clockwork

This is nuts.
Two days ago, it was a blythe 75 out at Coot Lake.

If you're one of the very exclusive few who follow this blog,

you know that five weeks ago, also a Tuesday,

 nearly a foot of snow fell.

And that another foot of snow has fallen

 on every single Tuesday since.

Here we go again.

Due in late tonight, the fifth dump.

If I were an osprey,
I'd be filing a flight plan back to Rio.

artful nesting

Next to nature, we're such pikers.
Sometimes, it's best to just shut up and step aside.

perseverance

Remarkable.

Four weeks and four feet of snow this month 

have not deterred the osprey pair one bit.

Another foot fell like religion every Tuesday.

Every Wednesday, the birds wove

a new layer of sticks on top of the fresh snow.

Like religion.

Then one day, right in the midst of building their fourth taj,

you could see their moonstruck moment.

They sat like this for almost an hour,

sort of taking it all in.

She's on the left. 

They slept in the nest that night.

It got so I felt guilty for watching.

Today, they waited.

He threw some fish at her; 

she threw around some more lumber.

Because she can.

Meanwhile, I have a canvas

 testing my own perseverance.

Every once in a while, I throw something at it.

Because I can. 

 I don't know.

The longer it's on the easel,

the weirder it gets.

That used to be a whole ranch.

Now it's a nothing but a brick shithouse.

No taj there.

april snow

Which came first, 

the eggs or the snowstorm?

Lotsa snow.

The first of a three day storm.

I hope mama can hold on.

sam's salon

Allow me to introduce the latest members of my salon,

a nesting pair of osprey.

Meet the missus...

Being shameless, equal-opportunity hanger-outers,

they'd be happy to hang with you, too.

The Boulder Open Space webcam site is quite informative,
but I should warn you;

watching this slice of life is totally addictive!

It's the dog's absolute favorite channel.

After the past weeks of
 intensive nest-construction and protein-consumption,

it's a race to see who will get here first,

the next snowstorm or the eggs.

My favorite fun fact is that, 

after raising the kids, 

both adults go to South America for the winter season.

Though the pair mates for life,

 they vacation ALONE.

Wait, ladies, it gets better.

Mid-April, himself returns to the same nest.
and spends two weeks fixing up the house
 and rearranging the trash.

Only then does herself return.

Click below the webcam window to see her homecoming.
What a big girl.

She really throws the lumber around, doesn't she?