Birds, Squirrels, Tree Frog and the Cold Duck!

It's so cold here!

I've got ice forming on my grilling deck! It's hard to believe that less than a week ago we had spring weather.

If anyone from the Pacific Northwest or even folks just north of the Red River reads this post they will laugh at this Texan...but our little part of the world is a frigid 28 degrees (brr!)...the drizzle is coming down...the newscasters are announcing business and school closings for tomorrow. In comparison to the weather the northern states have experienced thus far into 2009, 28 degrees would seem absolutely balmy to those poor folks!

Don't get me wrong, I love the changing of the seasons but I prefer observing the cold from the inside out...it makes me a shiver when I look out and see a thin layer of ice forming and more precipitation is headed our way!

We did have to venture out earlier this afternoon. Errands! The trip into town was a must. We were out of coffee. Not good! As we went over the bridge towards town, I saw the ducks swimming in the lake. How can the ducks get in the cold water and swim around as if it were the middle of summer? How do they do that?

Back home with coffee in tow...feeling the warmth and comfort of my little cottage surround me, I sit in my favorite chair and watch the birds and squirrels at the feeders in my yard. As I sit mesmerized, losing track of all time just simply watching the squirrels scurry about the yard picking at the cobs of corn while the birds flutter around the bird feeders. Chickadees, cardinals, wrens, finches, brown sparrows and even the occasional wood pecker, all of them just waiting for their turn at the feeder. Watching this is a simple pleasure that I never tire of.

We have a tree frog who lives in one of the planters on the front porch. Sometimes when he comes out on a warm night, he gets on the french doors on the front porch. His little lime green feet have cute teeny tiny suction cup toes to help him maneuver vertically. His cute toes suction to the glass of the french doors. As he moves slowly up the glass panes in the door towards the porch light, the lake bugs are already swarming the light fixture. The little tree frog moves slowly with anticipation of his next meal. Finally, the little frog arrives close enough to the fixture. With a lightning-quick flick of his long, pink tongue...dinner is served!

I love all animals -- domestic or wild -- I love them all.

This cold weather is making me long for the warm nights when the tree frog visits my front porch!