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Monday 9 January 2023

Of snow and light

It feels like it has been overcast for months with occasional periods of sun here and there. With the level of light in the January sky, the lighthouse beacon is shining in the late morning. 





Every day I look for a new focus, something to brighten the grey day. The boardwalk usually accommodates me. 


One day recently, after a snowfall, snow collected as fluffy whiteness in some areas. Leafless shrubs along the trail were covered. 





Some had an abundance of the fluffiness.





Near the end of the boardwalk, one scene was particularly striking with snow-filled shrubs standing in ice.





Nearby, water dripped from the trees as the snow melted.




My husband fed peanuts to the chickadees hanging out at a feeder in the area.





At the bridge, a small flock of Dark-eyed Juncos were feeding on the birdseed left by walkers. 





The juncos scatter quickly when walkers approach. They, unlike chickadees and blue jays, still fear humans but eat the treats they leave behind.





We will be back.



45 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

With patience you can get the juncos to love you too, Marie. When I go out to fill my feeders the juncos often gather around my feet, and get first dibs at the inevitable spillage.

DJan said...

A beautiful winter scene, with birds everywhere. Thanks for starting my day with such loveliness! :-)

William Kendall said...

Brooding skies this time of year.

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

It would be easy to become down during such a long period of overcast weather, but you seem to be making the best of it!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
I have seen a lot of similar days, grey skies with little bits of sunshine.
I like the views of the lighthouse and the water. Cute captures of the Chickadees and Juncos. Your winter landscapes/seascape are pretty. Take care, enjoy your day and new week!

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Beautiful winter photos
Feeding a chickadee! Great picture

MARY G said...

I hear you. But. We had an ice storm, just a little one, last week and the next day I had to go out. I inched the car along our rural road, found a couple of tracks at the intersection and crawled, muttering about the gray day and the lack of shadows and January and mutter, mutter.
And then the sun came out and the whole world shone and glittered and was completely beautiful.
I was afraid to stop to photograph lest someone inch into the backend of me, but it lifed my spirits and I have the memory.
May you have such a day or even hour, and soon.
JG may, just may, have stopped the black squirrels from getting into the corn feeder.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Beautiful snowy branches!

Elephant's Child said...

Beautiful (albeit chilly) scenes.

Bill said...

Lots of rain going on here but did see a piece of blue sky.

Helen said...

The 'fluffy whiteness' dresses the naked branches beautifully.
I love your first image, the zoomed view of the lighthouse and forest. A familiar scene, yet so different on this snowy day.

Anita said...

I think they are all very nice!Specially the tit at the feeder!Good shoot!

Wish spring soon will come!

Happy week to you :)))

Hena Tayeb said...

No snow here yet. It is hard to find the joy in those gray days. Nice that you take such regular walks.

The Padre said...

These Are Definitely My Favorite Styles Of Photos - Way Cool - Stay Warm

Cheers

photowannabe said...

I do really like that you found the bright spots in the gloom. Each season has its own beauty, though sometimes we have to really look for it.
Love the Juncos feeding along the snow.
Sue

margi said...

Beautiful winter scene! I miss the snow. Thanks for sharing.

Rhodesia said...

Beautiful photos but I find continuous grey days can get quite depressing. Having said that, we do not have the same sort of beauty around here. My walks are mostly through farmland and no water.
Take care Diane

Billie Jo said...

Beautiful photos!!! There is beauty in every season, as your photos do indeed show!

Boud said...

Your snow is very scenic. Here no snow at all yet, unusual. Sunshine a lot of days though, which is good for the spirits. Very few birds these days.

Debbie said...

it's so pretty marie, and you have captured it well with your lens. no snow here yet, but you will certainly know as soon as we get some!!

feeding the chickadees must be such a thrill!!

Lorrie said...

Beautiful wintry scenes. I love the snow for the way it brightens the landscape. The greys, browns, and greens seem to suck the light from the air.
How lovely to see all the birds on the boardwalk.

Red said...

Great place to walk and take photos.

The Furry Gnome said...

Wonderful!

The Happy Whisk said...

