Perfect Winter Olympics weather!

"Closing my eyes and making a wish for more grain…."

I took the above photos last night during chores. Even though the breeding group has the Ram-ada Inn for shelter, you can see they hadn't used it much.

The chickens, on the other hand, had not ventured out of their shelter – or rather, their coop! Their run is covered, but the wind had blown a skiff of snow over the ground and apparently our hens can't walk on "water;" there was not a single track in their yard. They remembered, too; there was none of the usual eruption of feathered bodies when I opened the pop door this morning. One red sexlink ventured out onto the ramp...

…and promptly headed right back in!

I tossed some fresh hay into the run, but that wasn't enough to entice them to come out. (Later, I could see that one intrepid hen had done a perimeter check. Whoever it was had gone back in, though!)

The wild birds are gobbling up the black oil sunflower seeds I bought yesterday. Juncos (slate-colored and Oregon), chickadees (black-capped and chestnut-backed), finches, sparrows, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, jays (Scrub and Steller's), Eurasian collared-doves, Spotted Towhees – all have been busy at the feeder. I've tried taking photos but between my dirty windows and the flat light or falling snow, none have turned out well. This shot has some color to redeem it, at least:

I took the photo above this morning, before it started snowing again. We had 3.75" then; we could double that. Mama Pea said in yesterday's comments she'd bet it won't last long, and she'd win that wager. It's supposed to be 50 degrees on Monday, so all this much-needed moisture will melt into the soil. For now, though, we will enjoy our rare spell of "winter wonderland," and the perfect powder blanketing Boulderneigh.

Lance says, "Tasty-freeze!"

Take a short rest, daffodils.

That's it for now at . . .