It Is Still Cold...

 The birds are all eating except for this one who is perched on the corner post.  We were in the negative temps again this morning and our high for the day will be 6° F.  A slight breeze makes it to seem very cold.  We got about four inches of snow yesterday and I did run the snowblower to get it moved out of the drive. The snow was loose and fluffy so it worked well with my blower. It was still very cold and I needed all the extra layers of clothes. My face still got frosted. I use to have my younger son's face stocking cap to cover the face but I must have lost it in our move. 

The new snow added height to the present snowdrifts. I got that lane cleared out this morning. 

The added snow filled in the footsteps that were in the deck snow from me filling the feeders two days ago.  I should name this drift just like they name icebergs.  I did mess up its beauty by walking through it again to put seed in the bird feeders. We are still promised to have melting temps for next week. 

The 4 °F. with wind is said to fell like -12°F.  I am still chilled from being out in it for snowblowing and also going to the grocery store.  Our house sits at 60° of the north south axis.  The windows on the length of the back of our house is filled with windows that catch the north winds. They are good windows but they are big windows so we have bumped up our temps by a degree.  Things of course are better when the wind dies down.   I keep saying it is winter in Iowa.  Thanks for stopping by today.

First Junco.....

 

As it is snowing again in the backyard, I looked out and saw my first junco.  I grabbed my camera and got one shot.  I couldn't get only one shot but one is enough to prove the juncos have made it this far south.

The sparrows are now eating out of my vertical feeder.  Opening up the ports did make the seed ready for them to eat.

 

 

The starling also discovered that the openings are now open and it can get to the corn. I had three of them at the feeder this morning. They are almost too big to sit on that perch but they were hungry enough that they  did get the job done.

 

 I don't read any positive comments about this bird.  I was searching the bird to be sure I was correctly identify it and saw so many negative articles about them. This is my first sighting of them this season. 

It is going to snow long enough that it would be dark before I could use the snow blower.  It isn't a heavy snow and yet all my footprints in the snow on the deck are all filled in again. There will be wnd with this and drifting will happen again.  

We ate supper out last night and it was great.  We have been snowed in for a long time.  Supposedly we will be melting starting next Monday.  We are back into the deep freeze for a couple of days before that happens.  It is winter.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Middle of the Snowbank....

 

This is the typical view of everyone's mailbox on our street.  The sidewalk is cleared in the foreground.  The street is cleared enough that the mail truck can reach them with a very long outstretched arm.  We are getting colder for two days and then we may have warm weather in  which snow might do some melting. 

I almost took the wreath down last week and then I thought it could wait.  Now with the two snow storms I want to enjoy the natural dusting on it.  Birds like to roost in it which is causing some of that snow to fall off of it..

 

 My new feeder wasn't working. I couldn't figure out why the birds just were not eating from it. This one looks like their is seed available. 

I went out this morning and shook things up a bit.   Then I noticed that there are adjustments on each hole to regulate the different size of seed one might use.  They all were basically closed down and the birds were not getting any seed.  I guess I could small millet or smaller thistle seed in it and regulate the openings.  I guess I was in such a hurry to get the new feeder up that I didn't look at any directions.  Directions could come in handy I guess but I am sure I threw them away. 

We did get out today and bought a cart full of groceries. We have made it to 23° F. and it seems balmy. The car didn't quite think it wanted to start early morning but it did. All the tires have low air pressure in them because it is so cold.  I will deal with that this afternoon. Thanks for stopping by today.

Snow Capped .....

 

My garden cupola  is covered with the snow of the past two storms.  It will be my beacon of measure when we hit warmer temperatures next week.  I am not sure we will  be above freezing but it will be warm enough for the sun to do a little melting.

My geese are also layered with snow.  They tend to also help me know what the weather is doing when snow starts to slide off of their backs.

