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We’ve had a lovely snow seven inches deep at Larrapin Garden that I have thoroughly enjoyed. But when the storm began, there were many anxiety-stricken hours as ice began to coat the trees in a terrible deja vu of this time a year ago when we had a devastating ice storm here. As the ice began to stick, I noticed some birds were even momentarily sticking to the branches where they lit! That was horrifying, but after much flapping struggle, they’d fly off.  Thankfully, the ice stopped at a quarter-inch and then the snow began to fall in huge white flakes. I breathed a sigh of relief.

During this time, we had some amazing visitors out around the front patio, like the bluebird hanging out in the river birches as pictured above. Then I saw what they (and other birds) were going for – frozen earthworms. It had rained a lot before the temps dropped and many unlucky earthworms had climbed up on the patio and then never made it back home as things got colder.  So we had bunches of birds visiting the patio to pick up the goodies as if on a big concrete platter!  This cute little guy ( a yellow-rumped warbler as best I could tell from the bird book?) really enjoyed the feast. I took this out the glass front door as he quite boldly hopped around near the welcome-mat cheerfully picking off stranded worms.

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The bluebirds went for the worms too. But to my great surprise, I watched them eating the berries off the holly bushes I planted in pots on the patio just to feed the birds! I’d seen sparrows and mockingbirds eat the berries, but the bluebirds surprised me and I didn’t believe my eyes till I saw them wolfing down big red berries!!  These are china-girl (or china boy? hmmm…need to see if I wrote that down because they are clearly the taste-test winner) hollies.

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Is this fluffed up little guy a cutie or what? I took dozens and dozens of shots out the front window to get a few good ones.

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The pic below as my favorite scene to watch, though the photo doesn’t do it justice. A full-out bluebird feast with three (there were four at times) bluebirds at the buffet!

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More snow pictures to come. It’s an amazing thing, for someone not used to much snow, to tromp around in seven inches of white powder. Wow. Snowed in with good food, good company, so much beauty out the window, and the power stayed on this time. Life is good at Larrapin! Hope you are all warm and cozy this weekend. Please leave a comment by clicking the comment link at the end of this post!

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