This morning...

 The sharp-tailed grouse decided to visit our backyard this morning.  At first they were all huddled together, all puffed out with their heads down on their shoulders to keep warm like a big pom pom body and a small pom pom head tied up close together.  After watching them for awhile, they decided move from their quiet positions to scratch and dig in the snow, looking for any corn or seeds that may have been left  behind underneath the new snow.  I've been trying to remember to scatter a little cracked corn and sunflower seeds on the ground for them, but I don't want to attract the deer any more than they already are.  Very prejudice, aren't I?  I figure we feed the deer enough.  They have an entire ground hay pile and the cracked corn from the granary always has some spillage around it that they clean up each night.

I love the speckles all over the sharp-tailed grouse body and the slight head tuft that perks up now and then.  This bird doesn't have her tuft up at the moment.  Do you see her feathery legs, just like Ugg snow boots?  The grouse is the size of a chicken and they very much have the characteristics of chickens.  They prefer to walk on the ground, but they do fly....very loudly and abruptly like chickens.  They scratch the ground for food and have a sweet, low cluck when they are browsing.  You will see them roosting in the trees in the late evening like chickens do.  That is so they are up and away from predators.

Hazel Peach's mommy went to the doctor today and she is right on target to deliver a baby very soon.  It was Hazel's day to stay and play with us.  We went sledding this morning and made snow angels, made snowballs, and played fetch with Sue.  You can see the snowy stick in mid-air just a little ahead of her Sue's open mouth. 

It was a warm day here, in the 30's, with pleasant, fluffy snow falling all morning.  Perfect weather for eating  fresh snow!  I like to sing HP the "Snow" song whenever we are out in the white stuff.  Do you know it?  It's from the movie White Christmas.  I can never remember all the words, but I know the chorus.....snow, snow snow, SNOW!  Click below to take a listen.  After finding the Snow video, I also found an old, old song that I remember singing when I was a girl --  Suzy Snowflake.  I don't remember if I learned it in school or where.  I'll have to teach HP that one too!  Isn't it fun to remember special old songs and teach them to the Littles?