Hello - Catching Up A Little

Hello My Blogging Buddies,

I hope all of you are well and that you enjoyed the holidays.

This little squirrel is one of the babies we watched in 2008. Yep, they still hang around. :-)

Due to circumstances here, it's been awhile since I was able to post any nature pictures, but life takes some unexpected twists and turns sometimes, and we just have to roll with the punches. I hope 2009 will bring us peace and all good things!

The seasons passed quickly this year and winter is in full swing now. We've had a couple of snow storms. At one point, at least a foot of snow on the ground. All melted now, and replaced with newly fallen white stuff. It was all so beautiful and I had no time to take pictures! Ouch! Oh! And this was despite getting a new camera - which I love - unlike the lemon I bought I couple of years ago.

Mom is holding steady and in a nursing home for now. Still some serious issues, but we never give up on trying to improve the situation. Thank you for all of your visits, your kind notes and positive thoughts. They are appreciated.

In between visits to my mother during the holiday season, we managed to get in a couple of nature-related walks. I have missed my daily walks. I hope with the new year that things will improve enough that I can get back to posting blogs and visiting all of your blogs again. I really miss you all!

During the most recent snowfall, I saw that there were some big flakes coming down. That's the best time to get out and try and find the beautiful snowflake crystals, so I headed out into my backyard garden. This one above is unusual because I usually see them standing on end, but this one was lying flat and the sun was breaking through to shine its light upon it. A little star it its own right.

This is the more common way that I see them. Looking closely, as if my eyes were magnifying glasses, I found this one tucked into the railing on the steps. Remember, if you want, you can click the images to see them larger.

A female cardinal was perched in the bushes.

After walking around the house, we headed off in the car to find a trail to walk. First, we drove down a road where eagles are sometimes spotted. We got lucky when this one flew in, but he was perched far across the river. Getting used to my new camera, and in a location where I was unable to use a tripod, this picture is actually pretty shaky when I try to crop it, so this is the best I could get that day. I want to go back and try this again.

Out in the farm country near my home, this is a scene often repeated in my files. I just like that little shed by the tree. There was about 5 inches of snow on the ground, but it gets lost in the tall grasses of the field.

Next stop was up to Litchfield. This tree branch was hanging down over the icy, snowy river and casting some shadows.

Snow had blown hard against some of the tree trunks, and stayed there like blankets against the bark.

There was evidence of a lot of little feet walking across the snow

A view of the hills not far from where I live

Sunlight and shadows in the forest

I really like studying the shadows and light upon the snow. This scene caught my eye

A frozen landscape always looks so pretty - it's actually feeling the cold that I don't like. Give me back the feeling in my fingers and toes! :-)

In some places, the water is still open, while in others, it's solid enough that people are ice fishing.

Water clinging to branches - slowly frozen

This was a nest for a couple of Canada Geese. In the springtime, the floods came and washed the eggs away. The geese moved on, but nature never wastes anything. Beavers came in, converted the nest to a lodge for themselves, and they are probably tucked snugly in there right now.

Ice formations reflecting on the water

Back home again, a male cardinal visits this time

A couple of sparrows fly under my window

Little feet

Bittersweet encrusted with ice. In the springtime, the robins will come again and enjoy these berries.

And that's about all I have for now. Today, I'm going to get busy and work around the house. I've been ignoring things during the holidays, so I have plenty to do!

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!! I'll see you whenever I can. xxx