Today's Flowers: It's not easy being a spring flower

Wednesday afternoon much of Monday nights snow had melted and I was shocked to see the narcissus which had been buried under the snow for two days. I never would have guessed any blooms had been nestled under the snow. I took a shot because I knew if we got the forecast Wednesday night snow they would be buried again.



We did get the Wednesday night snow and on Thursday I photographed my white camellia bushes (no white flowers but white nonetheless).



Friday afternoon when some of the snow melted I went in my backyard to see if I could see the narcissus yet. The reason it looks so icy is we had some sleet on top of the snow and then it was so cold Thursday night that everything that started melting froze solid.



I was rewarded although doubtful as cold as it's getting tonight they'll survive without being wrapped in a total snow blanket like they were with the other cold nights.



Some of the snow had dropped off my camellia bushes and they have small enough buds that I expect they'll make out o.k. My neighbors red camellia buds were larger and they turned black in the cold, sleet and snow. 



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The Weekend in Black and White: It's not easy being a bird in winter

I could have made my title it's not easy being a bird or human in winter since I lost power for 18 hours but it's still harder being a bird. My furnace is running full blast warming up my freezing house. 



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SkyWatch Friday: Door Shots

I took the first shot from my front door today (February 25, 2015) after the sun came out and the second shot from my deck door today when the sun briefly knocked the clouds away.



More snow is forecast for tonight but much of the snow we had from Tuesday had melted this afternoon with the sun and warmer temperatures so the fresh snow will probably only return us to where we were early this morning.



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Nature Notes and Our World Tuesday: mid to late February

I think it's amazing how different the mourning doves look in the sunshine and in the overcast cold weather.



All birds are like this but somehow looking through my shots at the dove puffed out in the cold and relaxed in the sun, the differences struck me in particular.



Wednesday some of the ice and sleet had melted from Monday night's storm when a fast snow shower ripped through in early evening to coat everything before the temperatures took a nose dive.



The rufous sided towhee (female) had a mouth full below.



I saw a lot of doves on my deck this past week.



The female cardinal also got caught with her mouth full.



Male cardinals are winter's bright flowers.



Next to the sparrow the female cardinal looks rather colorful although they look muted next to male cardinals.



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Today's Flowers: ice flower and buds

I think that looks like a little ice flower in the azalea.



Buds beckon for spring and fortunately I think they are small enough to brave the extreme cold.



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The weekend in black and white: Tracks

I took these shots Thursday morning.



After the sleet and freezing rain Monday night the surface was so hard that there weren't any tracks and only a few breaks from my boots.



Wednesday was sunny and the melting began to be followed by a brief snow so the next morning prints started showing up.



The dove in the middle shot was waiting for me to add some warm water which I did but it's so cold today the birds have to be quick because it is refreezing too fast. I'm giving them bath and drinking times but can't keep up with it as much as I normally do. The first shot is of bird and squirrel prints and the last one is my boot. Click the following link for the home of The Weekend in Black and White. 

SkyWatch Friday: Mixed Bag

I took the first two shots Wednesday night close to sunset if the sun had been out to set.



Most of what's on the ground above is left over from sleet and freezing rain we had Monday night.



The snow Wednesday was brief but hard and covered up the slushy mess to make it hard to see the ice underneath.



The last two shots are ones I took this past weekend.



I have been able to work from home most of this week which has been a nice change after having gone back to commuting most of the time. Click here for the home of SkyWatch Friday.

Nature Notes and Our World Tuesday: Where are my boot prints

We didn't get much snow before it changed to sleet and freezing rain so it doesn't look like much but it's a hard frozen crust.



The shot above shows where I walked without leaving a boot print and below shows where I finally did sink down.



If anyone has driven up my road yet they haven't left tracks.



This is the type of situation that is hard because it doesn't look like much but it's frozen solid.



I only feed the birds in bad weather because I have so much naturally grown food in my overgrown yard. Above is a female rufous sided towhee and below a titmouse. 



Instead of getting my old bird feeders out of my storage room, I used my deck wall as a feeding station and put out a few tins of dry food. Below is a male rufous sided towhee.



Since the birds live in my overgrown yard and come to my deck for fresh water, they immediately find the food I put out for them when it's extra cold, snowy or icy.



Above is a male cardinal and below is a junco.



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The Weekend in Black and White: Primping and Preening

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SkyWatch Friday: Blue sky and buzzard

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Our World Tuesday and Nature Notes: Changing continually

Almost every day this week was different although by an large I feel like I'm taking similar shots.



I usually don't spot the rabbits in my yard in the winter.



I think I stumbled too close to a protected area where the rabbit probably lives in the winter and it hopped out and away to another part of my yard.



After some cold weather it was like spring for the weekend.



Same old lake walk near my house.



I'm starting to feel a bit stale on my blog.



Even though the pictures are new ones I've certainly posted many similar ones.



I may end up taking a break from my blog if I keep feeling stale.



I like a record of what I'm seeing in nature from week to week and before long we'll be heading into a new season but it seems like I keep taking similar shots lately.



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The Weekend in Black and White: ice and water reflecting

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SkyWatch Friday: Blues, evergreens and winter tans

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Nature Notes and Our World Tuesday: End of January beginning of February

The end of January and beginning of February has been fairly mild.



Instead of blocks of ice when I empty the bird baths there are thin ice circles.



I haven't been taking many shots lately but have managed to catch a few sunsets and moonsets.



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