Birds and Berries in Black and White

Crows

In the early sunlight, a few glittering snowflakes danced on the the wind, unwilling to take off their ballet slippers and settle down on the ground.  On the deck, birds set off little puffs of snow as they hopped around gathering scraps of food.  The crows, emboldened by their hunger, made a move on the bird feeder.

Jigsaw

In the hollow with Barley this morning.

From a distance,

the rocks that make up the creek bed appear to be a uniform gray,

but on closer inspection, certain patterns appear.

There are dimpled rocks,

rocks with gray, orange and tan coloration,

rocks with large indented arcs,

rocks that look like maps,

striped rocks, petrified wood, sparkly rocks,

 rocks enclosing treasures,

                                      

like puzzle pieces strewn out by a careless giant.

Winter Tasks

The sun flirted with orange clouds on the last morning of the year before fat raindrops fell from a darkening sky.  Scattered circles on the pond became a dense pattern as the rain danced in a frenzy on the surface of the water.  The thirsty ground tipped back its head and drank down the liquid in large gulps.  Birds fled for their roost trees and squirrels dove into their dens.  Then, almost as quickly as the rain had started, it was over, the sun reappeared, and a Spring Peeper sang from the pond.  By late morning, it felt like spring. Chipmunks, hunkered down in their dens until recently, were running full tilt across the lawn to the rock pile that supports our birdbath, where they have a stash of acorns.  


Don and I spent the afternoon in our annual tasks of grinding venison for burger, and smoking summer sausage.  We finished up Saturday, and it feels good to have a store of meat prepared and laid up in the freezer.  In the late afternoon, after working inside most of the day, we stepped outside into a cold blast that went right to the bones.  We took a walk anyway, and when we got home, we were glad we did.


This morning was quiet, and every leaf glittered with frost.  Before church, Don built a fire in the wood furnace, bringing a welcome warmth to the house.  Chipmunks, tucked back in their warm dens, are dreaming of springtime, and so am I.