Peace Alongside the Snowmobile Trail

I am ready to slow down, breathe in winter, and enjoy the coziness it brings. 

Some find comfort in peculiar places.

Whatcha dreaming about, Bear Bear?

There's a lot to be said about lounging around on a Sunday afternoon, 

wrapped in a quilt, a toasty fire in the wood burner crackling, 

while enjoying a good 'ole marathon of The Waltons' episodes back to back.

Out the window the snow is also lazy, falling like tiny white feathers.

The chickadees, nut hatches, blue jays, red polls, and wood peckers fly from station to station, feasting on a mixture of seed, black sunflower seeds, and suet.

A leftover sunflower head from my summer garden.

I put leftover bread in the tray at the top of this station 

and as I sip my morning coffee I enjoy watching 

the blue jays fly off with a hunk in their beaks. 

When the dogs get let out of their kennel in the morning, 

they race to this station hoping the blue jays were sloppy 

and in their haste dumped some of the bread overboard.

Ike and Bear usually find a morsel!

These bird ornaments were given to me last year by my mother-in-law. 

I wasn't sure how they would hold up to the outdoors,

but they are quite festive and brave the elements well! Bird Decoys?

A downy woodpecker and a chickadee share suet.

Nice neighborhood for a bird's house

Knock. Knock.

Anybody home?

We'll see you in the spring!

Another Bird Station

When Ike and Bear are locked in the kennel, they get taunted by the red squirrels

who know its safe when the dogs are behind bars. They are quite convinced that they will not get chased up a tree under these conditions. The squirrels scoot in and nibble the seeds that have fallen to the ground by picky birds looking for their favorite seed (kind of like picking through the fruit salad bowl to get those blueberries I want so bad. At least I try to watch my manners and wait until no one is looking and for the most part keep the rest of the fruit in the bowl...not on the floor. Ahem. 

Did I mention when no one is looking?)

You can find more pictures of birds I have around here at this post:

  Time to Regroup the Birdfeeders

In the midst of all this peace, 

I am constantly reminded that we live on a busy snowmobile trail.

Zoom. Zoom.

Have a peaceful holiday week everyone!

And have a VERY Happy and Blessed 2014!

~Debi