Tag: snow

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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling Writers Site

Sixteen Seconds Of Geese And Wind~

This morning I stepped outside to sunshine and heavy humid air. Along the western horizon I could see dark clouds moving slowly east. Black birds were pushing aside wet leaves in an attempt to find worms that had felt the warmth and slithered to the surface. I wondered how many they actually found.  Or was my guess of worms wrong and they were eating seeds, or larva.  The ground was still a solid block of ice, later on I will have to crawl around and check out the area myself…

I shuffled over the leaves and the black birds scattered as I passed by.

 The low area of the path had gotten muddier over night. Even now, the ice and snow melted under the glare of warm sunshine.  The thick broken ice became more of an obstacle course than an uncomplicated walk. At least the ice held the sharp sticks as I slipped over them. The mud, black and slippery, allowed the one to two inches of broken and cut sticks and grass, the opportunity to puncture my boots. 

Walking through this area took more time than it had yesterday.  Uriah became impatient and ran on ahead. He had disappeared into the trees by the time I started walking up the slight incline. I moved south, then east, straight into the un-melted snow.

The distinct smell of skunk wafted around the trees, I glanced around and didn’t see him. I decided, that it was a smart idea to leave, while I could still taste and smell.

 The birds were very vocal again today. Their songs intermingled into a sweet sound of spring.  I stood next to a knocked down fence post and closed my eyes and listened.

A train was heading through the town; the wind blew straight at me from the south, bringing every clack-clack and heavy thudding sound clear as a bell into my universe.  I turned on my camera and started the video; I was only able to capture a sixteen second piece of geese flying over head, before the camera flashed low battery and shut off.

Ooops! I forgot to recharge the battery last night. I slipped the camera back into its case and started walking home.  

A breeze kicked up around me, low to the ground. I smiled, and looked up at the tree tops, enjoying the warmer air. Then I started to sneeze, and sneeze and sneeze and sneeze. I’m allergic to mold! When we have a heavy rain that hangs around for a few days or like today, slow melting snow… That’s when mold appears and I start sneezing, eyes watering and I sound very congested.

I stopped my trek to admire some bright green moss I had found yesterday under a tree. (I had taken a picture.)  That tree had mold growing along its trunk… Oh well!

By the time I reached the house the sun had disappeared behind heavy dark grey clouds.

If it was possible it felt like the air had doubled in humidity. At least I stopped sneezing…

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Nature photos Nature Writing Poetry video Writers Site

Spring Is Trying Real Hard To Find Its Way To Illinois!~Lovely Skunk Perfume:-)

A fog rolled in over night and hung on through the morning, the sky a grayish white that shifted downwards and covered everything. As I walked around the back path, I stopped and listen to the birds. They were heralding in spring.

Rains had started yesterday so the ground had a mushy soft coating like frosting on a cake and ice hard underneath.

I side stepped muskrat holes, coyote and raccoon scat.

 This is a muskrat hole I have been avoiding all winter, still the snow hangs on around it…

As I headed back home I hesitated along the northern section and tried to pull out movement in the underbrush. Two days ago, when I walked this same area I stepped into a cloud of skunk perfume. I gagged and blinked, Uriah who had been right  behind me, slowly backed up and grimaced, then took off on a run, back towards the house.

Chicken!

I really wish I could move that fast.

Luckily the spray didn’t hit me directly so I was able to smell and taste within the hour.

Michael kept coming up to me all night and sniffing, then asking if I smell a skunk….

Today I didn’t see or smell a skunk. But the birds were in full song, especially the Black birds! The cardinals live in the trees near the house. The past few days the geese have been flying low, honking and filling the sky with their V shaped formations. I pulled out my camera and started video taping the birds. I edited them, and added a short poem.

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Nature photos Poetry Writers Site

Poetry Thursday~ Fire And Ice In March~Watching~

Watching

A cold March night

changes clothes

from mornings

black

to daylights

blue

to sunsets

red

Back to black

 

A blood red sky shifts

into darkness as I stand

outside at sunset

 

Fantasy in light

reflecting the horizon

red fire and blue ice

 

I wrote this for, Jingle’s Poetry Thursdays.  I missed last weeks and did not want to miss this weeks.

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/thursday-poets-rally-poets-homecoming-week/

I used the picture I took tonight at sunset. I loved how this one turned out, even as my hand shook slightly.  Of course, Uriah has to be in on the sunset pictures.

Do you see a poem inside this picture? Or maybe there is one right outside your door.

Have a great day!!

