Our New Neighborhood – December 2022
/We are having colder temperatures in southwestern Missouri…. changing the scenes around our neighborhood. I was out on a sunny morning when the temperature was in the 20s and the ‘feels like’ temperature was 15 – noticing that the Lamb’s Ear in our back flower bed is curling in the cold.
I headed over toward the neighborhood ponds with an idea of photographing some ice. The first place I stopped was dry!
Turning in the other direction to the main body of the pond, I had more luck. The water froze in the shallow area – making frozen patterns of ice shelves connected to the bank. Some leaves were frozen into the ice. In one area, the ice was breaking with the movement of the water (either from the pumps or the wind).
The surprise of the morning were birds on the water. I spotted the Great Blue Herron first. It was standing very still…. until it noticed me in my red coat and flew away.
A pair of mallards was enjoying the pond as well.
I made the short loop aroud the largest pond. My new coat with its hood and hiking boots kept most of me warm; my hands (even with gloves) and my nose were cold. I should have worn a mask for my cold nose…and need to inventory my gloves for a warmer pair!
