More Snow and Snow Creations

A lot of pictures- it has been wonderful having so much winter! 

This little hole is now a tunnel under the feeder and out into the yard. 

More yard. There is a path to the feeder and now an open spot. 
 

The roof holds a lot of snow and when it melts enough to fall off, there is a bit of a mess. The porch was mostly cleared til this load landed. As you can see from the glove, the piece of ice under it is pretty thick. Several inches! 

Above is the alley and below is third street. AFTER Jon had already plowed on the weekend. (This is Monday, President's Day) 

Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday. Finally managed to get outside and look around. Jon's cages are a tad snowy!!! 

Also realised the snow was not soft and fluffy. Being a bit sticky, it could be used for making. So, below is Mrs. Whatsit. 

I was in the front yard making more snow people and Jon decided to make a rabbit. There is another photo at the end of the rabbit. It is eating sticks, because the sticks looked awful as whiskers!! 

Snow man.

And a Peep!! This was colored with food coloring and water in a spray bottle. 

Another snow lady. 

And a last view of the rabbit Jon made. 

Not sure what will happen in the rest of the week. There may be more snow, but the forecast is also calling for warmer temps and rain. Jon's pretty sure his rabbit will be around longer than my creations, but I can always Calvin and Hobbes mine and knock them over when they start to melt. 

Birds in the Snow

First photo isn't of birds, but it is the feeder! This made me laugh. The squirrels knocked off the lid to the feeder and yet didn't discover it. Not even when there were two squirrels hanging on the squirrel baffler. It isn't supposed to be squirrel proof, just annoying enough so the squirrel need to work at it. Anyway, this day there were 5 of the critters in the lilac, waiting for seeds!!! We were really hoping one would crawl in, but it is probably best. Can't imagine trying to empty a bird feeder of an irate fat squirrel. 

Eventually, the fluffy tailed rodents left and the birds got their chance. I was inside taking photos, the porch had too much snow on it to hang around out there til birds were used to me. These are not near as curious as the ones in North Kenai. They are mostly gold finches, red finches, a few sparrows, and assorted juncos. Haven't seen a chickadee in years! 

This picture made me laugh, too. The little fairy figure is next to a cement border near daffodils. She's in the ground so her 'toes' touch the earth. At the moment, she's waist deep in the snow. By Monday, her head was covered. She eventually was unearthed when I assume a squirrel fell off the tube feeder into the deep soft snow. Later, when I looked, there was a hole in the snow near her and she was uncovered to about where she is now. I've a photo somewhere of a squirrel eating in the hole and will post it later. 

It has been a splendid moment in winter. Thankfully, the birds are still visiting and you can see the goldfinches are starting to get their summer feathers. Next year, I hope to participate in the 25th annual winter bird count. Right now, we'll just keep them fed and happy. 

A holiday weekend of winter

 Dear Polar Vortex, thank  you so much for the snow you have dropped on Eastern OR. Not everyone is as thrilled as they might be. However, we do thank you for keeping us from the crazy freezing temps. Scooter (the dragonfly) is having enough trouble under snow! 

Even the pond is still burbling under the layer of white. 

Jon spent the weekend taking care of his rabbits. This is from Friday when we had a nominal amount of fluff. It got deeper, but wasn't wet. Just nice and pretty. 

On Saturday there was a stunning sunset. 

Tried to capture the lights on the icicles, because pink ice was so different. Alas, just managed to get pretty lights instead of colored ones. You can sure tell how old and uninsulated certain houses are in town by the amount of ice festooned across the roof edges!! This one is definitely in that lineup. 

Steve and Jon spent Saturday working on several different things (Steve had to go to town) and moving snow. 

This is about the only cat who was outside- The vortex coated the lawn sculpture with lovely ripples and shades and layers. 

 Schultz was hidden until Monday. It seems a squirrel tried to land on him and took off the very tall layer of snow blanketing him! 