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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling Writers Site

Clouds, Blue sky, Ice, Snow and Bright Green Pajamas ~What A Great Day For A Walk!~

Early this morning, as I stepped outside, I realized that I forgot my camera. I crossed my fingers that Sano wouldn’t find the camera case with that dangling strap and drag it under the bed. After a few moments I didn’t care about the camera. I was having a hard time seeing. Even though the sky was a white-white- grey, I couldn’t see!  I was blinded by the bright white snow. I looked straight up and saw the clouds part above me exposing a blue sky and allowing the sun to reflect off the surrounding clouds. Snow blind in the middle of my yard…

Uriah was very happy; he raced around me and kept looking at my pockets. I nearly tripped over him. He acted like I was playing and tried to race around me that lasted a whole minute. He is getting older.

“Come on, Uriah! Let’s just walk. I can’t see!” I reached out trying to grab the air. “Stop trying to trip me!”

Uriah sat down to watch me. I blinked and tried to clear my eyes. It didn’t work. I gave up and shielded my eyes with my hand, and slowly walked into a snow drift. Snow poured over the top of my boots. I dusted it away and kept walking.

 Just as I reached the path, Uriah raced off into the trees. First I heard the deep squawking, and then I watched that elusive Pheasant fly awkwardly between the trees.  No camera, again! Heavy Sigh!

Later that afternoon we headed out again, this time I remembered the camera. The clouds had cleared, and the sky was a Cornflower blue. Instead of going around to the back, I wanted to see the pond in front. I believe it was January we had a thaw that inundated the land with water. During the past few weeks the water has evaporated and left ice connected to tree trunks, similar to a picnic table on top and Stalactites forming underneath.

I carefully stepped into the deep snow surrounding the pond, and felt the ice give way under my boots. I eased as close as I could to the ponds edge, trying to judge where I thought that edge should be. Stupid? Yes I am!  I didn’t get that close. Besides I was wearing my normal walking garb, a bright orange coat, grey knit hat, while dragging around ski poles. Almost forgot to add, I didn’t have on my normal blue jeans.  So the people passing on the road, there weren’t a lot of cars, saw me wearing my flannel bright green PJs, with a design of coffee cups and candy pieces.

 I looked fabulous! Just like an escapee from psych ward.    

I didn’t slip onto the frozen pond, nor did I get stuck in the deep snow. Not for the lack of trying by Uriah. He kept trying to see around me, without walking around me.  Instead he pushed me closer to the pond. I won that game by sitting in the snow. Uriah gave up and chased a rabbit he found. That didn’t last very long, the rabbit took off to the south, and Uriah ran to the north…

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Nature photos Nature Writing Rambling Writers Site

I walked towards the apple trees and decided the snow, which was making farting noises with each step, wasn’t amusing. My husband would find the humor in it! ~

Last night the snow started. I stood outside under driveway light and watched the misty rain change to snow as it fell. The blacktop was coated within minutes, a slippery mess only Uriah hazarded to walk across. The air was filled with dampness, and fog from the frozen ground and warmer air.  Even with the heavy darkness blanketing the house, sound wasn’t muffled and I could hear the coyotes racing across the farm fields, closing in on us.

“Uriah, hurry up and pee! We have to get inside!” I held tightly to my ski poles and tried to peer into the darkness. 

Uriah moved slowly, his arthritis was acting up with the dampness. Still, his hackles rose when we heard the howling start. He puffed his chest out and scraped at the ground with his back legs.

“Ok! You’re a big, brave dog! Let’s get inside!”

Uriah turned and raced into the open garage door. All bark and no bite…

This morning, everything was covered in bridal white.

Heart attack snow covered the driveway and deck. It’s the snow that one small shovel full can make a weight lifter grunt. The snow thrower will have a hard time with this mess.  Underneath was a grey slush, which will strain both me and the snow thrower. I walked down the drive to the road, where the snow plow had sprayed extra snow on the mouth of the driveway. I kicked at it and decided we are snowed in till spring.

The deck had about four to six inches of snow waiting to melt into the outside kennel. Uriah and I checked it out. I was able to kick around a four by four foot patch so it didn’t drip on Uriah’s head. The rest will be a waterfall if the temperatures keep rising, which according to the weatherman, the warm-up isn’t here, yet.

Notice the large pile of snow on the outside of his kennel. That should melt in mid-summer.:-)

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Nature photos Nature Writing

Snowing Cats And Dogs~

The snow was coming down with a grainy flake  it looked, to me, like sand shifting out of the sky in a downward path. The first inch of snow had coated the world outside my window.

Kenshin, one of the cats my husband belongs to, turned in circles in front of the door, purring and talking away. He wanted to be carried outside so he could look at the snow. I slipped on my shoes. Pulled the door open and stepped outside. I turned, facing north so Kenshin faced the falling snow.

He tilted his face upwards and sneezed.

Holding, Kenshin tight I carefully let him feel the snow on the railing.  He started pawing at it. His fur rippled underneath my hands. I had to take him inside before he did a leap out of my arms.

