Cold Snap
It was so cold here on Tuesday night, my icicles grew ‘fur’!
I’m not sure how cold it was overnight, but it was -14F at eight a.m. Thank goodness the sun shone, which made it seem warmer, even if it wasn’t!
It has not been above freezing here for a long time now, but where the sun reaches the roof, we are getting some very impressive icicles.
At least there are some signs of life indoors. My Christmas Cactus is blooming, and the African Violet I re-potted recently is rewarding me with a new bud.:-)
Budding
Temperatures climbed well into the sixties yesterday. What a treat to be outside without the usual jacket, hat, scarves and gloves!
I did not have to stray far from home to find more signs of life.
Cats certainly know how to make the most of a little sunshine!
Today we are back in the thirties with snow squalls! Sometimes I really hate Spring!!
The Voice of the Turtledove
After a couple of Springlike days, we are reminded it is still February! Snow overnight and bitterly cold temperatures in the forecast.
Abbie always finds much to explore under the new snow. Not sure what she finds down there!
I don’t exactly welcome the snow, but I have to admit it is beautiful, and encourages me to get out with my camera.
The days are noticeably longer now and I heard a dove cooing on my walk this morning. Our Winter has been quite mild this year, but I still welcome any sign of the coming of Spring!
Snowed In.
I am snowed in for the second weekend in a row.
As if the 6 inches of snow was not enough, the forecast is for rain and freezing rain for the rest of the day! 😦
November 12, 2019
Yet another surprise from the weather gods. 7 inches of snow in early November!
Colder air moving in from the Arctic, so no hope of this melting any time soon.
Some nice photo ops, but this is way too early! Looks like we are in for a long, hard Winter. 😦
November 1st, 2019
The weather played an evil Halloween trick on us overnight!
Two straight days of a cold rain changed to snow overnight, leaving us with a very unwelcome taste of the Winter to come!
I hurried to put my bird feeder out late yesterday, and it is doing a brisk trade today.
Beautiful Morning 7/24
A welcome drop in temperature and humidity left the lake in the Park steaming gently this morning.
I enjoyed the play of sun and shadow on the leaves. Difficult to catch the full effect in a photograph, but this lilac showed it quite well.
Summer is slipping away all too quickly, and I am trying to make the most of each day.
Signs of Life
As the weather continues to tease us with warmth and sunshine one day and snow on the ground the next, it is encouraging to find signs of Spring here and there. Buds are swelling on my Lilacs, frogs are singing on the warmer days, and the woods are full of Robins and Redwings.
Skunk Cabbage is not the prettiest plant, but it one of the first to appear in the woods and swamps.
Although my African Violets live indoors, they seem to be entering into the spirit of the season, showing tiny new buds after a period of dormancy.
There is a cold wind blowing today, and rain and snow in the forecast, so I am grateful for all these hopeful signs.
Trip to Lake Huron
Last week, I was snowed in from Sunday to Tuesday afternoon, and then pretty much housebound by the dangerously cold temperatures for the rest of the week. Even mail delivery was cancelled and State offices closed due to the poor road conditions and extreme temperatures. In typical Michigan fashion we are now blessed with Springlike conditions, so on Saturday, I emerged from semi-hibernation and drove to Port Huron with my trusty camera.
Rain threatened, but even under laden skies, the lake was beautiful as always.
Someone apparently felt sorry for this statue, and donated a scarf for her to wear!
Winged Visitors
Lots of birds coming to my feeder today as a Winter storm moves in, along with plunging temperatures. Even without access to TV and the Internet, birds always seem to know when bad weather is moving in.
They like to perch on the porch railing before moving to the feeder, but the accumulating snow is making that difficult!
Always difficult to get a good shot of the Cardinals. They are very easily spooked.
According to my Field Guide, this is a Song Sparrow, but they are supposed to be a Summer visitor to our area. Hope he can survive the coming Arctic Blast that is headed our way.
Closing In
On Saturday, our morning walk was almost magical. Unseasonably warm temperatures brought in fog, which thickened as the sun rose.
In the space of half an hour, visibility dropped very quickly.
By the time we were heading back to the car, the fog was wrapped around us like a blanket, muffling sound as well as sight. A truly magical morning!
Beautiful Barns
We have had so many gloomy days lately, that I rarely take my camera out, so I searched through my files for colorful photos to post, and came across these fine old barns.
Love the cloudless blue sky and green trees in this one.
This one was taken in November of 2016, but at least the sun was shining!
Our modern steel barns may be more practical and economical, but they lack the character of these beautiful old barns and I like to photograph them whenever I come across one.
A Glimpse of Sun
Enjoyed a lovely quiet walk on Christmas morning. Abbie and I had the Park all to ourselves, and we even caught a glimpse of the sun as it rose!
Unfortunately, the sunshine was soon gone as clouds rolled in once more, but at least we are not knee-deep in snow as we were last year.
With the Solstice behind us, I am looking forward to longer days. Hard to believe that the sun will be coming closer, even as the weather gets colder and Winter begins in earnest!
Stories in the snow
Last Wednesday about an inch of heavy wet snow fell overnight. As I went about my morning chores, I could plainly see what visitors had been around during the night.
