We had a bit of snow. Before the east was pummeled and buried in it we got the preview here in N. Alabama. Might as well have been a blizzard. The snow came down, the overnight low was in the teens and life as we know it here in the country came to an icy, snowy, and silent halt.
But the best part was the footprints in the morning. They were everywhere! Birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, chickens, geese, and me, we all left our marks about the Farmlet.
It isn’t every day that I get to sleep in, but this morning as Bob left for work an hour earlier than usual he offered to reset the alarm for me.
Still foggy headed I let the dogs out, made coffee, let the dogs back in and fed them. I then proceeded to wander over to the big picture window in the living room to have my first view of the day. Sunny, too cold, the bird bath’s contents a solid block of ice.
A dear leaps into my view and races across the yard. I’m awake now! Another leaps by and as my jaw drops, yet another follows close on her tail!
I think it took me a full minute to realize I was standing there with my mouth open and silly wide-eyed expression still pasted across my face. What an awesome way to start the day!
Our unmowed north paddock
On the past two visits to the Mountain Farmlet I discovered another good reason to let a pasture lay fallow.
I never got to see them but oh how thrilling it was for me to hear them! If I could have seen them they would look like this…
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/79755299
I observed that some of them call out “Bob-White”, while others preferred to call “Bob-Bob-White”. I never knew there were two forms of their calling. Did you?
Every year we await the return of the Robins and Jays at the end of winter. Much like those in California await the return of the Swallows to Capistrano, though, perhaps, with a little less significance. This year was a surprise as it would seem that they all came to our holly tree before heading out to all points in the area!
Please click for captions and a closer view
They left nothing behind when they flew off.
Life on the Farmlet 