Thursday, February 17, 2011

February Thaw

We have been given a gift this week, a period of days when the temperature is well above normal.  The snow is melting.  It's not a pretty sight, as all of the dirt and debris of the winter, that has been covered almost daily with fresh snow, is popping into view.

But, the squirrels are in hog heaven!  All winter I have been complaining that as soon as I go out and put down fresh feed, it snows again and covers it.  That meant that a lot of the feed either got trampled down in the feeding area or shoveled up and thrown out with the snow, as I kept the area clean.  Now that the snow is melting, all of that feed has been coming back into view.  For the past two days, every time I looked out of the window, there were squirrels out there, feasting.



But the best surprise came this morning.  I looked out of the window, and there, under the feeder were THE TURKEY LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hadn't said anything on the blog, but I have been worried about them, these past weeks.  It's not unusual for them to disappear during snow periods.  Poor girls, they're too dumb to realize that they can fly over to the feeding area, and don't have to walk through the deep snow.  But, the snow cover has been so deep, and so persistent, since the first part of January, that I was really worried that they wouldn't make it, and would starve to death back in the woods.

So, I sneaked to the window, counting as I went.  One, two, three, four and five!  They were all there.  Welcome back Turkey Ladies!


The very best part of all?  It's my birthday today, and I can't imagine a better present than seeing the girls again!

27 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

Oh! Happy Birthday, dear!!!

These little ladies are so beautiful! Loved the squirrels too.

Enjoy the melting while it lasts. At least you get a mini spring break! :)

My Mind's Eye said...

Happy Birthday Louise!!! And may you have many many more. What a treat for your Beautiful Lady Turkeys to show up too!!! Madi and I send you a b-day hug too.

Oh my stars those squirrels are going to need to go on a Jenny Craig food after this gorging feast.
Later today they will all be comatose for over eating...be sure to get a picture of that
Have a great day,
Madi and Mom

Judith said...

Lovely pics and I am glad the Turkey ladies turned up. And Happy Birthday!

Liesl said...

Happy B-day Louise! May you have a wonderful year ahead and hope you were spoiled rotten! Unbelievable that all five the Turkey ladies wintered just fine! Lovely pics of the squirrels too and so happy for you guys that spring is almost there!

Janet said...

Happy birthday ! have a great day ! pretty turkey girls-John will be envious !

Sharon said...

Happy Birthday, Louise!

The squirrels look like they are having a party in all the newly uncovered feast! Glad your turkey ladies made it through the winter and they are looking good! I wonder if they will find mates and bring their babies? That would be cool!

Have a wonderful day!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUISE!! I'll bet the girls came today because they heard there was a party! I'm glad they're back and safe! (No sign of 'stray cat' for me, and I'm hoping it is as well!!) But I hope your day is filled with lots of fun, and all your favorite things--Like the Turkey Ladies! :-)

Sandy ~~~ said...

Happy, happy B-Day! Thanks for sharing the pictures of "the girls"...they are awesome!

tapsalteerie said...

Happy Birthday!!! Hope you are having a wonderful day :)

chook said...

birthday turkeys! awesome!

:)

IsobelleGoLightly said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! And many goat kisses tooo!

Sheri said...

How wonderful, to have the Ladies arrive for your birthday. Do you think they knew? The squirrels are cute too. I'm glad they're at your place and not mine : )
Hope you have a great year ahead, Louise. All the best wishes.

Inger said...

Happy Birthday, Louise. What great presents you got: snow-melt, squirrels, and the ladies. Have a wonderful day!--Inger

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Louise!!! That was a great gift -- to see those girls again! What a bird! I've never seen them, but I've seen a turkey vulture.

Love the squirrels. I never tire of watching them, wishing I had the same energy :)

Vicki Lane said...

Happy birthday! Those are some great pictures of your turkey ladies!

Terry said...

Happy Birthday, Louise!
I love the turkey girls. That close-up is awesome. We don't have squirrels here; care to trade one for a few dozen deer mice?

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Happy Birthday, and may you have many more! Sounds like the turkey ladies were quite a gift to you. The squirrels are amazing. I was out in the woods today and found holes dug at least 2 feet through the snow to buried nut caches. How on earth do they know where to dig?

Upupaepops said...

Happy Birthday dear Louise!!!

There is nothing better, right now than the little things that mean Spring is coming. Last night I got out of class at 6pm and noted that it was still a bit light out

Turkey, yes , not the brightest pebbles on the beach

Vintage Christine said...

Hello from Mississippi! I saw that Jim recommended your blog so of course had to check it out, and what do I see but a bunch of what the rednecks call "food in a pinch", or squirrels. And of course they would go bananas seeing all those turkeys in one place! I'm an old hippie myself and wonder on a daily basis what I did in a previous life that was so horrible that I wound up living in Mississippi. I've joined your follower troupe and if you get a chance, come on over and visit moi!

Dreaming said...

Happy Birthday!
The turkey ladies are so very pretty - I'm glad they are OK and that they are back.
Enjoy the thaw - maybe it's the last of winter for you folks. You've been hit hard. You deserve an early spring!

KB said...

Happy Birthday!!!!!

I'm so glad that your turkey ladies made it back! I'm amazed that they're so tame there - ours rarely let us see them. But, what a great birthday gift.

As for the squirrels, I'm amazed that those pine squirrels tolerate each other so calmly. Ours are not sociable. Indeed, one of our pine squirrels killed a chipmunk who dared to try to share the seed one summer day.

Enjoy your thaw. We've had one too and I'm not unhappy that it'll be cold again soon.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

Happy Birthday and glad your ladies made it back to celebrate with you!

Gillian Barfoot said...

Happy (belated) Birthday, Louise! A visit from the turkey ladies sounds like a lovely way to celebrate. I hope this isn't a temporary respite before the return of winter, that the temperature continues to climb and the snow melts away and then there will be green growing things again soon!

Jim said...

First off Louise a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!!!! Being an ex hippie and all, any plans for b'day 'goodies'......lol
The Turkey ladies are wonderful critters. The closest we have here in Nova Scotia are pheasants and just this morning a big male was walking around near the feeders. He's been around for a few years now.
Have a great day, Birthday Girl!

Dar said...

And Happy Birthday, to you! You got some great close-ups of the TurkeyLadies...they can be quite skittish and scurry away when they see you. We had about 30 of them by the cabin all fall and now we hear they have doubled in count and are at the neighbors. Have a great day counting squirrels-a-plenty and The Turkey Ladies.
BlessYourHeart

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday - the squirrels were there to salute you and the turkeys to surprise you! What more could you ask for? Oh yes, the warmer weather was Mother Nature's best gift of all!

WiseAcre said...

There was a neighbor who made a turkey feeder down the road from me. It was just a horizontal 2x4 set on a post set in front of a window. Nails on the cross piece held corn on the cob. The first time I saw turkeys perched on the feeder I almost drove off the road.

happy bday