OMG. It looks like the bird is on his hand. How cool. Love the snowy shots. I know it's very cool yet I can't believe we're into January. Before I know it it'll be spring.

Joanne Noragon said...

That's a lot of ice left behind. I hope the scrubs are not in it too long.

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

The gray days do wear on our hearts! Like you, I find that getting out and walking and seeing the wildlife, and the snow as it falls, it does something for my heart. Hopefully the sun will return again soon! Happy New Year to you!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

These pictures are so lovely. I like pictures like this. I also like snow, but I can’t deal with as many gray days as we have been having lately. As a younger person, I really enjoy dreary days, but as I’ve gotten older not so much.

DUTA said...

Snow and Light are related; they both brighten up the dark background.
Nice shots of the shrubs and the birds on your walk!

Liz Hinds said...

Beautiful. We just have grey skies and rain so not even the prettiness of snow to alleviate the gloom.

Anvilcloud said...

The fifth photo, water dripping, turned out well with snow above and below framing the darker trees with gentle curves.

Pam said...

Snow around water always looks nice but CoLd to me! Feeding the chickadee, that is so cool.

Tabor said...

So lovely. Our winters here are gray and wet. No snow at all thus far.

Beside a babbling brook... said...

Please read my last post.

Much Love

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

These snowy scenes are so pretty to look at ! I live in Florida and although I love looking at photos, I don't miss living with the snow.

Beside a babbling brook... said...

Dear Marie, I will truly miss you too. You are a lovely person, even though I don't really know too much about you. -smile- Neither one of us share all about our lives, on our blog. But your sweetness still shines through.

I am sure I will have time to pop in and see how Dear Friends are doing, now and then. But I am telling all, why I am putting my blog to sleep, so no one has to wonder where I am.

And possibly, someday, I will be able to wake it up and come back to Pretty Blog Land.

Be safe, be well...

Lots and lots of gentle hugs and Love,
Mari-Nanci

Catarina said...

With or without snow Nature is always ready to give us amazing sights.
And the photographer is always there... : )

Susan Zarzycki said...

You are so blessed to have such a nice place to walk and take pictures. I love lighthouse photos taken with snow or fog. It gives them an eerie look. Enjoy your walks.❤️

baili said...

Snow on shrubs and trees looks mesmerising dear Marie
I loved how winter beauty majestically flourishing the land.despite the lack of light glory of snow has brought poetic touch in views.
I am in awe of birds who are so delicate yet survive through harsher weather

Danielle's Sweets said...

Beautiful winter captures! I'm still waiting for snow here. I think winter is the prettiest season : )

Ginnie Hart said...

The way you have shown off your snow makes me most envious, Marie! We're coming into a new stretch of colder days right now, during which I'd give just about anything to see snow again, here where we live. Enjoy it while you can because it'll soon be gone, with the days lighter and longer.

Jyoti said...

Beautiful winter scene! Wonderful Post! Have a great day!
Rampdiary | Fineartandyou | Beautyandfashionfreaks 

At Home In New Zealand said...

Your winters may be cold and dreary, but they certainly create a lot of beauty for you to enjoy. You must be happy now the days are starting to grow longer again :)

peppylady (Dora) said...

Days are getting longer.
Coffee is on and stay safe

John's Island said...

Hello Marie! I am not very efficient at blogging. I think part of that is that I don’t have a set routine to open up a page that shows me the latest updates from all blogs I’m following. Usually I stop by from time to time to see if there is something new, or frequently, I’m spurred to check on someone who has left me a comment. So, today I’m stopping by just to check on Island Musings and find a post I thought I had commented on. I may very well be wrong or perhaps it got lost in the world wide web. 😊 The more I think about it, it may be that I did take a look but got interrupted before I could leave a comment. In any event, I really enjoyed this post, Of snow and light. Your photos of all the snow along the boardwalk are really neat. Love that photo of your hubby feeding the little bird. My last word today is about your first sentence which is perfect for Seattle too … “It feels like it has been overcast for months with occasional periods of sun here and there.” Have a great week ahead! John

Down by the sea said...

Snow is lovely to look at from afar! We have had so many grey days too, it feels a long winter! Sarah x