This particular favourite tree is best viewed in Winter when the shape and length of its limbs can be appreciated.
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When it is clad for Summer, it blends in with its partner trees and one tends not to notice this very splendid oak.
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Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for Winter.
Wouldn’t life would be boring if we were all the same?
Though, it would be really nice if people could agree to differ and respect each other’s opinions.
There is so much to be learned from people who are different.
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The furry girls weren’t impressed by snow either.
Lily was anxious to check on the welfare of the catnip plant.
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But she couldn’t figure out how to get to it.
“Did you put this here?”
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Muttering complaints, she clambered over it.
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Picking her way toward the catnip, she was distracted by a pair of robins.
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But she decided she couldn’t be bothered to give chase.
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Dee Dee stared at them for a micro-second before returning to sit on the patio.
The driveway was becoming a mud puddle and she couldn’t possibly step in that.
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Bright warm sunshine had brought Muffin out but she parked herself in the doorway…
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…creating a cork.
Willow wouldn’t exit behind her and she couldn’t push in front because spikey Tinkerbelle was there.
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So it was a stand-off.
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Nibbs invites himself to breakfast most mornings and sometimes stays to play or lounge around but mostly he just shoots back out:
“Bye! Later!”
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Snow saw us besieged by birds that had returned for Spring!
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Suddenly the nyjer seed was in great demand.
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Each day another bird…
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This morning we counted ten goldfinches.
We had only ever seen 2 before.
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It was waiting room only for the feeder.
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The sparrow population is growing too.
We saw a song sparrow a couple of weeks ago.
Just the one.
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Now they are everywhere.
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This one I believe is called white-throated.
They are not as numerous, for now anyway.
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Snow always brings juncos, the snowbird.
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When we first came to Cambridge and began shopping at Hannaford’s, we soon noticed that the shopping carts were minded by a flock of sparrows.
It was delightful to hear them chattering as we collected a trolley:
“Be sure to bring it back!”
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At the time we didn’t have many sparrows around at home and I remember saying I wished we did.
Jokingly, we called out to the Hannaford’s sparrows that they should follow us home.
It seems they did.
They certainly aren’t at Hannaford’s anymore!
Small wonder you enjoy such a variety of bird life close to home when you make such a huge effort to care for them. Well done!
Best wishes, Pete.
People complain of seeing hardly any sparrows now but we are inundated with them!
Judging by the one paw in the air, and a look of disgust on your cat’s faces, Carolyn, I am not the only one not liking winter’s cold, snow and ice. It is wonderful to see that no one goes hungry at your place, and knowing how intelligent animals are, I am sure that the birds understood your invitation, and followed you home!
Joanna
I really like your favourite tree (and also the pink shade of the sky in the background). Oh, but I like you Winter … then again, I’ve never experienced snow, so maybe it’s not as ‘glamerous’ as I think. I might be the one who sits in the sun like Muffin and the rest of the ‘gang’ in the doorway than be as daring as Lily. It’s nice to see a well-known bird there with you guys as well. We have so many goldfinches here in our garden – sometimes they look like tiny yellow flowers on the grass.
We have sparrows living in our roof, they are such characters.