The silence of our odd and snowy-less-than normal winter was broken this past week. We woke up the day after Valentine’s Day to a snow-covered magical, almost sacred-like yard. The mid-week storm lead us into the cold blast ending the week with a heart-warming moment you’re going to smile at too.
I watched out the window as the sun came up. The birds struggled to find branches and other surfaces to land on. See the snow falling as the little bird landed in the lower left-hand corner?
Normally, I do not like more snow in February, but this snow was a welcome sight. The snow sparkled as the birds cleared branches on the trees.
The iconic glow of the red, white, and blue flag of the USA lay peacefully on the pole as the sun rose.
The silhouettes of the trees were so peaceful.
The daisy stalks left from the fall held their own against the fluffy snow.
The snowy efforts covered the brownish blah ground in white fluff loaded with moisture that’ll soak in when temps warm up. The birds were happy to play in it.
The mourning dove landed on the deck railing, cooed, and bowed its head in thankful prayer.
The joyful finches, Pine Siskins, and Juncos chirped and tossed the seeds before eating them. Our older house’s patio door isn’t soundproof. We can hear them partying on the deck.
The cats watched until they were tired then headed for a nap. Sister cuddles in the warmth of the sunlight are so sweet.
The song Sound of Silence ran through my head. I love that song. The iconic and classic song that never fails to give me an earworm.
It rang in my head as I performed my exercise for the day. A good hard day’s work where I mopped the floor and washed rugs and pretended it was spring cleaning time. I was pooped after all of that so I sat in the chair at the table looking out the window. I admired the birds and the rabbits as I listened to the roar of Mr. operating the meat grinder in the background. I, of course, hoped he wouldn’t make a mess on the clean floor. 🤣
The bitter cold wind howled outside. Reminded me of the windy city we haven’t ventured to see since 2017!
It was mighty warm back in May of 2017 when our youngest graduated from SAIC.
The wind howled again and jolted me back to 2024 and our empty nest.
Our flag whipped in the wind as it held on tight to the pole. Memories come and go with the wind, don’t they?
I took a photograph of the rabbit and the Junco hunkered down next to the Tea House protected from the wind. See the cute heart in the rail on the right?
As I set my camera down, I saw a flash on the fence. Was that who I thought it was? I squealed as I reached for my camera and missed the shot!
Mr.: “What did you see?”
Me: “Mrs. Cardinal is back!” I said with glee.
I snuck around the corner, and what did I see? Mrs. Cardinal was there on the deck munching on a seed.
She tilted her head and looked back at me. “Hello darkness my old friend.”
“Remember me?” “I’ve come to talk with you again.”
“Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping.” I held my breath as I clicked away. She turned toward me as if to check me out or to tell me, “Yes, silly lady, it’s me!”
She hopped and turned to leave.
I snuck closer, I wanted to know if it was her. And then I saw her left wing. I held back my delight! I wanted one more photo to prove my hunch was right.
She paused to let me catch the photo of her mostly healed wing. She flew off in a heart-warming way. She had survived and healed enough to fly!
I smiled. Nature’s miracles never cease to amaze me. “And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains within the sound of silence.”
Post Inspiration: Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “photograph.” Use it as a noun or a verb or both. Have fun! Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Feb 18 Iconic Places and Spaces and Donna from Wind Kisses for Lens-Artists #287 Sound.
PS – What has happened in nature that surprised you this February? What’s new in your neck of the woods? Do you like the song Sound of Silence? What song gives you an earworm every time you hear it?
Thanks for the ear worm, Shelley! She is a cutie, but where is her Mr? Great photos, the snow is much prettier than the dull sleeping grass. I’ve never been to Chicago except the airports. Have a great new week, guys!
You’re welcome, glad I could help you out with that.
It’s February and the Cardinals are often nesting and taking turns keeping the nest warm. I can’t remember, but I think you may have missed the post about Mrs. Cardinal. Here’s the link incase you want the backstory on her. https://www.quaintrevival.com/how-mrs-cardinal-gifted-us-doses-of-hope-this-week/
Chicago was a great place to visit back then. I don’t know that I’d go there again, we saw a lot of it for 5 years.
Thank you, same to you!
I’ve driven through Chicago and found the people were mean. 😭
Been there, done that too. We were lucky to be mostly in the Loop for our daughter’s school or in her apartment outside of town.
I’d think the hustle and bustle of Vegas would be similar to downtown Chicago?
