January 19,2008

Today was one of those gray, somber winter days, with only earth tones comprising Mother Nature's palette, an appropriate mood for Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. Looking out into the woods from the breakfast table this morning the gray spectrum of the trees were only complimented by the brown oak leaves that have tenaciously clung to the limbs. But then a flash of red caught my eye, and I spotted this pileated woodpecker punctuating a tree, boring new holes in search of insect protein. “Quothe the pileated, ‘nevermore’” ---just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it?

January 19, 2008

Today was one of those gray, somber winter days, with only earth tones comprising Mother Nature's palette, an appropriate mood for Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. Looking out into the woods from the breakfast table this morning the gray spectrum of the trees were only complimented by the brown oak leaves that have tenaciously clung to the limbs. But then a flash of red caught my eye, and I spotted this pileated woodpecker punctuating a tree, boring new holes in search of insect protein.

January 10,2008

A day at the beach, but not as you think. A business trip took us to the shores of Lake Ontario. But first we stopped in Brockport at the Red Bird Tea Room for a hearty luncheon of butternut squash soup, roast chicken salad and creamy rice pudding. We could choose our own tea cup from a lovely selection of various patterns. They served Harney and Sons Teas which are one of my favorites.

Brockport is located along the Erie Canal and at this town it is crossed by two lift bridges. There wasn't much water in the canal because they drain it for the winter. It was fun to imagine the commerce on the canal over 150 years ago.

After lunch we headed to Hamlin State Park where dusk was beginning to settle. We saw a few people most with dogs. Our beagle Muffin enjoyed her rump on the sandy beach. We were surprised by the number of geese, wondering if they had arrived early--harbingers of an early spring? or hearty birds to over winter on the shores of the lake. After all they are Canadian geese!