Housebound

We've been down with sniffles and sneezes this week, which hasn't allowed for much walking time. Thankfully, we have a number of birds that make indoor nature appreciation easy; they simply come to us. From the comfort of home (ah-choo!) we can watch the chickadees and finches gather around the feeders, while the jays, juncos and towhees skip around among the fallen leaves.

As you can see, the squirrels enjoy nibbling at -- and on -- this feeder, too.

Occasionally a squirrel will scamper by, lippity-lippity, in search of a nutty morsel. (We should probably refill the make-shift feeder with peanuts.)

Our nature collection also brings a bit of the outdoors in, as does my daughter's affinity for sketching animals.

It will feel good to be able to step out once again, but for now we'll enjoy the merry little chirps that issue from just beyond the school room window, reminding us that all will be well in due time.

* * * * * * *

*As I was typing just now, a hawk landed on our neighbor's fence and then flew to the roof, no doubt in pursuit of a tasty songbird. I tried to get a picture through the window, but it was hard for me to capture and identify. Perhaps red-tailed or Cooper's? Sharp-shinned? About the size of a crow, with a distinct brown and white mottled breast. Very exciting! A special, unexpected treat on a housebound day.