Fairyland Morning

I wasn't going to post anything since I'm getting ready to go out the door, but I just have to show you what I awoke to this morning! The hoarfrost was thick on everything. Just putting up some pix from the morning dog walk- a few hours after the pink picture, and then I have to scoot!

Veggie Fun

 


Dinner as art? Don't care for cabbage? How about broccoli?


I'll be out of town tomorrow and Wed, but have set a post to publish tomorrow. I'll have some new pics to share when I am home again. It will be more snow... can't escape that, but not my backyard at any rate. That's all I'll tell for now.

	See More Veggie Fun
if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Shadows Are Not Always Sinister

 


It was a great day to go outside today, except for the fact that there was a brand new 16" (yes sixteen inch) layer of new fluffy snow on top of all the previous snow. It all fell yesterday! Maggie is standing in the trench, er... path I had just made with the snowshoes. You can rest assured that even with snowshoes the walking was not easy.

It was so great to see the sun on all that new, fresh snow, so I went out with the intention of looking for something you can only find when the sun is out... shadows.

Shadows are elusive wraiths, they change every minute. Even sooner if the wind is blowing. The brighter the sun, the darker the shadow!

We so often look at obvious shapes, the positive image, and forget to observe the less obvious silhouette of the shadow. Here is a black cherry tree, sprawling up the slope.

Compare this lumpy shadow of a Scotch pine which captured snow on its coarse needles with the lacy fingers of the cherry.
This is my favorite: I was standing in the shadow of the pines and maples by the cemetery looking east across the field. Even though it was only 2 pm, the shadows were beginning to angle toward the east and to creep up the hill.

Only a short time later the sun and thus the shadows disappeared. What a quality experience that I chose to go out when the sun was bright and the shadows deep!

if you like this blog, click the +1   or

Nature Blog Group

It looks like an explosion in a powdered sugar factory outside. We have about 8 inches of new fluff. The dog and I went out, but I was happy enough to keep my hands in the mittens. And I'll have to go clear the driveway when hubby calls that he's an hour away.

Meanwhile, I'm going to post earlier than I usually do today, because I'm pretty excited about this.

I checked with the powers that be, and it seems that the groups (not official categories) which exist to help people click on blogs that are within their interest group are just put together by individuals. After chatting with some other writers of blogs with Nature / Outdoors themes it seems that the Entrecard administration has been asked more than once to create an official category for those of us who fit this category best. They have not said "never," but at the same time, there doesn't appear to be anything happening to make it a reality.


So, following the example of a couple of existing groups, I have built a page at Nature Lovers Group. Check it out! You can add the banner to your blog if you would simply like to link to nature blogs, or you can do that and also apply to have your blog added to the lists.

Here are the "rules" for application. This group is for nature lovers. Your blog must have more than 60% of the entries focused on some aspect of nature study, quiet outdoor activites, nature photography, etc. to be approved. Pets has its own Entrecard group and blogs focused on pets may or may not fit this group. (Dog and cat blogs are unlikely to fit.) The standards are subjective. If I think your blog fits... you're in!

If your blog seems to meet these requirements, apply to Sharkbytes. Include the URL of your blog and the categories you would like to be placed in. You may join more than one category. Thanks for loving the outdoors!

And why was it a quality day? I learned a new snippet of coding, and I should make some new friends through this group.

Sun and Wind

If there is one thing that those of us in Michigan really long for lately it's S-U-N. Oh, it was wonderful today. Even though it was also so very cold we just had to go out. I don't have a very good way to take video and this is very short, but it really shows how the wind makes all those wonderful patterns in the snow. I was standing still- all the movement is the snow blown by the wind.

And at the end of the day... well, it happens every day, but it's so very nice to actually see it.