The white-breasted nuthatches laid claim to this feeder full of plain old wild bird mix.

The male cardinal draws the eye with its flashy color and bold behavior. Spotting them is easy, particularly when snow blankets the land. The females intrigue me with their subtler coloring and their caution. They’re more challenging to photograph, and they’re more interesting to watch.

First it rained. A lot. The ducks and geese rejoiced and dabbled in the puddles all day. I wore my knee-high boots to wade through the little creek to get to the greenhouse. The dogs seemed disturbed by that. Apparently that upset their sense of order — people don’t belong in the water. Then it
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