I suppose it would be, I stay away from the strip and stay in the northwest area of the valley. It’s all locals around here!
I forgot to mention in another comment that it’s the wind chill factor even a 15 miles per hour that makes it so cold. Maybe because I’m 63 is why I get cold so easily today. 😂🥶
We can relate – we’ve avoided our daily walk when the wind chill was under zero! Hopefully, we’re done with the bitter cold for this season! Stay warm!
It was easy to stay warm yesterday, so nice outside.
We’re above 30 degrees this morning, it’s going to be a warm week! Not quite shorts and t-shirts weather though. 😆
That’s great!
Hooray, you captured the elusive Ms Cardinal, Shelley. The snow scenes do look peaceful and quiet. It snowed here last Thursday and the wind whipped it all sideways so it covered everything under our patio on the deck. We enjoyed a couple of sunny days where the snow glittered like diamonds. Quite a bit melted, but it is snowing now as I type this at 12:30 my time. I think IMHO that your iconic shot is the one where the snow had a subtle, pink glow as it clings to the trees. Such a gorgeous icon of winter. Nice to see all the birds flitting around.
Yes, I’m so happy to see Mrs. Cardinal.
Oh, dear, if you’re getting snow…we’ll get more snow! It is supposed to be in the 40s and maybe 50s this week so maybe we’ll get rain instead.
Thank you, I loved the pink glow in that photo too. The birds are happy and very busy indeed!
This was an uplifting post, Shelley. Spring is coming, but winter is hanging on. We had snow and wind and bitter cold last week, but are looking forward to milder temperatures this week. I don’t think we’re done with winter, but everyone around here, people birds and animals are looking forward to spring.
Thank you, Dan.
You’ve had similar weather to ours and I agree, everyone here is ready for spring too. The motorcycles have replaced the snowmobiles that only had one chance to run this winter. 😉
Yay! What a joy to see Mrs. Cardinal back! Here’s to an early spring!
Hi Laurel, yes, YAY it is great to see Mrs. Cardinal! I agree, an early spring is a welcomed sight!! I hope we see baby Cardinals soon too.
Lovely snowy scenes Shelley. I am so happy the Cardinal is back and is able to get around 🙂
Thank you, Brian. The snow will melt away this week so I’m happy I was able to capture some of the scenes this week.
Yes, I’m so happy she’s back. I hope she was busy recovering while she sat on her nest and that babies will hatch this spring.
We did find her on the deck after hitting the window again. We think that she’s trying to attack her reflection in the window. 🙄😣
Your snow hanging on the branches and making everything look so pristine is very pretty Shelley, even if it is a pain. The birds and bunnies have enjoyed a milder Winter and like you, do not welcome the snow with open arms, er wings and paws. 🙂 I’m happy to see Mrs. Cardinal back in your backyard feeder and holding her own. That is great news for sure. I do like that Simon and Garfunkel song – I have always liked all of their songs. I don’t listen to the radio that much anymore, but “Bohemian Rhapsody” leaves a earworm every time. I’m not a big Queen song, but I believe I know all the words and they resurface in my brain again. I saw two Mute Swans gang up on another Mute Swan a few weeks ago – I didn’t like seeing that at all.
Thank you, Linda. Yes, it was fun to see, even more fun to know that the snow won’t be sticking around as long this time.
Mrs. Cardinal is back, and she has found a new infatuation with her reflection in the window. I hope we can figure out a way to stop her from doing that so she doesn’t get reinjured!
Yes, that song gets me too!!
My dad said something about seeing swans at this time of year – it means spring is close, is that true? I dunno.
I think turkeys act the same way to one of the flock that isn’t strong enough too – it’s not fun to see.
Yes, snow here and gone again by sunset – we had that twice last week. It was still pretty cold this morning when I walked. Makes your eyes water, especially when windy – it was still windy this morning.
I am trying to think what they said to keep birds from hitting your window – I signed up to be a Detroit Audubon member last year – it is now called Detroit Bird Alliance, so I get their newsletters and I follow them on FB too. One way they suggest is to buy a peel-off film that goes on the window so the birds do not see themselves in the window and wage an attack with their reflection or to keep birds from flying into the window as they think it is air. You can even buy some of those “clings” like people used to put on doors and windows to use until the birds know not to fly into the windows thinking it is air.
I did not hear that story about the swans, so Googled it – perhaps it is because the swan mate in Spring, same as the geese as I usually see goslings before Mother’s Day. That goose in the boulders was already on a nest on April 2nd that year.
