I am not the biggest fan of winter but I’m getting better at leaning into the beautiful things about each season, even if it is freezing cold. And that is in itself a form of mindfulness, which I “preach” so I’d best practice.
My January went by oddly fast and slow. I’m keeping pretty busy with volunteering, spending time with family and friends, projects around the house, and all the other stuff I do this time of year. But January and February are typically slow months when I don’t get outside to bird and enjoy nature very much…I so look forward to that coming soon. I often tell myself to appreciate the slower pace and that the days are getting longer now…slowly but surely. Plus my heated vest, gloves & slippers help me stay toasty warm and that’s a game changer for me.
So enough rambling and on to birds, cats and other fun updates of the month…
Einstein is a 9 month old Tuxedo cat I found in my backyard. He is a true story of the cat distribution system at work. I heard a strange noise in my yard one morning in May. I couldn’t figure out what it was until I went out later in the day and saw a stocky cat who led me to the noise. She wouldn’t come near me but wanted me to help. He was stuck upside down in a pile of bricks. I took him to Columbus Humane to find him a home but they couldn’t take him for a couple weeks. And once he crossed the threshold of the house, I foster failed almost immediately. He is a talkative cat and gets along wonderfully with our other (foster fail) cat, Bugs.
Apologies for the poor quality photo but this is a screenshot from a web cam of our feral cat, Creamsicle. I’ve been feeding Creamsicle since fall and once it started getting really cold, I got him a warm house with a heated floor mat. I put food in the house to get him inside so he would get the idea this is a safe place to eat and warm himself. Despite the temps dipping under zero in January, he’s still seeming to thrive out there.
White-throated Sparrows are one of the beauties of winter. They will be heading back up north within a few more weeks so here’s a great example of living up to my goal of appreciating the present and the amazing creatures living nearby.
Blue Jays and all birds in fact are WAAAAAAYYYY easier to spot in trees when trees have no leaves. And they are truly beautiful birds. Interestingly, Blue Jays are one of the only birds my cats really respond to hearing their calls. I tested several for a post I was doing and most birds get a ho hum reaction but Blue Jays almost always get them up and looking out the window.
See, look at me all appreciative of the wonderful things January has to offer. Boom!