Winter is the time when ladybugs congregate around the house. Found a pile of them on the porch — each with a unique pattern of spots and shade of orange.

Winter is the time when ladybugs congregate around the house. Found a pile of them on the porch — each with a unique pattern of spots and shade of orange.
Winter in the South is as likely to bring ice as it is snow. Ice-weighted trees present any number of dangers, but their beauty in the sunlight is extraordinary.
Bluebird seems to staring out over the south valley from the branch of a bare hickory tree.
Winter in the South comes with (the moist) air of mystery.
Orion rising above the house on Friday night.
Two bluebirds among a flock feeding on sumac growing around the house.
Been a while since we posted. We had a couple rounds of heavy winter weather and being trapped away from home for days at a time. Nice to be back home. Between bouts of wintry mix, the birds came out and did what birds do.
Finding serenity any time is a challenge, and this week it IS the challenge. For the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to capture the latest comet Lovejoy in pixels. Tonight’s effort was flustered by clouds, but one shot — a test shot setting up — seemed to hit all the right notes. The soft light in the cloud, the familiar pinpoints of starlight and the warm glow coming from the house next door all seemed to be a little bit of serenity.
Other bits of serenity from this week’s challenge: