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Monday 20 February 2017

Random Winter Scenes

I have a few photos to share from the past two months ... an easy post, where I don't have to hack away at my tendency to wordiness and try to reduce the word count!

Morse code on the floor of the observation shelter on the trail where I walk - anyone care to translate?


Late afternoon shadows of the trees on the snow-covered river next to the walking trail


The sky was so blue; the tree was so lacy - I don't know why I like this so much, but I do


Taken at the edge of the tidal river; under pressure from the changing water level, the ice has cracked in lines parallel to the bank


Trees weighed down with our recent snow ... plus a telephone pole, the bane of town photography - always in the way of a good shot!


Snow on the railing and on our burning bush shrub


A bit late for Valentine's Day, yet never really too late, is it? A tree appears to have lost a large limb, leaving a heart shape which the owners have defined further with ...  paint? (I'm guessing)


A deer left this depression in the snow after resting for awhile in our back yard. He or she would have been lying with feet tucked under and to one side, head up to look around, probably chewing on his or her cud. Deer are ruminants, like cows. I didn't see the deer that made this hollow, but a few days later there were two of  them lying as I described, in the early morning half-light, chewing away contentedly.


Deer tracks, also in our back yard. It's like a little traffic crossing - a four-way stop!

I see I've still managed to use All The Words and then some ... but if I didn't explain, frankly some of these pictures wouldn't make much sense :)

Hope you have a good week!








36 comments:

baili said...

you said LOT without using much words friend!
these photos say LOT silently!

only slightly confused said...

Word count? There's a limit? Well crappydoodledoo. Lovely shots. They tell a winter story.

Red said...

Great snow shots. the Morse code photo is a winner.

Steve Reed said...

When I see all that snow, it seems amazing to think that deer can comfortably wander in that kind of environment. But of course they're made for that!

Love the morse code photo! And don't worry -- I tend toward wordiness too. :)

Joanne Noragon said...

Love the morse code.
Deer used to be such a problem in the national park, where I live, that the village had deer poo on the sidewalks, and everyone had their vegetation eaten to the nub. One awful winter they ate my rosebushes, roots and all. My sister wrote a letter to the paper, in favor of culling the herd, and had a scathing reply from someone who would "give anything" to have a deer in her yard. After that first disastrous bit of publicity, the park no longer announces deer culling, and the herd is manageable. If you've ever seen deer wasting disease, you understand culling. And, the meat goes to the food bank.

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

I can just feel the peace here. No wonder the deer are comfortable just sitting and 'chewing their tabaccy' as Daddy used to say.

jenny_o said...

Thank you baili, however, it seems I used a lot of words, too :)

jenny_o said...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then why do I need so many more? :) Thanks, Delores!

jenny_o said...

I was happy to get that one, too!

jenny_o said...

They have nice long legs; however, apparently they are prone to breaking in some conditions (frozen or icy snow), which is sad. Sometimes they heal, sometimes they become food for coyotes. That sounds callous, but I've had to accept it or I would go nuts.

jenny_o said...

I've come around to practical thinking, too, Joanne. We had one winter here where the deer all had ribs sticking out by spring; it was hard to see that. And I think a hunter's bullet is far preferable to getting struck on the road or breaking a leg (see my reply to Steve) or being killed by a coyote. It's good that they use the meat. I had my share of deer meat when I was growing up as my father used to hunt.

jenny_o said...

"tabaccy" - I love that, Diane! I'll think of that (and you, and your daddy) when I see deer chawing away! These deer grew up within town limits and don't seem fazed by much, but our back yard seems to be a favourite spot.

Jono said...

Nice photos, but that code is really intriguing.

dinthebeast said...

Top line= O
Second line= S
Third line= OBN
Fourth line= TYE
That's what it looks like according to the Wikipedia page on Morse Code.

And if I remember right, you paint over injuries to a tree to keep the bugs from getting in.

When I used to walk with my dad in the wilderness (that was his job) he would point out "deer beds" in the grass that looked a lot like the one in the snow in your picture. A couple of times we came upon fawns laying down while their mother was off feeding, and they were all but invisible until you are ready to step on them. Which seems weird to me still, as fawns are covered in rows of white spots that seem like they should stand out but somehow don't.

-Doug in Oakland

Lovenicky said...

I love the quiet snow filled scenes. It is so calming. Sometimes I complain about the Canadian winters when the wind is biting. But when it's not windy, it's really beautiful.

John M said...

I thought the first photo was of lines on a sheet of paper! Like you I wonder what the message might be.

Martha said...

Such fun shots! I had a good laugh with the Morse code. And the 4-way deer intersection. That one is hilarious.

Winter scenes always look so pretty and peaceful. It seems that you've had a lot more snow than we have. It's been fairly dry this year.

e said...

Wow, gorgeous photos and you don't ever have to worry about being "too wordy." Have a good week.

jenny_o said...

The only Morse code I know is for S.O.S., and I don't see that there, so I give up :)

jenny_o said...

O SOB NYTE? OSO BNYTE? O SO BNYT E? I'm pretty sure it's not in English, which pretty much makes this impossible for me!!

Yes, I was thinking the heart might be some kind of sealer too.

I always thought the spots on a fawn were to make it blend in with the little shafts of sunlight that would be common in the places a mama would leave her baby. Does that seem possible?

jenny_o said...

You're right - there is something very beautiful about the snow, despite the cold.

And despite all the extra clothes and boots we have to wear! Now THAT is what *I* complain about :)

jenny_o said...

When I looked at the snow on the floorboards of the shelter, it made me smile! And despite Doug (above) being helpful, we still haven't figured it out :)

jenny_o said...

I'm glad to amuse you! I've gotten many a laugh from your posts :)

jenny_o said...

But you haven't seen my writing BEFORE I've edited it! It's scary :)

Have a good week also, e. Hope you're feeling better this week.

dinthebeast said...

All I know is that when they're laying in the brown grass, they're basically invisible until you're right on top of them.

-Doug in Oakland

jenny_o said...

I'd love to see one in the woods like that.

Betsy MacWhinney said...

So beautiful!

jenny_o said...

It's one of the few redeeming features of heavy snowfall!

Chickens Consigliere said...

Your pictures are pretty, Jenny. I love a heavy snowfall. In theory, mostly. In real life I love it until someone hands me a shovel.

jenny_o said...

Hah! exactly!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Interesting winter pictures Jenny. Thanks.

Morse code translation:- "Dear Jenny, It's me George Clooney. I'll see you here tomorrow for a frolic in the snow. Love, George x"

jenny_o said...

Hahaha!

If he doesn't show up, you know who's getting the blame!

Diane Henders said...

Such pretty winter pictures! But I'd enjoy them more if it wasn't snowing again today. We've had enough of that - we moved to the west coast to get away from the white crap...

jenny_o said...

Not again? That seems so unfair! The weather is weird everywhere these days. We've hardly had any winter to speak of. That snow is melting fast here - it's been above zero C the past few days. It feels like spring.

Sorry, not trying to rub it in, just so amazing to have these temperatures right now. And alarming ...

The Happy Whisk said...

Snowy pictures, I enjoy looking at those.

jenny_o said...

Looking beats actually being in it, most of the time :)