Here in Michigan spring can be a long time coming. Oh, I definitely have specific things that herald winter’s exit, like the sound of red winged blackbirds and singing frogs hanging at the pond across the street.
Announcing his arrival in the neighborhood.
And there are the marsh marigolds brightening up banks of our local streams.
These are from last year, but I bet if I go look they’re up this year too!
Still, we know that the snow could return any day, and likely will. We dream of warmth and trilliums, still a few weeks away.
One of my favorite signs of spring, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Goldfinches turning yellow are a definite sign we’re finally on our way out of the gray, cold weather.
In the winter both the male and female goldfinches are an olive green. But once the weather warms up the males start to sport bright yellow feathers. I began to notice the color change last week, even as the icy rain continues.
Miserable, he’s waiting for me to fill his feeder.
Today I glanced up and my finch feeder was full of birds, all cold and hungry. You can see the patchy yellow on the male birds.
Shot from the other side of the living room, through the window.
I could feel sad about all the grey skies and cold rain. But it’s impossible to feel down when my finches are turning gold!
Stop typing and come fill the feeders, lady!
Spring is here, I’m positive. And I dare mother nature to even think about snowing on us now!
What you talkin about, lady? Of COURSE it’s gonna snow again!
“Oh Christmas Family,” I thought as I drove to band rehearsal last night. “I’m glad we’re not the only people who haven’t unplugged our holiday lights yet.”
The people in this house put up their holiday lights early and leave them late into winter every year. On winter Tuesday nights as I drive to rehearsals I always smile when I see them. And I’m always sad when their lights eventually turn off.
I smile because we do something similar. Each year we put lights on one tree that sits on the corner of our lot, visible from two streets.
During the dark cold winter nights the lights on that lone tree warm me, and it turns out, our neighbors too, who always comment their appreciation of our beautiful tree.
Every winter I leave the tree lit until the end of February. And this year it seems even more important to light my little corner of the world.
These images were taken last night, after our rehearsal, using my handheld phone. Hence the focus. But I wanted to share with you what a beautiful night it was, with stars peaking out of the clouds and an almost tropical breeze. 44 degrees in Michigan in February is tropical.
Penny here. You have probably noticed a definite lack of posts from my mom. She’s neglecting this blog, yes she is, but that’s not all she’s neglecting!
Did you know that February 11th was my Gotcha Day? No you did not. Did my Gotcha Day get celebrated? No it did not.
Mom tried to make it better by telling me that they celebrate me every day, but I’m not buying it. Strike one for mom.
Then I hear very late in the day that yesterday was National Love Your Pet Day or something like that! And did I get presents and cake and streamers and stuff? No I did not.
Well! Enough is enough and I am going to file a complaint about being neglected unless I get a whole bunch of treats, and they better be the good kind too, not just part of my daily allotment of kibble.
Otherwise it’s gonna be Strike three, mom!
I ask you, how much should a Sheltie girl take before she pulls rank on the mom and dad? Now’s the time to organize! Now’s the time to protest! Now’s the time to take control!
Who’s with me?
PS: All these pictures were taken this week when mom took me to some parks to play in the snow and up to my breeder’s house to play with my dog mom and my niece Sarah. (so maybe mom doesn’t totally neglect me….maybe.)
We were cold and tired. Our feet hurt, my back ached, but we were happy, knowing that we had each gotten several really good images of our favorite birds. It was time to drive home.
It was a cold and very windy day.
We each climbed into our respective cars for the trip out of the park. But there was one more place we needed to check out before we left. Because, on our drive into the park we’d both, separately, noticed a single swan sitting in a blue pool of open water in the frozen river. It was a stunning scene, but neither of us had pulled over.
When we climbed out of our cars at the Nature Center the first thing we said to each other was “Did you see that swan?” I offered to drive back there right then but she said, “No, we’ll stop on our way out.”
Neither of us really thought that swan would still be there on our way out. If we’ve learned anything doing outdoor photography it’s that if you see it shoot it. Nothing ever looks exactly the same again.
But we let the swan idea go and headed back into the woods in search of the birds you’ve seen in my previous two posts. In fact I sort of forgot all about that swan, I was having such a good time with the little birds.
A couple nearby.
But when we packed up the car for the return trip we decided if the swan was still there we’d stop. And wonder of wonder, when we drove across the bridge above the river there were dozens of swans!
Obviously we pulled over and climbed out of the car, forgetting our cold toes and fingers.