I deposited him on the kitchen chair, and then I slipped off my shoes. I pulled a bowl from the cabinet and reopened the door. I was scooping up the snow, when Kenshin tried to slip underneath my arm onto the deck. Immediately I dumped the bowl of snow on his back, he turned, and happily chased the snow back into the house.  I scooped up fresh snow and carefully slipped back inside.

Kenshin was sitting on the throw rug next to the door. He had a wild look in his eyes as he watched me place the bowl in front of him. He stood up on his tiptoes; excited, he leaped into the bowl and started throwing snow everywhere. 

Uriah began to bark, demanding his time for a walk.

I measured out a handful of snow, and packed it into round snowball. Kenshin followed me into the hallway, Meowing and prancing.

“Are you ready?”  I asked, as he ducked his head low to the ground.

I rolled the snowball down the hallway, and laughed as he sailed with it into our bedroom.

I could hear Michael’s voice as he came over to see what Kenshin was up to. Before I reached the bottom step and my coat, I heard Kenshin racing down the hall, and a soft ‘thump’ as he slid into the coffee table.

Outside the snow muffled the sound from the road as the snowplow rumbled past. 

Trying to hide from the wind, I slipped underneath the branches of an old evergreen, where I stood quietly enclosed by snow, long needles and pinecones.

The air was filled with moisture and the sky heavy with grayish white clouds.  

Old Man Winter was trying to hold on tight. Fine with me, spring is nearly here. For now this snow will sink into the ground, replenishing my well and once the ground thaws, that same water will sink down deeper into the tree’s root system.

I turned on the video to capture the snow and Uriah came walking up expecting a biscuit. Time for my breakfast and coffee…

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Nature photos Nature Writing

Imagine All The Pheasants~

The skies are grey and very dreary looking. I stood out in the yard next to the deck.  I really wanted to head back inside and drink my coffee hot today. Uriah ran up to me still holding his milk bone in his mouth, wagging his tail madly and looking towards the back path.

 I could hear him begging, “Come on! Let’s go! Let’s take a walk!” He sat down then stood up and turned in a circle.   

“Ok! Ok!” I grumbled and Uriah  happily turned and trotted away.

 I didn’t have my camera. I looked back at the house. Nope!  I’m not heading back inside. I could hear the Blue Jays screaming ahead of me, and the high pitch screech of a Hawk as he floated somewhere above me. No! That pheasant won’t be showing up today.

I carefully walked over the snow and broken ice, through the path and stopped. Facing the snow filled drainage area in front of me, I turned to the right and stepped over the muskrat holes.

Uriah had disappeared into the trees to the North.  Suddenly, he started barking. I could hear him crashing through the trees and  dry grass.

 Worried, I turned towards the sound. Just in time to watch the Pheasant fly upwards, out of the trees. It flew at least forty feet, complaining loudly and clumsy landed on a branch. From there, it perched unsteady and watched me, standing in the snow covered field.

I turned away and kept walking. Uriah ran past me, his hackles were up, and he looked very proud of himself.

I called after him and grumbled.  “You couldn’t have done that yesterday when I had my camera?”

He gave me a doggy grin and rolled in a patch of frozen snow.

*

Just and FYI- The photo above was taken on the 2nd. The Pheasant landed on one of those heaver branches, today…
Categories
Nature photos Nature Writing Poetry

Amid Winters White, Cardinals Sing To Each Other~

From my kitchen window, I spotted a half dozen red Cardinals flitting from tree to tree. I had to try and get them on film.

I pulled on my heavy coat and boots, hat and gloves and trudged out to the trees.   

What I didn’t realize, that trying to pinpoint a small bird in bright sunlight by looking into a small view screen is pretty much impossible.  The only way I knew for sure, I had captured a picture of the birds, happened after I downloaded the pictures on my computer.   

I stood in the snow next to the fence as the Cardinal looked sideways at me.  I must not have been a threat because he never flew away. He just had a bored look about him, as he turned his back on me and looked over his shoulder. He wasn’t quite sure I couldn’t climb that tree.

As I focused, and squinted at the screen Uriah decided he wanted to play. And made a grab at the camera’s wrist strap, he missed, and the bird flew away.

This is the picture I captured.

Early this morning, with an overcast whitish-grey sky, I saw the cardinals again. This time I was able to take a group picture. 

Amid winters white
A blur of bright red
And soft brownish red
Cardinals sing to each other
Life is shared they call out
They have a perfect mate
A path of perfection
Whispered with
Fluttering wings
A tender touch
One, will watch the other fly
Skimming between branches, 
No doubt of its return
One without the other
Will not survive
Natures path, brings them together
I pretend, their song is  for me
Reality is, they sing for each other
And there they stay,
Hearts connected
Mates forever

 

Categories
Nature photos Nature Writing Poetry

My Walking Path In The Sky~

The sun has been shining the last two days. Soft white, feathery streaks of clouds drift above me in that blue, blue sky.  I sent out a few pictures to a local weatherman, and asked him what type of clouds I was seeing?  His answer:

“The straight lines appear to be jet contrails that are starting to feather out because they’re getting old.  There also appear to be high cirrus clouds as well.”
I slip past you  
Riding the sky
Short wavelengths
Dip me in bright blue
Pictures in white, form
My Walking Path on the wind..