Uncouth behavior for turkeys and swans … a fellow UK blogger goes to a nature preserve fr birding daily and he often describes male Mallards ganging upon female Mallards – like a gang rape. Not fun to see that either.
Yes, the eye-watering factor has been there for our morning walks. We’re at 31 degrees this morning, so hopefully we’ll be tearless as we’re fearless heading out for our walk today.
I’ve heard of the peel-off film. Is it something that I could see through and take pictures through? I’ll have to check it out. I also heard that you can put strips vertically on the windows and the birds won’t try to fly into it as they know their wing spans are too wide to make it through them.
I hope you get chances to see the goslings this spring. And swans too!!
Yikes…that does sound quite uncouth, that’s for sure. Wow!
Today was a gorgeous day – sunny and no wind at all. I wish it was like this on the weekend. I saw something on Detroit Audubon that buildings are using – this was a while ago. I sent you an article I saw on Birds & Blooms FB site tonight – it is a couple of years old but still timely. I found a link to the “Feather Friendly” product that Detroit Audubon Society/Bird Alliance endorses to help prevent bird strikes. I don’t know if you can still take pictures though – maybe they could tell you since that is all they do. I’ll put the link in a separate comment as I know it will go to SPAM – maybe other Readers will be interested in the product.
Yay for a gorgeous day! I agree, why don’t we get days like that on the weekends?
Thank you so much for the link, I’ll check it out!!
Going to be the same thing this weekend I hear. Got to 61 today; but only to 30 on Saturday. Grrr.
You are welcome for that link!
The forecast keeps changing. It is nice to see the warmer temps and the snow is melting slow enough to leave a bit on the edges for the critters and birds to get moisture.
Yes, thank you again for the link(s)!
The birds are hoping all the Winters might be like this, but everyone is forgetting about the nasty Polar Vortex event earlier this Winter. I think it is safe to say that’s done for this Winter anyway. You are welcome!
Yes, and if you remember the old saying about needing 3 snows on the Robins’ tail? Anyhoo…we saw a Robin singing in the tree yesterday morning. So it’s time to start counting snowy days until Spring finally takes over winter! 😉😆
Well I hope that theory is soon as we have a bitter cold day tomorrow and some snow flurries tonight … we get treated to Spring-like weather, then Winter pushes back bigtime!
We’re in for a rollercoaster ride until Phil’s prediction comes true!
Here you are Shelley:
https://shop.featherfriendly.com/
Thank you, that stuff looks interesting…
You’re welcome. I’m glad I could find it – I see it endorsed by the local Audubon Society often.
It does look like a good option to help with the problem. 🤔
It’s looking like we’re going to get through another winter without snow. Which is fine with me, because we moved here partially to get away from it. Work on the house is up in the air until it warms up a little more and State Farm gets off its backside and decides how much the damage to the house is worth.
I like the Chicago pictures, especially the one near Buckingham Fountain, a great old landmark that’s being forgotten thanks to the damn Bean. 🤣
“The Sound of Silence” was very popular when I was in eighth grade and everything had to be “relevant” and “meaningful.” Needless to say, the song was both. It’s an OK song that got played to the point of becoming an EBS Special…
Hi John! Hopefully, as you said, the lack of snow will help State Farm get in gear and your repairs will be completed. That’s a long time you’ve been waiting to get it completed.
I remember you lived in Chicago. I must confess that it was an overwhelming city to me and I trusted the navigation around there to my daughter so I rarely knew the name of anything we saw other than the Bean. 🤣 I was impressed with the fountain, it made for a lovely photo op too.
I remember the Sound of Silence being a song that was fun to sing along with, even off-key, as is my norm. I wonder if the way people were swayed back then to believe a certain way was via music instead of how social media does so nowadays, especially every 4 years. 😉
Heard from State Farm yesterday, so I think we’ll soon be able to restart things.
Buckingham Fountain only runs from April to October, because it’s Chicago and everything starts freezing after that. They use colored lights on it at night, and it’s really gorgeous….
Yay, that’s great news that they finally came through.
We were there in mid-May and it was quite warm that day. They are wise to only operate it during those months, it is dang chilly there during the winters. I bet it is gorgeous all lit up!
Hooray, Mrs. Cardinal is back. I could HEAR the relief in both of our sighs. I know you are tired of the snow but the branches really are beautiful. The birds seem to know it is their role to cheer you/us up. (I feel like that every morning) The cooing of the dove is such a nice sound. Very nice Shelley.
