Winter Dogs

Frosty Dog

Toasty Dog

Dramatic Sunrise

Clouds in the Cold

It's supposed to be warming and heading towards rain - in other words, getting back to normal. The cold isn't so eager to go away. This morning there were light low clouds and the world was limned with frost.

9:00 AM, 24 degrees. The very small yellow ball in the midst of the clouds really is the sun.

The sky looks like it's made of ice. St. Helens is barely visible through the mist.

Little chicken perhaps finding some warmth in the tall grass. The sun is burning off the clouds, and the temperature has gone down a degree.

A Cold Winter Night

I bundle up for the last animal/water/food check of the day. It's been dark since 4:00, and is now 15 degrees. I grab the flashlight and head outside. A bit away from the house I turn on the flashlight, and stop in my tracks. A thousand diamonds glitter back at me. The ground is covered with ice crystals, glistening and sparkling in the light. I spend a moment in awe, appreciating this newly discovered beauty of very cold weather.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Ice is forming at the rate of about an inch a night. Two night's worth here. I refill by hauling hot water out. People from places where it routinely stays below freezing have neat things like in-tank water heaters. That may become necessary if this kind of extended freeze becomes the norm here. Usually it warms up above freezing during the day, melting the night's ice.

My pond is frozen over, still decorated with the dusting of snow from Saturday. Some creature has walked out on it, but I didn't brave it.

The area around the pond is usually marshy. I didn't realize until today that there are streams of water feeding the pond, rather than a broader seep. Now the streams are frozen.

There are birds warming in every protected sunny spot. The peacocks appear to be standing guard...

a thought reinforced when they suddenly changed sides, and took up position again. The changing of the guard?

Millie, Applying Perfume

Morning Visitors

December Freeze

The air is crisp and clear the way it is only when the temperature is below freezing. The stars are shining brightly, blinking in and out of the black sky. It is still and quiet as I stand in the woods, and then I hear a gust of wind in the trees on the other side of the hill. A chilly breeze slips inside my hood and caresses my cheek. I continue walking. Quiet resumes, then I hear another gust, this time to the north. Each gust seems to come from a different direction, heard first, then felt, as the wind travels through and leaves us behind.

My bantams, trying to stay warm and out of the wind. The chickens are not happy with the cold weather.

The Best Owl Photos

I recently received another email forward of wonderful pictures without credits - this time of a fawn and rabbit. The pictures had copyright information on them. I looked up the photographer - and what a find that was!

Tanja Askani is a professional photographer in Germany, specializing, it seems, in animal photography. She shares her amazing pictures on her blog. While the site is predominately in German, language isn't necessary to appreciate her work. Follow the link to Fotografie, and then click on the titles to get to the pictures.

The best owl photos I've seen are here. The deer and wild rabbit series that got me started on the search does have English translations. These are all well worth viewing.

Moon Over Mt Rainier

Full moon at sunset, a clear day in December. The mountain looks lit from within. The sad part is this was taken at 4:30.

Mt. St. Helens also lit in pink against a mauve sky. The gift of two weeks rain is the surprise, joy and appreciation of seeing white clad mountains standing tall and majestic against a clear sky.

Santa?

This unintentional Santa (Ms Claus?) was spotted outside the Senior Center in Olympia.

Whispers in the Wind

It's been windy here for a couple weeks, one storm after another. Last night the wind was again filling the air with sound before tangling with the trees. I was about to walk up the hill on a path that takes me through the woods. I paused, hearing something in the wind. I didn't know until that moment that it was a sound I recognized from previous windstorms. It was the sound of trees about to be blown down.

I stood there, thinking it might be dangerous walking through a section of trees that has been losing members in almost every blow. I listened carefully. The brunt of the wind was currently further up and to the west. It was safe to walk through right now. I continued up to the house.

Today I headed down that same path, and found a tree had fallen across my two path alternatives, the fence and the road.

The largest section of tree is across the fence and road. The fence path is the one I often take at night.

The other section is across the inner path, the tops of the branches tangling with another tree that fell a bit further up. This is where I walked up the hill last night. I heard these trees. They whispered to me that they were about to fall.

Wind

Wind sings its way up the hill.

Raven flies across the slope, turns away from the wind, then into it,

Playing in the sky, flying joy into the air.

Trees catch the wind for a moment and learn it's song,

Then join in with a bass note.

Wind moves on.

Air is filled with song.

Jesse's Shelter

Another shelter retarped - and just in time. Didn't get to dry out the bedding, but Jesse doesn't seem to care. Like Charlie, he's quick to show appreciation of work done in his benefit.

Autumn Blows In

We're late! We're late!

It's November, and still sunny in Cascadia!

Come clouds,

Come rain,

We'll fly.

Wind knows the way.

Wind is swift,

Wind is sure.

Wind will carry us,

move us,

and let us settle.

We know we've been missed.

Welcome wind. Welcome clouds. Welcome rain.

Winter has begun.

Car Shelter

I got a propane barbecue through freecycle (ongoing preparations for potential power outages), and decided it needed a dry place to live. The perfect excuse to get a Costco carport for - gasp - my car.

My friend came over again, and this time we got the shelter up in 2-1/2 hours. I believe we are now experts.

And, besides the barbecue, gas canisters, and some charcoal for my hibachi, it also fits my car! I've already experienced the pleasant sensation of unloading my car free from rain and wind.

Mountains in Autumn

Mount Rainier

Mount St. Helens

Driving into a Cloud

On a beautiful, sunny day, driving south towards Olympia. Clear skies, bright sun.

Then, in the distance, a gray-white smudge.

Getting closer, it was obviously a low-flying cloud.

Which enveloped the world, and became fog.

Fire in the Sky

Sunset, halloween night, Seattle

Sightings

Last time I hiked up the ridge I'd spotted several fir and cedar seedlings along the road under the power lines. I try to dig these up before they get too large and transplant them in the woods near my house. The power company will poison or cut these eventually, so besides providing me free trees, I get to feel righteous for saving trees. I packed the shovel and boxes into my farm vehicle to get as many as I could.

While I was up there I decided to walk down to the end of my property, where I hope to eventually install a fence. I went into the woods to see if I could find the surveyors tags. Woods are so amazing. Within a few feet the outside world goes away, and all that exists are the woods and the birds in them. These woods were filled with golden-crowned kinglets, busy birds barely bigger than hummingbirds. It was too wet to get to the surveyors marks, but I managed to get back out of the woods without stepping into the stream hiding under the very tall grass and rushes, and bumped into posts from an old boundary fence. Right where I thought they should be.

As I started back up the track alarm calls burst from the woods, and then silence. I too stopped and looked around for the danger. A pair of bald eagles came into view, flying low over the clearing, white heads and tails gleaming. What a treat! I've been seeing these large birds more frequently lately, but still rarely enough that it gives me a thrill.

The trees are replanted, and I still feel the glow of my bird encounters, and can hear the high twits of the lovely kinglets.