The first thing I noticed was that a Raccoon had been in and out of the barn, and also crossed the front yard quite close to the house, which explains why Abbie growled and paced early the previous evening.
A little further down the driveway I discovered Coyote tracks. Always exciting to see them, as I rarely glimpse the animals themselves.
Newly fallen snow brings to light how many creatures share our world, which we rarely, if ever see!
November 10, 2018
I was hoping my modest Fall decorations would last at least until Thanksgiving, but the weather had other ideas!
We have had snow on the ground for over a week now, so it looks like Winter is here to stay.
The lake in the Park is beginning to ice over. Excited to spot two families of Tundra swans on my walk. I expect they will be heading further south before long.
Winter Woes
It seems we have skipped right over Fall into full-fledged Winter. Two snowfalls already, with at least an inch of snow overnight and more in the forecast.
I admit this morning’s new fall of snow did present some nice photo ops, but I would rather be photographing colorful leaves against blue skies so early in the season.
I will have to set up the heated water bucket for my horse tonight, as temperatures will drop into the teens. More like January than November! 😦
Day Trip
Last Friday, hot, humid weather promised to keep me cooped up in the house for most of the day, so I decided to seek some relief at Port Huron.
The linear park which runs under the Bluewater Bridge offers a great view of Lake Huron and the St. Claire River, and there is almost always a cooling breeze there.
It is always a thrill to see the big freighters make their careful way from Lake into the narrow confines of the river.
I think this guy was hoping for a handout from me, but I didn’t pack a lunch, so he was out of luck!
The bridge is well named, as the water here really is this blue. The cooling breeze did not disappoint, and I enjoyed a nice, leisurely walk. Much as I appreciate my air conditioning at home, I would much rather be outside enjoying the sunshine than cooped up indoors. It was well worth the drive.
More Blooms
I was able to plant my flowers a little early this year because of an unusually warm May, and they are doing well so far.
We are in for a few very hot days, so I will be kept busy watering everything.
Having everything in containers keeps weeds at a minimum, but requires much more watering, which I don’t mind.
At least I have the option of moving them into the shade if the heat begins to get to them.
Blossom Time
After suffering through one of the coldest Aprils on record, we are now experiencing one of the hottest Mays! I have had to confine my gardening efforts to early mornings to avoid the worst of the heat.
The Black Locust Trees are in full bloom, but with the unusual heat and last night’s heavy rain, they are already beginning to fall, so I hurried out with my camera this morning to capture some shots.
I thought it was well worth the effort.
Sadly, the Lilacs are quickly fading now, but I did bring some in last week, and enjoyed the lovely fragrance for a few days.
Visitors
I spotted this pair of Tundra, or Whistling Swans on the lake in the Park the other day. They are probably just visiting on their way north, as they do not usually nest this far south.
There were quite a few Wood Ducks around too and some Common Mergansers, but too far away for photos.
I wonder if the Robins are considering heading south again, as the weather is still much more like Winter than Spring here! I wonder what they are finding to eat.
A year ago I posted photos of Forsythia in bloom, and Lilacs budding out. Nothing like that around this year! It seems Winter just doesn’t want to let go! Freezing rain forecast here for the weekend. 😦
And Still Waiting
I was hoping April would be kinder to us than March has been, but this was the scene which greeted me this morning!
I am grateful that my African Violets are blooming, as it will be a long time before we see anything blooming outdoors!
This one has been with me many years and is once more outgrowing its pot. I am dragging my feet at re-potting, always afraid of doing more harm than good, but will have to do something soon.
Still Waiting!
March in Michigan is such a frustrating month! The weather will smile on us with warm, sunny days, then suddenly turn and dump another load of snow on us, putting us back in the Deep Freeze again.
Suffering a bad case of Cabin Fever, I took a drive to Port Huron the other day to spend a little time enjoying Lake Michigan. I had hoped to take a nice walk by the Bluewater Bridge, but the icy wind blowing off the Lake discouraged that. I did manage to snap a few photos of a duck I did not recognize near the shore.
My trusty Field Guide identified it as a female Oldsquaw or Long-Tailed Duck. They are not native to Michigan, so must have stopped in on their way North.
The chilly temperatures help to keep my bird-feeder busy, and I managed some nice shots of this female Cardinal.
Flood Stage
Unseasonably warm weather and heavy rain brought the lake in the Park to flood stage this week. The spillway had become a rapids this morning.
The first photo was taken just 3 weeks ago at roughly the same spot.
It is fortunate that the rangers lower the level of the lake for the winter. It would be overflowing its banks otherwise. As it is, it is up several feet.
The rain is finally moving out, and most of the snow is gone. Temperatures will be above freezing in the daytime for at least a week, so I am hoping things will dry up some before the next freeze. The warmer temperatures are welcome, but not all the mud and slop we are dealing with now!
Ups and Downs
As tired as I am of cold and snow, the Park was beautiful as the sun rose on a fresh snowfall last weekend.
The outflow from the lake in the Park is about the only open water around now. All of the lakes and ponds and even some of the streams and rivers are frozen over.
One of my African Violets is blooming, adding a welcome bright spot to my dining room.
The days are slowly lengthening as the sun moves closer, and when temperatures rise above freezing for a day or two, it’s hard not to think about Spring, but I know it is just a tease. We have a long way to go yet!
jbcamera 