Monday January 20, 2025 -- was MLK (Martin Luther King Jr.) Day.

 

Happy MLK Day!

 

It was also an extremly cold day -- with a high of 11 deg. F and a low of 7 deg. F -- thanks to a mass of very cold air -- called the polar vortex -- that descended from the North Pole and brought down the temperatures over much of the country. While it turned out to be a sunny day -- it was also windy -- with wind speeds up to 17 mph -- so it felt much colder because of the wind chill effect.

 

*The lead photograph shows a flock of birds feeding at our bird feeder -- located in our back yard -- in a house with a double lot -- on Cooley Avenue -- south side of Jefferson Park. I had filled up the bird feeder in the morning -- as I have been doing every day -- irrespective of the weather since the end of November 2024 and will continue doing so till the end of March.

 

The birds love the feeder -- when it is empty -- they suddenly disappear -- and when I fill it up -- they descend on the feeder -- coming from nowhere.

 

Their routine is very simple -- fly to the feeder -- grab a seed or two -- and fly back to a shrub nearby where they perch. And after they have finished eating -- they are back at the feeder. And since the feeder can support only a few birds -- the rest feed on the seeds that fall down on the concreted floor. I try to clear the area under the feeder of any accumulated snow -- so they don't have to dig for the seeds -- but the presence of snow on the floor does not keep them away.

 

I also feed the squirrels (peanuts on the shell and sunflower seeds) who live in the many trees we have in the double lot.

 

*The second photograph shows Smokey (mother) and Gingy (son) -- our two outdoor cats -- who sleep in the garage and are provided with ample dry food and canned food -- year round, and warm water during the winter months.They are my constant companions and follow me everywhere when I am outside.

 

 

*The third photograph shows the geraniums blooming in our un-heated sun room -- when the outside temperature drops below freezing -- I leave the adjoining bedroom door ajar about two inches -- and this keeps the sun room warm. Today, while it was 11 deg. F outside -- it was 50 deg. F in the sun room.

 

*The last photograph shows a view of snow-covered Jefferson Park as seen from a second floor bedroom of our house.

*The days are getting longer -- and with each passing day -- the 2025 winter is getting shorter!

 

Enjoy the rest of the winter -- spring officially arrives on March 20th!

 

LINK TO AN EARLIER POST ON FEEDING BIRDS: