Feathered Visitors

 Today was a pretty nice day - for early December. We got a dusting of snow (I measured a little over one inch), just enough to cover up the icy spots on my driveway so I'm not sure exactly what I'm walking on. Earlier in the week, when it was raining and the wind was blowing a gale, I went down for the mail with my car. That wasn't because of slippery conditions - there were enough bare spots so I would have had no problem staying upright, except perhaps I could have been blown off course by the wind; it was relentless! The rain was coming down pretty steadily - although it really wasn't coming down - it was being blown horizontally, first from the south and later in the day, from the northwest. I knew my umbrella would be no match for it, and even with rain gear on, I was going to get pretty wet. So I warmed up the car and drove down to the mailbox and back - staying warm and dry. I've done that a few times in the winter when the driveway was too icy to walk down. I really don't want to break anything I can't go to a store to replace. 

Today was sunny and still kind of windy, but not nearly as cold. I had to make a quick trip to Danville, and stopped in West Danville on my way. Deb Stresing has only a few short weeks left before she closes her shop, Joe's Pond Craft Shop, for the season. She said she will be busy this winter making rugs to replenish her stock ready for opening back up in April or May. She didn't have any customers, but she said she was using her time to begin closing things down.

Next door, at Hastings, things were very quiet, too - but as always, Jenny and her dad were busy cooking up all things delicious. I'm not sure how many jobs Jenny manages, but between the ones I know about, her nursing, managing the store and caring for her family, she is one busy lady. And she's always cheerful!

So yesterday, I happened to glance out the window and saw two very large, fat turkeys
strolling up the lower lawn towards the apple trees. They were there for quite a while, and managed to scratch away the snow in a large patch under one of the ornamental crabapple trees. Those trees produce tiny little berry-like fruit, and I expect that's what they were after. They were there for quite a while, and then meandered down to the road and disappeared over the bank on the lower side when a car came by. They were back on my lawn around noon today. I thought they would find the birdseed under my feeders, but perhaps they will get to that eventually. The squirrels and ground-feeding birds keep it pretty well cleaned up, but I'm sure they will find some left whenever they are ready.

The first and second ponds were frozen over for the second time when I went by this morning. They will open up again with the rain forecast for tomorrow, but it usually takes several times for the pond to freeze over before it's solid for the winter. It doesn't often freeze once and stay frozen until spring. However, there have been years when it was frozen by Thanksgiving and stayed frozen. Not this year!

I frequently listen to music on my TV - usually the "easy listening" channel where I recognize most of the melodies and at least some of the artists, even though many of the old titles have been redone and the arrangements vary from what I'm familiar with. But that's ok. So the other day I decided I would enjoy the "seasonal" channel. Well, to put it bluntly, I didn't enjoy it - at all. The songs I recognized were so jazzed up they were jarring and unpleasant; and there were a host of thumpy, loud, "new" songs that I guess the younger generation appreciate, but I really couldn't. There were a few real "oldies" thrown in, Bing Crosby and one pretty bad one by Gene Autry that may have passed muster back in the day, but they would not be on my play list now. I did appreciate one, though - and it reminded me to post my favorite Christmas video. I know, it's silly, but I always get a kick out of watching/listening to that!  I'll get my Christmas music from the tapes I've collected over the years - they still sound pretty darned good. And I have some vinyl 78s  I haven't heard in ages. Maybe it's time! Merry Christmas!

P.S. - I was going to post a photo of the turkeys, but I sent it from my phone half an hour ago and it still hasn't arrived in my email. I will post it tomorrow, if it arrives!

Sat. a.m. - the photo arrived overnight! Who knew it would take so long to get from my phone to to my computer, within a matter of inches apart? I will never understand the complexities of these newfangled gadgets; but when they are working well, I have to say I am grateful - in so many ways!