Having trouble warming up . . .

Loon caught  a quahog!

Karen and I decided to brave the cold and wind to see if we could see the Snowy Owl at Charlestown Breachway in Rhode Island. We didn't get to see the owl but we did get some shots of loons, ducks and sea gulls. We were out walking along the water's edge for at least an hour and even though we had dressed warmly we were so cold because of the wind. The birds were being buffeted! Some ducks in the channel were trying to swim against the extremely strong tide and couldn't make any headway! They were being pushed backwards so they opened their wings and flapped along with their feet seemingly paddling against the tide. Later we saw some ducks riding out on the tide. They were going like bats out of hell. We spoke with a man who was also taking photos but he said they hadn't see the Snowy Owl in three days. The owl was also seen at Moonstone Beach but a lot of people came out to photograph him and the four wheelers on the beach scared him away. Tarnation! I've never seen an owl in the wild never mind a Snowy. We'll probably try again on our January trek.

Had a good visit with younger sister yesterday. It's nice to be with someone who kinda sorta knows you inside out. We always have a good time, good lunch and great dessert. P&D's Pop got rid of a lot of stuff that's been hanging around this old house for years. He got a few bucks and we didn't have to pay someone to come and take it away! They didn't take the books or records though so I'll have to see about giving them to a church or school yard sale. Amazing how much stuff we've accumulated over the years in addition to what came with the house.

Will pick up Kiddo tomorrow for his Frication. He let us borrow his walkie talkies to see if we like using them to communicate from the kitchen to the basement and they're working fine as long as I remember to turn mine on! Went to his Christmas Concert Tuesday evening with middle child.  Best concert ever.  The band concert was very good and the chorus was pretty impressive.  So glad they have a new music teacher and best of all Kiddo now has at least one man teacher!  That really is great. I'm surprised by how well they did because I've met their teacher and he is a very mild mannered, young, thin, shy young man.  But I think the "young" is the important part.  The kids like him and actually pay attention.  Whoopie!

Quote:  The meaning of song goes deep.  Who is there that, in logical words, can express the effect music has on us?  A kind of inarticulate, unfathomable speech, which leads us to the edge of the infinite, and lets us for moments gaze into that!   ___Carlyle