When our "For Sale" sign fell down a couple of weeks ago after a windy day I took it as a sign. Well, that's that I said to myself. The house is really and truly SOLD. As it turns out, it was definitely a sign. Our buyers had put their house on the market in mid-February and we learned yesterday that they had just sold it. The closing for their house sale is May 20th, and ours is May 12th. This is really happening now. Almost like it was meant to be.

I've been getting a lot of "signs" lately. I can almost feel my mom at my back, guiding me along, nudging me in this direction or that. She loved the cabin too. I had forgotten that she had seen the cabin before long before it was even assembled on our land. She was with us from the beginning. The cabin was built the year after my dad passed and for each year thereafter she always came to visit us and one week of her visit would be at the cabin. 

When we were planning to live at the cabin after Rick was cut loose from Hewlett Packard back in 2006 she was not a fan of our plans. She didn't think it was a good idea at that particular time in our lives. Then the job here in New Jersey came up and plans for full-time life at the cabin were put on the back burner.

I think she'd be happy for us now. Like I said, lately I can feel her right by my side, guiding me all the way.

I thought you all might find it interesting to see exactly what Mr/Mrs Pileated Woodpecker did to the  tree. See the pile of wood shavings around the base of the poor thing? He/she pecked at the tree so much that it split at the thinnest part and broke off.

You can see a video of the woodpecker over on Rick's site, at this link. Be sure and turn up your sound so you can hear his/her beak hitting the tree.

Let's take a closer look at those wood chips:

Maybe we should collect them as use them as starter for our wood fires! This bird meant business!

It's actually working on two trees as you see in this photo. We haven't seen it now for about a week so maybe it's gotten all the good bugs out. I saw a few other trees in the woods that have the same scaly fungus growing on the bark that look like the woodpecker has been having a go at them as well. Maybe the fungus indicates it's infected with bugs? Carpenter ants? Grubs? This photo was taken before the tree on the left split and fell down. I find nature so interesting, don't you?

Yesterday afternoon I was graced with a visit from Mr./Mrs. Pileated Woodpecker! If you look closely in the photo above you can see a newly pecked big wood chip on its chest right by the claw. Its been hanging around this tree for about a week now but my camera battery always turned out to be dead. (My camera is eating battery life these days. Lack of use?)

I had noticed this tree which stands at the back of the grass yard and the beginning of the woods part of the yard some time ago and wondered at its bark loss. It stands out like a sore thumb. I had even gone down to look at it a few weeks back, thinking in my head that it was the work of a bear. But on closer inspeciton I didn't see any claw marks. It looked like it had been chiseled. A few days later I saw the pileated pecking away at it and it became clear that it was doing the damage. Here is a photo so you can see how much of tree is without bark.

This time I had my camera battery waiting and fully charged. I made my way slowly and carefully down the yard in my house slippers, tip-toeing in the snow and below freezing temperatures closer and closer to it until I dared not get any closer. The result is this set of photos. I am thinking that it was worth the discomfort of frozen body parts.

It would sit there cocking its head back and forth, intently listening to whatever bug it could hear moving inside the tree. The attack of the big beak is brutal and deliberate —and loud. What it must feel like inside the bird's head is beyond me! 

I like this last pic because you can see the wind blowing its crest.

A truly magnificent bird, and one that I will miss when we move. We are so lucky to have them in the neighborhood, and even better in my yard!

They only happen under the most particular of circumstances: freezing temperatures (but not enough to freeze the water surface itself), wind-whipped waves, and cattails of course. From the first time I saw them form on Green Turtle Pond I have been intrigued and inspired. They cluster against the dam, frozen in a moment of time all unto themselves. Let's look a bit closer, shall we?

The Ballerina

The Three Musketeers

The Elf's Hat

En Garde!

Pretty Parasol

They never cease to delight. They are always in a state of flux, taking whatever form nature shapes them in. Each of them unique and beautiful.

Take a very good look at this wonderful cartoon that friend Rand Kruback did for us as a gift. Rand is an old HP friend from way back and has recently been doing the yearly calendars for Vision Research. Don't forget to notice the Phantom camera strapped in there!

This blog post of ours on Off the Grid inspired him. 

I think he captured us pretty well right down to Rick's curly hair! A Bernese Mountain Dog, wine, Cooking "901" and more! What do you see ? We will treasure this, thank you Rand for being so generous with your amazing talent!

In the new year, COLORADO OR BUST,  for sure.