well, it's official
Winter will be coming again this year. This is like 35 years in a row by my count. I saw my first dark-eyed Junco this morning. I have been noticing the gradual replacement of summer birds by their winter couterparts. Robins give way to chickadees and goldfinches make room for cardinals. Well, cardinals are here all year, but their numbers definitely spike in the winter. But the Juncos are the true harbingers of doom and gloom, or what most people refer to as winter. I've also noticed a lot more bluejays and nuthatches. But the bluejays don't stay, I think they are just transients. The purple and house finches are permanent. I think Grackles must be winter birds, because I don't see them much during the spring and summer, but now they are clustering in the trees and swarming the feeders. Bird feeding and watching is one of the things I do to get through the rough parts of winter. Filling 4 feeders at least once a week and spreading cracked corn and filling suet feeders gets me outside on even the coldest day and helps a lot with SAD, which I suffer from in the wintertime. Starting in January, I begin the bulb patrol too. Walking and inspecting all the bulb plantings, watching for the slightest hint of something growing helps pass the time too while getting a valuable dose of sunlight. As soon as I see 1 centimeter of snowdrop poke through the mulch, I declare it spring and my mood lifts dramatically, even though the Christmas tree has not been taken down yet. This year, what with the addition of Hellebores and Winter Aconite, the bulb patrol might begin in December.
On a completely unrelated topic, I am a luddite. Completely technologically ignorant. I need to get a digital camera. Any suggestions? I'd like to spend in the neighborhood of $500. I've been looking at the Canon Rebel xt (which is a little more that $500). Any input?
On a completely unrelated topic, I am a luddite. Completely technologically ignorant. I need to get a digital camera. Any suggestions? I'd like to spend in the neighborhood of $500. I've been looking at the Canon Rebel xt (which is a little more that $500). Any input?
posted by meresy_g at Tuesday, November 01, 2005
4 Comments:
That's just great. Winter again. Phooey.
Actually, I love winter, and I can't wait to break out my snowshoes. -30˚ I'm not so fond of, but overall I'd rather have cold than heat & humidity. Once I heard that you have to pick one season and hate it more. I despise summer.
I'm no good in the techno dept. My digital camera cost $200 three years ago, so that will tell you something about it. Of course I never use the Canon EOS that my parents got me in HS and that's a damn shame 'cause it's a really nice camera.
I'm psyched you're going to try cheese...I just make soft cheeses, my favorite being a chevre made from cow's milk. My friend calls it "Boeve".
Oh my God...-30 degrees? I can't even imagine. I'd have to go on Prozac. I love heat and humidity. the hotter the better. And thank God husband is the same way. We don't have air conditioning in our house and I don't have it in the car. Your camera takes really nice pictures. What kind is it? I think I will just try soft cheeses also. THe hard stuff looks very very involved and incomprehensible at this point.
I have an Olympus point and shoot (D-380). It's only a 2 megapixel, but I've found that you don't need really high resolution pics on the internets. Plus with dial-up, big pics take forever to upload.
My fried makes blue, brie and gouda, so one of these days I should get some good cheese advice. i really have no excuse.
where do the Robins go to? can we make them stay. i can't stand the though of no red birds against the whiteness and darkness of winter. i might just have to put up some fake birds hanging from the tree. very my mom i must say. and very very not peter for sure. ummm the SAD thing is unavoidable. i am already getting it. just love to have wine, listen to music and not move from the couch for hours.
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