As Winter drags on

We're getting antsy to get back to fly-fishing. Since tonight's weather forecast includes 3" to 6" of snow, fly-fishing will have to wait. If a fly bounces on ice when you cast it, you're out of luck for a drag-free float.

It appears the combination of winter weather and COVID-19 restrictions is inducing early-onset cabin fever around here. Usually we make it 'til sometime in February before we start climbing the walls. Not this year. At least we have the squirrels and birds to watch at the feeders. Plus, yesterday, as we headed out to buy a replacement for our recently deceased coffee-maker, we noticed a bald eagle glide over us at one point. Several other times we saw flocks of 3 to 6 pheasants roadside or in the middle of snow-covered farm fields. Yesterday's total pheasant sightings set an all time high record for our neck of the woods. All in all we saw close to a dozen birds.

red squirrel on bird feeder in winter

Photo by J. Harrington

Today, the love seat and ottoman we ordered last autumn as a Christmas present for the Better Half [BH] finally arrived. The dogs are disconsolate at their loss of napping spots with the old couch gone. We saved a couple of the old couch cushions and lay them on the floor as dog beds. My dog SiSi seems to think that's a cool idea. The BH's dog, Franco, is having none of it so far. Meanwhile, a replacement washer and drier is supposed to be delivered Tuesday, weather permitting. The washing machine completely expired this morning. (See yesterday's posting to get an idea of what life has been like for the past week our so around the house.)

We're just going to pretend that we're getting an early start on a thorough Spring cleaning and hope we'll be done by the time melting snow again starts to drip from the roof and flow to local streams. We may even get to see some sunshine again one of these days.

Winter

Walter de la Mare

And the robin flew
Into the air, the air,
The white mist through;
And small and rare
The night-frost fell
Into the calm and misty dell.

And the dusk gathered low,
And the silver moon and stars
On the frozen snow
Drew taper bars,
Kindled winking fires
In the hooded briers.

And the sprawling Bear
Growled deep in the sky;
And Orion's hair
Streamed sparkling by:
But the North sighed low,
"Snow, snow, more snow!"

********************************************
Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.