FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood: 

2/15-a couple of days in the lo-50's and the snow is disappearing fast:

A Rocky came out to forage:

2/17: the meteorologists are calling this string of days in the 50's a false Spring. Most of the snow is gone and the critters have been busy fueling up. 

Grandfather Birch and the Gnomes enjoying some warming sun:

Something got Mr. Redbird and M/M Purple Finch's attention:

click for larger view 

The local Redbird Carusos are up high in the trees announcing their egg-making abilities.

2/28:rain overnight into the early morning. Snow gone except for the parking lot piles. Back to the usual weather on Friday with rain changing to snow and temps in the 30's.

A group of robins in my crab apple tree today! Poor souls, not much fruit left as it was eaten early during the Summer/Fall drought of '25. Past couple of years, the first wave arrived here around this time.

 

60+°!!

 

A new squirrel-small tail and rounded ears. C and I saw it by Mr. Locust while out in the garage. It was eating and didn't pay us any mind or run off:

A tiger in my backyard:

In the late afternoon, the sky cleared. I was surprised to see a live MI Storm Chasers on my feed. Two large t-storm cells-one over Mason and another heading for Owosso. I checked out the slider-sho' nuff:

 A cold front had swung through so that meeting of cold and warm air fired up the storms. Don't see this very often in the middle of February!

 

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Buddy has healed up quite well from his wound. He is back to patrolling. His new title is simply Head of Security as he does not want any association with the human DHS. 

Chillin' with his Dad:

I've seen The Black Kitty nearly everyday. Yesterday, he was traveling along the berm over to Benny's Diner. This morning, he was trotting behind Johnny's as I was going outside. I yelled at him and he fled back to the West. 

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Quite a week: 

-start of the Chinese New Year (year 4724), year of the Fire Horse.

-beginning of Moslem Holy month of Ramadan, a 30-day period of fasting, prayer and reflection to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

-Ash Wednesday-beginning of Lent, which lasts 40 days, continuing until the evening of Holy Thursday, symbolizing Jesus' 40 days in the desert. The season emphasizes prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity) and a time for spiritual renewal, conversion of heart, and preparing for the celebration of Christ's resurrection at Easter.

The above holidays are based on the lunar cycle, in this case a new moon.

-2/17-annular solar eclipse mainly visible in the Southern Hemisphere

Coming up on 2/28-planetary alignment of naked eye items Venus, Jupiter, Saturn: binocular/telescope Mercury,Uranus and Neptune. They will be strung out together in the Western sky. Go out about a half hour after sunset (6.26 pm). A crescent moon will be joining them.

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Fun pics:

Skeleton Flower ( Diphylleia grayi) Japanese perennial known for its petals turning translucent when wet:

Saturn with moon Titan in daytime:

The eight of diamonds-squint and you will see the figure 8 created by the pattern:

 

World's shortest verified woman-Pauline Musters from The Netherlands, died at age 17 in 1895. She was 24" tall.

World's tallest verified man-Robert Weadlow from the US, died at age 22 in 1940. He was 8' 11.1" tall.

 

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I was watching a spy show Jack Ryan when one of the characters made this statement:

The thing about being an exile is just not being away from home, it's not having a home to go to. 

FUBARland