Midway through the 2015 holiday season

Santa had an especially stressful Christmas this year.  All the rain, lack of snow and, of course, more children than ever kept the poor old guy working nonstop for months.   The first of January, he decided to take a little relaxing vacation fishing alone in the wilderness.  I happened to catch these photos of him as he canoed down the creek trailing his fishing lure.  

I love winter mornings in my kitchen,  sipping tea, eating a muffin and watching the birds at the feeders.  We have several inches of sleet on the ground so the birds are desperate to find food.  The peanut feeders attract some of my favorite varieties.  I have these feeders up close to the windows so I can see them clearly.

Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, blue jays and others are constant visitors to the suet feeders.  The same birds that like peanuts like suet.    

This is by far the best bird watching investment I've ever made.  I don't plug a lot of items, but this Brome 1024 feeder has gone far above and beyond all my expectations.  I bought this feeder about 10 years ago and it has spent every day of those 10 years outside, summer and winter.  It has a lifetime warranty but I've never had to replace a broken or damaged part.  The feeder has been squirrel proof mounted on my post with a baffle.  It has never broken or cracked altho it has blown down several times in very strong winds.    A three quart fill up lasts all day.  I was tired of replacing feeders that fell apart in one season or less.  This feeder has solved that problem at less than $10 a year.  It is the only feeder I've tried that attracts cardinals as well as finches, woodpeckers and occasionally the blue jays.  Severson Dells a local conservation site, has these feeders in use year round.

The days after Christmas are always a bit of a let down for me.  I'm taking down the Santas, the wreaths, the garlands and little trees that I put up with such love and care a few weeks ago.  Wishing you all a happy New Year and hoping you stay cheerful through the dark cold days of January.