ARCHIVES - A STRANGE PLACE TO TAKE A REST.....

would be right next to the tail of an alligator, don't you think?

These are from a trip to Florida January 2014.  We visited the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park.  There were two ways to get to it from the main entrance, a boat or a tram ride.  We took the boat and this is a sight that we were greeted with not five minutes into the ride.  Turtles sharing a log with an alligator.

Since the busy pace of the holidays we have settled into a slower one.  Between colds and company I haven't done a lot of photo taking, and it's snowing today!  

Sounds like it will be our first significant one of 2020.  I hadn't looked at the long range weather forecast and a friend called up this morning and said it was snowing where she was.  She lives out towards the mountains about an hour from here.  No sign of it as I looked out the window.  

I got busy with a few chores and when hubs came home he said that it was snowing.  I looked outside and by this time there were big fluffy flakes coming down.  (I wish we could send it over to our friends in Australia, as I am still thinking about you all out that way).  Will it stick?  I won't have a clue until I look at our local weather and I want to finish this beforehand.  

The only sign of wildlife outside is a squirrel eating the birdseed I put out there.  He is welcome as all the birds have battened down the hatches.  Yesterday I saw a squirrel running across the grass with a mouthful of dead leaves.  We have two squirrel nests up in our tree and no doubt they are being insulated for the snowy weather.  A sign I should pay more attention to and I will from now on, that and looking at the long range weather forecast.  

All this being said I am a homebody and have no intention of going anywhere, at least for today.  I am convinced that if you put me in a small log cabin on the top of a snow-covered mountain in the middle of nowhere I would be happy.  It is a family joke that we have bandied around for years, and hubs always adds yes, as long as they've got electricity and wi-fi!  Maybe!  But that's what candlelight, good old-fashioned books and a log fire is all about isn't it?  What say you?  I can dream can't I? 

And as I get back on track and case in point, I have not been outside to take any photos, so to amuse myself I looked at old vacation photos from way back.  I found these of the alligator and turtles, shared before but maybe it's been so long that you don't remember, or won't mind seeing again.  

MORE SNOW

At the end of Monday's recipe post here, I made an addition along with those extra recipes at the end, where I mentioned that it had started snowing again.  

It was the kind of snow that,  just like last time, covered all the trees making them look picture postcard perfect.  It was really beautiful but...

there's a spring out there somewhere.

            

THE SNOW BIRDS

Most of the snow has gone now.  These were taken the first day we had it.

We have been getting a lot of Dark-eyed Juncos.  They always arrive in the winter and leave in the spring.

I am surprised to see a Mourning Dove as they usually disappear in the winter.  This one has been visiting every day for a long time.

The snow had been four or five inches high on the rail, but I watched the little juncos, and other birds, slowly shuffle the snow away with their feet to expose the seed.  It was like they were dancing and it was a sight to behold. 

The Blue Jay arrived too late for the show.

The birds started arriving soon after I put the seed out.  The latest bag I bought contained mostly sunflower seeds, and it gets eaten quickly.

We also had an interesting visitor, one bird I had never seen in our garden before.  I didn't get a photo but the closest I came to identifying it was when I looked at a Black and White Warbler here.  It also looked like a junco and at first I was a little confused, thinking maybe its pigmentation had gone awry. I do wish I had my camera ready but the battery had died and I couldn't find my other one.  Hopefully it will come back again.  Otherwise the memory of it will have to do.

The dove looks like it is resting after a good feast, but with the snow coming down I wished it would get some shelter under the eaves.

Slowly these industrious little birds cleared the rail, and all that was left was this 'igloo' of sorts.  One little junco was burrowing into it, I daresay to find another cache of seed.

By the time they had finished, they had built their own igloo.

And after a while they had fashioned a very nice home for themselves.  Okay, so my imagination flew away with the feathers, but a Rembrandt I am not (the two birds on the left were borrowed from Pixabay).

My little friend here looked up and approved.

The sunflower feeder is silent, the birds finally left.

Squirrels have not been seen and must be staying warm in their nests.  If I was a squirrel I would be there too.

I have to say I did enjoy this snow, but then I didn't have to drive anywhere.  I wished all those who had to be out on the road a safe journey back home to their families.  

In winter

all the singing is in

the tops of the trees.

~Mary Oliver~

There is hardly any of this left now, two days of rain cleared most of it away, and there is more rain on the way.

Thanks for stopping by my friends and safe travels.

SNOWY NEIGHBORHOOD

I only have a few more snow photos left after this post, until the next snow anyhow.  We are expecting more but I think it will be more sleet and rain from what I was told.   I couldn't help but take ones in this neighborhood when we were driving through.  Everywhere looked so pretty, even with the roads ploughed.

When it snows you have two choices, shovel or make snow angels (or take photos)!

~Author Unknown~

"Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, 

frosty but kindly."

~William Shakespeare - As You Like It~

I thought the fir trees looked especially pretty.

Finishing up with a collage.

We are all ready for our company arriving in a few hours (I wrote this on Thursday the 17th).  I will be back on Monday.  

