Month: March 2014
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Tufted titmouse about 7am, with 5″ of snow on the ground. We had another inch by noon, and initially thought we were snowed in for the day. Again, schools and government offices were all closed. But we were able to get out in the afternoon to attend the event commemorated a bit later.
Our first flowers of the spring
Thurmont, Maryland
Lunch and a pint of Guinness at the Shamrock Restaurant twice this week, with Sandy, Judy, and Alex. The picture is not of the restaurant, but looking west from behind the restaurant. It’s on US 15 a few miles south of Gettysburg. Roads were fine on this trip except for the 10 country miles closest to home, where they were mostly packed white. This was the day after yet another government-closing, school-closing snowstorm which brought our house about 7″ of unusually sand-like snow. By starting early, I was able (in two sessions) to clear the entire driveway with the leaf-blower.
(I have not paid the $30 annual fee to prevent the occasional appearance of randomly-placed links to somebody else’s advertising. But my use of the WordPress blogging software is free.)
Roxie the Good Dog
Roxie hates to go out in the dark (or the rain or the cold), but as a Good Dog given adequately stern instruction, she will gingerly tip-toe her way out the path into the woods by herself to do her business. When she’s done, she bolts full-tilt back into the house. If we didn’t stand aside we could get bowled over.
Eastern Goldfinch
Usually our most plentiful feeder visitors.
Slate-colored Junco
We may see even more juncos than goldfinches.
Red-winged Blackbird
Was he expecting to find spring in Virginia?
We’ve seen them regularly at the pond at the other end of Harwill Drive, but not in the winter, and never at home at all until this snowstorm when two of them came to our feeders. Only the male is the distinctive black with epaulets. Cornell Lab of Ornithology says “Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow.”
Common Grackle
We had a couple of common grackles at our feeders during this snowstorm, but I wasn’t quick enough with the camera. We’ve never had them at home before. They were big, black, with a very dark blue head, and their eyes were yellow.
The smaller of the two
The smaller of the two big oaks we had to have taken down is now split and stacked ready for next winter. That dog just won’t stand still!