~An Early Sign of Spring?~

This morning while I was letting my dog out to do his business, I noticed a bunch of birds in the far part of the yard.  After watching them a bit, I thought...could those be robins??  So I put Banjo back in the house and grabbed my camera to get a closer look with my zoom lens.

While watching them, I started clicking away on my camera.  Sure enough, these fine-feathered friends were indeed robins.  We've had a fairly mild winter, but is Spring coming already?  Surely not.  I went back inside and went to my next best friend, next to my camera.  Google.  I started doing my research and found this article..."The Robin Is Not a Sign of Spring".  Surely they jest, I thought!

Excerpts from article went something like this... "I saw a bunch of robins in the middle of January's snowstorm.  It sure didn't look like Spring to me!"  "I saw a robin last week.  Spring must be coming!"

Robins are a sign of Spring, right?  Wrong!  (what???...my thoughts)

Robins are not a sign of Spring any more than Punxsutawny Phil, that pampered Pennsylvania ground hog, is a predictor of weather. (darn!!)

So why do we cling to the old wives' tale that a robin is the sign of Spring?  Because, as we all know, all robins go south for the Winter and return in the early Spring.  Unfortunately, that is not true.

In part, we are just not paying attention.  Maybe, during a long winter, we are too housebound, or too bundled against teh cold to notice.  But if we strap on our snowshoes and wander the garden or roam the woods - or if we just walk to the corner store for a coffee or newspaper - we may hear the rattle of the robin on any day of the year - even a mid-winter day.

...perhaps, like the ancients of old, you want an omen from the skies, a bird sent from the gods with the message that "Indeed, Spring is on the way - Persephone returns to bring life and fecundity to the earth." (whatever that means)

Red-winged Blackbird                                      

If that is what you are looking for, then watch for the Red-winged Blackbird...with his "Conk-a-reeeee, Conk-a-reeee". (his mating call).

That is a sure sign that Spring is coming.  Other birds will be following along in quick succession....

Well, rats!  Not that I'm in any hurry for Spring to come because that means Summer is not far behind.  So, in the meantime, I'll enjoy the splash of color we get from our little feathered friends. 

Note:  The excerpts from this article were taken from the Tails of Birding blog.

May God bring you splashes of color on this winter day~

~Let it Snow, Let it Snow....~

...let it snow.  We had some snow the other night with a mighty blast of north wind...about half an inch, but not now.  It's not cold enough to snow.  Temps are supposed to be around the high 50s to 60s for several days. :/


Most people think that winter is so drab.  But if you look around, you can see the beauty of God's creation in many ways.  The sparkle on the snow when the sun is shining, the beautiful designs that frost crystals make on your windows, the bright red of cardinals, winterberries, evergreens....  A house definitely looks drab once the beautiful Christmas decorations and lights are taken down, right?  At least I think so.  But I can bring the beauty of winter indoors to enjoy. So, several years ago, I did just that.  I began decorating my house with wintry type decorations...evergreens, winterberries and snowmen.  

On the fireplace mantel, the Hallelujah Choir of angels is taken down and I replace it with the "Let it Snow" people...aka snowmen.

I've had this chubby little fellow for several years but the bottle type brushes and snowflakes are new.  I got them on clearance this year.

I'm on the hunt to increase my snowman population and found these cute little guys on clearance at...you guessed it.  Hobby Lobby.  I love the cute little smile on this guy's face.  I think he's so proud that the cardinals have found a gathering place on him.

Simple decorations on top are just an evergreen piece and some winterberries.  I love this framed picture.  I got it from The Country House, one of my favorite online stores to find country decor.

This wooden grouping is all one piece.  I had it up at Christmas but I don't know why because it's really more in line with my winter decorations.  I got it at a craft show several years ago.

This grouping is on top of my stacked wooden crates turned bookshelves.  The wooden snowman is from the same craft person at the same craft show as the wooden grouping above it.

Picket fence turned snowmen.  Is it not the cutest??  I have never seen anything like it.  The tallest 'snowman' is probably four inches or so.  I think I got it from a craft mall somewhere in the city.

In the main hallway, I have an antique linen press (linen closet).  It is so dark and dreary in this little area, so I  created a vignette using Christmas lights.  For a while, I tried using a little spot light but the bulbs kept burning out.  It makes for a beautiful night light. ;)

 For the most part, all the things you see here stay up all year long.  The evergreen tree, along with the berries and such, are changed out and replaced with items that go along with the seasons.  I love my little birds and the nest that they protect.

Watch out!!! This little fella is coming down the hill at a fast pace on his sled!  Isn't he cute? 

 At one time, there was a local crafter...I don't know if she's still in business nor the name of her business..but she was having an in-home sale of her crafted items and this guy caught my eye and just had to come with me.  I've had him for over ten years now.

So, here you have it.  My little collection of snowmen and winter type decorations.  Despite the warmer than normal temps, I think I'm ready to say....let it snow!

Is it a winter wonderland where you live or do you create a winter wonderland like I do?

Stay warm ~

            

Going to these blog parties this week:
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the PorchYour Cozy Home Party @ Cozy Home Scenes