I loved all the footprints.
Standing out in the open, up on a bridge, as the wind blew and our fingers turned to ice we kept shooting until we had half again as many photos as we had already taken!
There were lots of swans, but I was most interested in the three that were near me, just below the bridge I was standing on.
There was the single, beautiful swan directly below us as well as the couple off to the side. It was like a photo shoot with beautiful models. As they moved, turning their heads and posing, we kept shooting.
Neither of us wanted to leave, it was so beautiful. In fact at one point I got back in the car. After all, how many pictures of a swan does any one photographer need? And then the wind picked up and the feathers on our swan blew in the wind.
And I had to get back out and keep shooting. Of course, wouldn’t you?
I swear, if you live close to this park in Southeast Michigan I’m surprised you’re not already in your car heading over there.
It’s been three weeks since I last visited Kensington, my favorite park, feeding and taking pictures of the birds.
Those of you new here probably don’t know about Kensington, where the wild birds freely come down to outstretched hands for treats.
Chickadee
Most people seeing this for the first time think it’s odd and wonderful, all at the same time. Which of course it is.
Male junco
Feeding the birds is one of my favorite things to do in the whole world and if I lived closer I’m sure I’d be there every day. There are some lucky people who are able to do that. I think some of the birds probably recognize them as regulars.
Curious titmouse
I see some people walking the trails for exercise, but the majority of people are there to experience a bird landing on their hand, or to photograph birds. Or both.
It’s been so long now since I took these pictures that I can’t remember the stories that go with them. So mostly I won’t narrate the birds’ thoughts. Suffice it to say that they’re mostly all about the food.
“Do you have treats over there?”
Mostly I was trying to get images of birds moving, they’re so beautiful in flight. But often I had the camera focused on my hand, waiting for the birds to land, and their wingspans turned out to be just outside the focus area. Lesson learned.
Still, you can see how complicated bird wings are, and how beautiful.
As photographers we were so lucky that day — the sun came out, so even though it was very cold and windy we got some beautiful light.
Mourning dove
We spent a good two hours standing next to a small tree that seemed to be the launching ground for little (and some not so little) birds to buzz over to our hands.
Female red belly woodpecker
We didn’t have to go look for the birds, they heard (through the grape vine?) about us and zoomed right over.
Chickadee underside
But eventually the sun lowered and the chill intensified. The handwarmers I put in my boots were now cold and so were my toes.
Showing off her red belly
It was time to go home, but we didn’t want to leave our little friends. They were still busy coming and going.
Coming and going
They weren’t giving up on us…how could we give up on them?
Male downy woodpecker
But they had eaten a lot, their bellies should be full. And in the morning a whole new bunch of people would be on the trails, hands outstretched filled with oilers and peanuts and suet balls.
Where you going, ladies?
Breakfast will be served.
Oh…on a previous post I said that we saw something beautiful on the way out of the park…but this post is already way too long. So I guess you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer.
Are you sure my breakfast will be here early tomorrow?
I try very hard to not get political here or on any social media. But these last couple of weeks have been overwhelming and I’ve been feeling sad and hopeless. Perhaps you’ve been feeling that way too. Or, perhaps you’re feeling that things are finally moving in the right direction.
Either way, as long as we’re respectful, we have the right to express our feelings.
Me? I’m thoroughly against 99% of what the 47th President is doing. And at this moment I can’t even think of the 1% I might find acceptable. But that’s not the reason for this post.
The reason I’m writing now is not to beat a drum for one side or the other, but to ask you to think about what you can do to help us all keep moving forward. As programs that were designed to catch people falling through the cracks to help meet their food and housing and educational needs are cut off, what can we do, as individuals, to help?
Here’s a link to a news story I saw last night that gave me hope and a bit of inspiration. I thought as I watched her talk about her front yard food pantry….well…I can do that. Maybe you will find her inspirational too.
Nikki Lee isn’t a wealthy woman donating millions of dollars to her favorite cause. She’s simply a good person feeding people the best she can. Maybe some of those people are taking advantage of her generosity, but I bet most of them are just grateful for a bit of help.
It seems to me that if we all contribute to programs already in our communities, or if we start one up that isn’t there yet, we can help each other do more than get through the rough times, we can help each other grow.
My library has a food pantry. I’ll be going to the grocery store today, and while I’m there I’ll be picking up some extra stuff to fill the baskets over there. It’s a start.
