January 3, 2010 – Well, the New Year started by being cold and snowy!  I think the high yesterday was around 6 degrees.  I think that's cold until I saw an email from a friend in Newfoundland.  He reported temperatures of -30 and and one day with the wind chill it was -50!  I still haven't fixed the big feeder since the bears damaged it this fall.  I've seen some birds and squirrels checking it out and I swear they are giving me dirty looks when they stare back at me through the window.  A couple of deer came by last week and I saw turkey tracks yesterday in the snow near the feeder.

January 7, 2010 - I threw out a couple of withered apples back towards the "turkey coop" and figured the deer that wander through the yard occasionally would find them.  This afternoon I watched a black squirrel grab one with it's teeth and head out across the snow.  It ran up a dead spruce tree that had the top snapped off in a storm a few years ago.  I couldn't figure out what it was going to do with the apple and as soon as it let go, the apple would fall to the ground.  So, I grabbed the binoculars and watched it.  It took the apple up about 25 feet where the top was broken and stuffed the apple in the snow at the top.  It seemed to test the spot before letting go, securing the apple right at the top of the tree.  I guess the deer won't be getting that one!

January 20, 2010 - The warm spell has given way to cold again.  We got about an inch of snow yesterday afternoon and it is 12 degrees this morning.  While driving back from Traverse City on Sunday I saw a large white bird fly up and perch on the top of a telephone pole.  I could see the wings were too broad to be a seagull and wondered if it could possible be a . . . sure enough, it was a snowy owl.  I meant to take my camera that day and naturally I didn't have it with me.  That forgetfulness almost guarantees that I will see something I want to photograph.  The bird had some nice black barring on it, not too heavy, and it watched me as I drove past.  I talked to my friend and "fellow" artist Kim Diment later that day and told her about the sighting.  She said she has never seen a snowy owl in the wild.  Lately we have had a few deer and a few turkey wandering through the back yard.  I finally put some sunflower seeds in the big feeder, but I still haven't repaired it.  Once side won't hold seed and the other leaks it out the corner.  A big fat raccoon raids it at night, while the squirrels and chickadees keep it busy during the day.