Hello out there. It’s 8 a.m., and we’ve already reached our high for the day at 12°F. What a wonderful day to stay inside! The coffee is good, the music gentle in my ear buds, and the house is warm and comfortable.
And to think that it was but a mere short time ago when everyone was gushing about how pleasant the temperatures still were and how green the lawns remained.
After our recent weekend’s blast of snow, however, those lawns are blanketed with white, the trees are bare, and winter has firmly entrenched itself.
But…it should.
After all, this is mid-December in northern Illinois, and once the winds and cold of winter decide that it’s time for them to pop in and stay, everything turns quickly and decisively. The birds make quick work of emptying the two feeders out back.
I watch them now as I write this, and they’re so much like anxious shoppers, crowding one 
another on the ground below the feeders or vying for a spot on the edge of the feeders above.
I wonder if they are required to take a number to determine who’s “next” to be served! It’s clear that one of my jobs later today will be to trudge out through the snow, bucket of seed in hand, and re-fill the feeders.
And, of course, this weather plays havoc on making any sort of travel plans. Last weekend, for example, we’d planned to drive to Ohio to attend the 90th birthday gathering for an aunt and then on up to Lake Erie to visit my mom.
When the snow began in earnest Saturday afternoon, however, all plans went by the boards. The current plan is to try it again this coming weekend, but there is some inkling of more weather “issues” that could crop up once more. We shall see.
In the meantime, I’ll catch up with some long overdue writing and keep the bird feeders filled.
Down Many Roads... 
I can’t keep our thistle feeders full, Mark. We’ve had flocks of new winter visitors the past week. Our temperatures have been a roller coaster, but we’re diving into the teens come Friday morning. I’d take your snow, if I didn’t have to commute to the office. I hope you thaw enough to visit your mother.
It’s a literal feeding frenzy here, Jill! With the very cold temperatures and the ground covered with so much snow, the little guys are desperate for food. I love the snow, for the most part, especially since I’m retired and don’t have to drive in it on a daily basis. Keeping our fingers crossed for clear sailing to see Mom this weekend. Stay warm down there! 🙂
We don’t have snow in in New Zealand, it’s supposed to be summer, but today it feels like winter, raining, overcast and cold.
I feel for you and the birds, but it would be nice to have summer here after a long winter.
Happy writing.
Hi, kiwinana! I would gladly send you some of this bitter cold right now if you’d like! Yeah, those birds have been doing a number on the feeders again today, and I suppose it will continue as long as I keep filling them! Thanks for checking in. 🙂
It looks beautiful, Mark; so Christmassy! Here in London it’s cold but no snow – we don’t normally get any till Jan, if at all! I’d love to have the distinctive seasons that you have – hot in summer, cold in winter. So nice 😀
Hi, Mary. Sorry it’s taken so long to reply. Yes, that’s one thing I enjoy about living here in the Midwest–the change of seasons. Of course, right about now I’d trade that in for a nice trip to Florida for a couple of weeks! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you. Stay in touch. 🙂