Wandering about Winter

February 14, 2023

Hints

Winter is a wandering time. And this one especially. Here in Michigan, we’ve had more days without snow on the ground then with it. When you look outside, it looks like spring. Even though the trees have no leaves, the grass is green and the sky is blue and clear. So I wander out back, take a few pictures, and look for new buds on the tree branches.

The pathway I cleared a few years ago is crowded now with overgrowth. I remind myself that when spring comes I’ll need to bring the cutter out and widen the path again. But now I love to push through the thin saplings and tall grass, my boots trudging out behind the barn. Sometimes I lose the trail and wander around until I find it again.

Because the ground has little or no snow I can find hints of animals or plant life that share the outdoors with me.

A Winter Surprise

The other morning there was snow on the ground. I looked out my back window and gasped. A female and male cardinal were sitting in my redbud bush near the bird feeder. His bright red feathers added a spark to the gray drab day. He was sitting pretty surveying the area for safety. The bird feeder contained sunflower seeds! Even the female shared a hint of red in her less colorful body.