Home alone....

I am having a very rare moment at home~ALONE! Except for my Sweet Pete, who at this point of the morning is still lounging in the sun spots. Everyone is out of the house, so I filled my feeders, got a cup of coffee and watched the action begin. I have about twenty Pine Siskins, such a treat as most years we don't get more then one or two of this irruptive species. I just ordered two new thistle feeders for them, Rainbow brand, that fit eighteen birds on each feeder. I have problem with forgetting to take them in the house once our bear season begins, and have lost a total of five feeders over the last two years. I am so content sitting cozy in my warm bright kitchen watching all the beautiful birds outside my window, that I dread having to go outside in the cold to do my errands and take Petey for a much needed hike. I'm not sure how far we can hike today, as we had an ice storm again on Wednesday, trees and ground are solid ice. I won't chance Petey slipping and falling on the ice. We are expecting a storm tomorrow, so I was sure to make up a big batch of my favorite peanut butter mix and fill all the woodpecker feeders. I changed the mix a bit, have to see how they like it, I used all corn flour with peanut butter and shortening. I put it all in the food processor and that is it, so easy and inexpensive next to the cost of pre-made. There has already been a visit from a nice mature female Sharp-shinned Hawk, she sat in the apple tree and gave me a very good view. Lots of ground birds enjoying the corn and white millet. Juncos, W.T.Sparrows, A.T. Sparrows, Mourning Doves. At least a half dozen gray squirrels and a couple of Reds. Other feeder birds, include an ever growing flock of Cardinals, Blue Jays, Gold Finch, Starlings, T.T. Mouse, Chickadees, House Finch, W.B. Nuthatch.

Petester and I got out for a very treacherous hike today, it was extremely icy up in the Co. Park. I only fell two times! Yikes,after the first time I was thinking I need to have my head examined for going up there, but it seemed once I started I might as well keep going for the whole loop. I was being very careful, there were areas on the trail that are steep and the light covering of snow had been blown off, so there was nothing to catch my feet when I started sliding. We were alone up there except for lots of foot prints. Petey really enjoyed following lots of different well run deer trails and then a turkey trial! He followed their trail for about ten minutes, nose to the ground the entire time, looked like he was having a ball tracking! Nice day as usual, and if I didn't have this awesome Doberman Pinscher, I would have not been out there enjoying nature on a day like today. He is the BEST!