Winter Windows

It's so windy outside, the gas fireplace in the sun room will not stay lit. 

With Hudson in his dotage, I don't want to risk a real walk.  I bundled up to take him around the block this morning.  He wisely chose to do his business close to home, then promptly headed back inside.

Best to observe winter beauty from the inside.

Snow Tunnels

Yesterday Hudson and I saw these snow tunnels on our walk at Swan Creek.

Mice?

I see the same tunnels around the base of the bird feeders after a new snow.

The Pleasures of Dry Pavement

Between the stretches without and the ice on the sidewalks in our neighborhood, it can be dangerous to walk this time of year.  Lately I've been parking at the Maumee Library and walking there.  It's better, but there is still a lot of ice.

Yesterday, Hudson and I went to Swan Creek Park.  I don't remember the last time I was there, but it must have been a while because the path we took was not previously paved.  Not only was it paved, but it was plowed, salted and wonderfully dry - all 3 miles of it.

Hudson and I ate it up.  It was so good to have such an easy go of it.  And because we didn't have to pay attention to our feet we were able to enjoy the scenery.

Winter Respite

     Our friends Natalie and Dave Williams moved to Arizona last fall and invited us to visit.  

     Our timing was perfect.  We left the day before the worst winter storm here in over 30 years and returned just after everyone had shoveled out and the temperatures started to rise.

Natalie grew up with horses.  She found a beautiful place to ride at the base of the Superstition Mountains - the Don Donnelly Ranch.

We were the only two guests on the ride.  

Our horses were wintering over from Montana and if I understood correctly, are champion barrel racers.  They were still getting used to riding the trails in amongst the foraging long horn cattle and the Sonoran desert wildlife.  

It's Cold Out There

Winter is showing it's teeth with snow and below freezing temperatures.  

Dan is ready.  

His clothing held it's own in the the walking around the block test.

Hudson loves to walk outside, too, but is equally fond of burying his nose in a warm bed.

Snowy Owl

   I have been waiting for a good opportunity to spot my first snowy owl.  Snowy Owls are not normally seen in these parts.  They breed in the Arctic and normally winter in northern Canada.  Apparently there was a bumper crop of lemmings this past summer and most of the owl chicks survived to adulthood.  They have been forced to migrate much farther south this winter to find food.  Jim McCormick's blog, as usual, has excellent posts on this topic.

Today, the weather was beautiful and I had nothing in particular to occupy my time.  There was a report that an owl had been seen this morning at Maumee Bay State Park.  Hudson and I seized the moment.

Sure enough, we spotted the owl on the rocky shoreline of an inland lake - at the end of the little peninsula in the photo above.

Since I am rather deficient in the camera lens power department, I slowly walked out the peninsula to get closer.  I was not careful enough, however, and he took off.

I later realized there were serious bird people on the far shore.  They were not deficient in the camera lens power department.  

I can only hope they didn't recognize me.  So far, the birding website where I learned of the owl has not posted a scolding.

Boxing Day

Christmas is over.  

The presents have been opened.  

Eighteen people have come and gone.

Hide and seek

Pot roast

Vegetables

Mashed potatoes

Noodle kugel

Spritz cookies

Apple pie

All consumed

Cindy's energetic cleaning

Patrick and Aunt Jonna watching Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Dan climbing into bed after his evening shift, his new Captain America shield close by.