The Raft

I feed the birds.
(I feed everyone, actually.)
Anyway - one of my favorite things about winter is that in the stark, cold, color-less outdoors, some of the brightest, cheeriest, most beautiful birds come out. Our backyard, from the deck, is just tall, leaf-less tree after tree after tree.

The view of our back woods from the deck.

I put 2 Suet Cake holders on plants hangers and BAM! Instant color and excitement. I love them.
Woodpeckers, the fluffy ones and the red-gheaded ones, Cardinals, Bluejays, Titmouses, others that I can't recall or name. They're awesome.

The Cake Holders.

So, today, I went out to refill the suet cakes (I spend about $10 a month on this shit - doesn't sound like much but, come on, it's bird food!) and I heard a bird tweet. I looked up and he was right on the gutter behind me.
Then, I heard another tweet.
Then another.
Then more.
At first it was a little frightening, I have seen The Birds about 230 times, so I was wondering what was about to happen.
I filled the baskets and was stepping back into the house when I realized that, with my body still on the deck, a little Tufted Titmouse was already nibbling. Then, I was standing in the doorway but with the door still open and a few more little peckers stopped by.

Note the distance from Feeders to Door.

And, sure enough, as soon as I shut the door, the Big Boy landed. This is a giant, red-headed Woodpecker that lives in the dead tree behind the curvy tree in our back yard. He's huge. He's so cool.

I watched for a few minutes, because that is why I have the feeders there... to watch the birds.

Then I came in and told Jay that the birds love me, were talking about me, and trust me enough to stop by for a snack with me in their presence.

The view from my couch.

Just another reason to love Winter.

Oh, and one more reason -

If you don't have at least 3 Hallmark Snowmen singing at you at the same time, constantly, all day, you just don't know "fun".