Wintry Potpourri

I decided to do March 3rd's post with photos in continuance of our winter scenes experienced in January and February in Grant County.  Now that March is upon us, green grass is beginning to shoot up through the dormant earth heralding the advent of spring.  I notice the miracle of life with buds beginning to form on trees, the first indication of spring and summer foliage.  This country is known to have the odd snowstorm which comes in March or April, but it doesn't last since winter is in its "last hurrah".

January Sunrise (click on photos for enlargement)

I'm usually a night owl rather than an early bird, but I'm glad I was up early enough to catch this gorgeous sunrise which bathed the hills in all its colored glory.  A sharp contrast from the gray days that winter can bring.  

The classic strawberry mountain range is always a photographer's dream, no matter the season.  The shots below are just a few of many taken on a winter's drive along Highway 26 above Prairie City in February.

Mountain Road on Highway 26

Strawberry Mountain Range near Prairie City

We also have our resident geese, which stay throughout the winter season.  They don't seem to mind the snow and manage to eat the crumbs of hay left behind after pasture feeding.  You can spot them in various fields throughout the John Day Valley surviving the winter weather.  You can read extensively about geese in a December 9, 2013 post that I did, entitled "Life Lessons From Geese" that includes a PhotoShow.    
Link is:  http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/life-lessons-from-geese.html

Resident Geese

The Eagle Pair

Several eagles flew into our area and for a short time, liked to perch in the same tree surveying the activity around them.  Perhaps they had an "eye" for dinner, looking for a solitary rabbit or a carcass to eat off of.  Perhaps they were just resting until they took flight for a meal elsewhere.  These were the same two that I photographed and had in my recent post, "The Eagle Factor" written on January 20th.

Also in January, we were treated to a hoar frost nature display.  One of the simplest explanations for hoar frost is frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface.  Trees, brush, weeds, wire fences and fence posts are suddenly transformed from the mundane to magical as they are painted in nature's array of ice crystals.  The frosty wonderland slowly disappeared as the day warmed.  But for a while, it was great to view the sights that took on new life in this splendid coat of white crystal.

Pasture tree painted with hoar frost

Cobweb Magic in white crystal

Wire, weed & fence posts

In my last post, I introduced you to Charlie.  In today's post, I'd like to introduce you to Ring and Bud.  They are two new members of our family acquired this winter.  They are Border collie dogs and brothers from the same litter.  At the time this photo was taken, they were barely two months old.  They are quickly growing and doing stuff that puppies like to do, such as trashing the back yard with all kinds of things they find to chew on.  Now, don't they look sweetly full of mischief??  (Oh yes, they do get along with Charlie!... the dog-cat has taught them some manners.)

Ring and Bud

Until we meet again at the Turn-Up Patch, here is a wonderful quote by St. Francis de Sales ~
... God attracts our minds to himself by his supreme beauty and incomprehensible goodness
... So God, Father of all light, supremely good and beautiful, by his beauty draws our intellect to
    contemplate him,        
... and by his goodness he draws our will to love him."


 See you on Monday, March 17th, which by the way, is St. Patrick's Day.