So, this was a pre-coffee surprise! Looked out and here is our obvious Olympic Deer Swimming team! As it got into the bay I was running down the stairs, trying not to lose it behind the trees….look at the white tail trailing behind! Then it hit the ice around the edge of the lake which goes out over a hundred feet…and started to break through using it’s front feet! It would surge forward each time it hit the ice with it’s hooves…then as it tired it started using it’s body, damn that water is cold! You could see it’s trail through the ice. Over and over it pushed with it’s feet, then body, struggling to make a path. I was trying to adjust my camera settings while watching, thinking I was going to have to get in the canoe and help this poor doe out! When it’s hooves finally hit ground…it stopped and just waited, catching it’s breath not doubt, I could see the water running off it’s coat as it just stood there for the longest time resting. If I had a placard I would have held up a “10”! I’m sure many deer who try this don’t make it if the ice they run into is too thick…
Then Spitz showed back up. We decided to name him after the famous Olympic swimmer given his dashing style:) What a ham. Someone has been feeding him for him to be so tame. He rattled my hanging bird feeders, cleaned up the sunflower seed and corn under the others, he knows what he’s doing. And I blamed the poor black squirrels for destroying my beautiful cedar/red berry centerpiece on the picnic table…it was Spitz snorfling around in it!
It was pretty hard to resist those snowflake covered eyelashes! I sat out with him for awhile in the light snow as he poked around, ate, had a pee…I’ve seen his tracks around and I’m pretty sure he is the same guy that ate all my hostas this Spring, all is forgiven;) I’ll be wrapping my lilacs in the Spring though! Sorry Spitz, we’ll make sure you don’t starve!
Isn’t nature wonderful?! This morning I thought he was going to come right up to me, he stopped three feet away…”Where’s the corn lady?”….How could I resist that face!
We have had a few moments of sun and the temperatures have finally risen above zero, freezing. The surface of the lake is starting to appear again. I did shovel the dock and steps down so the the traveling mewberries can get some more exercise…you should have seen the look this week we got after the snow…withering…hahahahaha! Groot and Gamora would not leave the alcove, asking for their cat solicitor, said they had rights, something about warm sandy beaches and fresh fish, geez, I should have brought them some sashimi from Yukihana! Today, finally, they went out for a walk. Rocket shot down towards the lake with me hot on his heels, didn’t want him to try out the ice! Got the leash on before we got to the dock. I wasn’t fancying a dip in to fish him out!
Then when it started to snow again…well…the looks of horror! I do love that red coat!
The birds didn’t look thrilled either. Cold perches, cold feet, icicles…outrageous! Our regular gang of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers were out, the flock of American Goldfinches has grown in size and of course, the chickadees and Blue Jay hooligans!
You can see the difference in size between the Hairy and Downy at the feeder. The Red Bellied has put in an a couple of appearances but unless you sit out there all day, you never know! I managed a few minutes out in the snow with our feathered neighbours:) The Chickadee might make next years bird calendar!
and the American Goldfinches…I love how they stand out with the American Bittersweet berries!
One of the struggles I have with snow photography is the white balance. I like the warmth the cloud setting gives, I tried the AWB, all white balance, and I get too much of a purple tinge, how to shoot the shots like they look?! Perhaps a question for The Lanark County Camera Club I joined this month! I went to my first meeting and really enjoyed myself and look forward to more. There was a wonderful zoom speaker, Freeman Patterson, who was really interesting, simply saying to follow what you were passionate about. I got it. The funny lady sitting next to me told me she thought he was a crackpipe, that was new one to me, I’ve heard of crack pot, but maybe it’s a new millennial version…ha! I figured Freeman knew what he was talking about given his age and experience! Canadians…”Keep your stick on the ice!” a friend told Mike the other day after we chatted and headed back to the car…yup, Canada. This club should be fun! Thanks Jim for reminding me to sign up!
So, that has been our week…I wasn’t expecting the snow to stay and stick, besides, we aren’t even into Winter yet! Ha! It was brutal bailing out the little red canoe, I’m not sure I can feel my hands, maybe by tonight! The lake was white this morning, by tonight, we may even have our reflections back. Do the otters care? Not a whit! They have crapped all over the dock, enjoyed their perch suppers and paddled off looking for more! I’m still working on getting them to do all this in front of me…We have cooperative deer, why not cooperative otters!? I’ll keep you posted:) Saludos amigos, stay warm, and don’t accept any collect phone calls from the traveling Mewberries, they are not getting a beach vacation this year! Ha!
