When snow falls ~~~~~

In winter I like to sleep a little later but a couple of weeks back I actually set my alarm for 5:30am. Other than doing that to catch an early morning flight, it's probably something I've not done since getting up for the day's first game drive in Africa, or an early morning docking of the ship in some country in the world, the latter two happenings one doesn't want to miss.

How I miss those exciting days.

Knowing that the snow, if it had come that particular day, would be here around sunrise, then within an hour or so would turn into freezing rain and sleet for the remainder of the day, I wanted to be ready to get a few photos. I stepped out to get the newspaper, crunching through frosty grass. . . . . it was bitterly cold. The birds, mostly wrens, sparrows, cardinals and finches, were already hunting for breakfast. I spread extra seeds and nuts along the porch rail.  Over the years, many of my special bird photos have been shot from the window, the porch being a favorite place for visiting garden birds. 

The weather forecast was wrong. Not a snowflake arrived that morning........or any other time this winter so far.  

Last night, while trying to fall asleep, I found myself counting the places where I've lived in my now rather long life. Not so many compared to other ex-pats I talk with. While growing up in England I lived at three addresses in the same town from birth until moving to the USA just prior to my nineteenth birthday. That move was to be for just one year - a working visit with no plans to actually emigrate. That's what happens when a special someone comes into your life and changes your plans, your outlook, your entire future.  No regrets though. In sixty one years here I've only lived in four places. Washington D.C., New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. This last address has been my home for over forty seven years.  

My first American winter in Washington was a very cold one, especially when temperatures plummeted around Christmas. Not only did I see snow, I learned to ice skate - well stand up and take a few gliding steps - on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.  Frozen solid and not exactly smooth ice for a beginner, I fell down a lot!  

On moving to the New England states, winter was all about snowfalls. Mostly deep and never-ending for several months. Nor'easter storms often caused crippling blizzards. Plowed snow piled up in dirty grey heaps until the next fall made it look lovely again. I skated a little on outdoor ponds and a couple of indoor rinks, never becoming proficient, but loved to go to holiday ice shows, such as the Ice Capades in Boston. I also viewed a couple of Bruins ice hockey games, shivering and miserable in the cold of the now demolished Boston Garden, and anxious for all to be over.  

Raleigh is in the southeast and has a great climate...........most of the time!  Rather too hot, and definitely far too humid for this Brit in the height of summertime. Spring is beautiful, Autumn even better. Winter can be fickle. Yesterday when writing this, the afternoon was almost hot at 72F and the sun brilliant. Dog walkers passed wearing shorts, Bob was sunburned a little on his head after spending time in the garden without a hat!  I changed from a cozy sweater into a thin one while making vegetable soup over the hot stove! This morning it's cool again. Rain is pouring down This current season brought sufficient rain in January but apparently we'll get plenty more over the next few days.

We still haven't seen a single snowflake! I doubt we will.

Birds are back and busy . . . . . . .

Pair of House finches - Eastern bluebird (male)

Today the feeders - filled yesterday, thank you Bob - are busy both in

 the front garden and here in the back garden.

Note, many camellia blossoms were blasted by this week's below

 freezing night temperatures, however the sweet garden birds 'soldier on' 

and were out this morning by the dozens around breakfast time. 

Chirping was ongoing - and the cat from new neighbors across the

 street made a pass on the deck so we sent her running of course. 

We are sad they feel it OK to allow this kitty to wander our busy

 neighborhood, enough said!

I grabbed the real camera, flipped up the living room blinds and

managed a few photos of some of the birds to share with all you

 bird lovers out there!

Carolina wren - House finch (male) - Northern Cardinal (female)

Pine siskin 

Eastern bluebird (male)

Carolina wren - Northern cardinal

Eastern bluebird - House sparrow (male)

Northern cardinal - Pine Siskin 

House finch (female)

Still hoping for a little snowfall, and that it sticks, come the weekend - I love

 to get photos of the garden birds in the snow.

Brrrrr! It's a chilly Tuesday -

- and the garden brought life and death this morning!

Let's get the death out of the way first - a rather large rabbit was dead
 on our front lawn, a first for sure. I decided a photo isn't necessary.

It did seem to have a gash on its neck so wondering if a hawk had it and
 then dropped it, or perhaps a fox, or possibly the neighborhood coyote, came
 by in the night. Why they wouldn't have made a meal of it we have no idea.

Whatever happened it was a sad start to the day - to me all 

animals are precious, including the ones who nibble my plants in spring!

Bob filled the feeders and, as always, the cardinals arrived first. 

