19.036: Exile #2’s Sunday Column #543

Exile #2 writes...

We had a Mardi Gras potluck after church today, which was fun, and involved at least some attempts at southern food. A friend I was sat with reminisced about the time she had gone to New Orleans for a couple of days during its famous Mardi Gras celebrations. “But not,” she added, “the last couple of days. It gets really wild then!”

True to our roots, I expect we’ll go a little bit wild and flip some pancakes on Tuesday. Phew - watch out, everyone!

Day 19.035: Love birds?

As well as Valentine’s Day, today was a Saturday and therefore a bird-counting day at our feeders. We say a downy woodpecker early on (not unusual), a little later a hairy woodpecker (less common but not too surprising). Then, later, two downy woodpeckers and then two hairy woodpeckers were flying around. All four were visible at the same time. Maybe spring is in the air. 

We also had a brown creeper. Only the second time I recall having seen one from the windows at home. 

It’s a terrible photo, but identifiable. I’m pleased to say I was almost certain without the photo mostly from size and behavior. 

Day 19.034: Turtle showers

All along Clearwater beach - between the sand and the road were beach showers with a variety of cute turtle sculptures. Here is one (with a palm tree for good measure).

I’m not in sunny Florida now, but it is the weekend.

Day 19.033: Cemetery sights

A few more things that caught my eye and my camera lens at the cemetery on Sunday.

There's a river under that snow and ice somewhere

The dying light

Marcescent linden bracts and fruit

I would not have predicted that I'd be using the phrase "marcescent linden bracts"

Day 19.032: Clean snow, clean cars

The day started with a few inches of snow to clear.

We still had quite a bit from the big storm two weeks ago, but a bit of fresh white snow brightens things a bit.

By lunchtime, the temperatures had got a few degrees above freezing for what feels like the first time in weeks and I - along with several neighbors jumped at the opportunity to wash the cars. They don't look as clean as the fresh snow, but certainly better than they were after several weeks of driving on slushy salty roads.

Day 19.031: Birds at the cemetery

For most of our walk at the cemetery on Sunday, we barely saw any birds - a glimpse of a chickadee far above our heads, a junco disappearing into a shrub, a flyby from a few crows. I heard a brown creeper, and possibly a yellow-bellied sapsucker, but we didn't see either. We did see some evidence of previous sapsucker activity:

bit by the time we'd nearly looped back to the car, I hadn't taken any photos of birds.

Then, we spotted a large bird over the river and I took a fairly speculative photo (just one). It was enough to imply red-tailed hawk.

And then, finally - a small group of American robins on a bit of sloping ground with no snow cover:

Day 19.030: Cold

We managed a brief outing to the cemetery before we settled down to watch “the sports” yesterday. It was cold. This was before we had chance to lose the feeling in our faces.