Ash Wednesday

I don't advocate religion, but some of their rituals have much secular significance. The reminder of "dust to dust" keeps us grounded in our mortality. And the passage from Ecclesiastes, cited in the video, doesn't promise any afterlife, rather, it says we are no different from any of the other animals on the planet. We are all star stuff.

Snow Birds

These and hundreds of their friends dropped by the deck during the most recent snowfall. They make the cold, dark, inactive days of winter more bearable.

Sandhill Cranes

For the past few days flock after flock of Sandhill Cranes have been flying north. You can here them calling to each other, making you look up to locate the flock. Here are some that I caught milling around over the house. It is another sign that spring can't be far away.

Gone to the Birds

It's that time of year when the birds start to look for homes for their families. I always put out over three dozen birdhouses made out of old Folgers coffee containers as shown above. I clean them up from last years wear and tear and give them a new coat of paint. I paint them red, green, yellow and two shades of blue. Last year they all had nests except one. Most of them are bluebirds, but the sparrows claim a few and martins like the hanging ones.

Happy Birthday Abe & Charles

Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same day two hundred years ago on 12 February 1809. Their contributions to society were met with much controversy which persists even today. However, its hard to deny that they were and still are giants among men. Happy 200th Birthday!

Full Snow Moon

The emerging buds on the tree help to identify this as the full "Quickening" moon. Wiccans associate the February moon with Imbolc and the wakening of the earth. The Native Americans called it the "Snow Moon" since the heaviest snows nsusually came in February. I try to get a photo of every full moon. The moon don't change but the seasons, cloud cover, moonrise times, background, etc make a different photo each time. Here is a later shot with different settings of the Snow moon.

Flamimg Dart

Forty four years ago I was in Danang when we launched the first bombing campaigns against North Vietnam with operation Flamimg Dart. General Nuyen Cao Ky (later Premier Ky)was flying one of the A1Es (old prop planes) shown in video above and was hit by some shrapnel in the shoulder. It was only a flesh wound and he went through debriefing before receiving medical treatment.
There was much confusion, testosterone and apprehension in those days which makes very vivid memories.

Ice Storm

The ice storm knocked out our power for 4 days and broke up all the trees.


It sure hasn't been a picnic.


But it has been very pretty.

Imbolc

Here is a Brigid's Cross that I made from wheat straw for Imbolc. Here are instructions on how to make the cross. I always look forward to Groundhog day, Candlemass, Oimelc, Imbolc, or whatever you want to call the cross quarter day between winter and spring and know that we are on the home stretch of the cold, dark weather. It won't be long until we see the crocuses and daffodils.