Godfrey was doing fairly well, he's in the way of the ice falling off the roof on Monday. Hoping he doesn't get wiped out! 

Buford Buckshot provided a lovely spot for the birds. He, too, was finally brushed off on Monday. He was also quite a bit closer to the snow around his legs, so perhaps the squirrel jumped on him, too! 

Meepette was completely covered by Monday. Up to the tip of her curved tail!!!! She does look a bit disgruntled in this photo. 

Sunday was spent cooking and moving snow. Steve had a chance to take me for short drive and it was so beautiful! The locust trees were gold and black calligraphy on the parchment skyline and along the banks of the creek, those trees wrote stark lines about the hardship of winter's storms. You really couldn't see that much, there was so much white for miles and miles. We spied a few magpie and a ring tail hawk, and cows! 

These two bulls made us laugh for quite a while. Steve thinks the only not snowy bit on their pelts was where their foreheads were meeting. They scooted each other all over in the field while we watched. True stubbornness!! 

Rain is expected, hopefully the snow you dumped won't create flooding like last Feb. That was really horrid! The snow and ice falling off the roof today (those photos are still on my camera) are a bit startling from inside, am sure it would be impressive if I was on the sidewalk. Had to move a great pile of snow from the porch, there is a lot still left. As I type, can also see there is a wind picking up. Drifting snow isn't as much fun as plain fluffy stuff, I'm just thankful we aren't in OK or places where you have dumped severe winter storms. Thank you for the brief visit with winter and next time  you visit, well....I'd rather just have a normal winter of snow and not a from a vortex! 

February Birthday Week

It has been quite a while since an  update! Quite a bit has happened since Dec. 23. Baby rabbits were born on the 26th-they aren't quite as cute now, since the littles are a bit over 17 pounds as a group. The litter of 7 is growing like crazy. Jon's been making new cages to move everyone into, so the ones he was given can be turned into something else. Daffodils and tulips are coming up, the rose bush by the house is getting buds, and the butterfly bush has new leaves. February started with two birthdays. I'm as old as Steve now and Jon is a bit past a quarter of a century. 

Dear Rose found the above card, months before, she said, and Steve brought me this lovely pot of primroses. 

The babies hopping around the cages on the first, as seen from the living room window. 

Monday was a bit busy, so made an angel food cake for Ground Hog Day and my birthday. It is really a cake, even if it looks like a lamp. Steve made me a wooden holder for the pan last year and it works beautifully. 

Jon's birthday was a lot of fun. We had the angel cake, made a box cheese cake, and brownies frosted with perfectly chocolate chocolate frosting for dessert. Plus ice cream. Dinner was something I'd never made before and much of it was scratch. They were surf and turf  Po'Boys. The buns were not made properly, but tasted ok. Following online directions, I put mayo on both slices of the bun. On one side there is shredded beef, gravy, breaded shrimp, and Jon said it needed cheese. The other has lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Jon's and Dot's also had onions. (Dot didn't have shrimp) They were VERY yummy!!! We also gave Jon a  fancy digital indoor and outdoor thermometer so he can see what temp is out by the rabbits instead of guessing from the temps on the porch. The rabbits are in a much more shaded location. He likes it because he can also tell whether or not he needs to get up earlier to defrost his rig before work!!  

The weekend after the birthday's, Steve trimmed up the pear trees. We gave the rabbits some branch sections and those were devoured with glee!! Rabbits seem to be kin to beaver. 

Sun on the trees Feb 6-it appears the tree photos are out of sync!!! 

This CRAZY puzzle was worked on fairly steadily from the end of Jan until it was finally completed on Feb 7. It is a Hallmark design that was on a popcorn tin. It was brought back from mom's because it was wintery and cute. We have not taken it apart yet, it was much much much too fuzzy!!! Jon called the penguins 'baby Apteryx' because they are little flightless birds with hairy feathers. 

These are sky shots from Feb 5. What a stunning world it is up there!