One Of Many

Yesterday, a day of beautiful, glistening ICE! I planned ahead and had no place to go. But oh those loud SNAPS, and CRACKS. I knew that at the very least that sound meant a tree had lost a limb.

Or even worse a tree was down. Or a tree was down across the lane, or the road.

And that was the case many times over. The top photo is of a large Sassafras tree being hugged by a Flowering Dogwood. The bottom image, the same pair, close up. The Sassafras had lost its battle with a wood borer several years ago. Yesterday the ice brought it down. Right across the lane. The required “key” to exit, a chainsaw.

As luck would have it, the road down the mountain is a state maintained road and they take very good care of that road and its residents. Ah, living in the mountains. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ice Storm

Ice on the Blueberry bushes

A storm crossing the country. Menacing with flooding, deep snow, tornadoes, large hail, and for me a thick coating of ice. It arrived last night and lasted through the morning, coating everything with a thick layer of slick wet dangerous beauty. Every now and then the power went off for but a short second or two. So far, tonight, I’ve escaped a power outage.

Heavy laden branches of Gray Dogwood

The ice created noises, strange to me, sounding as if there was a huge someone in the woods breaking large branches with big, “SNAP!” noises. The Gray Dogwood trees in the picture above were a part of that noise making, snapping right in half after I took this picture. The road going down the mountain hasn’t been checked. I’m hoping there aren’t any large trees that suffered that, “SNAP!” sound in a louder rendition. Maybe a chainsaw will be required? I hope not.

A Sassy Little Wren

A sassy little bird that might be trying to make up for its size by being so vocal. A Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). This, one of several that I see year round here at my cabin. Little clowns that entertain me with their uninhibitedness and their relaxed nature while I’m outside with them.

They eat all sorts of insects and spiders, along with millipedes and snails. They’ve also been known to eat small tree frogs and lizards. During the winter they switch to seeds, berries and small fruits.

Put out something a little strange and they may take it as a challenge to build a nest – in a boot, in a wreath, in a potted plant. Clever birds!

The Weather Forecast

Winterberry

The weather forecast for tomorrow night (Wednesday night) into Thursday is exciting for me. Prospects of beautiful ice.

Purple Coneflower

I had a dentist appointment scheduled for Thursday, but given the risk of driving up here where it’s bound to be even more icy than down in the lowlands, I’ve rescheduled that appointment. And besides I’ll need all that time for roaming with my camera.

Flowering Dogwood

The only thing better than ice is pristine snow. The perfect decoration for the black and white landscape of winter.

Multiflora Rosa

Nature at its most beautiful. Me and my camera thoroughly enjoy capturing it in pixels.

Unpredictable, Sometimes, Winter Resident

An occasional winter resident. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). If I see one, I often see others. During the winter you’re going to see them eating berries from the bushes that provide their winter meals.

I’ve seen it mentioned that these Warblers will come to bird feeders where they’ll eat sunflower seeds, peanut butter, suet and raisins but I haven’t had success with that. The one thing I can count on is that they love a bird bath equipped with a water warmer.

I’ve been surprised at the birds that the bird bath will attract, no matter what the season.

Dark Skies

AH! Brilliant stars in the nighttime sky. That’s what I want. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia I’ve got nighttime skies that are way better than Arlington, Virginia, but it is certainly nothing to write home about.

Vacation has called me to Sapello, New Mexicoo. I’ve been there two or three times and I’ve been blown away. This is what dark skies are about.

Brilliant stars in a dark sky. There is nothing better.

Ice On Virginia Pine

Beauty of the season, though this year’s temperatures have not been cooperating. It’s a favorite subject of mine, ice covered needles and pine cones. This, Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana).

Virginia Pine has short needles, about 2 inches in length that grow in twisted pairs. The tree lives to an age of 65 to 90 years, and to a size of 15 to 40 feet in height and a width of 10 to 30 feet. Often flat topped. Not your perfect, stately pine, sometimes growing at a slant.

But, hey, perfection is so overrated.

Jalapeños From The Garden

I’m putting together a calendar for my Mom. Going through all my photographs trying to decide on 12 of my favorites. I think this will be the image for September, the month when these jalapeño peppers were harvested.