The Most Snow of the Season

We just had the most snow ever for the season here in Minnesota.  The roads haven't been this bad in 25 years.

The temperature is colder again and cabin fever continues to loom.  As the days lengthen though, the birds don't seem to care about the weather and continue to behave like spring is coming.

I had a flock of American robins at my heated bird bath and the Northern cardinals and black-capped chickadees are beginning to sing. The great horned owls are hooting and I suspect they are getting ready to hatch their eggs any day.

Speaking of eggs, we have a crazy bald eagle pair nesting somewhere in St. Paul that is sitting on two eggs. This is early for eagles with eggs in this neck-of-the-woods.  We know this because the MN DNR put a web cam on this nest.  They can be viewed at: www.eaglecam.dnr.state.mn.us/eagle/

The poor female is up to her neck in snow. Yikes!

As the temperature continues to hover near freezing, March will arrive in Minnesota like a lion and we can only hope it will leave like a lamb.

Love is in the Air

When I stepped outside this morning I thought the temperature felt a little warmer.  A few birds were singing and the crows sounded like they were haranguing something.  Sure enough, I stepped sideways to get a better look and there sat a pair of red-tailed hawks side by side in a tree.

This is the time of year red-tailed hawks start their courtship and soon the females will lay eggs.

There is a power line right-of-away and a drainage pond a house away from me and I'll be delighted if the red-tailed hawks choose to nest there.

I tried to get a photo of the two love birds together, but a low-flying helicopter chased one off.  Oh well, they were a bit of a day brightener and a small break from cabin fever.

It's hard to believe it was actually a five degrees below zero morning when I looked at my thermometer.

Here is one of the red-tailed hawks that frequently sits on the power pole in that right-of-way.

Ebooks

I admit it.  I am addicted to ebooks and audio books.  That is why I am remiss at blogging regularly.  Within the last three months or so I discovered my local libraries have a treasure trove of audio and ebooks.  This has allowed me to read some of the popular young adult novels out there.

I continue to hear as a writer you need to read, read, read, so that is what I have been doing.  I've had the perfect opportunity since the weather is so frigid lately.

I did drag myself out to an SCBWI mixer for a little inspiration last weekend, but it's been hard to pull my butt out of the reading groove and get it into the writing groove. 

My goal this year is to try to break into work-for-hire.  I have been thinking about it for the last few years, but I just can't get my intro letter right.  That might just be an excuse though.

Off to read an ebook about writing and publishing non-fiction ....