Cloud Bursts and Tiny Squatters

Some mornings, the sunrise is so awe-inspiring
that it stops me dead in my tracks.
At that moment, I fumble for my camera, tucked neatly in my pocket.
Anyone with me at the time must be patient and stand very still.


Snap.
There.  The moment is noted and permanently recorded.
I have so many photos of spectacular sunrises.
That's the beauty of digital photography.
Gone are the days of waiting for the perfect shot and laying it down upon celluloid.
(I still remember my first little Brownie camera... its images long gone, now.)


And, for me, it's a much better world...
to be able to take advantage of each and every photographic possibility and save
all of them for rainy day perusal.


And just like that... off goes that particular photograph to a place called "the cloud".
I can only imagine that the cloud must be the most amazing place
that doesn't really exist.
I picture a puffy white cumulus cloud high in an azure sky...
from the ground it is huge and fluffy... an enormous billowy, nebula filled with tiny images.


If you have the privilege of visiting this realm, then you have the pleasure of seeing
billions, no, maybe trillions, of fantastic photographs from every continent of this
diverse, magnificent world of ours...
of sunrises, sunsets, smiles, tears, landscapes, animals, children...
limitless beauty captured in single-frame moments.


Yes, technology makes our lives just a little more complicated,
 (its original goal being an effort to make our lives easier, I believe.)
But, to me, the ability to take so many photographs and have them
available to us forever (or until- quite possibly- the cloud bursts some day)
is one of them most wonderful gifts that technology has given us.
(Note to self:  store a back-up copy of these photographic moments- just in case!)

Amazingly, most of my photographs are now captured with my iPhone.
Cell phone cameras have come a very long way.
For someone, like myself, who is out and about in the muck and the mire,
and the dust, and the weather...
iPhone photography has been liberating.
I save my "good" (SLR) camera for times when the weather is perfect,
and I am trying to capture that amazing, close-up shot.
The rest of the time, my cell phone is always on my person...
ready to capture something that would otherwise have to exist only in my memory.
(which is not nearly as easy to access some days as the cloud is!)

We enjoyed another warm-ish January day yesterday.
I continued my work cleaning up the garden...
cleaning out the skeletal remains of last year's tomatoes vines,
and dreaming of new seedlings taking their place.

While I did that, Jack cleaned out our bluebird houses.
He does this every winter in preparation for late winter nesting.
Each box had a different style of nest...
constructed with whatever was handy in that area.


Nearest to the dry lot, nests are constructed of horse hairs.


On the other side of the barn, where the guineas and ducks live,
the nests are built with feathers.


Nests close to the bramble that grows by the old log cabin
are constructed of twigs.


As Jack cleaned out this particular box,
he found that it had become the winter home of a family of squatters...


discovered as three somnolent mice dropped to the ground.


Feeling sorry for these three sleepy wee ones,
Jack replaced the nest and lifted the tiny mice up into the box.
(We'll clean that box out when warmer weather arrives.)


I love this about my husband.
He has a tender heart... even for vermin.
We'd prefer to not have them in our house,
however, the woods belongs to them as well as us...
so, we "live and let live."

And with that, January comes to a close.
The weekend is once again upon us.
Our only scheduled activity is Tyler's last swim meet.
With the forecasted weather remaining on the warmer side,
it will be a good weekend for outdoor activities.
We'll be back on Monday to share weekend Tales from the Farm.

Big, furry hugs from the farm!!!

Comments

colleen said…
How interesting to see the different nests. My husband has been collecting frozen apples to give to the dozen or so deer that come visit most every night. We could see two or three still sleeping when we got up this morning (it was still dark out) Talk about a softie... he took the dogs out and on the other side of the house so it wouldn't disturb the deer. Have a great weekend and I will "see" you Monday. xxxx
Anonymous said…
Yesterday you posted a video showing the morning dash. I was wondering what it was like to 'herd' the ducks, geese, and chickens back for the night. Are they willing? Does it take both of you to guide them back?
Mick
daisy g said…
Although I delayed as long as possible getting a "fancy" phone, I do enjoy having a good camera with me at all times. I also love being able to take photos of all the wonderment in this world.

We cleaned out our bird houses this week as well. The nests are absolutely fascinating!

Enjoy your weekend.
Those nests are fascinating. I have heard if you put out pieces of colorful yarn in the spring, the birds will use these to build their nests in the trees and you can see glimpses of red, blue and green and yellow and whatever colors you provide.
Jennifer B. in NC said…
Fascinating photos/details about the nests! We have had doves build a nest on our porch for years, and after having it repainted I'm valiantly trying to steer them to a different site. I would've died, however, to find three mice in one!
littlemancat said…
Your sunrise photos are amazing - how beautiful! And love the nests and wee mousies! I would have done the same. Visions of Beatrix Potter mice from her wonderful little books! But, no, not in the house - haha!
Happy that Griz is doing so well - such a good home he has and he knows it, I'm sure.
Enjoy your week-end!
Mary
Well, this post reminds me of the Robbie Burns poem "To a Mouse."
This N That said…
Love the nesting adventure..Thanks Jack for caring about the' Meeses'...The sky affords us many photo ops!!!