See you in the funnies!

More funny animal photos [with or without dialogue] @ Camera Critters.

ha, winter-- I laugh in your face!

Today we have sunshine and though I might be tempting fate by posting these reminders of our record breaking winter, here are some reds that showed up in the snow.

Visit Mary's meme Ruby Tuesday for lots more reds to savor.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. Doug Larson

peaceful kingdoms

On a recent winter trek I saw this little ogre at the feeding station on a rest stop. See if you can find a curious visitor who showed up in this picture.
post script: we too have a red squirrel that regularly usurps the bird feeders in our back yard. He/she has given Dave a run for his money as he stands knee deep in snow to fill the seeds. Our red friend loves the suet block and Dave, feigning disinterest, actually bought a case of suet for the feeders awhile back. I think they both have a good thing going!

More delightful creatures can be seen at Camera Critters.

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.
— Dr. Seuss

word-less + ABC Wednesday

Blue ribbons of shadows on our snow supply. The 'blue' snow is one of my favorite parts of winter. Today's ABC Wednesday letter du jour is was 'B" so this photo should hi-lite my favorite color nicely, though I'm late once again.

a two story Skywatch Friday

This photo was taken on the morning after our first big snowstorm of the season. Through the buttermilk sky the sun lit up the snow. I had never seen a two story gazebo before I moved to Minnesota either.

Minnesota factoid: did you know that some people here flood their back yards in the winter so their kids can ice skate and play hockey in their own yard? Very cool!

See many more cool skies at Skywatch Friday.

He will not see me stopping here. . .

Saturday last we 'received' over 6 inches of snow in one day which ushered in this whole winter in Minnesota thing in style. I took this photo Wednesday morning when the crunchy snow was sun-washed. Due to freezing day temps since Saturday, the lakes are starting to freeze too. Soon the less stalwart water fowl will leave us for several months.

There is a fragile beauty in the sky and on the morning snow now. More beautiful skies to be seen @ Skywatch Friday.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Robert Frost

all dressed up and nowhere to go

Windblown but leafless

Poking through the bluest dome

Painted ladies wait.

Visit more beautiful sky views here.

'Please won't you be my neighbor?'

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood when I trudged through the snow to see what I could see. On this tree was the only color I'd seen for blocks. The berry clusters reminded me of parachutes dropping bundles on some blockaded town. . . in the Twilight Zone.

This neighbor has this Swiss flag up all year but now it seems especially fitting for the Olympic extravaganza.

Poor guy can't seem to take his chunks of coal eyes off the door with the snappy red wreath leftover from the holidays. [And yes, I meant to fill up 90% of the photo with a blank wall!]

Visit Mary, our intrepid hostess, for more jewels for Ruby Tuesday.

SkyWatch Friday--just another day in Minnesota

Owasso Lake is frozen solid, allowing cars, snowmobiles and people in boots to cross, set up fish houses, let their pets run, etc. This day the sun was so bright in a perfect blue sky. I thought the clouds were a true reflection of the linear tracks in the snow.
See more sky views at Skywatch Friday.

some things never change

My first December in Minnesota was in 2006 when I took this photo of the early morning moon near our apartment . It was an unseasonably mild winter at that point with just a bit of snow now and then. But the natives warned me. . .

Fast forward to early last December when we had this moon and the blue moon at the end of the month. I took this on a snowy morning in nearly the same bunch of huddling trees.

And the Minnesotans knew what they were talking about! This year has been harsh, snowy and very much like 'the old days.'

See more sky views at Skywatch Friday. Stay warm!

word-less Wednesday

that was the week that was

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.

John Keats

so, I've been complaining all week about the weather to anyone who will listen. I took the photo above this morning while grabbing a chance to walk between rain storms. The water on this little neighborhood lake was calm and glassy with sounds of geese and ducks in the background. Visit James' Weekend Reflections meme for more reflections to ponder.

We were visited by different forms of precip this week, including some way-too-early snowstorms. I found this poor summertime bench shivering in someones garden. So I'm adding it to Rune's collection of weekly bench sightings here.

Red apron ties and

Star dusted sugar cookies

First winter frosting.

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

Maori Proverb

crazy is as crazy does

I'm late in posting for Today's Flowers because its been snowing since Friday night! I think this must have been a lovely geranium before the cold nights and snow hit. We haven't even had a true autumn yet--but maybe after the snow melts. Sigh...

Visit Luiz Santilli and his flower shop crew at Today's Flowers for more beauty--warm OR cold--from all over the world. And if you're looking for me, I'll be in the storage bin dragging out the Christmas tree and decorations. Yikes!

Chilly today, hot tamale!

These photos are of bell-shaped flowers from seasons past -- warmer and more colorful. I am especially fond of their shapes and apparently take a lot of photos that lean in that direction. Nice to look at in these winter days, so I'm posting these for Today's Flowers, a virtual flower shop hosted every Monday by Luiz, Denise Castro and Laerte Pupo. Stop by for a cheerful bouquet!

In contrast, a few not-so-colorful views of my world. Over the weekend we had a heat wave with melting temps up to 45 degrees. Today its just as bright and clear but with a forceful west wind, its feels like -14. Needless to say these snow people are leftover from our balmy weekend.

Happy Monday!