Saturday, January 03, 2009

A walk in the meadow

It warmed to 64 degrees.
We went for a long walk in the meadow.



I am studying the Cottonwood Tree in 2009.
It is native to my area.

There is a large stream in this meadow.
A Northern Mockingbird patrolled his territory.

An American Kestrel hunted in the meadow.

A few bugs were out.

I watched as a Nashville Warbler caught them for supper.


The western wind shifted to the north.
A cold front is moving in.
Temperatures will drop into the teens tonight.
Twilight comes quickly and does not linger.

It is winter.
This was only a break.


34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your Reflection Shot is Beautifully Impressionistic. It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful outting.

Wendy said...

Nice break! I enjoyed it. I'm surprised you have bugs this time of year. Lovely photos. Was that a little crescent moon up in the sky?

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Thanks for taking us along. We've had some highs in the 40s to upper 50s lately, mixed with highs in the single digits. It was in the 40s yesterday, and we took our dog to an area lake. The snow hadn't all melted there. It got colder throughout the day, today. The wind is whipping, and yes, it is winter here, too.

Your pics are great, and I think my favorite is the one with the reflections of the trees in the water.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a pleasant walk in the meadow Sherry. THanks for taking us along. It wasn't so pretty here today. Booooo It was overcast and started raining noonish. UGH... The rain wasn't supposed to be here until5. It came early unfortunately.

Mel said...

Oh Sherry!
That walk looks like a dream!
Beaaaautiful :)

marmee said...

it is great to have a break from the very cold. so happy for you that you were able to get out and enjoy. when the sky is so blue it makes me happy and you have so many things to keep your interest. love your images of your time outdoors.

Grammy said...

All great photos.I am glad you had a great day today too. The temp was great here also. We went to Bagnel dam for eagle viewing today. I got a few shots but non of the eagle were good enough. I need more than 300mm to get closer. or I need the Eagle to get closer. I did get great blue heron photos.

Cheryl said...

My dear Sherry......what an outstanding post. The reflections in the water remind me of Monet's work.....this is so beautiful, he is one of my favourite artist's.

Your captures of the birds are amazing....I know I will never get there......I think my work will be with bees and little Poppi.....

What a beautiful tree.....are you thinking of planting one?? Or will it become too big for your gardens....

Stay well and warm my friend......

Marvin said...

Same conditions here, but even a little bit warmer. It's amazing how quickly the bugs appear when the weather warms. Your reflection shot is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Sherry..
wonderful pictures, enjoyed all of them. Bugs?? After the very cold temperatures you recently endured? That is really interesting!
We have -11 Celsius and no bugs;)
Cheers Gisela.

Q said...

Dear Natural Moments,
I almost always post our walks on my walking journal, "Walking in Beauty". I forgot to check which blog I was posting on! LOL...
It was a lovely day and although I have Christmas to put away I knew the wind would shift. I just wanted to be outside with the birds and the trees and the sunshine. I always love the reflrction shots too. They are Impressionistic!
Sherry

Jan said...

Hi Sherry! Lovely, just lovely:) So peaceful. The progression of photos with your narrative was wonderful. I loved every photo! The one with the tiny moon was beautiful, too:) Happy New Year!

Q said...

