Saturday, December 16, 2017

Birds in the Snow

Well, I got what I could in the way of shots from the living room window today, and did find a new flock of Goldfinch visiting our feeders.  It kept snowing most of the day too, and added to the 18" or so on the ground - but it's the nice kind of snow, light and fluffy!

This is our outdoor view you're going to get familiar with.  My only trip outdoors today - those tracks across the lawn to refill the bird feeders.  The snow was about 18" deep there.  This would be perfect snow-angel-making-snow!

Our hard-working, almost filled-the-the-brim shed.  Notice the high roof profile we had put on it.  That gives you an amazing amount of extra storage, and works well.  We thought it would be too obvious, so close to the house, but now we think it looks rather nice.  I think the fact that I fit all I wanted to in it for the winter shows how I down-sized successfully!

And this is our hard-won 'Celtic Fish' sculpture, created by a blacksmith at the Celtic Roots Music Festival in Goderich a few years ago.  Mrs. F.G. wanted this, and she fought an unknown other bidder through the silent auction to get it.  Now it's so close to the window we really notice it and appreciate it more.  See where it is in the first picture above.

I should not anthropomorphize, I know.  So rather than pointing out how they just sit on the feeder and eat, I should say they have a feeding pattern that is well-adapted to survival.  Perhaps that's why we get larger flocks of Goldfinch.  They were the main birds we got at the other house, so it was nice to see them find our feeders here and sit around much of the day - a flash of life in the cold back yard.

And then I captured the Downy Woodpecker for the first time.  It seemed to look right at me from the feeder, took a seed, crammed it into a crevice of the ash bark, and ate it down.  Nice to have one of those coming to the feeder.

****

Meantime, I'm being well taken care of.  I've always said that Mrs. F.G. is the world's best homemade soup maker as well as a great fibre artist, and every soup she comes up with seems to maintain that reputation.  This is the homemade tomato soup she came up with for me, and I've labelled it the best cracker soup ever.  Delicious.  I haven't been feeling like eating much, but food at home makes it so much easier!

Meanwhile, a friend came and blew out the drive this morning while Mrs. F.G. shovelled the sidewalk (she's a lady of many talents; she's also my nurse).  And that friend's wife brought over our dinner a while ago.  Friends and my son dropped around to visit.  Yes, I'm being well taken care of.  And I have to tell you, it feels so much more comforting to be in town with friends and services nearby than out in the country when you're in this situation.  I think we made the right decision.

Linking to:

20 comments:

  1. You sound contented, FG. Glad the move and the recovery are all positive!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That soup looks wonderful. I love tomato soup but rarely make it at home. I just got an immersion blender so maybe that will encourage me to make some. Hope you feel better soon. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
  3. 18 " is a lot of snow! Shoveling?

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's a nice view from your window. On a day of snow it's good to be in the warmth of the house with a bowl of soup and a few crackers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I cannot imagine 18 inches of snow...I don't think we even got 5 inches all total last year. The soup looks delicious...I would love to taste it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your soup looks great...I am glad you have a good cook and nurse! All our Goldfinches went south, fun to see your are still colorful:) I like the Fish Sculpture:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. 18" of the 'good' kind of snow? Cute! your shed looks perfect and high five for the downsizing you had to do. I'm sure I must have just missed the picture of the angel you made in the snow, I'll look again.
    I'm glad the goldfinches found you and so did mr. Downy Woodpecker. enjoy the attention and extra good care giving. Mrs. F.G.'s tomato soup looks yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad you are being taken care of! We have plenty of goldfinches too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Everything is beautiful in your garden, on the feeder, and on the table. Good care, I think the very best of all, well done Mrs F.G.

    ReplyDelete
  10. With cooking like that and care like that, you'll be back up and about and perking right along in no time, FG. Thank you for identifying that Downy Woodpecker. There are two of them that come to my feeder, but none of my friends knew what they were.

    ReplyDelete
  11. If you have to be confined to barracks then you seem to have chosen the right time of year for it; it looks chilly out there. Soup looks good too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello, you have more snow than we had here. I miss the goldfinches and do not seem them often. It is nice to have the Downy at the feeder too. I am so glad you are well taken care of , the soup looks yummy. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Thanks also for the comment on my post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would like to be planning a move toward town, but hubby thinks he will live forever. The crises will come and we will need to be closer to family.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love you winter bird scenes and really nothing as good and homemade soup and great home cooked meals.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glad to hear you are recovering comfortably in the company of your loved ones.
    Your little shed is very cute. It looks very nice there.
    Our bird count amounted to roughly a dozen snow buntings. And one chickadee. I think another house in the neighbourhood must have something better on offer.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Mmmm, now I want some tomato soup, just like that one. Glad you're feeling better and that you are being well taken care of. It makes such a difference to be surrounded by caring and loving family and friends. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nearby birds always help the cheer level, and that soup looks YUMMY

    ReplyDelete
  18. That soup looks SO good on a cold winter day.... Glad your Sweetheart is taking good care of you!

    I feed my birds year-round --but they really appreciate it in winter...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  19. It sounds like recovery is going well.

    ReplyDelete
  20. There was some concern earlier this year that American Goldfinches had suffered a catastrophic decline due to disease, possibly conjunctivitis, and for a while they deserted my backyard, but they are back with a vengeance. I have around thirty every day at my feeders, and it is a daily chore to fill them. There are other species at the feeder of course, but I think that the goldfinches get the lion's share of the seed.

    ReplyDelete