Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Just little Country Pleasures.
Good morning everyone on this typical February day! At least it’s not too cold today, just a little snow falling and sun shining in between. Yesterday that redpoll I have been trying to photograph was on the feeder, with many other birds. So I quickly grabbed my jacket and camera and was out the door! When I got out there, nothing. All the birds had flown. Completely. No where in sight. Sigh. But today he was back! So I grabbed my jacket and camera and was out the door! Nothing. Every bird was gone once again. Why? That raven. Sigh. One of these days. I hope. But that is part of the challenge. That makes things exciting. As long as I finally do get a pic. Just one good pic is all that’s needed. But time is running out. Redpolls usually start heading north in about a month, sometimes earlier. Sigh.
Here I sit…
Drinking some hot chocolate. I know. Usually it’s tea. But I felt like a change. And looking at all that snow out there makes me think of hot chocolate. I remember as a kid playing out in the snow for hours until I was wet and cold. Very cold. I would come in to thaw out and Mom would bring out the hot chocolate. Even in my teens after spending a lot of time outside shoveling snow, and we had a lot of snow to shovel where we lived in the country, I would come in and have some hot chocolate. Snow does that I guess. Now I mostly think about COFFEE when it’s cold and I have been out shoveling snow. Of course, I am not supposed to be shoveling snow anymore. My doctor mentioned that. Actually several doctors have mentioned that. Sigh.
Those country pleasures…
For winter I would say that hot chocolate is a country pleasure. Though COFFEE is still tops on my list. Probably why I drink so much of it. Though I have cut back. My doctor suggested that too. So I do drink fewer cups of COFFEE each day now. It was actually quite simple. I just bought bigger cups. Watching all these birds around here is definitely a country pleasure. It’s especially nice when they do something different. Like this downy woodpecker sitting on my broom handle.
Another country pleasure is having a deer lick my hand. These deer are wild, but they can become very friendly with a bit of patience.
Spring is coming…
Though it does seem so far away yet. Could actually be another 2 months. Terrible thought. But the first part of spring brings many country pleasures. Like the arrival of the first juncos. When that happens it means that winter is past.
It is a joy to hear their little ‘chipping’ sounds. They usually arrive when there is still snow on the ground, but the days are warm. A little later brings one of my favorite birds, the white-throated sparrow. My featured image is one of these birds. One of our larger sparrows and they have a beautiful song that really says spring. We have quite a few different species of sparrows around here. Some stay for the summer, some are just passing through on their way north. So many varieties, colors and songs. They are a true country pleasure.
As the days get warmer…
Other birds arrive. But I will write more about them later. All are beautiful country pleasures. The longer and warmer days mean busier days for animals. Like the squirrels. The females like to take a break now and then and just relax.
Just to see it is another country pleasure. Sometimes they will just lay down beside me. Guess they figure it’s a good safe place to relax for a while.
I could go on…
About all the country pleasures. And I’m not even in the country. But country pleasures can be found most anywhere. One just has to look for them. In your backyard. In a park. Even on a deck, like mine. This time of year I start thinking of spring a lot. Seems like winter has been here so long this year. And it has. So thoughts of spring are nice. And that’s another country pleasure. Looking forward to each new season. Muffin is also looking forward to spring. Mainly because it means the chipmunks will be back. And she can have her window open again. And her chair by the screen door. I’m sure she is dreaming about those days!
Well, time to say good bye once again. I hope you will all enjoy a very pleasant weekend and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
© 2019 Steve McLeod
Dreams and Other Things.
Good morning everyone on this rather nice February day and welcome to Steve’s Country once again! Well, considering the terrible cold we have had it really wasn’t so bad today. Barely froze my fingers out there taking pics today. Yes, I do that most days. Except when it’s really cold. And even then I will if there is a lot of activity or something new around my place. And it’s amazing the things that can happen around here sometimes. Simply amazing. One of my readers wanted to see a pic of my desk. The place where I do my writing. Or try to at least. So here it is, open.
Shopping time is…
Rather an interesting time for me. I mean, nothing goes normally for this guy. I never know quite what to expect. Most people go shopping and nothing out of the ordinary will happen to them. Must be dull. So there I am. I have one item to buy, bird seed. It’s a holiday so there is only one checkout open. And 8 people ahead of me. So I stand and wait like everyone else. Person at the front has some problem with item being bought. So they had to call for a replacement item. No answer. The lady calls again. And again. Finally someone shows up with the replacement. Another person has trouble with their credit card. Even the second card tried did not work. Finally she pays with cash. Sigh. I should never go shopping.
Another time…
I am going around with my cart, everything is normal. Suddenly this older lady runs into me with her cart. Sorry, she says. That’s okay. She was nice. A little while later she hit me with her cart again. Oh, I’m sorry, she says. That’s okay. This time she caught me right on the heel and knocked my shoe off. Sigh. I bent over to put my shoe back on. Wham! A young lady came quickly around the corner of the aisle and slammed into my cart. Which hit me on the head, since I was still bent over. Sorry, she said. That’s okay, I enjoy headaches. I didn’t actually say that last part. But considering how many times I hit my head I sometimes wonder if I really do enjoy headaches. Sigh.
Here I sit…
Drinking my raspberry leaf tea and dreaming of warm summer days. When everything is green. And I can sit outside without freezing. And it doesn’t take 20 minutes to get dressed to go outside. And I still freeze anyway. A nice gentle breeze, warm sunshine, birds singing, chipmunks sitting on my lap
or crawling into my pockets looking for peanuts. Such nice thoughts. Though sometimes when one of those chipmunks crawls up my back it makes me wonder if it really is a chipmunk. Or one of those giant spiders that live under my deck. AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! So much for my nice dream. Sigh.
Another dream…
Is to spend a day by one of my favorite lakes. Listening to the water gently lapping against the shore. Loons calling from across the lake. Fish jumping. Gulls crying. Ducks swimming by, mother and a dozen or more little ones. Song sparrow singing. Maybe for my birthday this year. Right. Every year I say that. Every year it doesn’t work out. Sigh.
Birds were busy…
Today. A lot of common redpolls.
And that hoary redpoll which I have been trying to get a pic of for some time now. He always hides when I go out with my camera. Speaking of hiding, one bird is getting way too brave. While I was out there this morning taking pics of pine grosbeaks, suddenly they fly off. And who should land on the feeder, right while I am standing out there?! That big beast of a bird, a raven!
Such nerve. So I clicked a pic and then promptly sent him on his way. Amazing. Right in front of me. He’s not exactly on my favorite list. Why? Because he is mean. Scares everything else away. And he will just sit on the feeder even if there is no food. The little birds are just too scared to come around when he is there. So I run out and scare him away. Sigh. I wouldn’t mind so much if he just took the food and left right away. I think he delights in scaring the other birds. He’s big, with a four foot wingspan. And ravens are not scared of anything really. Which make is hard to scare him away. Oh well. Another pic for my collection of birds.
I think…
I should go back to dreaming of warm summer days. They seem to be so far away right now. We’re not even close to spring yet. Maybe another six weeks. More stuff has been added on my site so please look around. More coming tomorrow. Hopefully. Unless there are technical difficulties again. Sigh. Some winter pics will be added to my gallery tomorrow as well.
I hope you all will have a great remainder to your week and I will see you again Friday, God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
© 2019 Steve McLeod
Steve`s Country 