Cold Temperatures = Reindeer Weather

Design - Rudolph

Chart - "Nordic Holiday" #191

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 25 count white evenweave

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 29 November 2013

Completed - 1 December 2013 

Given how cold it is (19F), I wouldn't be all that surprised to see a reindeer!  

Here are some photos I took yesterday as our cold weather began to move in.

I had a large group of Quail in the backyard for most of the afternoon.

The Steller's Jays gorged on peanuts.  In cold weather the birds need all the calories they can get.

I'm bringing my hummingbird feeders at night so they do not freeze solid.  I'll put one outside about 7:00am and then rotate it out every few hours so that the birds always have access to the sugar water.  I sure admire the fortitude of the Anna's Hummingbirds.  It is remarkable that such a small bird can withstand temperatures in the 'teens'.  

This is a female Anna's Hummingbird.  She has a red throat.

And here's a male Anna's Hummingbird. Weirdly his beak seems much shorter to me.

He not only has the red throat, but his entire head flashes shades of fuchsias, ruby and red when the light hits it just right. 

Yesterday I moved the last of my plants inside the garage and shop - with the able assistance of my Mom.  I emptied the birdbaths and fountains.  Then my Dad helped me construct a temporary additional covering for my greenhouse.  This old blanket will help to hold in the heat the two light bulbs emit.  It looks rather tatty, but I am hoping it will do the trick and keep the plants inside safe from sub-freezing temperatures.

Late Tuesday afternoon the sky turned dark and ominous. As night approached a sleety icy rain fell. The roads Wednesday morning could be very interesting!