ending the week in sunshine...

sorry for the quiet this week, and no wordless wednesday post. does an unexpected surgery and overnight stay in the hospital count as a good excuse? don't worry, it was relatively minor and although a little slow-moving, i'm on the mend now and feeling much better than i was before visiting the doctor. the sun is shining brightly today and is keeping me warm inside - outside is a different story, where it was -9 C when i went out to the car. that's nearly unheard of on the west coast, although i'm sure many folks in other parts of the world would just laugh at me.



yesterday upon arriving home, i was (sadly) parked in my usual spot in front of the computer, and watching the suet feeder outside. soon enough some chickadees came in, followed by some larger varied thrushes, and finally a flicker came in to monopolize the feeder. after that though, an unexpected surprise swooped in: this female pileated woodpecker. they are not uncommon around here, but i have never seen one this close, or at my feeder for that matter. i had fun trying to catch her large body swinging upside down as she ate,



i also meandered out for a short little walk at the estuary in the sun. i was glad for my down jacket and other layers as the windchill made it quite "bracing", shall we say, out there. the light was beautiful in the afternoon, with the mountains showing fresh layers of snow.



the tide was very far out, showing mud flats stretching far off into the bay. this meant that the water level in the river was also very low, and in the clear cold water i could see the ducks swimming underwater as they dove for food. this pair of mergansers was working its way along, diving and resurfacing to flap their wings enthusiastically in the air.



on my last stretch of walk, i was distracted by a bird singing in a nearby tree. it took me awhile to spot this little fox sparrow far up in the branches. he spotted me very quickly in return. as i watched, a friend joined him and the pair of them sang.

i've been really wanting to work on some new things for the shop, but this week for various reasons has become something of a wash. i've got some new animals in mind though, that i'm eager to try out. i had planned for a fun day snowboarding tomorrow, but i think i might have to accept that that is not the best idea as i heal. nuts. however, instead i might get some good crafting in this weekend. stay tuned!