Brrr...

Okay... It's cold here. I've refrained from complaining, because Charity and Anno had it much worse. I've also refrained because we've had such a wonderfully mild winter. Until now.

But yesterday? With the wind chill it was -21 degrees. Of course, that could be because the freakin' wind was blowing at 40 mph. My poor dog (who is not little) got blown off her feet when she went out to do her duty.

The birdies were either very brave, very stupid or very hungry. Maybe a combination thereof. I saw one nuthatch clinging desperately to the suet basket when a really bad gust hit. His feathers all went backward and still he clung, until... whoosh! He was blown of and tumbled in the wind. I imagine he eventually managed to fly, but poor baby.

Of course, the big feeder in the back ran out of bird food midday -- I had hoped it would hold on one more day. But, no...

And I figured if the birds were desperate enough to fly in that weather, they deserved to have food there when they arrived, so I bundled up and trudged a couple hundred feet in freezing cold to refill the thing. The entire time I poured seed in there, I heard birds all around me (chickadees in particular are very bold).

I'm glad I did it, but MAN did my face get cold. Still, ten minutes later when there were dozens of birds facing the cold and the wind in order to eat, I figure I had it way better than they did. Five minutes in the cold was worth it to make sure their bellies were filled.

Can you imagine being a wild animal out in weather like this? We are so lucky.

What makes you feel fortunate?

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In an addendum to yesterday's post:

Dear Charity --

Let me clarify my statement that I don't like Price.

I used to like Prince. I own two of his records -- though they are on vinyl if that tells you anything. I saw "Purple Rain" in the theater. I happily danced to "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999".

BUT.

When he went through all his nameless-symbol-formerly-known-as crap, he annoyed me past caring. And I don't like him, or his music, anymore.

Who's lutefisk?