Another shot of Old Blue, the tree usually reacts differently to the temps.  The wind messes with it and strong winds can cause the snow to drop.  As you can see the strong north winds have taken off snow on the left side of it.  We are going to just stay frigid for a long time so who knows how long we will look like this. 

 

Our streets have been bladed one more time in the night but it can't take off the ice. We are going venture out tomorrow and just keep building our grocery list.

I have done all that I plan on doing on the drieway. I should be able to get out with the car easily now.  I worked on it one more time this morning and widened things some more.  Our garbage didn't get picked up so we just leave it there until they do come.  

Thanks for stopping in today.

Tuesday's Things.....

 

The birds are happy to find free food that doesn't take a lot of foraging. Sometimes they just sit on the feeder and appreciate a place to rest out of the snow world.

 

 

Things are quiet today as some people are back to work.  I think the kids are back in school and normal will sort of happen in spite of the cold. We were at -6° F. this morning and we will warm up to 7° F this afternoon.  We may have our garbage taken today, a day late, as the snow slows down their ability to pick it all up in one day. We have decided to not venture out today as tomorrow it will warm up to 22° F.  That will seem like a heat wave.  Roads won;t be that much better on the side streets as they don't salt them. The main roads do get treated and that makes it easier to get around. I will try to chisel out some more ice that is lining the entry of my driveway.  I have cleared enough for the car to pass through but I think I need to work on the area for the postman to drive closer to the box. 

 

 Two tubs have been brought upstairs and the angels are going to be taken down.  It is a lot of wrapping and stowing into the containers and we do it a little at a time.  The larger ones go first and then we fill in with the smaller items.  Being snowed in isn't so bad as we can do things that we like to do and also do things that have to be done.  

My typing is weird today as I keep adding extra letters to my words.  It is either hitting a letter twice of the same or adding some strange letter to the end of the word.  I try to proof but I don't always catch everythingg.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Another Snowy Day....

 My neighbor's clump birch is looking good out there in the snow.  I miss my birch that I planted at the old place but I do get to enjoy this one withou having to rake its leaves. 

We have had almost 24 inches of snow.  I don't have a big enough snow blower so I have to chip away at it so to speak.  I knock down the taller stuff with shovel then snow blower it away.  The stuff down by the read is impossible as the road people pile it up out of the street.  I am glad they clear the street but all that on the side freezes into blocks of ice.  Down by the garbage can I do have two thirds of it now gone since I took that photo.  I will rest up before I go back out this afternoon and chip away again.  

 

 There is a glaze of ice under it all and when I fell down on it, my wife of course was watching.  I have learned how to fall gracefully and just roll into it.  I held on to the handle and that didn't help me out at all.  

It was time for another cup of coffee when I came inside.  I have a new coffee maker and the carafe had a full cup of coffee left and ready for me. 

The sparrows usually don't like eating from this feeder but they seem like they must be really hungry. 

We have Iowa Caucus Night tonight.  It will be good to get all of those political ads off the tv.  The rurn out to see Kaitlln Clark play girls Iowa basketball two days ago was fifteen thousand so I don't think the weather is going to stop things tonight.  I know we can get our car out today but we are going to wait one more day to go get groceries. We may even go eat a meal out since we have been snowed in for two weeks. My drive may be too slick to drive back in so I will have to back into the neighbors drive and gun it to get up the incline.  Adaptation is the name of the game.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Colder than Cold......Artic Air.

 I will have to wade out through the snow drifts to get to the feeders again. My shoveling was to not avail as the wind blew everything in again.  We were -19°F, -28.3333°C., this morning and the birds need to eat.  We really can't go anywhere for another day.  It is too cold and I have some snow to remove to be able to get out.  Church was cancelled and was online instead.

Maybe tomorrow I can get some more snow moved out of my drive to back out my car. All travel is discouraged today as our high will be -4°F today.  No snow will melt for a couple of weeks. It is winter in Iowa again.  

Thanks for stopping by today.