Kip’s Comments - December 12, 2024

Photo Diary of a Cold December Day

From early today our outdoor conditions were cold. But, even though we had only single digit warmth, winds were minimal making time outdoors tolerable. Dressing in layers helped keep me warm even more.

Before I left our ponderosa I photographed the tell-tale signs of an underground slumber. Circling the thirteen-lined ground squirrel holes in our yard were rings of heavy frost. My best guess is the little mammals are sound asleep and the frost shows they are breathing.

Frost Around Ground Squirrel Hole - Image 932399

I then spent a good share of the daylight hours looking for saw-whet owls in a different area than normal. While I did not find any owls, I did observe plenty of eastern cedar trees heavy with berries or hosting galls.

Eastern Red Cedar Berries - Image 932321

Gall on Eastern Red Cedar - image 932344

Before heading home I photographed moving water at Sweet Marsh. Through my viewfinder the scene looked like a cold-water trout stream. No, this was not a trout stream, just water going through a control structure. It still made for nice pictures.

Moving Water and Ice - Image 932347

Moving Water and Ice - Image 932360

Moving Water and Ice - Image 932366

Finally, just before sunset, a glimpse of the setting sun was visible - but only for a few minutes. Then clouds obscured the view again as they had all day. Hopefully those same clouds will help keep overnight temperatures a little warmer.

Cold Winter Sunset - Image 932403