View from an Upstairs Window

David Perry of A Photographers Garden Blog recently issued a fun assignment....to take a photo from the window of one of the rooms of your house. The view below shows a portion of my garden, as seen from the window of an upstairs bedroom.

I like the slant of the winter sun filtering through the Pines, and the way it lights the greenhouse. Upon closer inspection of the photo, it made me wish I had put away the pots from my container plants last fall. Come to think of it, the greenhouse could use a good cleaning, too....as it won't be long now, before it will be in use again. Now that is something to smile about. :-)

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"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. "

Albert Camus

Coneflower Birdfeeder

I always leave the dried seed-heads in my front flower garden as Winter food for the birds. A favorite of the birds is Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) seeds.

Here a Junco sits on the Coneflower head, searching for seed.

Mission accomplished. If you look carefully you can see the seed in the bird's mouth. (Click photo to enlarge) Even with the birds eating the seeds, plenty seem to fall to the ground to start new plants.

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God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

~J.G. Holland

Feeding the Finches

With all the snow on the ground, the birds have had slim pickin's lately, so we purchased a big bag of wild bird seed to supplement their lean diet. We've had lots of Juncos, Chickadees, Quail, and even some Wild turkeys that stop by each day. But the day we put out the seed was the first day the House Finches appeared. How did they know?



This male House Finch sits near the top of our Blue Spruce Christmas tree, which we left in the stand and placed outdoors, near our front door. I threw bird seed on and around it, and was soon rewarded with many birds to watch. I love the House Finches, both their temperament and that little touch of red that makes them so pretty.

This one is sampling a dish of birdseed....while completely ignoring the yummy Cherry suet treat just behind him, in the feeder.

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"Behold the birds of the air; for they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them....." Matthew 6:26




Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.

~Abram L. Urban