On this first snow day of the year

 

The blue jays are kings and queens of the fly through feeder. 

One benefit of teaching is that school districts don’t like to take risks when it comes to snowy roads and getting children safely to and from school. The snow started falling during the night and by the time I got up, ten inches of fluffy snow had fallen. It continued through the morning and now totals around 13-14 inches. I spent the first half of my day working on PPT prep, planning to relax during the afternoon with a good book or some such preferred activity. 

But as often happens these days, I was lured to the window to see what birds were visiting the yard. I can always count on seeing several Dark Eyed Juncos scouring the ground for fallen seed.

They are sweet little birds who ensure that nothing goes to waste. They stick together, so where there is one, twenty others are likely nearby. 

The golden female Northern Cardinal made a short appearance, but by the time I had gone to the next room to grab my camera, she had disappeared. She looked absolutely stunning in the golden sunlight with her tawny feathers blending and swirling as in a watercolor painting. I’m sure she’ll return sometime today or tomorrow. I’m keeping my eyes peeled. 

Now, maybe I can relax for a while with my abundant reading material. When asked what I wanted for Christmas, books were at the top of my short list. I received some lovely bird books, a tree photography book, a couple of novels, and a book of poems. They sit in a stack by the Christmas tree awaiting their turn to fill my mind with treasure. :-)