Mockingbird Tales and a Little Coffee Humor

I have enjoyed photographing the birds today, especially the mockingbird! It was freezing and we had a few flurries so the feeders were at full capacity!

I thought this caption was fitting for this picture! I made it for my daughter because she is so not a morning person and this has been a running joke in our family for several years! I think I'll make an 8x10 of it for her to hang over her coffee maker!

It has been so cold the last few days and as soon as I fill the birdbath it freezes. I kept seeing the birds land on it trying to get a drink and I felt bad so I finally pulled out the heated birdbath. I got this one for $2.00 at a garage sale a few years ago. I have tried using it in the past and the birds wouldn't drink from it.

As soon as I put it out, the mockingbird landed and was drinking. None of the other birds were brave enough to venture in for a drink. I need to find something sturdy to hold it so that I can place it further out in the yard. Hopefully the other birds would use it then.

The mockingbird is new to my yard and he has quickly become a favorite to watch! He also chases away the starlings so he occasionally gets special treats of mealworms! I want him to stick around!

No Winter Whining

There is a new meme called, " No Winter Whining- Finding Color in Winter".  It is Jen from Muddy Boot Dreams and  Heather from, Life is a garden.

Winter is in full force today and the temperatures have plummeted! We are under a weather advisory due to wind chills to -20°, but I'm not whining! As the snow fell and the wind blew, I sat for a few hours bird watching! Camera in hand, of course!

It is kind of hard to complain about the weather when I'm safe inside all cozy and warm and especially when I am watching the birds! They just make me happy!

So here is my contribution to Finding Color in Winter!

Hope you enjoy!

Okay, so maybe a little bit of whining, but only because I wanted a caption and could think of nothing clever to say!

You can follow No Winter Whining on Facebook and Pinterest, Jen has the links on her blog post!

He Acts Like He Owns the Place!

 What crazy winter weather we have in Indiana! Saturday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 63°! What a glorious break for those of us who get a little weary of the grey winter skies!Yesterday the temperatures started dropping and we had torrential rains with flooding. This morning when I went out to fill the bird feeders it was snowing and 16°!

I am still enjoying my mockingbird visitor! Here he/she is eating chunky peanut butter! I thought I would put a few meal worms, seeds and peanuts in a yellow cup to see who my first brave visitor would be. The chickadee was first but too fast to capture and the mockingbird was next. He is beginning to act like he owns the place!

Whetting the Appetite for Spring!

 It was almost 50° and sunny today! The snow has melted! I have spring blooms inside!

This has only whetted my appetite; I am so ready for spring!

Turquoise Truck

These photos are from the archives.

 I love this rusty old turquoise truck!

It is at Stonycreek Farms in Noblesville, IN. It is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall!

Snow Covered Bird Feeding Tree

 Here are a couple of pictures of my winter bird feeding station after the snow a few nights ago! It is beautiful covered in snow with the white lights twinkling! It's warming up so the snow is melting. I am looking forward to a few days of mild temperatures!

Here is another shot with some photo editing and desaturation.

The tension is high at my house tonight! My guys are ready for the big game between Alabama and Notre Dame! We are from Tuscaloosa and my husband attended the U of A! Roll Tide!

Winter Birdbath

Most of us put away our birdbaths during the winter months since concrete, ceramic and clay birdbaths can crack and break when the water freezes. However the birds still need water during winter for drinking and bathing.

My solution is a large plastic plant saucer filled with rocks. I take steaming hot water out each morning and pour it into the birdbath. Almost as soon as I go inside the birds are drinking and if the temperatures are more moderate they will bathe.

Eventually the water will freeze again, but at least the birds can get water for a while each morning. Sometimes if it freezes too quickly I will melt the ice again. As you can see from the two collages, a variety of birds take advantage of the winter birdbath.

Dove Ghost

Unfortunately another dove hit the sliding glass doors. I didn't see it on the patio so hopefully it wasn't injured.

This also happened in February 2010, and I blogged about it then. Doves have powder down feathers, (extremely fine feathers that disintegrate into a dust-like substance). This powder down  creates a dove ghost when they strike a window!

Observing nature is quite fascinating to me and it causes me to think of the magnificent Creator of these amazing details!

Swallowtail Butterfly Summer 2012

Longing for warmer weather! A 2012 summer butterfly.

Meet Lexie

 My son was getting off work one night and as he walked to his car he was approached by a very skinny kitten. She was friendly and desperately wanted his attention. My son called me to see if he could bring her home until he found a home for her. Of course, I couldn't let a starving kitten stay in the parking lot, so I said yes.

The first night she stayed in the garage because she had a few fleas and she was a little congested. I couldn't risk her giving my other cat an illness. She was starving for both food and attention and I stayed in the garage with her for a long time. She was so loving and sweet,  I knew right away that she wasn't going anywhere! The next morning she was given a bath and stayed in the guest room for observation. She has been to the vet and is now spayed.

Since my son works at a car dealership and he found her in the parking lot, I named her Lexus and we call her Lexie. She is my shadow, especially when I am in the kitchen! She is a sweet little snuggle bug and sleeps either on me or beside me.

I'm not sure why, but our cats seem to have similar coloring. My sweet cat, Libby, was also found in a parking lot seven years ago. It was sleeting and snowing that December night. She was only a few weeks old when I found her. (Why do people dump off precious kittens, especially in winter?)

Piper was rescued from the humane society. She is my daughter's cat and they no longer live here.

I really missed Piper and my daughter's other cat Jasmine when they moved, but I wasn't planning on getting another kitten. I am so glad that Lexie found her way into our lives and hearts.

Jan. 2 -More Winter Bird Feeding

 It is frigid weather here with a low of 9° last night! I was hoping for another mild winter like we had last year but it looks like we are in for a cold and snowy one!

 When I get up in the morning the birds are waiting for me.

 I had five male cardinals in the tree yesterday! They stop me in my tracks with their brilliant red feathers. I hope their spectacular beauty never becomes commonplace to me!

 The goldfinches will stay on their sock feeder while I fill the other feeders in the same tree.

The woodpeckers have now discovered the goodies on the front side of the tree! They prefer the suet dipped pine cones! I need to pick up more lard and peanut butter on my next trip to the grocery store to make more since we may be in for a long harsh winter!

Happy New Year!

 The first few weeks after setting up my winter bird feeding station most of the birds ignored it. All it took was a little snow for  the birds to discover what was tucked in the branches!

The mockingbird was apprehensive at first but is a regular visitor now. It favors the peanut butter cups but also eats the homemade suet.

Happy New Year to each of you

It is so hard to believe that another year has ended. Honestly, I was glad to see that one go! I look forward to 2013 and I am trusting that it will be a better year for my family!

I am going to challenge myself for 2013 and try to post at least one picture a day. It may be an old picture I've taken and never posted, it may just be something I like, it may or may not include text. One thing I won't do is create more stress for myself, so if it becomes too much of a burden or chore I will stop.I need the challenge so that I will get back into the habit of regular blogging and improve my photography. Working has put both on the back burner and I want to change that.

I hope 2013 will be a great year for each of you!