Holly berries (Ilex × meserveae ‘Blue Princess’)
Saturday night’s storm left every leaf and twig glazed with ice. With the temperatures dropping and predicted to stay below freezing for the rest of the week, ours will be a glittery, winter wonderland for a while.
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Crackle glazing on Weigela (W. florida) twig
A small flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) visited my Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) today. A visual treat! Fruit-lovers, they favor this winter delicacy.
Cornell’s All About Birds describes them so well:
“…the Cedar Waxwing is a silky, shiny collection of brown, gray, and lemon-yellow, accented with a subdued crest, rakish black mask, and brilliant-red wax droplets on the wing feathers. In fall these birds gather by the hundreds to eat berries, filling the air with their high, thin, whistles. In summer you’re as likely to find them flitting about over rivers in pursuit of flying insects, where they show off dazzling aeronautics for a forest bird.”
Note the red ‘wax’ just visible on the wing.
They are one of my favorite birds. In summer, when I sit down by the river, I love to watch them as they swoop to and fro catching insects, their ‘zhee-zhee’ calls filling the air. It is by their distinctive call that I most often identify them, as I will hear them before I see them.
This may be a juvenile. It lacks the deeper color of the adult.
Hollyberry or Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Happy Holidays to all!
Sugar-plums
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
Excerpt from A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore
Fellow blogger Dor from Virginia Views in a recent post stated “I’m not sure what a sugar plum is exactly,” which got me wondering, just what were sugar-plums anyhow? So with the help of Google search, I found out that they were a tasty concoction of nuts, dried fruit and spices rolled in sugar. They sounded like a healthier alternative to traditional cookies and candy that are ubiquitous during the holidays.
I chose a recipe from Nourished Kitchen that promised to be close to the original Victorian and made a few batches to give away as holiday gifts. Easy and fun to make, the toughest part is remembering to soak the nuts ahead of time. I adjusted the recipe by halving the amount of prunes and substituting Turkish apricots. I imagine any combination of dried fruit could be used, such as cranberries, raisins or figs. It would be fun to experiment with different batches. I think I may try cranberries, apricots and figs (or raisins) to compliment the orange zest/spice flavors. I recommend buying small amounts from the bulk section of your local health food store for the freshest spices, fruit and nuts.
After mixing in food processor, form balls
Roll balls in unrefined sugar or finely shredded coconut
As we exchanged comments on her post, I promised to share the recipe if I was successful in my search. So thanks to Dor, I’ve experienced ‘the vision of sugar-plums dancing in my head!’ Happy Holidays to all!
At last, the northern hemisphere starts tilting back towards the sun. Slowly, a minute or two every day, day length increases. I hail and welcome the return of the Light!
re-posted from YardMap.org‘s FB page
Light and shadow play across a field blanketed with snow.
White-tailed Deer track
Living in the country as we do, we share our land with many wild creatures. Though rarely seen as most are nocturnal, we occasionally see sign of them in a muddy footprint by the river or a soft spot of earth on the path. Once the snow falls, the whole world of animals outside our door comes to light through their tracks and it is breathtaking to see how vibrantly alive with wildlife are these fields and woods.
Mink tracks
Me and Ms. Fox
Seeing numerous tracks, large to very small, is like a tour of discovery every time I walk out. Identifying the owners is an intellectual guessing game.
In the past week, I’ve seen coyote, fox, bobcat, bear, deer, opossum, raccoon, otter, mink, rabbit, porcupine, squirrel, numerous birds and countless small species of rodents. Most on our small parcel of seven acres, a few on our neighbor’s land, but none more than a half mile away.
Opossum tracks
Otter slide from upper right to lower left across our foot path
Close-up of otter slide – Welcome Friend!
“These are my neighbors,” I think to myself. They live here, connected to their home just as I am. They live out their lives and we so rarely see them. I suspect many of my fellow humans barely give them a thought, but they are here by the hundreds and they have learned to co-exist in a human-dominated world.
Raccoon tracks
I can’t help but feel admiration for their tenacity for survival. It feels thrilling to know that they are thriving and multiplying, a reassuring indication that this environment is clean and healthy. I am so grateful to share their world.
“Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than [this].” ~ New Testament, Mark 12:31
“Mitakuye Oyasin” (All are Related) ~ Lakota phrase
Ruffed Grouse landing, with wing print and footprints
White-footed Mouse
Bobcat
Today, as it steadily snowed tiny, soft flakes, Pine siskins, along with an American goldfinch or two mobbed my thistle feeder.
I was transfixed by their constant fluttering and twittering, and impressed by their lack of fear of my presence.
However, in a whir of wings, they dispersed to the surrounding bushes when a Blue Jay came to the feeder.
They may be considered bullies, but how can we not love their striking good looks?
 | Mark Lanesbury on Magic Wings Conservatory |
 | Dawn Minott on Magic Wings Conservatory |
 | Pepper on Magic Wings Conservatory |
 | Eliza Waters on Magic Wings Conservatory |
| Eliza Waters on Magic Wings Conservatory |
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