A Little Snow

This afternoon it started to snow steadily and there was soon a light covering over the grass and trees.

This sent the birds into a flurry of activity on the feeders.

Cheerful Charlie

Lauren sent us a couple of photos of Charlie today.  He is a happy little soul, enjoying his baby gym and octopus.

We are looking forward to seeing this big smile next weekend!

Bell Collection

We quite often receive donations to the Bargain Loft in the form of collections - sometimes cats, cruet sets, clowns, beer glasses - all sorts of things.  This time, a collection of  miniature souvenir bells.

I didn’t count to see exactly how many there were but there were bells from cities, states, parks and tourist attractions all over the USA and beyond.

Tomorrow someone will need to start the process of researching and pricing each one!

Happy Valentines Day!

This is probably the first year that I have not photographed the giant heart shaped cookies and floral displays/blooms for Valentines Day in the supermarket - I must be getting used to them (these photos from a couple of years ago).

This year and quite unusually, Valentines Day falls on Ash Wednesday, a fact which had escaped me completely until I embarrassed myself by mentioning to a fellow volunteer at the Loft this morning  that she had a smudge on her forehead.. 

I think that the Loft is going to have a few cards left over for next year.  A few gifts have stayed on the shelves too..

What would Beatrix say?

This evening we went to see the new Peter Rabbit movie at the cinema.

It was very cleverly done, funny and original, but I am not sure what Beatrix Potter would have thought of it!!

Strange Weather

The middle of February - around President’s Day (which falls next Monday) is often cold and snowy here.

All these photos of garden birds were taken in our first few winters in Reston (last year we had very little snow until March).

In some years our first sightings of certain birds like the huge Pileated Woodpecker in the first image came in the snow because they were drawn in to the feeders whenfood was scarce.

This year we are being visited by the bluebirds and the northern flicker (below), but no snow as yet.

This week’s forecast is unusual, to say the least, in its changing temperatures..

Will it really be 22C on Thursday?  With snow to follow on Saturday?

After the Rain

It is surprisingly mild today for February - high of 17C this afternoon in Herndon.  Once the rain stopped - it had been pouring down all morning - we stepped out for a walk along the trail.

The path where it crosses the creek was upgraded in the Autumn with rails, but unfortunately it still clogs up with wood and debris and floods.  The best thing about this oversized puddle (which was gone when we made our way back) was the reflection of the winter silhouette of a tree ahead - which rather belied the strange warmth of the day!