Sunday, January 26, 2014

January Winter 2014 - Snow Birds - Knitting - Chocolate Raspberry Sherbet and The Grammys

January Winter 2014
For The Record

We have had two significant snow falls this month. Well, significant for this area I mean.  The first one was on the third.  The TV news made us crazy.  There were constant updates on the potential blizzard.  Of course, there were repetitive explanations of what conditions were necessary for a storm to be called a blizzard.


By the end of the storm about 8 inches of snow had accumulated.  But, the next day was warm, and the day after that it rained, so the snow didn’t stay around very long.

There was another storm on the twenty-second.   I don’t remember as much hysteria over that one, probably because we didn’t turn on our TV much.  This second storm also left about eight inches.  Since that storm it’s been bitterly cold.  Again bitterly cold for this area, I mean.  The temperatures for the past four days have been lows of under the teens and highs under only thirty.






Yesterday, Saturday, in the late afternoon, it started to snow again.   It was pretty,  lasted a couple of hours and only left a bit of a dusting.

I haven’t left my cocoon very often this month.  I’ve been out of the house less than a dozen times.  And when I did the leave the house, I didn’t stay out for very long. The fireplace, my cozy corner, my knitting and marathon TV binging have kept me warm and occupied.



This morning’s sky is brilliant.  When I went out into our sun room, which is only a sunny room until about noon time, I could hear birds chirping.  I looked up into the tree branches, crouched down to peek under the pines
 and squinted to eye the neighbor’s feeder, but I didn’t see a flutter of a wing or a tip of a beak.  I wondered where they were hanging out.


I thought that perhaps they were huddled out in the wooded area across the street from our house. As I looked out the front door I spotted bouncing boughs.  I watched closely and sure enough, small finches were flitting in and out and landing on branches for the briefest of minutes.

I pulled on a hat, slipped into my clogs, bundled myself into my 10 year old black Land’s End Insulated Squall Parka (over my PJ’s I might add) and grabbed my camera.

I stood in our driveway and 35X optically zoomed in HD with my powerful Canon Power Shot SX40HS .  That’s when I noticed a group of them, hopping around under a large cedar.  Except for patches of bright yellow, they almost nearly blended in perfectly with the nest of old brown fallen needles.

From across the way with my zoom, I was getting some good shots.  But I couldn’t tell what it was that they were so intently and urgently pecking in the snow for.

I quietly inched my way closer and closer until I was only a few feet from them.  I thought at some point the appointed “watcher out for danger” would notify the others of this approaching stranger.
Apparently, though, the flock was very hungry or the berries too intoxicating, because they just kept going about their business, completely ignoring me.











In between the periods of unpleasant weather, when we did go out, I managed to get some great shots.  One day we took a ride to Tuckerton Bay.


This day I was surprised to see a robin who decided, I guess, to hang out here instead of flying off to a warmer climate.

And then there was this guy prettying up our bare front yard tree.


Today Ross, Dolores and I did go out for lunch at the new restaurant in town called Element.  Next time we go I am going to skip the meal and go straight for the thick dark chocolate coated raspberry sherbet.

Then we went back to Dolores’ and I tried to recruit another knitter.

I think I hooked her :).

Tonight is the night of the Grammy’s.  This is when I find out who and what everyone else is listening to.


2 comments:

  1. Sometimes, I miss the snow we used to get when we lived in Wisconsin...and then I remember how much I hated shoveling and the cold and the salting/sanding, and the mess my cars were, the salt would get in the house. I suppose if I want to see snow again, I can go up to Tahoe for a weekend. Or not.

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    1. The first snow is lovely, as is the first hint of cool autumn air. But, by the end of January it has gotten old and tiresome. I agree, visiting snow is the better option.

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