Christmas Eve

I usually write something fun and witty around Christmas time. There is the story about how I was convinced by Grandma Pearl that all animals talk at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve.

I'm not going to be a Debbie Downer so here is some of the action we've had at the bird feeders that past few days while we've endured the Artic Blast and subsequent winds. 
Thankfully, we are in the woods and in a hollow. While doing chores I could hear the winds roaring on the ridge.

Olive texted me to say that the cold and the wind chills were so intense that one of her sliding glass doors cracked. Can you imagine that?

Doing chores...Insulated pants, layers, coveralls, and an insulated flannel over the coveralls. Mask, fur hat, goggles and -- no glasses to fog up --. The wind chills were ... well -39? Let's just say that I knew bare skin would frostbite in less than a few minutes outside.

I did walk to the ridge to get the mail after chores as there were some meds for Rich that were delivered.

I walked up along the woods to watch the winds gust and blow snow across our road. My neighbor Olive, lives on that corner on the ridge and it is Wide Open. She told me it sounded like a freight train was idling outside her house. I didn't try to take pretty pictures, just a quick one of the road.

I was protected from the fierce winds by the woods but when I looked east across the ridge, I could see a haze. It was blowing snow that looked like it was a fog!

Those are not my tracks. Those are tracks of a deer.

We spent the day indoors of course and the birds were very active. I am glad that I ignored Rich telling me that feeding the birds was a waste of money. He often watches them and discusses what they are doing at the feeders and in the trees around us.

Enjoy the birds, we did!

It's Christmas Eve so I'll be making a special meal for us and we will open Charlie's present and Rich's gift.

Rich's daughter came Tuesday with her hubby and our grandson. She spent the day cooking her father's favorite meal and we had a really great day.
It was a great surprise and it made Rich smile all day and into the next when he got to eat Prime Rib and all the fixin's as left overs!

His daughter also sent him a Lego John Deere Technic Lego Tractor and spreader to work on! 

From our place to 

yours...

Eagle Watching

I did all of my errands Thursday morning that included picking up groceries, Charlie Food, and visiting the meat locker.

Phew. My purchases were expensive. It was a $200 day.  I noted that most gas stations were again in the process of changing their prices. This week it has floated up .10 a gallon and dropped .10 a gallon. 

It rained hard off and on all day with thunderstorms in the early morning and then again midday. The temperatures spiked with humid, muggy, and warm conditions at 68 degrees just before dark. 

I was worried about the sudden drop of temperatures to 28 overnight and how it would effect Mica our elderly grey mule who is prone to colic when there are wild temperature swings. 

However this morning, all of the equine kids are running, bucking, and farting. Fred, the eldest is pretty stoic. He is giving evil ears to anyone who bumps into him.

This is their typical winter morning routine anyway. Run, buck, and chase each other at dawn. 

All is good with the equine. The youngest mule is out chasing crows in the winter pasture. I wish I had that kind of energy at 6am!

Yesterday afternoon we had a visitor. We often get eagles flying or roosting in trees not too far way but this one was not far out the back door. The eagle carefully preened itself just before the storms hit. 

I grabbed my camera and stepped out into the yard and tried to take photos of it. It was hard to figure out what settings to use. The eagle appeared as a dark blob against a very bright grey sky.

Thankfully I have learned a few tricks over the years. I shoot RAW with my Oly -- [now called OM] -- and sometimes it can help save some of the information that the camera sees. In this case, I brightened the exposure and the shadows. 
The eagle at this point was just hanging out and preening.

Eventually the other birds noticed the eagle and a few Blue Jays decided to harass him. He was rather non-pulsed over it. I didn't catch it, but the eagle snapped at the Blue Jay when he got too close.

The Jay eventually sat in another tree and called out the eagle's presence to everyone else.

I had to move inside and shoot through the glass door when the rains came down hard.

Here, the eagle just looks ticked off at the pounding rain. When it let up, he/she just shook.

Soon the crows started to annoy the eagle. I've seen crows actually chase eagles before so I was really curious as to what would happen.

The eagle literally ignored them and they didn't actually dive bomb him at all. I figured the eagle would take off and fly away.

After hanging out for three hours, the eagle spread its wings and...

took off.

I'd waited for hours for this opportunity to 'shoot' him/her taking off. He landed in another tree close by and I was able to move to the porch and take one last shot as he left the second tree.

I was so tickled to have been able to watch this eagle from the comfort of my back door. And to observe him for hours. 

It was the highlight of the day. 

I saw some birds

Quiet week. Not much happening around here. 

Generally the birds on the ground below the feeder are Juncos and Chickadees.

But a flock of house sparrows zoomed in while I just happened to be watching.

It was fun to use the rapid fire setting and see what transpired. Sparrows are so quick I'm sure I'd have missed most of what was going on if I hadn't done so. Apparently sparrows are like chickens, they hang out in a flock and have a pecking order and squabble frequently over who is boss.

These were shot through the window. 

My grandfather didn't like sparrows, crows, and bluejays. 

Since they are part of the bird world whether we like it or not, I enjoy watching them just as much as the other birds. My husband never has nice things to say about Bluejays either, but I like their colors and their calls. They go silent when raising young.

According to Cronell Lab All About Birds, they do eat other birds eggs but not as often as we thought. 

Yard Pest!
Well, at least it wasn't a 'possum. 
Rabbits are like the sparrows, all over the place.

The only time I disagree with rabbits is when they eat things in my garden. They did trim some plants this winter along the front of the porch. But I guess they have to eat too.

Yesterday while I was on the phone to the VA, a Bluebird landed on a Shephard's hook right outside the window. I was so surprised that I hollered out to hubby while I was talking with her.

He came in and looked. The bird spent up to a minute looking at us before it flew away.

According to 'legend' or lore, seeing a bluebird is supposed to be something like good luck or a harbinger of good luck, happiness, joy, hope, and a sign of spring.

It may be just a bit early for spring but I'll take the rest of it!