Goodbye to February

For the most part February was a lovely winter month with hardly any snow.   However once the last week of the month arrived so did winter.  Sunday the 21st started our gorgeous with lovely blue skies and temperatures just above 0 Celsius.

Monday arrived with overcast skies, some light snow overnight and winter storm warnings.

By Thursday the snow had arrived and covered us all in a blanket of white once again.

Inuky has a light covering of snow.  But there was more to come.

The snow continued all day Thursday and overnight into Friday.  When we woke up on Friday morning and looked out the window the comment was OH WOW!

The sunrise was creating a red sky ... an ominous prediction.

There was another 15 cm. of snow blanketing the ground.

There is a driveway under all that snow and thanks to the snowplow there was a mountain of white stuff at the very end.

Just look at the snow on the fence rails and composter lid.

And Inuky is loaded up with snow.

As the day went on the temperature rose to +4 Celsius and the melting began.Today for the last day of the month the snow has receded quite a bit and there are just a few flurries in the forecast. Thank goodness all of February wasn't like the last week. Goodbye to February.  Labels:  weather, snow ©Crafty Gardener
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Sky Watching on a Stormy Thursday

Winter has been very good to us during February.  Many of the days have had temperatures in and around 0 Celsius. There has been little or no snow accumulations until yesterday.Then winter decided to let us know that it is still around, despite the birds chirping otherwise.

The views from the back deck about 7:30 am yesterday showed a very heavy sky with still lots of snow to dump on us.

These views are looking to the south.

The skies looked even more ominous to the north of us.

We had about 15 cm. of snow mixed in with some rain on Thursday afternoon.  The snow conitnued overnight and into Friday. About another 15 cm. came down.  It looks like the snow blower will be getting a workout this morning before I get off the driveway to go to work.

 If you love sky photos as much as I do be sure to check out the other participants in Sky Watch Friday. Labels:  sky  ©Crafty Gardener
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Laugh or Snore ... some Thursday Thoughts

Laugh and the world laughs with you.

 Snore and you sleep alone! Labels:  Thursday Thoughts ©Crafty Gardener
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When-sday Memories of Ice Falls

When-sday Memories is a series of posts, mostly during the winter, to showcase some of my previous nature posts.  When were they previously posted ...  way back when.
Today the When-sday memory is from February, 2008, just about two years from today. ~~~~~~~~
I am always fascinated by the ice falls on the rock formations along some of the highways I travel. One day I had my camera with me and stopped to take some photos.The ice falls form after a thaw and freeze situation. The ground water starts to thaw and runs out the crevices in the rocks, and then the freeze comes along and creates the ice falls.
~~~~~~~~~~I'll have to get out and about on the roads and see if I can capture some more photos of the ice falls as spring approaches.  How about you, have you seen any ice falls lately?Thanks for travelling to way back when with me today. 
Labels:  When-sday Memories  ©Crafty Gardener
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Squirrel Antics

People have a love - hate relationship with squirrels.  They love to watch the antics the squirrels get up yet they hate how pesky squirrels can be in your garden.

We love to watch the antics of the squirrels as they try to get the peanuts from the feeders.  This one figured out how to climb up the metal pole and then perch precariously from different postions to get a snack.

Mosaic Monday was created by The Little Red House. You are encouraged to create and share a mosaic/collage of some photos. Why don't you stop by and see what some other participants have created. Then try creating a mosaic photo of your own and join in the fun.

Labels:  Mosaic Monday, squirrels  ©Crafty Gardener
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Cardinals are Calling

My digital camera is my constant companion while I'm working in the garden, walking by the water, or just out and about on my travels. Over the winter months it is always set up by the kitchen door ready to snap some photos of the birds.  You never know when that "Kodak Moment" will happen.

This morning we were thrilled to see the brilliant red of the male cardinal as he sat in the back tree and chirped his mating call.

The cardinals are our all time favourite bird and we are so fortunate to have them visit the garden.  At times we have 3 pair of them in the garden.

How lovely it is to open the windows for awhile on these milder winter days and let the sounds of Nature drift into the house.

Spring can't be far away if the birds are singing their mating songs.

Check out other bloggers that carry cameras all the time and snap photos of Camera Critters.  Labels:  cardinals, birds, through my lens


©Crafty Gardener
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Thursday Thoughts on Knitters

 Old knitters never die, they just cast off! Labels:  Thursday Thoughts ©Crafty Gardener
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When-sday Squirrels

When-sday Memories is a series of posts, mostly during the winter, to showcase some of my previous nature posts.  When were they previously posted ...  way back when.
  The When-sday post selected for today was originally posted in December 2008.  It shows the squirrel as he attempts to snack on the suet feeder.  It was a snowy day way back when I captured these images.   We have had very little snow this year, which is just fine by me.  Maybe this squirrel is related to the ones that built the nests in my previous post.~~~~~~~~~~



~~~~~~~~~~Labels:  When-sday memories,  ©Crafty Gardener
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All is Revealed

Do you ever look at the trees and wonder what is up in the branches?
Look up and all will be revealed.
During the winter months when the trees are bare you can discover all sorts of things that would otherwise be hidden in the foiliage in spring and summer.

