A Sparkling Morning

The trees were sparkling and the bird visitors were quite colorful, also! It was so good to see sunshine and shadows and blue sky! The scene looks peaceful...but...looks can be deceiving! It was a very noisy day with all the snow and ice melting and falling to the ground...a bit dangerous to walk around outside as snow and/or ice could plop on your head at any moment. There was even a time when the birds left our feeders and weren't around for a while and I think that it was just too noisy for them. The loudest, when in the house, was when the snow/ice was melting on the roof and it began sliding down the slope of the roof. By mid afternoon most of the plops and slides were about done...then it was mainly just drips...almost like it was raining at times. I did manage to get our walkway cleared enough to make it to the driveway (which cleared sooner because it is black. There was still a patch of icy slush at the place where the walkway meets the driveway and I avoided that by walking on the grass at the edge of the walkway. I was leary about doing that since I knew that I was probably creating icing on the bottom of my shoes...but I stomped and that seemed to take care of it and I didn't feel like I would slip so I headed on out to the mailbox. And, for all that effort there was literally nothing in the mailbox after three days of mail that was worth going out for...but at least I was out and about for a few minutes. I also got my new bird feeder filled that Melany and family gave me for Christmas. I did see a little chickadee feed from it but didn't get a picture of it at the feeder...another day! Here's a photo of the new feeder:

We have both just done our usual--as little as possible! I enjoyed a time of stitching...last year at this time I couldn't find enough time to read as much as I wanted to and this year it seems that when I sit down to take a break I am picking up my cross stitch rather than a book. That's just the way it goes...can't do both at the same time...unless I listen to a book and listening to books isn't my favorite way to read. I find when I am in the middle of an audio book, I wander to "do something" and then miss out on part of the story. And, it is a pain to back up and find out what you missed. So usually when I am stitching I am "watching" something on my iPad...these days I am enjoying Flosstube (cross stitch YouTube). I stand I stand in amazement as to the resurgence that is happening with cross stitch. There was a time after I sort of stopped stitching that it seemed to be dying out. That does not seem to be the case presently. I think that the pandemic has increased its popularity because if you have supplies you can stitch...I have had to purchase very little. And, as far as those purchases, I didn't leave my house to make them, as there are so many places to purchase cross stitch/needlework supplies online. I already had the graph that I am stitching currently and had most of the floss, but needed fabric to stitch it on. I ordered it along with a couple of colors of floss that I was low on and it was delivered several days later. While I was waiting I finished up the piece that I was working on that I had bought linen and floss for several years back. I can literally stitch for some time without having to make any purchases...I have a good supply of graphs, floss, and even some fabrics on hand...so stitching has been a very good pandemic activity. Reading was even easier with being able to download e-books. I have had reading material and stitching material on hand throughout this whole pandemic safer at home time. No reason to get bored in this household...at least for me...plenty to do. And, of course, if I was really bored, I could always do some cleaning!!!!! (I'd rather stitch and just do the bare minimum of cleaning!) Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!