Christmas at Tick Hill Farm

Christmas morning at the ol' homestead.  Look at all that snow!

Okay, so it wasn't terribly winter-y out, but it was a beautiful morning.  We headed out first thing to feed the birds and go for our morning walk. Here you can see one of the brush piles I've been building at my bird feeding area.  It's practically a windbreak now, but, oh, the birds to love it.  This is a classic case of "build it, they will come."

 As we turned the corner and headed up Fishville road, Nino, the yip-yap next door, came charging out to greet us.  He thinks this corner, including our yard, is his.  Notice the ridiculous PJs he's wearing (covered with candy canes).  He's an annoying little pooch, but essentially harmless.

Now here's something you don't see every Christmas:  a spider headed across the road!  Yes, it was that mild out.  I wonder if Christmas spiders will become a tradition, thanks to climate change.  Hm.

I had some time off this week - thanks to holidays falling on days off.  So, to alleviate the boredom, did I work on the walls, removing the remaining wallpaper and wallpaper glue, repairing cracks and holes with new plaster?  No, of course not - I rearranged furniture!  My "front room" has this lovely bay-like window, which I immediately filled with houseplants when I moved in.  I've had many visions for this room, but it is now my sitting room, with the sofa arranged so I have...

...Bird TV!  Bird TV is what we call the big window at work, which faces our Wildlife Viewing Area, all delightfully arranged with bird feeders and pond.  We often eat our lunch in front of Bird TV - it is great. Well, since I don't have TV at home, I decided to create my own Bird TV, for this window looks right out over the bird feeding area I put up.  Depending on where I sit on the sofa, I have a great view of the feeders.  And you just never know what will show up - I had a bluebird (not a blue jay) sitting at the feeders this very afternoon!

Here you can see one of the recent attractants at the feeders:  the carcass of the Christmas Chicken.  This is a GREAT way to utilize your leftovers.  Let's face it - most of us don't do a great job cleaning the remaining meat off the carcass, so instead of wasting this largess, put it outside for the birds!  They will love you for it, for it will provide them with much-needed winter protein, as well as fat.

I was very excited last night when Toby and I came home from our walk to find some opossum tracks in the driveway, going to and from the feeders.  We have a  'possum!  I hope to see him (her?) one of these days.  Although 'possums are essentially nocturnal, they do wander around during the day sometimes.  My neighborhood is rife with 'possums, based on the number permanently sleeping along the roadsides, so I shouldn't be surprised to have one here.  I wonder if it lives in the garage (that's where the tracks were heading).  Hm....