What do you see, when you look up?
*
Categories
Nature Writing

Winters Bite Can Really Hurt~

I lost all feeling in my fingers by the time I reached the beginning of the back path.

I was hoping the water was still running strong. Then this walk would be cut short and I could slip back into the warm house.  

The water looked solid…  Darn!

 I used my ski pole and poked at the ice at my feet. Today the air was dry,  Mother Nature pulled the moisture out of the ground, leaving some of the ice hollow underneath.

I watched as Uriah stepped gingerly on the ice. He turned and looked at me. I could hear his thoughts. “See!  I didn’t break through. It’s strong enough! Come on!”

I shrugged and started my slow shuffle over the slick ice. 

Deciding I was too slow, Uriah came back to see what was taking me so long.

I tried waving at him to stop.

He didn’t listen.

 I tried to baby talk him away…“No, no walk up ahead of me. Uriah don’t stand next to me!”

He just stopped and stared. First at my forehead, then at my pockets, he was hoping for a biscuit. He was looking at me, when the ice popped, then cracked loudly under our feet.   All in a matter of seconds, Uriah’s eyes opened wide and looked like they would pop out of his head.  Then he looked down at his paws, and then back up at me, just as the ice gave way under him.

Luckily, for both of us the water that settled underneath was only about two inches deep. But two inches of freezing water was too much me. Uriah, at the first popping sound started moving fast!  He slipped on ahead aiming for the area with the dried grass. He knew if he stood on the grass, he wouldn’t get his feet wet.

 I wasn’t so lucky. The ice gave out under me, and only the bottom of my shoes got wet. Relieved, I laughed! And started a slow shuffled towards Uriah.

 “Nothing to worry about it’s not deep!”  Famous last words…

Ten steps in and the ice broke again. This time, the water poured into my shoes.

I hurried to reach higher ground, the dried grass, not taking in to consideration that Uriah weighed a lot less than I did.

Heavy Sigh!

Uriah glared and whined! He lifted one paw at a time up, as my added weight sucked us both down into the icy, muddy water.  The water freely poured over the top of the grass and sticks and my shoes.

Note* It wasn’t deep. If I had stood still it would have reached my ankles. *

Uriah turned away from me and raced up the path to the East. Home was to the west.

I checked on my camera. It was safely in its case hanging around my neck. My goal in coming out here today, was to take some pictures.  With that in mind, I decided to continue on my frozen walk, and I headed up the path to the east.

I was hoping to find that Pheasant hiding in the trees. My imagination was working over time as I walked.  Wet feet and frozen shoes, took my mind off my frozen fingers. At that point I pictured that Pheasant sipping a hot chocolate, with his feet up on an ottoman next to a roaring fire.

Yeap! I was hallucinating! And I would surly freeze to death under a tree.

Uriah had disappeared into the trees.

I could hear the ice cracking, in the low lying areas as I moved up the path and straight east. I tried to avoid the gentle, dangerously frozen wind, which was trying to knock my nose off.

The sun was shining brightly and the snow glittered white.  The thaw we had, a few days ago, had taken away a large portion of the snow, the rest was frozen solid. I had a hard time punching my ski poles in the snow, in a laughable attempt to stay on my feet.

I could hear the sound of a little bird, but I couldn’t see him.  Uriah gave up walking alone and came running up asking for a biscuit.

My fingers felt like they were no longer attached to the rest of my hand, as I dropped a biscuit out of my pocket.

Weather can be very deceptive and detached.   That bright sunshine and blue sky would shine down on me as I froze, sitting under a tree.  

I wanted a picture!

So I stopped and removed my gloves, and told Uriah to smile. He hid his face in the snow…

I only took a few pictures, I had to stop, because I couldn’t feel the on and off button. I slipped the camera in its case and told Uriah to run home. He took off into the trees instead.

At first I was aggravated then I realized it was probably warmer in those trees than out in the open.

 I wasn’t going to trust the ice. So I plodded forward, over the low path and ice. I stepped once more into the water. By now my shoes were ice cubes! Literally, chunks of ice!

 I hurried across the open yard!  Uriah suddenly appeared right behind me; he didn’t complain as I opened the door to the house and ordered him inside.  In my stylish ice shoes I clunked in behind him thinking, I need to toss out that Pheasant and drink his hot chocolate…