Brrrrrrrrr

Quail huddling together for warmth                                             © Diane B. Reed

Winter has hit hard and frigid here in the Walla Walla Valley. It was down in the single digits overnight and right now it's only in the teens. Our Macy's Christmas parade, which was supposed to be last night, was postponed for a week because the wind chill was well below zero. It's too cold to go get the Christmas tree, we'll wait until it warms up a bit later this week.

Great Blue Heron on the frozen pond         © Diane B. Reed

The pond has frozen over, with only a small amount of open water where Garrison Creek feeds in, and the ducks are crowded into that small pool. The dusting of snow that fell a few days ago covers the ice in the pond, and a few foolhardy folks have been going for the Darwin Awards by jumping up and down on it.The Darwin Awards are named in honor of Charles Darwin, and commemorate "those who improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it." Seriously folks, wandering out on a partially frozen pond, then jumping up and down is not a smart thing to do.

Our Great Blue Heron, nicknamed Hank, has been wandering around on the ice looking cold and miserable. I haven't seen him catch anything, not sure why he wanders around on the frozen surface. Saw one his relatives out in a field in Touchet keeping several alpacas company. Maybe they stir up mice or other critters he likes to eat.

White Crowned Sparrow on the arbor                                 © Diane B. Reed

Holiday Barrel Tasting is wrapping up in the Valley, the wineries have been busy despite the frigid temperatures. The dusting of snow on the Valley and the Blues provide a magical sparkle and, as night falls, twinkling Christmas lights shimmer in the cold.

This is a time for memories, and today I'm remembering my good friend Patricia Sweeney, who lost her fight with cancer on November 29. Pat was a book lover and one of those people whose intellectual curiosity knew no bounds. I knew Pat for over thirty years. We met in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she worked in the used bookstore I owned. She and her husband moved to Boise, ID and they often stopped to visit us after we moved to Washington state eight years ago. She was an avid follower of this blog, often nudging me when I hadn't blogged in a while. After I posted I could usually anticipate her comment, always positive. So I bid Pat a fond farewell, it was good to know her -- she will be missed.