Have a great weekend everyone and as always, thanks for stopping by.

THE SNOW STOPPED FALLING

White Noise 

by

Barbara R. Vance

In all the world

There's nothing like

The sound of falling snow.

The only noise

I've ever known

That makes the clocks move slow.

The only sound 

That sweeps away

The din of city streets

And wraps around

In soft embrace

Most everyone it meets.

A sound that's 

Not a sound at all

A quiet, soft and dear

That comforts all

The sleepy souls

Who sit, and watch, and hear.

~~~~

 The snow stopped as predicted, the plough came around all our streets and yesterday we met up with our son for lunch.  We  had a very nice afternoon together, did a bit of shopping afterwards and got home around 6.00 p.m.  Traffic was light, schools were out and so were federal workers. I hope all returns to normal for everyone real soon.  The photo above was taken at night when the snow was still falling, you can hardly see it but it was quite heavy.  I will leave you with one more snow photo that I took of the tree in front of our home.  Pretty blue skies are back again.  

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great week.

MONDAY FOOD RECIPE - NAVY BEAN SOUP - PLUS A SNOW VIDEO TAKEN FROM THE BACK DOOR

This is a video I took yesterday as we looked out our sliding window/door.  We opened it for just enough time to show you.  The snow was coming down fairly heavily.  Just looked at the clock and at 11.48 p.m. it is still snowing.  Our son and daughter-in-law sent us these photos also.  They have new parkas and were trying them out, and new snow boots.  They are taking a trip soon and need to be prepared.

Gregg was out when it was light and was shoveling the driveway. I showed him the advertisement of two local young men/college age students who are earning extra money to do just that, and they have all the equipment. He prefers to get the exercise right now, as was our next door neighbor and a few others around here.  I am unable to help unfortunately.  Too many falls on icy surfaces that have left their calling card even now.  Still waving that phone number around just in case he needs it tomorrow.

Now onto this weeks recipe.  I am revisiting an old one, great comfort food in this weather.  It is one that I make every year, generally after Thanksgiving.  I had a ham bone in the freezer which I thawed out overnight, along with pre-prepared dried beans left over from another dish and also frozen and thawed overnight.  A nice easy meal.  

Recipe as follows: from mum-in-law many years ago.

Put 1 lb. of dried navy beans into a strainer and rinse under cold water.  Pick out any bits of grit or dark beans. 

1 finely chopped yellow onion

6 peeled whole cloves of garlic

3 carrots, grated

2 ribs of celery, diced

Seasonings to taste, if used

Pour the beans into a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.  Carefully pour back into the strainer and rinse again.  

To the saucepan add the beans, one finely chopped yellow onion, 6 peeled whole cloves of garlic, 3 grated carrots, 2 diced ribs of celery and a large meaty ham bone.  Cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours.  

Take the bone out of the pot, remove any meat and cut into small bit-sized pieces.  Put the meat back into the pot and discard the bone.  

Season to taste.  

When I learned how to make this bean soup years ago from watching my mother-in-law, she used to tell me her favorite seasoning was Lawry's Seasoned Salt and also Lawry's Seasoned Pepper.   I have been using both when preparing various meals ever since, and though I don't use a lot of salt, I always add a little and more pepper.  I would use your own seasonings if you already have a favorite, and only use enough for your own taste.  

I also made a cornbread and served it with the soup, but a slice of crusty bread would go very nicely.

SNOW!

I took these in the early hours of the night, about 3.00 a.m.  There is a lot more on the ground this afternoon, and the weathermen are promising that it will continue to snow, with a winter storm warning up until 12.00 a.m.  

We won't be going anywhere today!

SNOW POST AND QUOTE

"It snowed last year too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down.  I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."

~Dylan Thomas~

SKYLINE DRIVE

Taking a short break in this post from the warm weather photos of our holiday, and will resume shortly.

Over the weekend we took a road trip up to Skyline Drive.  The weather warmed up, in the low 60s.  Rain was predicted for the next day, but not for this one, and so we decided it was a good time to enjoy it.  We had a lot of company and even though we joined a long line of traffic at the entrance and some of the overlooks and parking lots were full, the road up there wasn't bad at all. There was still some snow around but the roads were clear and safe to drive.   Here are a few of the photos we took.

Frosty fingers everywhere.

These ice walls attracted a lot of photographers.

The views were as spectacular as ever.

Someone had built a small snowman.  He was already melting.  I dressed him up a bit as you can see by my first photo.  Thanks to Paint Shop Pro I made him smile again.

I saw not one bird and not one deer today.  A few crows once we were out of the park, and on our way home I found a great 'fixer upper'.

Does anyone like that show?  It is my favorite right now.  I love to see what this delightful couple can do, but I think this might be beyond repair.  It must have been lovely at one time, somebody's dream home.  Can you just imagine how it once was?

Here's a lovely house I could make my dream home, white picket fence and all.

I am linking the following memes when they become available, and my thanks to our hosts for giving us a place to share and see other photos from around the world. 

Good Fences
(Wordless on Tuesday) at Image-in-ing