Yes, that’s so fun you said you could HEAR the sigh of relief. I DID sigh!!! 🥰
The bird watching has brought us many fun moments this year. We’ve had a flock of 10-12 doves all winter. Normally we don’t see them so much. I love hearing their cooing in the mornings. I was happy when I saw the mid-blink I captured in that photo.
Thank you for hosting the fun and inspiring SOUND challenge this week.
Thank YOU, Shelley.
😀
Fun post Shelley! I’m happy to say we’ve escaped this winter without snow, which although I enjoy it once in a very great while, means it’s very cold here and we moved south to avoid exactly that!! (Of course check with me in July to hear about the other end of the enjoyment spectrum!). So happy to see your little cardinal revisiting and better yet, flying away! Here’s to spring, may it arrive soon and last long!
Thank you, Tina. I’ll have to remember to remind you come July when the heat has you running for the chill of the AC unit!
Yes, I’m so happy to see Mrs. Cardinal too. Her resilience is quite impressive.
I agree, I hope spring is long this year with rain overnight and sun during the day. Is that too much to ask for? 😉🤔
This is going to be way off topic here, but… when I think of Simon and Garfunkel I think of seeing them in concert maybe 10 years ago and a man in the audience had a heart attack mid-performance. The duo stopped singing, asked for the house lights to come on, and then politely chatted about weather and travel as a distraction while this poor man was hauled out by the EMTs. And then the concert continued.
I love off topic moments, thank you for sharing the heart-warming story about S&G! That’s so kind of them to do that at the concert and that the crowd has an additional fond memory of the event. Good vibes indeed!
Aww! Isn’t it the little things that make life brighter? Like a cardinal surviving. Very sweet. I loved the snow scenes. We don’t get much here so I get to see the beauty through your photos. Thanks!
Aww, yes, indeed, the little things do brighten life! We are so happy to see Mrs. Cardinal.
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the snow photos. The snow is mostly gone again. We feel like we’ve had a full year of seasons in one two week period. It’s been entertaining. 😆
What beautiful snowy photos. We’ve had one snow and I don’t think we’ll have anymore, though last year it snowed in April. Yay!!!!! I was wondering if that was her when I saw the photo before reading.
Hi Kirstin! We’re feeling like we might have one of those kinds of spring too. We’re not holding our breath that we’re done with snow yet, but it has been odd without it this year.
Yes, we’re happy to see Mrs. Cardinal. Hopefully, they’ll have some babies this spring and we’ll have more in the yard. Thanks for remembering the story about her.
Your Sunday Stills Iconic post was so fun to scroll through – I’m in awe of all the places you’ve been and the fun photos you’ve taken! It was like reading a travel magazine 😉😁
What gorgeous snowy images, Shelley. Such a contrast to the rain and floods we’ve been having.
Hi Cathy! Thank you. Oh, dang, sorry to hear you’re having rain and floods. I wish I had a magic wand for us to share each other’s weather to even things out for us!
I enjoyed your take on the Sunday Stills prompt – your photos are awe-inspiring to me, well done!
We’re right in the path of the jet stream and that tends to bring the rain. I know snow can bring its own problems but it certainly looks prettier.
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Ah, that makes sense.
You’re welcome, ditto to you!
I love that silence after a good snow–and the song, too! Beautiful shots of your sparkly trees. We had one good snow here this winter, which is more than we sometimes have. I’d love one more before we turn to our wet and soggy spring (kinda like our wet and soggy winter, just wetter). But I hear too many birds out there. They’re telling me they’re ready and spring is coming! Hope you’re well, friend!
Hi Rebecca!! As always, dear friend, I love hearing from you.
You’re right, I think we’re all ready for spring. I hope you have lots of fun adventures planned that make your beautiful smile shine!
Shelley, I thought of you and this post today. This morning I heard on the news, then later read on Twitter (a/k/a “X”), about Flaco, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl, who escaped from the Central Park Zoo one year ago. He lived there 13 years, got free after vandals broke into the Zoo and for the last year has been showing up peering into windows, hooting in Central Park, eating NY rats, people loved him. But Flaco flew into a building and was injured/died. People on Twitter were pretty upset about it.
P.S. – I was “Anonymous”, so I’ll try logging in and see if it works that way.
Oh, my, that’s sad about Flaco! It sounds like he did have some great bird adventures and made quite the impression while he was at it. Thank you for sharing.