One more week of work, and then I’m off school until the new year. You’d think I’d be happy!
Tonight, I’m watching a show called ‘Winged Migration’ (2001) on Maryland Public Television. Filmmaker Jacques Perrin follows migratory birds as they fly thousands of miles away, then return. It’s pretty interesting, I think.
All of the photos in this post have some sort of texture applied to them. Above is a white-throated sparrow that I took this past February after one of our many snowfalls.
My husband took this photo of a bluebird the other day. It almost looks like it could be spring.
Today it rained and I caught these little house finches at the new feeder out the kitchen window. It’s supposed to be squirrel-proof. We’ll see.
Another from my husband, taken this week.
I took this photo of a juncoe back in February. He’s nice and fat and fluffy.
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A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. ~Chinese Proverb
Another offering from my husband. I like the catch light in his eye.
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My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather. ~Terri Guillemets
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I’m sure I’ll snap out of this. My sister has been texting me cheerful words, using an Irish accent, which I find hilarious.Hope you all have a wonderful week.
Love,
47 comments:
I just love birds and I love your photos of them. Thank you. Carla
Love, love, love your birdies (yours and your husband's both!) And the textures you apply to them make them greeting card perfect!
Thanks, ladies. Cheers!
~ C.G.
Lovely and when you find the christmas spirit send a little my way. I dont know where it is but I too am looking for it. Maybe if it wasnt so cold out I could get out and shop at least.
Loved your blog. Stay warm.
These brought me cheer ! so there's that :)
And I just watched the Nature special on hummingbirds.
The rain has stopped at long last and it's snowing . The end of the week will bring all of my children together...and then the joy of the season will feel real.
Sending you light.
all outstanding! I really like the last because of the shadow on it's tail.
Let me know if it is squirrel proof...cause if it really is, I'm buying one.
:)
All this holiday stuff is highly over rated, IMHO.
don't be so hard on yourself.
It is truly difficult to find Christmas spirit in a world full of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off...I would like to just hide out somewhere and celebrate a quiet family Christmas...your birds are certainly helpful in keeping peace, joy and love at the center of Christmas instead of all the chaos. The colors are astounding!
Ah, Kate, it is what it is. Maybe when you are off work you will probably be more in the mood.
Love the first photo the most. Your feelings of uninterest is what I felt for a long time, until I faced the fact that Christmas is for children or people with little ones and I'm not participating any more. Sure it's fun to get gifts and to buy others things they would like, but when I felt like I HAD too, I stopped. And I really feel better about not buying into all that buying and trying to make everything perfect. Isn't it already?
Good luck with making this holiday one that is right for you and yours. I'm sure it will be wonderful just by doing what you're doing.
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne
Some years are like that. I am in the mood, but not yet in the get everything ready mode. I figure it will happen when it happens.
All of these photos are amazing, the bluebird one really does look like it could be spring.
The first photo is my favorite and I love the new header.
Beautiful photos! And I think I'm in a bit of a holiday funk too...I've never waited this long to get my tree up, and if I don't hurry I may miss Christmas all together...Yikes!
Kat :)
What beautiful birds you have in your part of the world Kate...I just love the cardinals and bluebirds!
I felt the same way until the tree was up and decorated. Now I just wish I could finish my shopping. *sigh* Doubling the amount of kids you have is rough on a holiday such as this! ;0)
we have 4 of those feeders and they are only squirrel proof if there's not a tree for them to use as a diving board to get there....
we ended up building a feeder to hold all 4 containers with sheet metal as a base to prevent "climb up" and it's nowhere near the trees....
darn little buggers.....
oh, but the deer can still get to them with their long tongues....and since we can't feed the deer since it's considered baiting, we let them happily attend the bird buffet :)
There aren't that many colorful birds around this part my world!
Beautiful birds - so fun to find what your husband leaves for you... hope your joy and cheer comes back for Christmas!
We are singing Christmas carols (very out of tune and mostly the wrong words) to try to snap him out of his Christmas Scrooge mood. At least it makes us laugh:)
Beautiful photos!
I envy that you have such a variety of birds around you. It's about 80 degrees here and we may see a seagull, crow or sparrow, but that's about it. Not the typical Christmas, but I'm working up a sense of cheer!! Merry Christmas to you.
Argh, matey! Maybe if I speak to ye like a pirate, ye shall get thee some spirit in ye! Pass the grog!
Lovely bird pictures. I need to get out and brave the cold to take some.
I've needed inspiration too this year and there is no reason for it. Age? Weather? Aches and Pains? *shrugs* No clue why I am feeling uninspired but even the blogs and all of their brightly decorated home photos don't seem to help. This is day 3 of doing 25 Christmas cards. Can't seem to get past #10 on the list even. Bleh.
