Afternoon diversion

Wordless Wednesday: Itty Bitty Toady

The perfect resting spot.

Early in the morning this bee just hanging out in a squash flower. It was like he had just woken and was washing and fix himself up for the day. Slowly getting going and in no rush.

Red Sqwirl has his own spot.

He's just so dare cute.

Christmas Eve recounted.

"This bow is in the way, I need to get a good spot to view the package opening"

After a bit of fussing with the bow Jack found a good spot to watch everyone open gifts.
We have a gathering every year at our house with my in-laws and my mom and this year my brother came in from Utah for 2 weeks. We have appetizers and fondue (meat, cheese and chocolate). Then we open gifts and have cookies and coffee. Our kids (18 and 21) will not let us do anything other than the fondue on Christmas Eve. One of those traditions that I believe started with my husband's family and their aunt in the 1960's.

Winter in New England

Some folks love the snow and others don't like it at all.
It's lovely and fun but also means extra work to do.

Shoveling, plowing or snow blowing the driveway takes time or money.
Roads are often slippery and people worry about getting where they are going safely.

We received about 12 inches on Friday and another 12 on Sunday.
The temperature has been hanging right around 4 - 5 degrees and below zero at night.

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar waxwings are very social birds. They are non-territorial and will often groom each other. They travel in flocks of 40 or more birds. They often will appear in a spot with a good crop of berries. When they have eaten all the berries, they move on!

Information from: www.nhptv.org/Natureworks

Monarch on purple

Monarch on purple, originally uploaded by addvt2nh.

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine. ~Jeffrey Glassberg

BUSY

This bumble bee was working hard to reach down into
the center of this thistle flower.

Idleness brings want

To work today is to eat tomorrow

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity

~ Aesop's Fable

One green and speckled frog . . . .

“Up high, the flies are playing,

And frolicking, and swaying.

The frog thinks: Dance! I know

You'll end up here below.”

~Wilhelm Busch (German painter and poet, 1832-1908)

Early Morning WAKEUP!!

At 5 AM this young bear decided to play tether ball
with the bird feeders near the living room window. Then hustled off to the easier lick and eat feeder on the shed. I normally pull down the feeders but we have had fledgling cardinals frequenting the feeders. (Sorry about the fuzzy pic. Taken through the window.)

Visitors to the Garden

Great Spangled Fritillary : Speyeria cybele

Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
Habitat: Open, moist places including fields, valleys, pastures, right-of-ways, meadows, open woodland, prairies.


I was weeding and noticed lots of flying activity. Pollinators. And of course the cats always follow me to the garden. Supervisor Maui Waui surveying the landscape.