Winter Has Its Own Palette

Winter. We are hip deep in it again.  We are snow plow, sneezing and runny nose, de-icingly, get the snow balls out of the dog's feet into it.

Once you get past the red, green, silver and gold glitz that signifies Christmas, the landscape turns dreary and mostly white.  At least here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Right?  Um....maybe not.

I'll confess right now I am a big complainer of winter.  Early darkness, cold, and I look out my window and see brown.  I love flowers and color and summer noise, where the ground hums with activity and the landscape pops with primary hues.  So, I set out to change my attitude--at least about color schemes, and to prove that winter has landscapes aplenty that resonate with their own color scheme when the air is cold enough that you can see your breath.

We are fighting the good fight up here on the hill.  I think we are probably losing, but we keep on trying to move that snow into other, more convenient places.  Then again, where but in this frigid air mass could you see the snow particles hanging in the air for moments at a time?

There is no doubt that it is pretty when it is falling.  Every scene takes on a Currier and Ives feel.  There is a misty, snowy fog that appears as the snowflakes get larger.  It amazes me how snow can pile up on the top rail of a fence.  Anything becomes a stark contrast against the bluish white of the snow.

In the late afternoons, if we are lucky and get to see the sun, it sends rays to warm the bark on the trees and cast long, gray shadows on the frozen ground.

One of my favorite activities, when we are snow bound, is watching the birds at the feeders and hopping throughout our hemlock.  We are lucky to have birds that winter here.  Not everything goes to Florida or Mexico.  It brightens my day to look out my window and see nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers and mourning doves enjoying a bountiful buffet.

Nuthatches are always fun because they take a different approach to life.  They do everything upside down.  They run down the tree instead of up it, and hang upside down on feeders.

We have one very possessive nuthatch who will hang on the suet feeder for ten minute intervals guarding it from all the other birds.  "This is mine!"  I'm so sure that is what he is thinking.

The titmice chatter away at each other and take turns.  They seem to be more cordial about their eating habits.

We have one illusive red-breasted woodpecker.  I've named him Kirby.  He doesn't like me to see him.  So I have to pretend I don't see him. He likes to hide amongst the branches of the tree so that my camera has the worst time zooming in past any of those objects to capture him.  Every once in a while I get lucky.  This wasn't one of those times.  Although he did FREEZE for just a moment when he knew I had him in the viewfinder.  I think he likes this game.

And then there's this sneaky fellow, who seems to be able to crack any lock and scamper down any wire to get what he wants, except for the squirrel resistant feeder which we paid an arm-and-a-leg for and seems to be doing its job.  We purposely put seed in this feeder for this squirrel, who then knocks it to the ground for the mourning doves.  I feel that's his job, and if he is going to eat, he needs to earn his keep.

Yes, winter has a palette of easy-to-spot wildlife, thanks to no leaves on trees and a bright white backdrop.  Even all the animals have put their winter coats on--their drab, brownish coats--to help them blend in with their surroundings and be a less likely meal for the pirates of the forest.

As much as I have been known to complain, I am happy to be a witness to what Mother Nature has to offer in winter.  Like a mourning dove taking a short nap in one of our hemlock trees.

Or our dog, Danny, sticking his nose in a pile of snow.  Get out and enjoy the sights of winter and find the colors that are part of your winter palette close to home!