Merry Christmas from Pa Rock and Rosie!

 

by Pa Rock

It's a little after 9:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, and Alexa tells me that the temperature outside is currently sixty-six degrees and will be in the low seventies later in the day.  The skies are clear.  It's going to be a beautiful day!

The weather has been shuffling between warm and cold snaps for the past month, with enough bounce between temperature extremes to insure that everyone stays just on the edge of being sick.  The cold days are really cold, with winds, occasional rain, and hard frosts at night - and the warm days are wonderful.  I was outside yesterday wearing shorts and a tee-shirt - and will be again today!

All of the leaves are down, and I have given them all a good shredding with the lawnmower - and yesterday I noticed that the lilac bush in the front yard is suddenly covered with big green buds!  These fluctuating temperatures are leaving their marks.  It is confusing for me, and I can just imagine the impact that these quick climate changes are having on the creatures that must nest and burrow in the wild.

The poultry census at The Roost is down to just two little brown roosters and three guineas.  Yesterday the roosters decided they were going to chase me - they like to attack the backs of my legs as I walk across the yard.  But the guineas have suddenly decided that I am their friend, and, as such, merit some special protection.  When the little roosters launched their surprise attack, which I was really expecting, the guineas suddenly sprang into action and ran the frantic roosters all over the yard!  It was really funny!

I finally filled the bird feeders last Sunday during one of the cold snaps.  The little birds didn't discover full feeders until Thursday when it was starting to become warm again, and today, when it almost feels like spring outside, they are showing up in droves for a Christmas brunch!  The littlest birds, finches and the like, found the seed buffets first, and today the cardinals are beginning to arrive.  One wily old squirrel has also found the food, so things will undoubtedly be swinging and jumping at the feeders for the rest of the winter, spring, winter, spring, winter, spring, winter, spring, winter, spring . . . 

A couple of the grandkids called yesterday, and if I don't hear from the others in the next hour or so I will begin tracking them down.  The birds and I will not be ignored!

Merry Christmas from Pa Rock and Rosie!