The more you look the more you see!

 

On one of our outings we stopped by a wooded area so I could take some photos of all the bird and animal nests that are now visible for all to see.

  

The zoom lens on my camera revealed lots of things.

  

 Just look at how the little architects have placed the nests with the most support.

And what diligence they have in collecting all the materials to create this safe haven.

 It makes you wonder what creature (probably squirrels) lived in these nests and will they return again in the spring?  or perhaps they are still living in them and we just can't see them.

Nature never ceases to amaze me.
Labels:  nests,  through my lens

©Crafty Gardener

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When-sday Round and Round

When-sday Memories is a series of posts, mostly during the winter, to showcase some of my previous nature posts.  When were they previously posted ...  way back when.

The post I chose to revisit today was originally published on July 17, 2008.  The chipmunk is sound asleep in his burrow right now but this is when he was active in the garden.

~~~~~~~~~~

What fun to watch the chipmunk go round and round on this feeder. He just kept filling his pouches as he went around.

Look carefully in the second photo to see those cheeks bulging out. He was a little wary of finding a way down though and finally stretched enough to reach a branch nearby and scurry down to his home to empty out his cache of food.

But guess what? He was right back up there a few minutes later filling those pouches again.

A few months ago it was the squirrel that was just hanging around.
~~~~~~~~~~

 I'm really looking forward to watching the antics of the chipmunks this year.
Labels:  When-sday memories,  
©Crafty Gardener
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Star Light, Star Bright

Star light, star bright,New wash cloths to use tonight!

These star shaped cloths were very quick and easy to make.  They could be used as dishcloths or washcloths.

I used some Bernat Cottontots that I had left over from another project.  The pattern is knitted in seven sections, each joining onto the previous.  At the end there is a short seam to stitch together to form the star shaped cloth.  I found the pattern here at Sew Funky. Labels:  knitting, dishcloths, quick and easy gifts,  ©Crafty Gardener
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Watching the Sunset on a Chilly Evening

 It was a chilly evening last night but I couldn't resist going outside and watching the sunset, and of course, taking some photos.

 

These are all taken as I quickly popped outside the kitchen door and stood on the deck facing west.

I'm hoping it won't be much longer till I'm able to sit on the deck and enjoy the full sunset.  Until then, it is worth the few moments of being cold to appreciate Nature.

If you love sky photos as much as I do be sure to check out the other participants in Sky Watch Friday.

Labels:  sky

 ©Crafty Gardener
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When-sday Unfurling

When-sday Memories is a series of posts, mostly during the winter, to showcase some of my previous nature posts.  When were they previously posted ...  way back when.

 I'm longing for spring to come and be able to work in and enjoy the garden once again.  So now we are moving towards spring it's time to think about what to plant in the garden.

 The When-sday memory for today was originally posted on July 24, 2009 and it shows the beautiful zinnias that I grow from seed each year.

~~~~~~~~~~ Have you watched the unfurling of the blooms on the zinnias?
The more you look ... the more you see.
From a tight green bud to a gorgeous flower in a few days.
The colour and pattern combinations are endless.
Nature never fails to amaze me.

I've been taking photos of the zinnia buds over the past several days and put together a silde show, sort of like my own time lapse photography, so you can see the process.

After the drenching rain of Thursday (50 mm in a couple of hours) I don't have to water my plants this weekend so for this Friday I'm getting a reprieve from getting out the liquid fertilizer and feeding and watering my plants. I'll be sure to do it when they dry out. Right now the pots are still draining.

~~~~~~~~~~
I'm really looking forward to planting seeds and watching them grow.  How about you?

  I love the play on words, and hope you do to.  Why not check out some of my other daily features ... Monday Mysteries,  2sDay, When-sday memories ,Thiursday Thoughts, and Friday's Flowers and my latest play on words -  "purse"onality.

 ©Crafty Gardener
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February

There's only one day the whole year long

That I hope and pray the sun won't appear,

The second of February you all know

The groundhog goes searching for his shadow

If he should find it the story is told

We'll have six more weeks of winter cold

But if it is cloudy, his shadow's not there,

There soon will be warm weather and days will be fair

So please, Mr Sun, just for this one day

Find a big dark cloud, and stay away.

unknown source

This is a photo taken a few years ago when the resident groundhog visited the garden - in summer of course.  No self respecting groundhog would get up and come out of its warm burrow on a cold day like today.

The good thing about February 2 is that it is half way into winter.  So from here on in we are moving towards spring, no matter what the groundhog says.

©Crafty Gardener

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