (at least to me):
Snow-white Trumpeter Swans present a truly spectacular sight. With a wingspan of more than 7 feet and a height of about 4 feet, the Trumpeter Swan ranks as the largest native waterfowl species in North America. Most Trumpeter Swans weigh 21–30 pounds, although some males exceed the average weight. The male is called a cob; the female is called a pen; and a swan in its first year is called a cygnet or juvenile.

Trumpeter Swans may form pair bonds as early as their second winter. A far greater number of Trumpeters, however, first nest when they are 3–6 years old. Trumpeter Swans mate for life and may live for 20 years or more. If one member of a pair dies, the survivor finds another mate. Swans usually form pair bonds on the wintering grounds and engage in courtship behavior—bobbing their heads and quivering their wings as they face each other.

It’s a special treat to see swan mates “displaying”, gracefully touching bill-to-bill and breast-to-breast until a perfect heart shape is formed, or gently intertwining their necks.
Only one more post on swans...I promise!