Dear Wendy,
The bugs came out in the afternoon as the temps rose to 63F (18C). Today the bugs are back in their warm houses...it is 13 F degrees this morning (-11C)!
It IS the crescent moon...the evening skies have been so beautiful with Venus and the Moon in the west.
Hope you are staying warm,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Sue,
The yo-yoing temperatures always worry me. I know the mums are out there heaving, even with the mulch.
I will not do any yard clean up now until spring. I worry about the plants when the temperatures swing so dramatically.
The wind is always the hardeset for me. I never mind cold but when the wind blows I cannot stay warm.
Yes, it is winter even when the temps rise into the 60's.
Stay warm and cozy,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Lisa,
I hope you did not get freezing rain!
I was so thankful to you yesterday! I immediately recognized the Nashville Warbler when I saw him catching bugs. Thank you again for identifying him for me last October.
When the weather is frightful I try to stay in and be cozy and do art...did you get to paint?
I shall pop over and see if you have any new paintings posted.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Mel,
It was lovely. I enjoyed being outside and warm!
The birds were out at the Meadow too so that was nice.
Hope the New Year is getting off to a great start for you.
Hugs,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Marmee,
It was a lovely day. The sky was that deep blue of Summer...
Today it is 13 degrees...I knew if I was to enjoy the warmth I needed to get out and go walking. I have lots of Christmas to put away but that can wait. It is cold today and the wind is blowing strong. I am chilled just looking outside. Soon I will dress and start working. January is so fun with Chinese New Year and forced bulbs...
Hope you are warm and cozy,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Grammy,
The eagles do seem to stay high up in the trees. Sometimes it is enough to just watch!
Glad you were able to enjoy the outdoors too. The Lake of the Ozarks is a beautiful place!
I shall pop over and see your Heron. I think they are fantastic birds too.
Happy photography...it is fun.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Cheryl,
The sky was so blue and the reflections were lovely. I have often thought Monet was inspired by reflections...
Your bird photographs are wonderful....bees and Poppi are also fantastic...finding our comfort with the camera is what is important. Being able to take the photograph we see so others can enjoy is what I do.
The Cottonwoods are too big for my gardens. I am studying them so I can recognize them when I travel. Knowing the Cottonwood in each season is what I would love to be able to do. There are enough Cottonwoods about that I should get plenty of practice...
I am cozy this morning with the space heater. Looking forward to getting my house in order and doing some art this coming week.
I enjoyed the warmth and the walk. The meadow is one of my favorite places to walk.
Namaste,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Marvin,
I heard on the news Arkansas received highs into the 70's! Crazy! I was looking for a butterfly or two. Sometimes they will come out on warm winter days for a drink of water.
I love reflections too. I love the way they change as the water flows and the light shifts.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Gisela,
Oh my goodness it is cold at your house! It is -11C this morning at my house too. The temperature swings are all ove the place around here.
The bugs do come out when it warms up a bit. I loved watching the Nashville Warbler catch bugs.
Stay warm We are on the upside of Spring.
Bird songs will soon fill the air.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Thanks For 2 day,
Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this walk.
I realized I had posted on Corner and not on Walking in Beauty! Oh well, sometimes we all need to take a walk in the woods.
I will take some pictures of the backyard birds as soon as it warms up a bit. Right now it is too cold!!
Hot co-coa days are upon us again,
Sherry

Roses and Lilacs said...

Love that water picture!

I miss the mocking birds. I haven't seen any since I moved back to Illinois.
Marnie

Naturegirl said...

Sherry how uplifting to see blue skies! Reflections are always so captivating aren't they! Smile to you today!

Marimoy said...

That seventh picture is phenomenal. Thanks!

Rose said...

I love these "Indian Summer" days that come during the winter. It looks like you took advantage of it, Sherry--beautiful photos.

Anonymous said...

Cottonwoods are native here too. It looks like late fall there. Cold and dreary here today. Thanks for the walk.~~Dee

marmee said...

sherry,
i need to check into forced bulbs coz jan doesn't seem delightful to me, not that i'm not enjoying but every year the focus is so much on holidays when it is all over i just seem to need to recover but if i had something to look forward to that would make it much nicer. i feel like sometimes i am just catching up with who i am after/and while still raising my 6 children. i have a lot to learn still. i still want to learn to felt just haven't had the time to explore it yet.

Q said...

Dear Marnie,
I wonder why you have not seen any Mockingbirds? I would think they would be in your area. I used to have a Mockingbird friend in the backyard but he moved on...Lately I have been seeing a new Mocker...seems shy and young. Hope this spring one finds your gardens.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Anna,
It was so warm that I just had to be outside. If I could walk every day for an hour I would feel so good. Walking is good for my digestion.
Hope you are feeling good. Winter can seem so long after the Holidays.
Getting out in the sunshine makes all the difference for me.
Namaste,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Mimi,
The Nashville Warbler was having a great time catching bugs. The sun was starting to set so I was only able to get the silhouette but I like the photograph too. These are quick little birds.
I do enjoy watching the birds and love getting photographs of them!
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Rose,
As it turned out being outside on Saturday was great. It turned cold and I was able to get all my chores done on Sunday! I do worry about the plants when it warms too much in the winter. I have been through a spring that came too early and lost so many plants that I do not wish for early Spring any more..
Hope you are staying warm,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Dee,
I think when some of the leaves linger on the trees it does give the look of late Autumn.
It is cold today but sunny. I think the sun adds at least ten degrees to the feel of the air as long as there is no wind.
Hope you are keeping your spirits up.
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Marmee,
I think you would enjoy Chinese New Years. I bet your kids would too. It is fun to learn about and to visit the Chinese market...or just make fun rice dinners. I started the forced bulbs so I would have the cheer of a house full of blooming flowers in the middle of the winter. They are very easy to do too. Once they finish blooming I let the leaves ripen off and will plant the bulbs in the gardens in the spring.
Felting is a joy!!! I think you will enjoy it very much. I lov eth esoft scuplting. I am hoping to go to a Fiber and Weavers Guild meeting this Thursday. Maybe I will meet other felters. I will report on Artful Living all about my experience...I hope the weather is good. I will not get out if it is ice or snow!
I enjoy January more each year. I think it is the different decor, food and music.
Try a little Asian Influence, I think you will enjoy it.
Namaste,
Sherry