John spots the first Snowy Owl for Winter 2014

At noon today, on the way into Newport, John spotted crows harassing something on the ground across from the Airport in Coventry.  He said...SNOWY! and I knew we had one. Across from the entrance to the airport where we go to lunch at Parker Pie Wings sometimes, the poor owl was very annoyed by the crows and flew to the peak of a nearby red, single story house. That was where we left it. This picture is the one we spotted a few years back on Dane Hill Road, not far from where we live. Today's bird was more gray than this one, perhaps an immature. I soon received comments from the posting on the VT Bird listserv to the effect that snowy owls that sit on chimneys become gray from the smoke! That is interesting to think about. The picture on my cell phone is useless
because I don't know how to download it to the computer at the moment. I think we all know what these birds look like by now. We will definitely go back and have another look with a better camera, long lens.

Ice Storm Beauty....

A real photo of a goldfinch on an icy branch, to me looks a bit like a Japanese print.... The colors... lovely.

And Again.....

The storm ended sunday, Dec. 22 and then the deep freeze began. Dec 23 gave us the frozen world of bending and broken trees. Power out sunday am to tuesday at 330 pm. Expected temps will not rise about freezing anytime soon and should be well below zero tonight. Enough!!! I get it, the extremes of weather must be recognized somewhere, everyday! Is that it??

We are off to Mass. tomorrow for the holiday gathering of the youths. Stay tune for the next installment of the dancing mini people...

Northeast Ice Storm....Again

We awoke to the sound of rain and the temperature below freezing. This is what happend, thick coating of ice on the weakling birches. Now they are on the house roof, in the driveway and the power generator has been on since before dawn. This could be along one. The news is telling of the 400 contractors from around the region descending on our area. Without a generator, I can see how people cope, I couldn't. This storm will be historic, like the one in 1998.

Minus Fifteen

Nice bright sun, giving us power. Minus fifteen degrees does not stop the deer from looking for grass.

Wash Up Days

Fall is a time for washing up. The cats do it and John is using his Man-Lift to wash the windows before winter.