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Temperatures have been bouncing up and down here, and the last vestiges of snow have been shrinking from the approaching sun. This tiny pile of ice crystals was in a shaded alcove on the exterior of the chicken coop, looking as though it was doing its best to hide. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was successful.
This is the second in a series of short works of fiction inspired by images of ordinary beauty. I hope you enjoy reading it, and your comments are welcome.
Continue reading “Short Read: On Mossy Hills”
As the temperatures dropped yesterday, we entered the “snow zone”, with possible snow flurries in the forecast. While it doesn’t look like the snow came, freezing rain did, and it created some works of art that I had the opportunity to capture during morning chores.
Continue reading “Eye Candy: Sleet’s Aftermath”
After a spell of strangely mild weather, it’s taken a turn for the worse. Personally, I intensely dislike temperature swings like this because it’s tough on both farmers and their animals…but it does have some redeeming qualities, like the brilliant hoarfrost.
Continue reading “Eye Candy: Frosty Farm Morning”
It sounds like a thousand squeaky screen doors being opened and closed: metallic, raspy, and loud. The unusual noise accompanies huge flocks of acrobatic birds that darken the sky. These large groups of starlings visit our area periodically, and despite my worries that they’ll empty the bird feeders in five seconds flat, these travelers don’t even seem to notice them.
Continue reading “Haiku: Murmuration’s Mystery”
With the arrival of below-freezing weather, we’ve put the bird feeders out. On one side, a mix of wild bird seed; on the other, a seed-studded suet cake. The birds have enthusiastically visited the feeders (one out front where we can see it from the breakfast nook) and out back, visible from the dining area. With a pair of binoculars, it makes for excellent viewing.
Continue reading “For The Birds: Cold Weather Considerations”