Sometimes I count as many as ten, males and females, perched on

 the bare branches of the fig tree.

The thawing of the bird baths with tea kettles of hot water followed, first time

 this winter as the weather has been so mild. Many Mourning doves arrived - the

 sweetest, quietest birds.

Today we have errands to run. Though below freezing, the sun is bright now and

 pulling on a sweater and coat should make a few hours outdoors quite pleasant.

Baby it's cold outside!

Yesterday was miserable - today's even worse - murky hours of chilly rain including

 a spell of frozen droplets which luckily didn't last long. It was enough to visibly 

coat Mr. Cardinal with a little ice but he didn't seem to mind - birds never cease to

 amaze me when it comes to dealing with the weather. 

They don't even bother with raincoats and rubber boots! 

Our now really large fig tree is a year round favorite perch for these birds - and

 as it's outside the dining room windows I'm able to enjoy watching them and

 photographing them at the feeders.

Here are some of the girls - less colorful but oh so beautiful. Note there's a third one

 up in the left corner.  We are blessed with so many cardinals in our garden, I would

 say at least eight pairs, so hopefully lots of baby birds come spring!

'Waterlogue' photos from the weekend. . . . .

 It was a LOVELY weekend, especially Sunday when it warmed up to the mid-sixties.

I sat with Ms. Nala next door for a while, allowing her to spend the sunny day

 out on the glass-enclosed back porch of my neighbor's house. She watched the crazy

 squirrels and chirping birds, but must have missed her 'dad' as she snuggled up to

his sneakers left on the floor.

Blue skies, still a few wrinkled oak leaves hanging on to branches

in the garden.

Camellia bushes budding and blooming profusely in the winter sunshine.

Have a pleasant week wherever you choose to relax.

Admiring the Amaryllis "Charming" -

This year I actually have a beautiful amaryllis blooming in time for Christmas.

I purchased this one in November at a hardware store, the only place at that time

where I could find this color which I though would be really pretty in my decorating 

theme at Christmas.

Spending most of the time from early November on the dining room table, where the

 light is good, this beauty started growing and has just kept going, first one bloom

opening and soon followed by three more. I'm hoping they will last through the 

holidays.

I continue to have frustrating problems with Blogger/Google/Safari  - who knows which

 one is creating gremlins - both posting and commenting!

I'm not giving up quite yet but things really need to improve soon as my patience

 is wearing thin!

Meanwhile, this post I'm using Chrome which seems to be working much better for

 me, fingers crossed!

Hope your holiday plans are moving along smoothly.

Enjoy each day of this busy weekend.

Here in North Carolina most of the snow has gone as we have had heavy, nonstop, 

rain for two days. Quite honestly, it's not looking very Christmassy out there, just a

 mass of soggy brown leaves covering everything under leaden skies.

Last evening I went to a fun "Girls' Holiday Wine Night" at a friend's

home - my driver was Bob who transported me through inky darkness

in pouring rain and miserable rush hour traffic, and came back

 for me a few hours later. That made the evening so enjoyable, 

and I was able to enjoy my wine and time with a lovely group of 

interesting women.

Hoping the coming week will brighten up, I need to get out 

and about to finish my shopping and start on my baking!!!!

A Common grackle visits alone. . . . . . . . . .

When Common grackles appear they are often in huge numbers - I've seen

several hundred appear at one time!  They can be a noisy nuisance in a small

 garden, also quite ominous, like a scene from the classic 1964 horror/suspense

 movie, "The Birds" directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

A large black bird, 11-13", it sports an iridescent blue black head, 

purple brown body, long black tail, long thin bill, and very bright golden eyes.

Usually flying with other black birds in large flocks, it's known to feed in

 farmers' fields, dining on fruits, seeds and insects.

When a flock comes to the garden, thankfully not often, we shoo them

away and they fly up into the trees making their loud raspy calls.

This wet weekend, a single grackle arrived in the fig tree, looking lonely

 and apparently feeling hungry, it hopped onto the feeder and nibbled away

 for several minutes.

Probably a first for me, actually getting a photo of a grackle this close

 up, and through the window, so that the beautiful coloring is visible.

~ Common grackle : Quiscalis quiscula ~

A very colorful black bird, which isn't really black but a mix of beautiful colors.

Nature is very adept with her paintbrushes!

Winter scenes from the porch. . . . . . . . . .

So, no words necessary. Hope you just enjoy the photos of my own 

garden these past few days taken at different times from early morning
 until dusk.  A snowfall of seven inches arrived on Wednesday - not 
usual here in southeast North Carolina.
It was beautiful.