I gave Hub a seed ball for Christmas that, until this past weekend, has been spinning ‘round high up in a tree, with birds vying to be on top of it. On Sunday morning we awoke to find it on the ground, presumably from the strong winds we had during the night. Hub quickly recovered it before any of our hungry deer visitors ran off with it. He placed it on the deck railing, as it is rather hard to reattach it at this point. The birds just discovered its new location yesterday and the Redpolls, feisty birds that they are, have been holding off the timid Chickadees for the most part. But they are still cute little birds.Also, the elusive Snowshoe Hare has finally started to make more of a daytime appearance. Yesterday I watched him hop cautiously up to sit out in the open underneath our bird feeder. Up until then we were only afforded brief glimpses of them as they hopped along in the woods, their furry white coats blending in seamlessly with the snowy background. I think they are sweet though and I was quite happy to get a photo of him again this year.
On Sunday evening, while at our friend’s house, Hub and I were talking birds with them, while another couple, having just recently just moved up to Duluth, listened in. We were talking about the Redpolls and how they pick through the seed on the feeder, throwing much down onto the ground below. The husband said something like “oh, is that what those birds are? We didn’t know what they were but they do that at our feeder too!” The wife said, “They have the little red spot on their heads and the males have red on their chest too, I think!”…“Yes, yes!” Hub and I agreed…“Oh and we’ve seen a Pine Siskin too!” said the husband…“Really! We haven’t seen any of those birds!” I said…
The bird conversation went back and forth like this a bit until the husband said to the new couple, sitting there quietly, “See? This is what you’ll soon be talking about after living in Duluth for awhile…the birds at your feeder!” I got a little laugh out of this as it is completely true. Hub and I can be so easily entertained watching the creatures outside our window, marking the changing seasons by the different visitors that appear throughout the year.
My favorite ride.
Shorebirds.
Have a happy weekend! :)
Really important stuff going on here, huh? Well, my brain is a bit frozen as I've been tucked away today for most of the day working on a couple fun new projects I have in the hopper. Other than dropping Hub off at work and going to pick him up, I didn't leave the house at all. Which was not half bad considering the temperature was 23 below this morning (40 below with the windchill!)...hence why I played "chauffeur" this morning.
Went into a quilting shop with Mum to look at fabric...neither of us "quilt" but Mum loves fabric for other things like potholders and whatnot...and I think she was trying to get me excited about my new sewing machine. We both came out with some of this sweet fabric above. I don't know what I'll do with it yet but it sure is cute. Any ideas?
Trying in vain to capture a video of the Northern Shrike impaling a vole under our birdfeeder. I witnessed the whole scene today firsthand…from him stalking his prey, to him catching it and poking it several times with his beak, to him flying away with his catch in his firm grip, and then coming back for more. It was so fascinating and he is quite a cute "hunter" bird with his pretty grey body and black eye mask. I wanted so much for Hub to be able to see this as well…as he’s been trying (in vain too) to catch the very plentiful, naughty voles (they destroy our grass making dead grass mazes that appear in the green of Spring) using mousetraps set up under our deck and has had no luck. That’s ONE for the Shrike, Hub…ZERO...so far! ;)
Looking forward with eager anticipation to our upcoming warm weather vacation...I bought a new swimsuit from Target yesterday for the occasion. It is red-ish with tiny white polka dots. What do you think?
More than anything, I’m so looking forward to feeling warm, moist air. The dry air has to be one of my least favorite things about Winter time…staticky hair I try hard to tame and ultimately end up just throwing on a hat or pulling it back into a pony tail...dry, cracking hands...the electricity of sweaters as I pull them over my head...and oh are we going through the hand lotion like crazy! We should have big vats of it by every door and each sink. Our vacation can’t come soon enough for me now! 
I thought I’d share a few of my little spots filled with art supplies and crafting materials. In addition to their function and necessity, just looking at these spaces can be inspiring, especially when it is a cute old dish or little teacup, for instance, helping to keep order. After the flurry of Christmas activity, I had to take some time recently to get things organized again in my little “studio”. With a clean desk, my mind feels de-cluttered too and ready for a new year of creating.