More cat blogging

Sorry for the lack of scenic photos; haven't been traveling much except for going to town and it's been too cold and/or rainy many days to get out in the hills....So here's another cat photo.Having to stay inside is making the cats frisky; this one hasn't done this for a few years now....

Piles of bugs

We've been seeing these things in little clusters near paving stones for the last few weeks. At first we thought somehow paint had spilled, but up close it's a mass of tiny jumping insects, like fleas. Up close, you can hear a noise like rain that's the jumping on the leaves.
Even in the water dish:

It seems they're Springtails, maybe the version called Snow Fleas. In most descriptions they're not purple but I have seen some photos resembling ours (also blue, white, pink and black). Strange things. For descriptions: What's that bug?; Cold weather acrobats.

Cold weekend

We got a little snow yesterday but it didn't last long. The real cold didn't arrive til after dark, and this morning it was about 5. The thermometer on the cold side of the house hasn't gotten above 20 yet, despite the clear skies and sunshine...But the wood stove in the basement is chugging away and keeping the house pretty warm: The furnace has turned on only a few times.

Cat blogging

Although a fair amount of snow fell last night, it never got below freezing, but the rain that was supposed to follow never arrived, so there is still some wet snow on the ground this morning.
What's this?
I don't like it.

Clear again

We had a good amount of rain this week, but it's clear (and cooler ) again....Hiwassee Lake is still extremely low, even for winter.
The big sailboat at the marina at Bear Paw has been moved way out to the farthest dock; before the lake started going down in early summer it was docked near the current waterline.

It's January

And the latest Christmas tree has found a new home on the hillside,

Joining the trees from our first and third years here, nearby:

And the second year's tree, lit up with green LEDs this season.

And, for a great start to the new year, fiber optic cable has been installed along our driveway. High speed soon!

City views

On a gloomy Saturday in Chattanooga, the carousel and playing fields in Coolidge Park.View of the new Market Street Bridge, Ross' Landing and Lookout Mountain.
Walnut St. Bridge and the Bluff Arts district beyond it.
The new bridge was totally rebuilt and reopened this fall.
After the blast of cold and snow this week, the warmer weather is welcomed, even if the sun disappeared most of the day. There was even a little rain overnight, and more expected this week, along with even warmer temps.

Coldest day of the year so far

The snow barely melted yesterday....
It's amazing to see where the birds go when you don't see them. We see a lot at the feeders but had no idea they walk all over the decks and doorways too.
Hard to find water to drink....

At nearly 11 am, it's still only about 12 degrees. It was 5 not long after dawn....

A bit of snow

There was enough overnight to cover the hills around here, but down in Murphy there was only a sprinkling. And, although it's not getting above freezing today it isn't lasting.




Before,
during (around midnight),
and after, a Towhee searches for fallen seed.

It's always a surprise when winter exposes the new houses on the ridgetops; even more so when snow sets them off. This one was built this summer but we have only recently been seeing a strong light (a friend calls them 'insecurity lights') on the hill, and the outline of a house where we never saw anything but trees before. Wish we could turn back the clock......or that ridgetop homeowners would at least cut less trees and use smaller lights.