Sun Setting On Our Field, by Rainer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart

And give this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,

Otherwise,
We all remain

Too

Frightened

-Hafiz

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Winter Forecast: Rain With a Good Chance of Hibernation


Sure is rainy! So the barometer is often moving the blue liquid up it's arm in anticipation of the next storm. The radiometer doesn't get much action at all.




Above is a good view from the dining room window, where we watch birds gather everyday, eating worms and old raspberries. We're now registered citizen-scientists with the ebird survey. We've got much to report! Anyone can do this by regularly observing your own yard and submitting the results to the ebird site.


Incredible. December raspberries?! And a neighbor harvested tomatoes from her greenhouse this week. . .

. . .as a sunflower slowly continues to grow in the front yard.


Rose hips are growing all over, including in our front yard.



The big black and red army ant nest keeps getting pounded by rain, collapsing a little each time.


Can you spy a wee reddish ant? They spy us as we stand near their nest, and their defenders come fast toward our boots.

Mushroom season is on! This was in our yard. Still can't identify it from any of our books. We have much to learn about micology.

But anyway we're spending more time indoors, distracted by computers and hamsters.


"Welcome Santa!" So many winter activities keep us busy. We'll be back to report more as the season continues. Happy New Year, friends and family!

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