Tinted

7 a.m. Dawn. One of those lovely ones of sky shading into gray and lavender, and where the clouds are roses and creams and pearls and golds. All colors marked and framed by the traceries of winter twigs, punctuated by the silhouettes of whine pine branches, thick among the thin.

Out and about with Orca

Tracks! Identifiable: running neighbor with border collie, us. Others might've been fox (red or grey). bobcat, mink, squirrel. Those are pretty likely. Oh, also more dogs, natch. Shrew? And other small rodent -- vole/mouse type (holes in the snow).

Maybe a bit far for Orca -- I was only going to go to the dead end sign and back, but went around the back of the house and along our forest path by the creek -- too tempting not too! Then Orca wanted to go down toward the mailbox so we did but she was shaky and tired on the way back. Her knee is so stiff and what with widespread mild arthritis....

(see also LittleBirder for this day)

looking forward, looking up

I've been looking at the wood pile.

Well, of course, one does, each time we look out the back door. It's just there.

But I've been counting the rows ... I think we're going to run out of wood this year.

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I love the hazy clouds over the full moon.

icy snow is good for...

It's thawed and snowed and refroze ... strange weather. But the crusty, icy snow, not too deep, turns out to be nice for teaching LittleBirder to ski a bit.

He loves it.

spider prints

LittleBirder: "Mama, can you put the spider outside so it can make footyprints?"

Mama: "Do you think spiders can make footyprints?"

LittleBirder: "Yup, with their legs."

Christmas Project

On Christmas Day, Grandpére and LittleBirder put together a bird feeder. This is a very cool Christmas present.

The hammer is a present for LittleBirder as well; it came with the kit that Grandpére made.

Beloved Orca

Orca, my Berner, is 11½ years old. She loves the snow as much as ever. In the winter, we call her "Orca Icebiter"

Kingfisher!

I spotted a kingfisher midafternoon today, on our way to get a Christmas tree. It was perched on the branch of a young tree on the shore of the Huntington River, just where Main Road crosses the River, north of Jubilee Farm.

Seemed late in the year for it? But my sister (the Director of the Birds of Vermont Museum) says no, not necessarily. So cool.

snow for skis

LittleBirder has a snow day today. This rather threw my plans of working off, but we played outside in the snow instead. OK, I did chores: shovelling, bringing in wood. Then he got to try his skiis for the first time!

Things to do on the land...

warm sweet home

The fire is going in the woodstove -- messages are checked -- the cat is cuddled -- pick up Orca tomrrow or so -- there have been baths -- LittleBirder is tucked into bed -- we've started the propane fireplace (just for extra) -- people have been called so they know we're home safe.

All is snug.

going traveling; the jays will watch the house no doubt

Tomorrow we leave, we TRAVEL. I love this. The act of the motion the changes the journays the process. Sometimes more in the abstract than the actual.

Back in a week or so

first snow...man

LittleBirder and his Dadda built this fellow to watch over our woodpile.

I'm not sure whether I love the carrot nose or the hemlock beard more. Just wonderful.

This pic is a little blurry at this auto-resize; you might want to click to see the larger one.

first snow

First real snowfall... New warm winter boots (yesterday) and new snow as of this morning is irresistible. LittleBirder proceeds to attempt to dress himself in yesterday's clothes: sweatpants over jammies so he "can have long johns". Pulls on socks and boots mostly without help. Is sure he doesn't want breakfast first. He just wants to make "footyprints"!

Alright then, why not? I put on outdoor things and make sure he's got water resistant shells on top of sweats and sweater. We bring in wood -- mostly me of course though he helps -- I bring his toast with nut butter and cinnamon sugar out to him, one piece at a time. He eats snow too (just like the dog!).

I string up a tarp at the end of the woodshed -- it's blue, I wish it were green. Oh well; it works to protect the ends of the wood from most weather, I guess.

After finishing wood and tarps and toast we take Orca for a walk to LittleBirder can have her on a leash for a while. Pretty darn silly, as she could knock him over without thinking about it.

Not bad for it only being 9:30a.m.!

wet...

Rainy.

warm...

Strangely warm out today.

wood for the winter

We finished stacking this year's today. I estimate: 4½ - 5 cord. Two rows is just under a cord; the shed holds 10 rows or nearly. Hope it's dry enough.

Saw a dozen or so chickadees, a titmouse, two or more blue jays.

migrate or not?

I saw a Mourning Dove on a Maple Tree today -- on a branch -- thought they migrated? Just a territory shift?

whoosh

LittleBirder and I saw a shooting star tonight in the high NorthWest.

reassurance of warmth

It's always amusing when you describe your old wood stove to someone who knows stoves, and he says, with respect, that you've got a work horse and it'll probably put out as much heat or more than the other one(s) you've been talking about.

Our stove is old. I've had it since I bought the deep camp this place used to be, and always assumed it was at least 5 if not 40 years old. I wonder if it is older than me. That'd be amusing too.

a toddler's approach to squirrels

LittleBirder went outside today with a bird book, notebook, and crayon. Came in to tell me of a "chipmunk" eating seed in the green feeder that is (in his mind) for chickadees. We talked about how he could scare away a red squirrel by going out and talking to it. In the back of my mind is the idea the squirrel might become habituated to him and he could eventually feed it. I wonder how likely that is? And I wonder if the uneven bit of fur on a red squirrel (the same one? A different one?) is a scar (thus earning it the name "Nibbles") or just a rain-soaked and temporary look.

I wonder where Stubbs is, and how -- whether he survived the summer.