Friday Photo: Moonsong

A couple shots of the full moon before it slipped below the horizon this morning.

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When the Owl Calls

Last night I heard a Boreal Owl calling—the first of the season around our place.

Every year, when I hear the first owl call I wonder if one will nest close by. Several years ago a female nested in an old birch snag behind our house. We’d see her poking her head out of a round hole in the dead tree—an opening made by a woodpecker.

One day–sometime after the trees leafed out—I heard a crash on our deck and went out to investigate. Here’s what I found.

A just-fledged Boreal Owl snug up against the house.

It stayed there for at least 30 minutes. I didn’t know if it was hurt so I gently touched it with a stick and it moved. Horray!!

Finally, after several more minutes, it flapped it wings and landed on the railing.

A few minutes later, it flew off.

So yeah, every year when I hear the first owl I wonder if we’ll have new neighbors for a little while in the Spring. I hope so!!

Do you have any animals making their homes by your house? Or, have you in the past?

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Friday Photo: Moon Voice

moon

Moon

Moon!

MOON!!

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Friday Photo: Red on Blue

Semester break in the Red Rock Country.

It was mostly T-shirt weather.

Back home and it’s supposed to be fifty below this weekend.

I hope your new year is off to a good start. I’m teaching American Lit. and Newcomer English, taking a class, shoveling tons of snow, and am hoping to start writing a new book soon.

What are you up to?

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Solstice

On the darkest day of the year we had

Fox tracks on the deck.

Moose tracks on the driveway.

Rabbit tracks by the compost.

Chickadees at the feeder.

Ravens above the birches.

Happy Solstice.

See you After the New Year.

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