It was another deceiving winter day as the sun was out but the temperature was cold. Even the birds were fluffing up their feathers as they waited in line for the bird feeder. Birds fluff up in cold weather to create pockets of warm air next to their bodies. The technical term for fluffing up is ptiloerection.
Fluffed Up Bird
While there were some people who enjoyed the new coating of snow today, others including this cat, were a little less pleased to have to go out in it or shovel the snow.
Grumpy Snowy Cat
It can be hard to find much green color around here in the winter, as even the pine trees seem dull, but once in a while instead of a red barn there is a green one on the farm landscape.
Green Barn
It seems like the deer have been more active around my house lately instead of down by the pond as I noticed them at my basement door and eating dried flower heads. With the ground covered in snow, finding something to eat isn’t as easy as during summertime fill with green grass and leaves.
Deer in Green
This afternoon was 50 degrees warmer than yesterday morning, but it was still below freezing. But the warmer temperatures has me dreaming of beaches not covered by snow and ice.
Autumn Sandy Beach
On Saturday, 34 fisherman were stranded on a piece of ice that cracked and separated away from the rest ice near shore. They had to be rescued from the floating ice as it floating farther out into Lake Michigan. I wouldn’t be fishing on the ice since the ice changes frequently on big bodies of water as this image from Lake Superior was a solid sheet one minute, fractured a while later and after a few more hours, the ice floated out of view.
Lake Superior Floating Ice
It was sunny winter day but looks were a bit deceiving with the below zero temperatures. And the snow squeaked when I walked on it going to the bird feeders, but at least I wasn’t out shoveling snow today.
Crisp Winter Day
There was a flock of turkeys crossing the road and going down my driveway when I was trying to pull in so I had to wait for them. The group split up and some ending up wading through drifts into the trees while others stayed on the driveway longer before trudging a path through the snow.
Turkey in the Snow
This morning, when it was -20, I saw a rabbit trying to hop from one packed snow area to the next but it couldn’t jump far enough all time. And it needed the fur coat, unlike this summertime rabbit who was stretched out on a hot day.
Warm Rabbit
The thermometer on my car said -4 this afternoon and I watched the snow blow around whenever the wind picked up. It sure had me dreaming of July instead of January and warm, sandy beaches.
Beach Time in July
