Tag Archives: Landscapes

nature, Photography

Thinking About Spring, Part II

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Since most of the country is in the absolute depths of January weather, I think that now is good time to see a bit more spring. 🌸 Last time, I posted pictures from March and April, 2025. Here are some from May, 2025. I hope they brighten your day.

Pretty pink phlox …

… and mock orange with its lovely aroma …

… was accompanied by irises in all their glory.

The rhododendrons burst forth in heady abandon …

… in hot pink as well as white.

Their cousins, the azaleas, weren’t left behind.

Multi-layered peonies unfurled themselves …

… while the lovely lilacs spread their gentle fragrance.

Things to look forward to. Happy Friday. 🌸

nature, Photography

Ducks and the Ice Pond

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I am always surprised at how well the ducks will tolerate the cold on their feet.

Recently, their favourite little pond partially froze; it had a thin layer of ice in places, but the ducks settled on the icy parts and even napped.

Do they have duckie antifreeze in their feet??

Actually, they sort of do. Through a process called counter-current heat exchange, their bodies literally lower the temperature of the blood headed for their feet and warm it up again as it heads back to their hearts.

It’s so effective that in winter, mallards only lose five per cent of their total body heat through their feet. That’s a pretty ingenious system.

It could be a great system for humans too but I think I prefer socks and footwear instead. 🙂

Happy Wednesday.