along inlet at south end of Canandaigua Lake

each evening, our cabin steward leaves us a towel critter creation and chocolates on the bed = me like this tradition

stuck in the mud

One of my favorite detours is to drive down this back road near Sunnyside Drive in the Middlesex Valley, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the peacocks at this farm - got a few snapshots out the car window today!

I heard a bird sing

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

- Oliver Herford

also dubbed a "King Daddy" by Keith -- this one found by Randy
(click on pictures for larger views of critters)

blue heron

spotted by Sparky - who's out of frame in these photos, but he's right at the base of the tree, barking up a storm - the heron was unphased until I came along

critter in our neighbor's yard

These pictures are scans of snapshots taken by our neighbor Phil, who lives across the street from us. He saw this black bear in his back yard one morning ~2 weeks ago. Later that same day, there were reported sightings of a bear on the golf course behind us -- we assume it was the same creature, which therefore means he likely crossed our yard...!

pileated woodpecker helping us whittle down those backyard stumps - he was so noisy! (sorry, dim morning light = poor, grainy pics -- click on pictures for larger view - though still blurry, you can at least make out his red head); last photo shows the "After" condition of a stump

watch where you step

(click on pics for closer views)

the object of Sparky's routine barking fits

wee wee wee chick-a-dee-dee-dees!

they've hatched!!!

playing 'possum

slinking away...

Peeking inside the chickadee house this morning, things looked different: I think this is protective fluff for the eggs - I can't imagine it would be little heads already? (there was no sound or movement)

the chickadee's stump

there are 7 little eggs down in the nest - greyish white with reddish-brown speckles
I love that the entrance hole looks like a heart
(the feathers were left there by us previously)