Monica Knits

Here's a cute alternative use for a knitted swatch, albeit a 6" square, rather than the standard 4" square.

Related Links
Bunny Swatch (blog article)

This looks like a month for new visitors. The flock of ducks in our yard grew to somewhere between 50 and 100 and the layover lasted 3 days, by which time the unseasonable weather passed, the seasonal pond was a puddle and the permanent ponds and small lakes in the neighborhood were beginning to thaw.

Yesterday brought a new visitor to our neighborhood -- an opossum who was busy foraging for food in the 40^o F weather. He was moving pretty quickly in the distance and dusk was fast approaching so it was difficult to get a clear photo.

This week we have had both record snowfall and record cold temperatures. For most of the week we saw neither birds nor deer, but today a couple of deer stopped to browse on the tops of yews in our garden. I noticed this one as I was doing dishes and looking out the kitchen window. The deer was less than 3 feet from me and she brought friends and family.

Shaq's nemesis, the garden chipmunk, has found a new spot to catch the rays. From the vantage point of a warm deck post that is sheltered from the wind, the chipmunk has not only a beautiful view, but he can quickly scramble in one of 3 directions to evade our dog or me and my camera. The chipmunk has the added advantage that he is less easily spotted from the air by red tailed hawks, since the deck has tall maple trees on 2 sides.

The chipmunk has been using this new seating area for a month and the dog hasn't yet discovered this secluded perch.