Chickadees at Beaver Creek

 The weather has really been alternating between nearly melting and the deepest of deep freezes... So, normal end of January in Saskatchewan. We had been planning to travel to visit Brad in Newport News and Teela's family in Charlottesville. The rising Omicron variant made it so that travel felt like it was going to be more work than it's worth. We already had this weekend booked for holidays and decided that even though we were to stay at home, we should try and make it feel a bit more... vacation-y.

There has been beautiful hoar frost and a lack of sun for several days. It has advanced to the near-ridiculously fluffy stage. Any hint of a breeze or brushing of a twig sends a cascade of snow floating lazily down. As luck would have it, the sun was just beginning to peek out in time that the light was a bit better for photography.

I surprised myself today with the realization that neither Wendy nor I could ever remember feeding birds from our hands. I've watched many people (including my own children) do so, but never had the opportunity myself. It was a predictably charming experience. The riffling buzz  of quickly beating wings and the feel of dainty claws through gloves made my heart flutter a little and certainly put a smile on our faces.



Comments

Unknown said…
The nature pictures and the chickadee in hand pictures are beautiful. Such definition and fluff to the birds. Reminds me of Lee's folks, where they had a chickadee feeder right outside the kitchen window. Putting one's hand out the window, flat and filled with seeds, meant the tiny visitors alighted, later than sooner. Cold but delightful.
3:18 am
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