Winter Gifts

As I look back, this has been one of the most beautiful winters I can remember!

Frosty scenes greeted me on bright, chilly mornings when I pulled back the shades. It’s as if God took a paintbrush to spread these delicate, fernlike patterns across the glass.

Two major snowstorms each dropped close to two feet of snow. I didn’t see the ground for two solid months!  The snow stayed clean and bright, because in between the storms a light dusting of flakes fell gently from the sky every couple of days.

One crisp, cold day when I trudged through the snow to feed the birds, I heard a hammering sound. I looked up and was thrilled to see two Pileated Woodpeckers! These birds, the largest of all woodpeckers in North America, were drilling in our dead trees for insects.

Cardinals visit us year-round, but this male looked especially beautiful one frosty day as he lingered on bare branches, soaking up the sun’s warm rays.

Black-capped Chickadees stay with us all winter long, too. They’re so smart, and sometimes when food is scarce, they eat out of my hands!

White-throated Sparrows are some of my favorite birds. They call out to each other with the most beautiful, long whistle. I look expectantly for them every winter. They visit us to escape the frigid temperatures north of us in Canada and Maine. I love how these beauties hang out in our Yew bushes, waiting for me to pour birdseed into our feeder and on the ground.

Whether it’s artwork on our windows, woods filled with snow, or beautiful birds flitting in and out of our trees, thank you, God, for filling the winter with beauty and life!