a Puzzle

Do you know what you are looking at? I bet somebody does.

the Wolf

The Full Wolf Moon sets over the Black Hills

44N 103W

7:15 AM  

1/19/11

the Utilities

They have everything all flagged out. This is the north corner of our yard, absolutely no idea what they are up to. Or even who they are.

dear Turkeys,

Can you tell me exactly where you are going? You seem confused, do you need a map or a compass?

...and here they Come

Sometimes they are the "bully boys",  sometimes up to mischief, but not today, just lookin' for lunch.

aw, Nuts!

Waiting for the blue jays.....

winter Scallops

Curious as to why the ice formed along the edge of the creek this way.

winter Sheep

Sometimes you have to give up and take them off, you can't take the picture with furry mittens in the way. I don't part company with them for just anything!

winter Roses

they were lovely in June, but on a snowy and cold January day they may be even more so....

bathers, Beware

You might just freeze your little feathered fannies if you take a bath this morning!

pacific Panic

Odontocidium "Pacific Panic"

A present from my friend, Mary.

Welcome, small orchid.

You are brave.

It was -4 this morning when you chose to open.

snug as a bug in a Rug

...on a January night when it is -0, I hope so.

Not all ladybugs are “ladies.” There are both male and female ladybugs. So how did they get their name? In the Middle Ages, European farmers were grateful to the little beetles for saving their crops from plant eating insects. They believed the way the ladybugs ate those insects (probably aphids) was a miracle that came from God in answer to their prayers. The Catholic farmers of the time named the insect for Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is known as “Our Lady.”

treasures in the Mailbox

I love it when January comes with cold and snow, only because with it come the GARDEN CATALOGS!

a personal challenge and a Project

This is my youngest daughter, she is a college student and photographer. She has set herself a challenge to do a 365 day post on her blog Sans Parallax. She has selected 365 adjective/noun pairs and is photographing something daily to illustrate each one. I am fascinated with her vision and view, take a look, you might be too.

www.sansparallax.blogspot.com

cranberry/Orange

Cold days at the feeders bring all kinds and varieties of diners. These fellows are both male house finches, the typical cranberry/raspberry color and a less commonly seen orange variant. It is only 15F at noon today, so there are lots of visitors in for lunch.

umm...flying Fish?

Canyon Lake is a popular fishery for trout whenever the water is open. Somebody had a big OOPS, and caught a honey locust branch about 15' in the air, rather than a tasty treat for dinner.

:o)

january Gold

People often mistakenly think they have a "new" bird in their yard or at their feeder. When it is in truth, it is the familiar American goldfinch who has been there all along.

The catch is that the male "wild canary" changes his brilliant dandelion and ebony breeding plumage to a softer hue.

He more closely resembles his Mrs. than his glorious June self.

the lacemaker's Art

from Claeys Antiques website

Sample antique Belgian bobbin lace (circa 1920)

Sample Bedroom window lace (circa 2011)

first of the Year

The South Dakota birding community does a fun tally on our Yahoo! listserv. People post their FOY (first bird for the year), the first bird seen in the New Year to begin this year's list. All of us hope it is something cool, not a pigeon or a starling. My first visitors were a band of 6 chickadees after sunflower seeds the morning after the blizzard and 2010 ended. They are always most welcome.

Happy New Year 1/1/11

With wishes for a bright, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to all.

a farewell toast to 2010

Bottoms Up!

at the Edge

At the edge of the ice at Canyon Lake, open water and melt water, reflections of the canyon wall.

The lake is Rapid Creek dammed up, with a spillway. The  water passing under the thin edge of the ice sheet was singing. It had a glassy sort of musical sound that was quite intriguing to listen to.

through the Window

Winter storm warning, cold and snowy, house finches through the laundry room window at 2 pm. Inside the window, the summer's impatiens is spending the winter days waiting. Pink and Pink

melt Water

A December visit to Art Alley, Ma Nature makes her own compositions. Meltwater off the roof.

some things are Universal

pigeon in Provence

( borrowed from blog Paris Postcard)

pigeons in Rapid City

Some things are just Universal!

sherbet for Dessert

 

 For friends along the Atlantic coast who might need a break from winter, a little summertime sherbet for dessert.

:o)

the dinner who Wasn't

Santa not only travels with reindeer, apparently he brings turkeys along as well.

Christmas meringue

Lemons from my cousin Bobby's tree in central FL, to me in SD turned into Lemon Meringue Pie for Christmas dinner. How yummy is that!

Merry Christmas!

Peace on Earth,

Goodwill toward Men and

All Earth's Creatures.

we need you, Rudolph

Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,

Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

It's been foggy in the Black Hills all day.....

full steam Ahead

Part of the Canyon Lake Navy, two mallards and a bufflehead drake on maneuvers.

winter Solstice

Frost flowers for the Winter Solstice

Did you watch the Lunar Eclipse overnight? There were high, thin clouds here, and a ring around the moon, but my NiteOwl child, the Schnauzer kid, and I watched till totality arrived. It was 14F, down jackets and snowboarding clothes were the attire. We finally called it a night about 1 AM. According to what I read today, the last total lunar eclipse on the day of the Winter Solstice was in 1638!

the cold Shoulder

The turkeys came running the minute I stepped out the door. They thought I had breakfast for them, all I had was my camera. I immediately got the "cold shoulder" and they left in a huff.

star light, star Bright

Do you see a bright star in the southern sky early in the evening on these December nights? The "star" you are seeing is the King of the Planets, Jupiter. With binoculars you should be able to see Jupiter's Galilean moons as well.

balsam in the LR

just hanging out

the goose is getting Fat

Christmas is a-coming,

The goose is getting fat.

Please put a penny in the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny, then a ha'penny will do,

If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

God bless you, gentlemen. God bless you.

(old English carol)

the lunch Crowd

I have no idea what was so interesting to this clan of mallards, but something certainly caught their attention. Must be something tasty for lunch, McDuck's maybe?

holly for Helen

The mockingbird and the robins will soon have the berries, but aren't they gorgeous! These are in my parents' front yard in northern New York. I always send my mother holly for her December 18th birthday, but I'll have to think of something else, she has bushels of it this year.-

he of the golden Eye

Welcome  visitors, the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). These tree-hole nesting diving ducks spend their summers in Canada and Alaska and come to South Dakota waters only in the winter months. I always knew them as "Whistlers", which is what they are commonly called in the Lake Champlain valley where I grew up. Their wings whistle loudly when in flight, hence the colloquial name given this elegant little duck.

at the Crack...

...of dawn on a December morning. Most of the world is still sleeping and misses "rosy-fingered Dawn " painting the sky.

an exciting Discovery

 

Spanish researchers have discovered that caffeine and glucose -- found in those longtime favorites, coffee and doughnuts -- actually make you smarter. In a study published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, researchers at the University of Barcelona discovered that the caffeine-glucose combo boosts your brain in terms of attention and memory. Rock on, doughnut lovers, we thought that stuff was bad for us!  

freezing Fingers

When your fingers are freezing, and it is dark, and the  shutter speed is verrrry slow, Christmas tree lights come out very Baroque.

the Snowboarder

Our local ski areas opened this weekend, the skiers and boarders have been waiting, waiting, waiting!

The snow that delayed our trip to Minnesota last week helped out the slopes big time.

macro-Ms

 

 Treats in the Teachers' Lounge.

the Confrontation

round 1

round 2

Who do you think won the Birdfeeder Skirmish and who backed off?

Our Project Feederwatch journal at Lincoln Academy has some interesting observations already. My 9th Graders seem to be rooting for the squirrels, despite the fact that we are supposed to be counting birds.

Sagittarius, the Archer

A Sagittarius born on December 1 is a reputed to be a  theatrical and flamboyant person. Sunrise on this December 1 seems to be a Sagittarian as well.