Julie's Raintree

Chillin' With My SnowFlakeBuds!

Brrr & Brrrr! It is COLD in South Dakotaland! Like down to thirtyplus degrees below zero with the windchill! Now THAT'S cold!⛄But it is so therapeutic to look at the beautiful snow covered hills around us & the soft layers of snow on tree branches & ground cover. However when it's this cold I like to look at it from our dining room windows!

This is the view we get to look at during every meal, or when I do my scrapbooking or just sit & rock & drink my tea.

This morning I enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea with my favorite raisin toast. (I like to add extra cinnamon. Yum!) & then watch the entertainment! We feed a lot of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, rabbits, different birds such as the Magpies, Crows, Wild Turkeys, (my daughter calls them & they come to her!) & smaller birds such as the fair & foul (or should I say 'fowl') weather feathered friend, the ever faithful chickadee. One winter my husband fed the chickadees so that he would go outside & yell, "Come children!" & spread out his arms & they would come & light on his arms & even eat out of his hands. We made sure we taped it. It was adorable & very humbling to have the trust of these gentle little birds.

The noisy & raucous Magpie, cute & fat

but a bit of a bully!

Mama & baby deer. Maggie (or Morris!)

Magpie tried to join them for dinner but

Mama wasn't having any of that!

At first we thought this was a raven

because it was so big but looked up ravens

& crows & decided it was a crow after

all. He had a mate & their antics together

were quite entertaining!

There's plenty to go around for all & we replenish several times a day when it's this cold. We are greatly rewarded by the amusement & fun they provide. When it's not so cold & the ground isn't covered with snow they can forage on their own. The turkeys are the only ones who take an "entitlement" attitude. Yes, even in birds. They will stand looking in the windows, even on nice days, with a "Weeeel, we're here. Don't you know it's breakfast time" (or lunchtime, or dinnertime, or snack time or ANYtime! Turkeys are ALWAYS hungry even when they're not.) look on their faces. & yes they really do have that look on their faces. Turkeys are very expressive. & it's every turkey for him or herself too, when it comes to food anyway, has been our observation thus far.

The crows would bury pieces of corn which we did not know they did. They would pick up a piece of corn, walk over to a spot, dig with their feet & put the corn in the snow & bury it. Then when they came back later, they knew exactly where to go, dig up the corn & eat it! I was astonished! I didn't know about this behavior in crows! It was so cute & smart. How did they learn this? (as if I didn't know. It was put into them by their Creator!) Amazing, not just that they bury their food but also know exactly where they put it even when it was covered by snow! Wow! I have probably ten pair of glasses & I can never remember where I put them! (We play the game of "Who can find Mom's, Grandmothers, Julies glasses" a lot at our house. 😵)

When it's this cold outside the dogs are very reluctant to go outside to do their "duty", but when they do, one of us always stands at the door to watch because they are miniature dachshunds, (we have two, Rosie & Schnitzel) & sometimes their feet get so cold, that they just lay down on the ground or in the snow & can't walk. So as in the case this morning, Schnitzel got almost to the door, but just couldn't walk any further so I had to rush out & bring him in. Poor little doggie. This is the result.

He got warmed up pretty fast with a good rubdown & then burrowed down in his blanket cocoon for a nap after that distressing experience.

There are different scriptures in the Bible that talk about our responsibility in caring for animals. Proverbs 12:10 says"A righteous man regards the life of his animal...". Proverbs 27:23, "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks & attend to your herds." Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns' yet your heavenly Father feeds them.." & at times He uses us to do it too. After all, the first job of Adam & Eve was to take care of the animals in the garden.😊

Our favorite dinnertime fare in the winter are savory soups & stews. & when they have been simmering on the back burner on the stove for a few hours it is a proven appetite stimulant! Dinner (& usually breakfast) has always been a family togetherness time for our family & the time of the day that I have always enjoyed the most. Good & lighthearted conversation is so conducive to good digestion. We have always shared a lot of laughter at our dinner table over the years, with kids & grandkids & friends & other family. One of favorite soups that is a family favorite all through the years is "Meatball Chowder" given to me by a friend many years ago.

Just looking at this makes my mouth water. Yum! & I like to cook soups or beans in a cast iron dutch oven because it's healthier & I believe enhances the flavor.

During the winter, my Christmas decor, such as snowmen, small lighted green trees, pine garlands & greenery are left out & rearranged for my "Winter Theme" mostly in my kitchen & dining room. They add a very cheerful, cozy & welcoming ambience during the cold & snowy days of less sunshine & shorter daylight hours, especially since for most of us those daylight hours are spent inside. How fun to be greeted with all of those happy, friendly faces!

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So, Raintree perk of the day...