Bird in flight

This was taken the same day as the one below, but in the front yard instead. I'm not sure if that's a grackle or a crow, kind of hoping it's a crow, so it will flow better with the blue jay post. ;) It found a nut or seed near the road and took off while i was watching. The bird is much larger than it looks here, but it was hard to get scale showing.

On another note, i was wrong about the squirrel proof feeders. They have figured out how to unscrew the metal feeders, and yesterday not only opened them, but they took the nuts that were holding them shut. They are getting too smart.

Blue Jay in Snow

This is one of many blue jays that i have been seeing around my feeders and deck lately. I'm not sure if i'm putting something out that is attracting them, but at times i see six or more getting food from the feeders or what has fallen on the deck. It was gently snowing when i took this, and you can sort of see the flakes in the picture falling. I like blue jays more since i found out they are members of the crow family, it seems so odd that a bird so colorful would be related to a solid black bird.

Heavy snow

This was taken a couple of days ago, during that heavy snow when i was at the doctors on monday. It's a sight you get used to here, very white, but also can be pretty. The cold and then warm weather has caused some problems here in town though, a water main broke, but of course I found out about it too late to get pictures of it.

Clinic room

This is a picture of a place i seem to be going too often lately, a room in the local clinic. They always feel the same to me, sterile and cold no matter how they try to dress it up. I haven't been to hospitals or clinics in other countries, or even many in other states here, but i have a feeling they all look and feel the same.

Snowy

I had a doctors appointment today, and on the way there it started to snow a lot, and this was taken on my way out. It's a very pretty snow, but is making the roads pretty slick, and is supposed to get stronger. Sorry about poor quality of the photo, it was cold and blowing in my face, but i wanted to get a shot of it.

Squirrel proof?

I think I have found a feeder that the squirrels aren't able to destroy, it's all metal. Although the first day i put it out, i found they had unscrewed the ring holding it up, but now it's tighter and they haven't wrecked it yet. I like it as they can feed from it, and the birds also feed from it sometimes at the same time. I think the birds are getting too used to me, when i was out there putting feed in there, they were right next to me waiting and watching.

Cold Bunny

I was in my basement doing laundry, and i looked out my egress window and saw this little wild rabbit sitting under the bushes. I know it's not the best photograph, but i didn't want to use a flash and scare him or her. It was pretty cold, around -6°F (-21°C) windchill, so that's a pretty good spot to take a rest. Whenever i see a rabbit outside, i worry it is one that someone had as a pet and just released. It's a bad thing to do, least of all that pet rabbits are domesticated and don't really know how to survive or what to fear, so it's a very heartless thing to do. Several of my rabbits were left outside by someone, and the humane society (when it existed here) rescued them, where i adopted them and now spoil them rotten. If you feel you can't take care of a pet, please take it to a no kill shelter, where someone who will love them can raise them properly, and don't forget to spay and neuter your pets too.

Parking meter

This is one of the parking meters downtown, i'm not sure what the blue mess is on the right one. The prices are a pretty reasonable 1¢, 5¢ and 10¢ for full time (not sure if it's an hour or two hours, but i think it's two). Not much else to add about parking meters really.

Yard Bunny in snow

This is one of the younger wild rabbits that i caught on camera early yesterday morning, eating out of the fallen bird feeder. That may look like snow, but we have had some very unusual weather this winter, it got into the up around 40F and rained, but then froze, and then we had freezing fog. There was a 100 car pile up near madison that same day. Then there were the rare winter tornados that hit the midwest, if you live here or grew up here, you understand how strange that is. I know i saw lightning not long ago, and seeing that in winter can throw you off, seeing lightning and snow at the same time, just weird. Today through Saturday more snow is predicted and it's currently pretty warm at 36F, and i'm off for another dental visit (second in a week) in a little bit, at least it's only a couple blocks away.

snow, snow, go away

I took this a couple of hours ago. It's snowed a lot this winter, not as much as south of here where they got 14 inches in one storm, and one of my friends wrecked her new car in an accident, but enough to be sick of it and wanting spring. The temperature has only gotten above freezing a couple of days this month, and once it rained and then froze on the roads the next day, there were a lot of accidents that day. The snow is pretty to look at, but it makes roads dangerous, slick and unpredictable. Even though it was still snowing when i took this, you can see the animal tracks in it, they want their seeds even when it's cold and snowing. ;)

I know i've slacked a lot about posting, but with cold and snowy on top of depression, it makes it hard to want to go out in the cold and look for things to photograph.

Christmas lights

This is my first attempt at getting a good picture of some of the Christmas lights in town, i took this last night, and it was very cold at 9F (-13C) so i may have rushed it a little. I drove around looking for the most interesting ones, but was having a hard time, the cold was distracting and i was starting to get a headache. So i cut it short. I hope to get out and get several of the displays. The colored lights make the grey of winter, with snow and no leaves on the trees, more interesting and bearable.

Cold plastic flamingo

Here is my glowing plastic flamingo in my back yard, getting chilly. It's been cold and snowing every other day for a while now, so the snow is piling up, and i never know what to take photos of in the snow, it being all white and all. Hopefully i'll get a bit more creative as i get used to it, at least as used to it as i can.

More snow

This squirrel seems to feel the same i do about it snowing again. We are supposed to get three to seven inches, which is about what we got last time, but this time hopefully without the freezing rain.

Snowy

It's officially snowing now, with the snow several inches already, with this to continue another day or two. I like how snow looks, but not having to brave bad roads and bad drivers in this weather. Shoveling isn't too fun either, it can be heavier than it looks really.

Right now i'm feeling pretty envious of those in warmer climates, and i'm sure that feeling will last until spring starts to roll around. ;)