It’s supposed to be really white outside, with a couple of feet of snow on the ground, perhaps icy on top from recent warm spells. It’s nothing like that this winter. We have at most five inches of snow on the ground, with large bare patches where the sun is the most unobstructed by trees or shadows cast by the mountains to the east.
Gray skies make for very little in the way of solar gain. And it is raining again today.
The hillsides directly across from us have very little snow left. And if the temperatures continue this warm for the next week, as predicted, our driveway may have large areas of gravel showing through under the ice. That will be neat!
This really does look more like March than mid February.
We could still get a large snowfall, but the chances are dwindling and migrating birds are coming back. Yesterday we went for a walk by the river and heard flocks of Canada Geese flying, saw a small flock of ducks bombing around over the river. I heard a Saw-whet Owl calling early in the morning, very close to the house.
Yesterday we had a fairly sizeable flock of Pine Siskins visiting the feeders. They look like mobile dry leaves decorating the bare branches of bushes in front of the house.
Flighty little things, I didn't dare go out on the porch to take their picture, and it looks a little fuzzy through the sliding glass doors.
They are such pretty little birds when you get a close look at them, with a lot of variation in the amount of yellow in their plummage.
This one has quite a bit of yellow on the back and above the tail.
A pretty profile; the conical shaped beak marks these guys as seed-eaters.
Their steaked sides are great camoflauge when they are in dry grass, a favorite feeding spot.
Non-migratory, the flocks range over a pretty wide area in the winter, searching for food.
Only 69 days until our first hummingbird is due to return. That’s not very long in the grand scheme of things.
Last Sunday I made pancakes for breakfast.
It has been warm enough that the cookstove is enough heat for the house until evening, and it is nice to take advantage of this by using our cast iron griddle for cooking.
Mish has a new toy. He's almost 2 years old now, but still discovering new and exciting ways to get into trouble.
Here he is immediately after being chased out of the bathroom and away from his handiwork.
Note the totally innocent body posture, and demeanor, which states, beyond any doubt, “I’ve been here all along and have NO idea what you’re going on about.” I quoted a favorite line from “Back to the Future,” – You’d better get used to those bars! He didn’t get the reference.
“Who, little, ‘ol me?” Mishkin is really funny, and so unlike other cats! Hahaha. Careful when bragging about so little snow on the ground–the snowmaker may hear you!!!