Brrrr!

According to our thermometer, the temperature yesterday seemed to be stuck right around freezing. The wind was whipping the snow across the yard, though, so it felt colder than that.

Two little robins were out playing in the spring snowstorm, hopping around in the front yard, chasing each other, skittering across the top of the snow banks, and leaving little tracks on the sidewalk. I tried to sneak out the front door to capture their antics, but they were too shy. In fact, if you zoom in on this picture, you can see where this little guy made a quick U-turn on the sidewalk to get to a safe distance when he heard the door opening!

So we gawked at each other through the big front window instead!

Picture of the Day -- 03/18/2009

Canada geese eating up all the tender shoots of winter wheat

I took this picture from the end of our driveway, looking west across the field toward the mountains.
At certain times of the year, we do wish these big birds would go back to Canada where they belong!
Some people say that they seem to have paths in the sky and always fly in the same places, so if you happen to live under that path... well, you might always have droppings on your roof! (I'm thankful to say this has not happened to us yet!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 11/03/2008

Western Meadowlark
(Picture by Gord)

Ooph, what a day this has been! I hope tomorrow is better...
Remember to sing, no matter what!

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.
--Psalms 42:8

PICTURE OF THE DAY - 10/06/2008

I am waiting to see if I can get a picture of Trent at the top of Humboldt Peak to include in the last set of pictures about that adventure,
so in the meantime I thought you would like to see this...
...(or would you??)

This past Saturday, Trent and Brad (Mike's Dad) went to do a little mountain hiking. Guess where they were when this little fellow crossed their path? Bet you can't guess!
Yep! They were in "Rattlesnake Gulch!" I guess it is called that for a very good reason!
It was a bit chilly up there, and this rattlesnake never rattled to warn them. In fact, Trent said he nearly stepped on him. It's a good thing he was wearing hiking boots, if you ask me!

If you can get past all the snakiness of him, he has awfully pretty markings, don't you think?
(I used to help my brother Gord skin snakes in Liberia, so my opinion probably doesn't count!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 09/15/2008

Ptarmigan
It does not take too much trouble to hide if you are a ptarmigan!

On Saturday, Trent went with a group to hike on Quandry, one of Colorado's "fourteeners," which is a mountain with a peak that exceeds 14,000 feet above sea level. He came back with lots of pictures, and I plan to post some of them from time to time, maybe even change my header picture again!

Several of the hikers nearly stepped on these birds because they looked so much like the rocks and did not move until the last minute! When Trent was describing the birds, Gord knew without even seeing the picture exactly what they were.

(I had to ask Gord how to spell "ptarmigan" and was all set ready to type a "T" as the first letter! That 'P" is silent!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 09/04/2008

Trent and I were standing by the side of the road on Saturday, and I heard a rustling in the dry weeds. They were moving, so I went over to get a closer look and saw only...dry weeds.

Then they rustled again, and I saw him...

Sneaky little fella!

(Picture by Trent)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/19/2008

Atlantic Puffin
(Another of Gord's pictures, taken in New England, 06/15/2008.)

That crease going back from its eye makes it look so sad to me!

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/05/2008

The mourning dove nesting in our tree

In our front yard is what I call our "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" because it looks so ... well, strange! It has a straight trunk and lots of branches, but the leaves are all bunched up at the center of the tree, mostly where the bottom branches join the trunk, with long bare branches sticking out all around. Right in the center of those leaves, a pair of mourning doves has built a nest, and they are taking turns sitting on it.

The doves have been keeping a sharp lookout for L.C., the cat, but also have been very wary of us humans. We seem to have one big round eye that stares at them and lets out a bright flash of light, so the minute they see one of those eyes approaching, off they dart to sit on the roof or the power lines to wait until it is safe again! Gord tried every approach including sneaking around from the back of the house, all to no avail. A picture taken through the glass of our front window just didn't make him happy! So after reading on the internet of the best screens to use to fool birds, he settled on staying in his van and taking pictures through the open window. This sure wouldn't work for me, but it did for him because he attaches his digital camera to his scope so that he can get great closeups.

So here is the shot he got yesterday. Click on the picture to see how long the dove's tail is! It goes almost all the way to the edge of the picture.

(Another one for the calendar he will give us at Christmas, don't you think?!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/05/2008

Puffin

Another of Gord's pictures!
(Needs to go in his "calendar file," I told him!)

PICTURE OF THE DAY -- 07/01/2008

New Jersey bunny

Gord has gotten awfully good with his camera. Tonight he sent me this picture that he took just a week or two ago, and I thought you might like it too!

(How about giving us calendars for Christmas, Gord??)