Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Extraordinary Snowflake!


My friend Martina took this photograph today of a snowflake. I am amazed at how it is set apart from the mass of snow along the ledge, and is so perfect. I don't know about the "every snowflake is unique" statement (how can we actually know this?), but the ones I've seen are nothing but beautiful works of art. Thank you Martina, for sharing this.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Seed buffet and cardinal take-over

On this icy/rainy morning, I had time (school was two hours late) to put out seeds for my resident birds. When I looked out the window about 5 minutes later, I counted at least 15 cardinals! You can see two males and two females on this platform feeder Dan set up for them. Two others were inside the tunnel. I place black oil sunflower seed (their favorite) along the beams of the old  monkey bars and swing frame. All of the other pictures I took showed lots of blurring because birds are rarely still, so you only get a taste of my view here. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, sparrows, juncos, and various woodpeckers are also regular visitors, but these beautiful cardinals are my favorite.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Ice Sculptures

After the polar vortex on Tuesday, today's temperatures felt nice-upper 20's to low 30's in my "backyard"- so I ventured out to see how the woods had fared. The creek was beautiful! Pictures just cannot capture the water sculptures nature created for me to see! I kept wanting to take another picture all along the valley. Even the moss up on the side of the embankment had icicles!


2013 was a good year for rainfall, so the creek has been running continuously, and with the rainfall over this past weekend, runoff downhill was plentiful. Alongside the creek it was crunchy ice under the leaves. This creek has always been one of my most favorite places to visit. The water sounds are soothing, calming, and relaxing. Even in the winter.

Monday, January 6, 2014

This picture I found on tumblr has quite an impact. It got ME thinking, "yeah, what if?" Think about it: bats are having issues with white-nose syndrome, people kill snakes all the time, and songbirds are on the decline due to habitat loss. What will be left to eat insects and spiders? Remember, pesticides are neurotoxins. I don't want those chemicals in my house. Sure, mice, fish, chickens all eat insects, but of those, only mice live near me.
Something to consider. Save rainforests, save frogs and birds. Use fewer chemicals, save frogs and birds.

Saturday, January 4, 2014


My friend, Bryan Neuswanger, formerly a teacher
at Franklin County High School with me, is now an
excellent photographer. His work can be viewed
online, and purchased! I am continuously
amazed at his "keen eye" in capturing nature
and landscapes. Please take a look and enjoy,
and maybe purchase!
Keenai Photography

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year 2014!
It's funny how we all celebrate Earth completing another trip around the sun. It is a good thing that Earth made it, and it does give all of us consistency in our lives....seasons, constellations, moon phases, to name a few. I personally enjoy knowing what to expect from day to day when it comes to these things since there are so many other parts of my life that are different every day. Knowing that the sun will rise on each new day gives me a little bit of calm, something I can focus on when meditating. My resolution for this year? To make decisions more thoughtfully: what I eat, what I buy, how I care for my family, pets, friends, and what I do everyday. If I consider the long-term impact of my choices, hopefully those choices will make a difference.  I hope your 2014 is full of purpose!