Don't Count on the Weather

Today was supposed to be an ordinary day. Temps in the 50s and 60s. Mild weather for these  Rocky Mountain heights, but fairly comfortable overall.

I woke in darkness thanks to my new insulated drapes, went to the bathroom, and decided to go out into the living room to check out the weather. It was still snowing, a granular fine salt snow blowing sideways and buffeting the birds flocking to the feeder and suet cake on the back deck. The blinds were still drawn over the window to the front deck so I had no idea of what was going on at the bigger feeder out there. The numbers of birds have increased substantially as western wood peewees, fluffed up like brown and gray puff balls with tiny yellow beaks, pecked at fallen seeds and nuts on the deck. The only activity visible was around the door where the seeds speckled the ground beneath the feeder. Some of the little peewees sheltered under the folding chairs on the deck and one or two sought refuge beneath my car, still in the driveway from Monday's trip down the mountain to pick up mail, some of which is still in the front seat (not enough hands and too close to time to start work to bother about them). The super fine snow still falling sideways and carried by the wind buffeted the little birds here and there as they bravely fought their way to the deck for food. Nuthatches and peewees fought the winds from all sides to land on the deck, the feeder, and the suet cake or to shelter beneath the chairs for a few moments safe from the winds. Now that's what I call a moderately balmy day. /sarcasm.

The winds gust every few moments, knocking peewees and nuthatches here and there on their journey to the food and the female hairy woodpecker has decided to peck a hole in the metal facing around the doors and side window on the back porch -- without much success. Just another day in the mountains here at Cabin Cornwell.

Yeah, I need to think up a better name.

Maybe the rest of the week will not be covered by snow and I can finally clear the deck of all the snow that humps up on the railings and deck floor. Or not. Right now, it's a crap shoot, a big snowy cutting wind howling crap shoot.

That is all. Disperse.

First Snow Fall

Well, actually it's not the very first snowfall, but the first major snowfall I woke up to this morning. About 3-4 inches and more still falling at noon.  The birds flocked to the feeder and keep attacking the suet cake I hung out last weekend, which was originally for the woodpecker, but the nuthatches seem to prefer it, while the hairy woodpecker, and his mate, have been making themselves free with the little feeder I have on the back deck. I have a much bigger, made for woodpeckers and Steller's Jays, on the front porch but so far only one nuthatch has found it and doesn't seem interested in telling the rest of the flock, sitting like a maharajah among the feed and taking one piece of food and flying off to take it home and then flying back in for one more piece, and so on. None of the other birds have figured out there is also plenty of food on the front deck. Just the one nuthatch.

The snow is already melting on the track into my yard and elsewhere the ground is too warm for the powder snow to stick for long. It's still pretty like fairy glitter swirling and drifting on the wnds, the sun glinting off the wind tossed flakes. It's beautiful.

Earlier this morning, just after dawn a doe strolled past and in the distance now the neighbor's German Shepherd and black terrier are frolicking in the snow like children off school for the day. Yes, I know it's a holiday and the kids don't have to go to school, but the metaphor still applies.

One good thing is that kevin was here yesterday and installed the light fixture in the living room closet (it works) and the weather stripping around the laundry room door so that I can no longer see outside around the door. It's cozier now. It's just as cozy in my bedroom now that the insulated drapes are up and the first comforter I've bought in a couple of decades is on the bed. Snug as a bug and all that, except there are no bugs, other than a few arachnids which might find the cold a bit too much for them and they go somewhere else to live.

It's a very good day in this neighborhood and full of the magic of first real snowfall.




You can almost see the birds at the feeder on the back deck. Almost.



Those round suction cups hold up the big feeder on the front deck.



Still hard to see, but the brown mound on the window is 2 cups of bird seeds. Isn't the view beautiful?

That is all. Disperse. Go play in the snow.