Merry Christmas

My Vaction

Some of you perfer to spend your vacation on a white sandy beach, I perfer to spend mine on the white snowy lakes of Minnesota.

The Blast

The Blast, that's the best way to describe this weekends snow storm that dropped 18" on us. This male Cardinal had the right idea, just lean your head into the wind, until you can no longer take it. Then go and seat in the warm water of the heated bird pond. However, I think the Squirrel wishes that he could have joined the Cardinal. So far we have had 36" of snow this Winter and we are just getting started.

Saturday Moring

This is what our backyard, looked like, as the sun was starting to come up this past Saturday at about 6:45. I know, that some of you have never seen 6:45 AM, but this is what it looks like. It was just me a the deer. Take a look at the next photo, do you see the four deer bedded down in the woods.
I heard the swans fly over a couple of weeks ago, so I headed down to the back waters of the Minnesota river and I found them. When I did, find them, I found the Trumpeter swans. But this time, I found all three. Mute, Trumpeter and Tundra. Sorry, but is kind of a big thing.

The Holidays

Does this help to get you in the Spirit of the holidays? The bubbling rock in the front yard is almost frozen over, the Blue Door has a dusting of snow and our Christmas Tree is up. Every family has a tradition, when it comes to decorating the Christmas Tree. For us, the first ornament that is placed on the tree, is a hand made ornament that was given to me as a child, from my brother, Tom's Aunt Agnes. It is the first to go on and the last to come off. Then, Kim puts the tree topper on. This year, we have decided to decorate the house in white. As Kim puts it, it is a white Christmas, at our house. I am sure, that Bing Crosby will be playing soon. Next week, I will show more photo's of the house.

The Return

 Last Friday, I was putting up the last Christmas lights in the fog and mist, when I heard one of my favorite sounds in nature. The sound of Trumpeter Swans, flying over head. Flock after flock, flew over our home. I just might have to spend sometime, looking for them along the river, this coming weekend. Well this buck, escaped the deer season in MN this year. Looks as if he thinks my backyard, will be he feeding station. I don't think so! The tree is in the house, now, what color will Kim decorate this year? Last year was Red, any guesses?

Snow!

It was just a matter of time, before the snow came. When we got up at the crack of dawn, there was only about an inch or so on the ground. By the time we got done with coffee, there was five inches on the ground and by the time we came back from lunch, there was twelve inches on the ground. This was a cardiologist dream come true, it was wet and heavy. The area of town the we live in, looks like a tornado had come through. Tree's are down everywhere, getting home from lunch, three of the four roads, coming to our home where blocked by down tree's. The one open road, if you can call it that, is in the photo below.
With all the tree's down, most of the area is without power and going on 48 hours with out power. We are lucky this time, but there is a tree hanging in the wires, in the back yard. Winter had to start sometime.

It Begins

On our vacation this year, Kim had this idea that we should visit as many National Parks and National Monuments as we can. I thought, that's not a bad idea, how many can there be?This shouldn't take to long a couple of years or so. That is, if you did it full time.  I had no idea. We might as well start in our own backyard. 6 AM Saturday, we are on the road heading west, then a little south. To Pipestone National Monument.  This is the link to the site.
http://www.nps.gov/pipe/

One down and more to come.

National Historic Site 82
National Monument 78
National Park 59
National Historical Park 47
National Memorial 40
National Recreation Area 20
National Preserve 18
National Cemetery 14
National Wild And Scenic River 13
National Battlefield 12
National Seashore 10
National Military Park 9
National Parkway 9
Park 6
National River 5
National Battlefield Park 4
National Lakeshore 4
National Scenic Trail 4
National Reserve 2
International Historic Site 1
National Battlefield Site 1

The Look of Fall

This, is why I get up early. Just me and a Duck or two.

Just passing through, is this Hermit Thrush that stop to take a bath in the stream.

Rodent Control

I now have an assistant, in helping me control the mice and other little rodents in the yard. This young Red Fox, showed up this weekend and was having a great time going through the leaves looking for it's next meal. We have had only a couple of Red Fox in the area, but most of the time, we see the Gray Foxes.

You can find more photo's from are trip at  http://picasaweb.google.com/ted.narveson

Let's Go!

10 days 2600 air miles 2000 road miles 20 foot miles 5 national parks 1 national monument and 5 states Oh and we had time to spend 2 days at the pool. So after the dust settled and we looked back at were we have been: Arches National park, Canyon Land National Park, Hovenweep National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Death Valley National Park. Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. We bounced and vibrated are way down some great roads and we hiked down some dusty, sandy, rocky and salty trails. We found mountains that collapsed over time due to rain water, canyons carved out by the Colorado river. We made it to the lowest place -264 feet below sea level in Death Valley. Canyons that where so quite that It made your ears hurt due to the absents of any noise. Mineral deposits of every color of the rainbow. We visited ancient Indian ruins and homes that they built on the side of cliff and on top of rocks. When the jeep started to look like a rolling ball of dust, from are travels we knew it was time for Vegas. Oh the land of make believe. After going and going, it was time to shutdown for a few days by the pool with a cocktail and contemplate your bellybutton. It is always good to get away from home, to see what is out there and to see how others live and to appreciate the place you call home.  I will post more photos later.

Oh my knee's

That's the words I hear with Kim's latest hobby. These mushrooms are killing my knee's! That I why I stick to birds, but Kim has discovered a whole new world beneath the undergrowth of the lawn and woods. Most of these mushroom are less then a half inch tall. Some are so small, they look like the pebbles that they grow in. With all the rain, this past week. This coming week should be good mushroom hunting.

Next week, the blog will be down for maintenance, but back up, the following weekend.

Alone

This had to be the best pre Fall weekend, 55-60 clear sky's, light winds and no one was outside. I hiked, about ten miles this weekend, along trails next to the Minnesota Rive, National Wild Life Refuse and all within a half hour drive from Minneapolis. And I did not run into one person on the trails. It was great. I added some of Kim's Marco work this week to the Blog. I can't tell you the name of the Mushrooms, but the first one, is about 3/8" high. The second, it just stinks and it is only about 1" tall.

Enjoy the taste of Fall.

Missing something?

This House Finch caught my eye recently, do to it Mohawk. When I had the opportunity to take it photo, I noticed something wrong. The finch does not have an upper beak. Now finches are seed eater, they roll the seeds in their beaks to break them down. However, this one has learned to adapt. It does not appear to be going hungry. I scoops up the seeks and chews them up. Go to show, that even birds can adjust to the situations that are dealt to them in life.