Wonderful captures of our feathered friends. Enjoying your post while hugging a cup of coffee and watching the snow fall outside.
Hope you find your holiday spirit before it's gone, GPS maybe!
Merry Christmas my dear.
Beautiful photos.
You're not alone. Christmas feels so forced to me. The pressure is ridiculous. Certainly this is not how the original holiday was meant to be celebrated. We can really screw things up, can't we?
On that merry note, Happy Monday. We'll get through it all somehow.
Who says you have to buy into the whole shebang? I am going to do what I feel like doing. I dare anyone to make me do anything else;) How's that?
How wonderful the shots of all the birds......Make your holiday what it needs to be to feel like a holiday for you :)
Well Ms Kate... you need to get yourself into some Christmas spirit then! I have some at my place (well, the latest offering is kinda bittersweet, but it ends sweet and that's what matters!)
Adore your work as always (and your hubby's bird pics!)
:-)
BB
The irish brogue is music to the ears, isn't it? I look very italian (dads side) but I am actually also Irish and German. I love the different accents. Except for NY, where I grew up. I got rid of that as soon as I moved to New England. On purpose. Think Jersey shore, only worse. gack.
Love your bird photos...your husband has talent too! bluebirds are my favorite.
I went through the same thing last week and, judging by the comments that were left, we are not alone in this.
The good news is, you WILL snap out of it. :o))
I absolutely love the cardinals. Must be all that cheerful red. My favourite weather? Definitely Bird-Chirping Weather!!
Big Hug
Hope you are snapping out of it. Your bird photos are making me wish it was spring, but I am thankful for the cold weather because here in Texas the heat is unbearable.
Bah Humbug begora ... I didnt get any Hanukkah gifts, maybe I spelledt it wrong .. sigh .. and I am 2 gifts behind which is a problem since I have to mail them off to the Southwest and who knows how long those mules take ...
Fantastic pictures.
We don't do XMAS so it's hard to get into it. All we do is XMAS eve snacks.
Since we both get what we want thru the year, we don't exchange presents.
AWESOME photos, yes that feeder is squirrel proof, we have had two of these feeders for 4 months now and they dont bother with them. Have a warm and happy day.
You have the most beautiful birds in your yard, we don't get the colorful birds living in a desert area. I love looking at your bird pictures!!
Lovely Birds - Beautiful Photos and I always enjoy the honesty of your blog. Christmas - mid winter - solstice and the darkest night. It is so natural to feel these moods at this time of year. But in just over a week we have the birth of the sun and the growing light may start to warm your hibernating roots.
Question - how do you text in an Irish accent? My sister talks to me in the voice of my old Irish aunt and that always cheers me up and makes me laugh. K x
Oh Kate ... I do hope you are cheered up soon! Your post today cheered me .... LOVE those little birdies :)
You are in good company with the feelings of the season. I don't know why I can't seem to summon up the jolly old ho ho ho this year. Maybe getting our tree up will help. Love the photos of the birds. Beautiful.
Those cheery little birds with all their sweet poses, colors and textures are so calming to look at especially in the middle of crazed, hectic holiday madness. Not that I'm having any, I just haven't put up a tree yet and for some reason I'm fine with that this year. I'll just keep scattering glittery bulbs and greens all around and maybe no one will notice. HA! xoxo ~Lili
Your husband really gets good shots but I like your fat and fluffy juncoe. Haha I'm glad your sister is cheering you up with her hilarious Irish accent. Snap out of it Christmas is near! :)
I can't believe I was missing when you needed me!
I don't think I would have been much help, the Christmas spirit is eluding me.
Your pictures are beautiful...the birds are working the ground here,which means more cold.
Oh kate, these photos are beautiful! You two ought to make a bird calendar. :)
the birds are beautiful...
Holly Jolly....Joy....Peace on Earth...Ho Ho Ho....Merry Christmas...hope these words help get rid of the blues...
pppffftttt ~ don't tell but most of my Halloween decorations are still up.
I've found that putting on Carol of the Bells at ear-splitting volume is a good cure for the holiday blues....or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir screaming Hallelujah! :)
Cayenne pepper for the bird feeders. Squirrels can't tolerate it, birds can't taste it. It used to be sold as "Squirrel Pruf" at garden centers but I haven't seen it in years.
Gorgeous photos, as always. Love the glint in the cardinal's eye.
Kate:
These bird prints are breathtaking. Really! I think my favorite is the junco, but the white-throated sparrow is wonderful. I lichen-covered branches in each photo are a real bonus. Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Donna
I love and adore these bird shots! Love the slight textures. Very pretty!! Isn't it fun to just sit and mess with photos???
The photos and the textures are so beautiful Kate...they have at least helped me get out of my funk!
The light will be diminishing for just a few more days then we can celebrate it's return...and with it the return of lightheartedness hopefully!
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