Bird Sighting: Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren
February 2025 Vergennes, Vermont

Would you look at that!

A first time sighting of a Carolina Wren is quite exciting. There were a few of them there scurrying around at the birdseed. 

That is the best photo I have. When I set up the camera to hide my movements, they were nowhere to be seen. Birds. 

Pondering the Quality of Life

Addison County Vermont

 

The day after the recent snowfall, the sun is shining brightly on 3 or 4 inches of snow. The weather map has no snowflakes in the forecast until Saturday night. I and the hood of my vehicle are pleased as we warm to the glorious light of our planet's only Sun.

My bad knee is a little better. I'm keeping the cane handy. Having such difficulty walking makes me ponder the days ahead when age will be the swollen bad knee.

Aging in the upper years comes with worry for just about every little thing, what it means to the quality of life. It is there like dark clouds and a chill on a sunny day at the beach. Well, I say so what! There are a lot of wonderful quotes about not allowing negatives to spoil the day. Better to read them to uplift one's spirits than sit and worry about something like a shooting pain in my thumb as arthritis or did I bang it on the water faucet. 

This subject feels like I've posted about it before, a same old kind of thing. What makes it feel new (er) is how badly the bad knee limits my ability to walk. Scary it is.

There are plenty of things I can do to make me feel happy, refreshed, pleased with how I spent my time. They are too numerous to list but here are a few.

🌲 Christmas ornaments 

All that felt, fabric and bit of trim I've saved for years* can be put to good use in a plastic shoebox kept beside my yarn stash for a handy do something while I ponder the meaning of life.

💟 Greeting Cards

Glue, scissors, trims, paper and imagination are all that's needed to create simple and pleasing designs. Paper can be made from junk mail.

🎵 Music appreciation

Listen to music for a few hours for an in the recliner concert. Think about each instrument as it plays. Remember the old school days class for music?

In all that, I have stories to edit, paintings to finish, and the very pout producing task of not sitting in a chair daydreaming or staring into space for hours on end.

 P.S.

I got Wordle in 2 today!

* I have fabric that is over 50 years old. 

A Slim View

American Robin

It is snowing steadily here in upper western Vermont (11:28 AM EDT). It is one of those snowfalls that gives me reason to shovel the deck for the birds. Thus far I have shoveled twice. It is time for another clear off but I'm pacing myself. 

You see, yesterday I ate too many salty crackers as in water retention as in my bad knee is swollen from the saltiness issue thing. 

About the bird feeder area. I add branches for the birds to have more cover and places to sit. I imagine that if I was a bird, then I'd be very pleased with the cozy area to snack and chat with my fellow feather friends. The dry area under a lawn chair is a favorite.

On the downside, this year the birds fly off at the slightest movement from inside. I have to sneak around my own home to keep from startling them. I put up a barrier piece of plywood. There is a slim space where I can see them through the floral sheers. I haven't tried to pull the curtain back to take pictures.

Unlike myself, the birds are out there very busy pecking away, flying by and getting out of the way of a territorial mourning dove.

Viewing area
Sparrow on the right

P.S. There's more bird activity out there now at almost 5 PM EDT than I've seen all day!