In the Middle

We are in the middle of winter now....lurching forward toward spring, one day, sliding backward on a tide of ice and storms another.

Poised on the brink of the brightest change of the year, the segue from ice and snow to Ice Follies Daffodils and Snow Drops.

I have been noticing.....

Outdoors in the late afternoon, almost evening, to try to photograph the crazy yellow sky as the sun went down.

Lo and behold the sun was setting halfway north on the cow barn roof!

By high summer it will set clear north of the heifer barn, which is now the kids' chicken and pony palace, but at least it is no longer sinking more south than west behind the 60-acre lot hill.

Just now a White-throated Sparrow sang its whole song. Over the past few weeks with the arbor feeder that Jade got me right in front of the kitchen window, I have come to know their richly whistled notes...so deep for a bird....quite well. However, their songs have been truncated, one short whistle here, another tiny tweet there.

This morning, right under the window in the not quite dawn, "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody," rang out loud and strong and then was repeated. 

No migrants yet, and the snow is ever-deepening, but the birds know.....it will not be many days I think before we see the first Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, and Robins...although the latter stay all winter on the other side of the river and we might see them any time....

And soon it will be maple sugaring time.