I challenge you to look around your community and find the gaps that are growing wider by the day. See what you can do to start building bridges.
And, while you’re doing that, it wouldn’t hurt for you to voice your opinion with your Senators and Congressperson.
Looking out over a changed landscape.
Photos are from Friday afternoon’s snow, taken from various dirty windows with my phone. Unedited, raw, the way life seems to be these days.
Ten days ago I took you with me while I searched for the redheaded woodpecker. And as you saw, we found the noisy little guy almost right away! So did we turn around and go home, having achieved our mission?
Hey guys! I’ll fly for a peanut!
Well of course not!
I know I’m out of focus but look at my beautiful, piano key, wings!
I have sooooo much to show you that it’s hard to choose! But I think you’ll enjoy our effort to get a good shot of the park’s smash and dash thieves, the brilliantly hued, but common, blue jays.
Who you calling common?
While other birds joyously drop down to hands filled with special treats, select a morsel and flit back up into the trees to enjoy their snacks, the blue jays stalk park guests, skulking up in higher tree branches, then drop lower to scout out the situation, as they wait for an opportunity.
This girl looks promising, she has whole peanuts, my favorite!
And when they see it, when the timing is just right, they swoop down, slam into the giver’s hand, grab the best treat and spill the rest of the seed on the ground as they dash back up into the trees to enjoy their spoils.
Oops, missed the jay.
The rest of the birds stay out of the way and watch. It’s a kind of entertainment for them, too.
Wow! I think the thief went that-a-way!
Plus they get to gather the leftovers from the ground after the blue jay’s dramatic exit.
We spent a lot of time standing in one place trying to get images of the blue jays coming down for their smash and dash.
Oops, missed again.
Mostly we got shots of the empty hand, or a blue jay behind.
I know my photographer friend has at least one excellent image of the blue jay just before it landed on her daughter’s hand, but my best shot was of him racing away.
He got the peanut and I got him!
We had so much fun trying to capture an image of the jays and watching the other birds. It was cold that day and everybody was hungry. I have lots of images of smaller and more polite birds that would like their stories told too.
We mourning doves get passed over for more exciting birds all the time.
I told them I wasn’t sure if you all were prepared for more bird blogs. After all, when you’ve seen one bird, you’ve seen them all…..right?
Wait! Don’t you want to see me too?
Of course not right!!! Stay tuned. I have lots of beautiful birds, and a special surprise that we found on our way out of the park that afternoon.
So apparently my parents don’t get that my breed originated from frigid Shetland Islands in Scotland where the weather is worse than anything they’ve endured. And that shelties, as a breed, love winter. Because when the temperatures here were forecasted to be below 0 F (-17.7 C) mom and dad dug out my sister Katie’s boots.
These are not a fashion statement, mom!
They said if I would please wear the boots on our abbreviated trips out to do my business, they would feel much warmer themselves.
Uh huh.
So yesterday mom started putting boots on my feet, all four of them, every time we went out. I didn’t resist but I certainly don’t help her. By the time she’s got all 4 on me she’s usually sweating.
I guess they don’t look too bad against the snow.
Then she has to get all her own paraphernalia on, sweatshirt and hat and scarf and coat and mittens and boots (only 2 for her). By then I’ve usually decided I don’t really have to go out after all. So I stand still in the foyer and refuse to move.
Yep. Mom loves it.
I think I’ve changed my mind, mom. I’ll stay in for awhile, OK?
Mostly I’m just messing with her. The first three times mom took me out I managed to throw off one boot every trip. But then that naked foot got really cold and I stopped running around and held it up and looked pathetic and she carried me back inside.
Win for the sheltie.
Well, they DO give me an elevated look, I guess.
Today mom has perfected the boot placement and has them on nice and tight and I can’t shake any off, so I decided to dance around out there and find sticks to chew on and play in the snow and not go to the bathroom, cause it was so fun.
Win for the sheltie.
Can I get these off now mom?
Mom does not appear to be having fun. Did I mention the wind-chill is -15 F? That’s -26 C! Mom says she’s leaving the stinking boots on my feet, even inside until I pee when we go out. But she was only kidding. She took them off when I asked nice, and I took a nap.
This boot thing is exhausting.
They say by this afternoon the temperatures will be back in the teens, maybe 14 or so (-10 C) and heck, that’s a heat wave, I can go out to pee without my boots, and I very likely will…cause between you and me?
Change Is Hard 