As forecasted (good on you, meteorologists), snow has arrived. It began snowing early this morning while I was out doing the farm chores and continues even as I write this post. Now it actually looks like winter…and – better yet – it sounds like winter.
Generally speaking (even as a small farmer, no less), I am a fan of snow. One of the aspects of the white stuff that I’ve always enjoyed is how it muffles everyday noises, like vehicles traveling the street in our neighborhood. The fact that the snow is accumulating on the street deters (prudent) drivers from making nonessential road trips, also contributing to the quiet. Blanketed by fresh snow, roads could now be sleighing routes or cross-country ski trails…or merely a tempting path leading to some amazing outdoor adventure. Who knows?
From my vantage point, I can watch the wild birds visit the tube feeders and suet cages. It’s busier than usual out there, with many cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, finches, and woodpeckers jockeying for position. On cold days, energy-providing food is critically important, yet difficult to find (especially in snow).
The blue jays, beautiful though they may be, are rascals: they jump onto the suet cages where the Downy Woodpeckers cling, eating the suet (and this suet smells like a nutty candy bar – sugarless, of course), and scare them off. The diminutive woodpeckers hop into a nearby tree and simply wait, patiently, until the obnoxious jays move on.
Colorful cardinals wait under the feeders, either eating seed sprinkled on the ground when I fill the feeders each day or the seeds that the finches and smaller birds throw out. Sometimes, they bring their prizes up onto the porch and eat them, leaving their distinctive prints in the snow.
This gorgeous male cardinal stopped by to eat a sunflower seed. Hello, handsome!
I know the snow (mercifully) won’t last, so I try to enjoy the sight, sound, and feel of it as much as possible while it’s here. To have tiny, delicate snowflakes fall from the firmament and land on my jacket – just for a moment, before they melt – feels like having a bit of magic sprinkled into my day. Thank you, Mother Nature.