Monday Mondays...can't get me down...

Good Monday morning. 

[Yes, a day late but I was unplugged yesterday.]

Some mornings I get greeted by this friendly crow. Well, I'm not really sure it is the same crow each time. But there you are.

Crows often appear as

tricksters...

The light was terrible Monday. Dull and dreary. Nothing at all like Sunday which was sunny and bright.

I got things set up for the big ice/wintery event that was supposed to happen.

The birds were quite happy when I refilled the feeder.

Below is a female cardinal. I've been trying like the dickens to get birds launching off the branches and in flight. I use rapid shot mode and most of the time I fail. However it was fun to see that the cardinal launches herself willy nilly towards the ground and opens her wings to slow to a graceful landing at the last second.

Here is Charlie's nemesis eating a hickory nut he/she dug up from the base of the pine tree. Charlie can't see the squirrel unless I lift him up to a window or let him out.

He enjoys the chase.

When I do chores with him he hunts in the big shed for rabbits and chases them out. He has never caught a rabbit or squirrel but he sure tries. Voles are his specialty. He is quite good at laying like a cat next to a hole in the yard and patiently waiting for the vole to poke its head out.

The Chickadees have been absolutely crazy at the feeder. 

I had pushed the shutter speed up and still didn't get the wings of this Chickadee. It looks like a fuzzy missile.

I moved the mules to another wooded area that is not icy. It is another section of their wooded pasture and since they haven't walked on it all winter, it doesn't have compacted snow which has turned to ice in their winter area.

They took a break from eating hay and all but the 37 yr old bucked, farted, and took snow baths.

I was making breakfast so could only shoot at them out the back door.

It was a grand time that lasted about 20 minutes and then they all went back into the woods to work on their hay.

They were delighted with the change of scenery. 

Today looks like a snowy mix of stuff. Some places have reported Thunder snow and hail!

Have a great day and stay safe in whatever you are doing.