Nature Within - Cherish The Moment: January 2015

Azure Skies Contrasting With Snow White Clouds

Wisconsin Winters skies are stunning on a sunny day. Cloudy days bring beauty of their own.

The sun peaked out on the corn field lightening it up while background skies hold threat of snow storms. Some days are like that bright and cheerful, and other days dark, full of trouble and wishing they would pass quickly.
I pack those days full of busy projects, getting things done so when the sun is out I can go out and enjoy time in the Winter Wonderland.

Been keeping tract of the little Opossums that lives under our deck with its two other siblings and mama Opossum. This one is so brave, walking around like he owns the place. If and when the mama comes ou,t she runs up the hill and the two other more fragile Babys stay under the deck where it is safe and sound. The birds waist lots of the sunflower seeds in the feeder up above so there is a lot of food available around on the ground.

Cardinals bring color to the drab browns and grays of winter.

Chickadees and finches whizz in and out getting their share of dinner.

Nuthatch at the heated birdbath

Red bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker Male

Horses and Chickens stay inside during below zero weather. Coop is the
building to the right, horses barn is dark brown way back of this picture.

I have spent most of the frigged temperature days inside the house. Hard to breath outside even with a cold weathered mask on. The 5 inches of snow we got in November has melted during the January thaw. A few 1 inch snowfalls dropped last week, just enough to brighten up the area again. I dislike the dark dreary days entirely that always come between snow falls. Keeping busy makes the time fly. But smiles and giggles are hard to come by.

Our Airedale Luke is always on the lookout for something moving out there
even in the evening. He can see the deer walking around in the night but we can't,
Our human eyes just do not give us the opportunity. Dick is reading on his easy
chair. His metal art floor lamp gives him the light needed.

Many a winter day is spent in a chair just dozing off and on. I have been working on my computer on dreary days, trying to get more of my book written. It is my first attempt and certainly a challenge. But I love writing and researching during the long winter months. Makes the time fly, cannot believe that January is almost over!

Love my computer room! It has all the things I love to do; Writing my book,

checking Face book for updates of friends, sewing and quilting,

my early quiet time with God,

camera work on cropping pictures, going through hundreds of them at a time,

deleting the ones I do not want to save, filing others into folders to be used later.

My computer chair, my husband Dick salvaged from an office dumpster

which we had covered, Sooooo comfortable I could sit in it for hours.

But

duty calls and have to get that house cleaning done that no one else wants

to do. :)

This year we left the Christmas tree on the table and our manager on the tall cabnet for a couple weeks longer. The house looked so festive and happy we just dreaded taking things down and put away for another year. But eventually we did.

Replaced it with a setting we asked Botanical Florist to make up for us in the cement container our Son Larry and his wife Carol gave us. Below is the lovely replacement of Christmas. I have to smile every time I set my eyes on it.

In my quiet time early in the morning when I get up, usually around between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

I read Scripture and grab around four other inspirational books out of my library to give me insight on daily living. This morning I got a lot of things on keeping patience during the times of trouble, and trials. Staying close to our King Jesus, when in tribulation. Good stuff for these dark and dreary days that keeps the beautiful winter sun from peaking out at me. Winter can hold more cloudy days with cold, cold, temperatures that abound with furry dumping tons of snow, and air pressure that lays heavily on our minds. That is what immediately makes me go into busy time not only with all the worldly activities but bits and peaces of prayer or thoughts that I had harvested earlier in my morning time.