SkyWatch Friday: Sunrise to sunset on the last day of 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! 






I decided to use photographs beginning with the last sunrise of 2014 and ending with the last sunset of 2014.



It was a cold and frosty morning but the sun came out which was nice after a few days of cold rain.



There were a lot of frozen puddles and I had to scrape my windshield but I was glad that once the temperatures dropped it stopped raining so we didn't have an ice storm.



2014 ended with a great sky watching day and the sun warmed up the day slightly.



Click for the home of Sky Watch Friday.

See you in the New Year

I'm taking a brief break from blogging. For those who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a peaceful and happy one. For those with other sacred and or secular days to celebrate I hope they are happy and peaceful too! Be back in a couple of weeks as the new year begins. In spite of my photo, I'm actually not flying or traveling anywhere but need a break from blogging.

Nature Notes and Our World Wednesday: Second Week of December

On the way to work several days this week, the ground was covered in such thick frost it looked like snow.



It wasn't safe to photograph and drive so I didn't get the frosty shots.



The cold days were sunny so by lunchtime walks the frost was gone.



So far, the wet days and nights have stayed above freezing and the cold ones have been sunny.



We had one day when it was only a couple of degrees above freezing with a hard rain.



I got some shots of my backyard birds this weekend.



I didn't see any american robins this weekend.



Although we have robins year round they tend to stay in the trees and protected areas when it's cold.



The cardinal above and below looked like a flower or berry from a distance.



The brown thrasher below stayed still against my deck wall for a long time.



Another Sunday with a perfect day for walking at the lake.



The evergreens keep the walk around the lake green after all the other trees have dropped their leaves.



It is strange how every Sunday for months has been the best day for a walk.



The gulls were out in full force.



I didn't even see the great blue heron on the left hand side of the shot below until I downloaded the picture.



The cormorant below was still as a statue.



I like the shadows I get in the winter from the trees.



Click here for Our World Tuesday and here for Nature Notes.

Today's Flowers: Remains of a cold zapped rose bud

Click for the home of Today's Flowers.

The Weekend in Black and White: Plumes

Click for the home of the Weekend in Black and White.

SkyWatch Friday: Through My Bedroom Window

The most spectacular skies I saw over the past seven days were when I was driving and couldn't take a picture. One morning when the moon was full, I saw the moon through my windshield ahead of me and behind me a golden sunrise looks more like a spaceship chasing me than the sun. Since it was too dangerous to photograph the sky while driving, I'll settle for a shot I took tonight at the end of the day through my bedroom window.



Click for the home of SkyWatch Friday.

Nature Notes and Our World: Early December Weekend

Saturday was mild and rainy.



The American Robins were out in full force.



They were getting a shower and bath all at once.



Flocks of birds were swarming into the bare trees.



The last of the leaves were blown off by the wind and rain.



I don't see how birds maneuver without running into each other when they swarm into a tree together.



Sunday was cold and sunny.



A perfect day for walking at the lake.



The evergreens keep some year round color going around the lake.



There were still a lot more cormorants at the lake than I'm used to seeing any time of the year.



As I mentioned last week, usually I only see cormorants on the pilings (five or six at most) in the fall and winter and then they disappear in the summer.



The gulls are the same in terms of leaving in the summer and returning in the fall but the cormorants are almost outnumbering the gulls this year.



There aren't as many canada geese or mallards at the lake as I'm used to.



Click for nature notes and, or click here for Our World Tuesday.

Today's Flowers: Bittersweet berries on my deck wall

No flowers but berries in late fall and winter brighten me up the way flowers do. Click for the home of Today's Flowers.

The Weekend in Black and White: Moon hanging in a tree

Click for the Weekend in Black and White.