A wet February Saturday. . . . . . . . .

A really dreary February morning, fog early and now rain falling and a 

miserable wet weather forecast for the coming several days.

I have never been a great fan of the month of February with fluctuating 

temperatures breeding germs and bringing colds, 'flu etc.

The garden looks at its worst this month - the dust in the house seems to 

never go due to the fireplace - thoughts of welcoming Spring are starting.

Taken this morning from the dining room window.

By now I'm sure you know this tiny wren is my favorite garden bird.  

Here in North Carolina this extremely chatty, boisterous songster, is not

 an annual migrant, tending to remain resident in its own territory. 

Here, it is in my garden, and on the front porch where a family has raised young

 for many a year in springtime. They spend cold nights tucked into my

 dying hanging Boston ferns which, although not pretty, remain up all winter to

 provide shelter, and sometimes they just tuck themselves into the high corners

 of the porch to shelter from the wind. 

They come to the feeders for seeds and suet when their natural source of food, 

spiders and insects, quickly vanish as the weather turns cold. . . . . . . 

. . . . .and here you can see my 'breakfast offerings' along the porch rail today, 
awaiting any and all birds who need food and a little shelter from the rain.

Our street is covered with now soggy, packed leaves, the city is way 
behind with pick up.

The tiny bird with the big voice.

Did I tell you I love my birds? 

"Amid the leafless thorn the merry Wren,
When icicles hang dripping from the rock,
Pipes her perennial lay; 
Even when the flakes
Broad on her pinions fall,
She lightly flies
Athwart the shower
   and sings upon the wing."
. . . . . . . . James Graham

P.S.  Many, many thanks for all your good wishes regarding my Wednesday hospital visit due to a kidney stone! 
 I'm doing OK, no pain now, but haven't caught the stone yet!

Woody woodpecker prepares for Winter. . . . . . .

As I opened the blinds in the living room this morning, the first thing

that caught my eye was Woody, the red-bellied woodpecker.

He was extremely busy moving nuts and seeds from the bird feeder 

to crevices in the nearby crusty tree bark. Each short flight he alighted 

a few inches higher than the previous landing on the trunk, tucking

 his treasure into a ridge until he was high up the tree.

I went out later to check the situation but only saw a few empty

 seeds still stuck in the bark.

Could the squirrels have come behind Woody and stolen his stash?

Such are the wonders of nature.

Did you steal Woody's stash?

Heaped on the ground, the last of the fig tree leaves have fallen in grey crinkled piles.

They are not pretty - in fact Bob says they look like old women's winkled faces!

That hurt!!!

Forgive the somewhat unsharp pictures - my windows definitely need cleaning!
 Another addition to the ever growing to do list as the Christmas holidays approach!