Birds with snow cold feet
quietly meditate on
winter’s reflection,
appreciating
the chance to experience
a snowy river.
I took these photos during a snowstorm in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The birds and I were standing on the city dock, near the old train bridge that crosses over the Rappahannock river. I went to the river that morning because my daughter, who lives in Texas, asked me if I could take a picture of a snowy day and send it to her. 
So now, here we are
in warm thoughts slowly drifting
over memories.
I would love to post some snow photos from this year, but it hasn’t really snowed here yet and it is almost February. So far this winter, we have been having the strangest weather. Last week it was freezing cold, and yesterday it was 76 degrees. Now a strong wind is blowing, and the temperature is rapidly dropping back down again. It’s an interesting environmental roller coaster ride! ~ms
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Before I Forget 
I often wonder how the birds survive such cold. Our weather here in the south is following your pattern too.
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Actually, they seemed to be enjoying the cold, snowy day. There were no people around to bother them (except for me…and I was very quiet). They were playing around in the water, jumping in and out. Talking the whole time in a language unknown to me.
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Lovely word image, Mary. 🙂
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Very nice ones. The composition of the first one is absolutely great…!!
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Thank you! The photo of the bird with the old train bridge in the background is my favorite too.
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It’s doing the same thing here in Missouri! Had to use a lot of last yrs pics for winter poetry too! Like your shots! 😀
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Thanks Eric! The weather was warmer this morning than it is this afternoon. Back down to freezing the temperature is falling, even though it was 76 degrees yesterday. Hopefully no one went off to work this morning without a winter coat. The wind is howling.
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superb shots. I also liked the composition with the bridge. And I felt extremely sorry for the birds!
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Thanks!
Actually, the birds were pretty comfortable with the cold. They were even able to dive in and out of the water for an occasional swim. I couldn’t have done that…not even once!
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oh i love these photographs – stunning. Thankyou 🙂
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Thank you! When it is too cold to go down to the water, I look at photos and travel there on the memories.
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I love the photos of the birds! They appear so at home with the snow. The first photo is spellbinding!
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I thought it was a beautiful scene also, with the bridge there behind the bird. But ,I admit, it wasn’t until after I got home and saw the photo on my computer–that I saw the perfect reflection of the bridge in the water. I don’t know how or why I didn’t see that!
But the camera did!
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I would bet that you saw the whole scene, but just not consciously.
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Sadly I think that strange weather is going to be the norm for all of us with global warming. Even if we turned everything around tomorrow the difference wouldn’t be apparent to us although it would be to our children. 😦
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Some say the strange weather is due to a global warming caused by people. Others claim that the weather changes are due to the natural cycle of the planet earth, pointing out that it was uninhabitable in the very beginning and it may be uninhabitable in the end.
Whatever the case, the weather has certainly been erratic. For years, my father worked for NOAA (formerly called “The Weather Bureau”). He used to cover all of my school books with old weather maps. Sometimes, I got so interested in tracing the weather patterns on the covers of my books…..that I forgot to listen to the teacher (especially in math class). ;).
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Funny you should mention Texas, because my immediate impression when this page came up was that the first picture looks a lot like a stretch of the Colorado River in downtown Austin (except for the snow, of course).
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Funny you should mention Austin specifically. My daughter lives in a town about 10 miles outside of the city of Austin. She is the one who asked me to take some photos of snow, because she misses it.
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I don’t know if she was living here two years ago, but we did have a few inches of snow that February, and it even stayed on the ground for a couple of days rather than melting right away, which is what normally happens on those once-every-few-years occasions when we get a bit of snow.
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these are wonderful photos…the combination of water, snow, the bridge, and the bird…by the way…thank you for visiting!
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Thanks Heather.
Love your beautiful photos of sunsets, and the sea.
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I love the combination of your pictures ( I agree that 1st one is stunning) and your prose.
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Thank you!
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These are SO beautiful! I especially love the first shot. It is one of my favorites I’ve seen for quite some time on anyone’s blog. Such rich and subtle colors, mood and composition. I’m glad you took us with you on your walk back in time here.
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Thanks! In the first photo, nature did a fantastic job of creating the reflection of the bridge in the water. Every time I look at that picture, I am amazed at how perfectly it “reimagined” itself…without pen, pencil, or paintbrush!
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Yes, it’s truly a work of art!
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That first photo is incredible, as all of them are. : )
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Thanks Kate!
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Beautiful! What lens did you use for the bird shots? I’m actually reading about your neck of the woods right now in a John Jakes novel that takes place during the Revelutionary War. 🙂
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It was a Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS with 15x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom—28mm Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon wide-angle lens.
It wasn’t an SLR. Basically a “point and click” camera with a zoom lens that gave me the ability to get close up photos of these birds without scaring them away.
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Nice!
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Thanks Carol!
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I nominate you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award
Please accept & oblige
http://ajaytao2010.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/very-inspiring-blogger-award-2/
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I very much appreciate this, Ajay! Thank you so much for honoring me. I accept it.
But, I don’t think I can post it more than once (I think that might be against the rules)? Although, I must admit…..I did not follow the rules last time, which is probably why you don’t see the award. 🙂
It is hidden with the post that I named “Appreciating the Writer Within.”
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Pingback: Very Inspiring Blogger Award | Ajaytao 2010
Stunning post – the pics are absolutely lovely!
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Thank you, Earth Beneath My Feet (I like that title).
Without the earth beneath my feet, I would float off into space and who knows where I would end up.
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Probably writing poetry on a cloud or a huge breeze 🙂
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I love those ideas! One day then, when I float away from this earth….maybe that’s exactly what I will do.
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Oh my! Those birds are so cute! I wish it snowed here in Florida. Right now we’re in this in-between weather where it’s too cold to go outside but not cold enough to really like it.
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Yes.I think, if it is going to be cold, it should at least snow once or twice. Not too deep….just enough to make everything look like a winter wonderland for a while.
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Absolutely!
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Fabulous pictures!
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Thanks Melissa!
I have looked through your website, and you remind me so much of my cousin.
Last time I visited her, I told her that her vegetable garden was a “gold mine.”
She had so many tomatoes and vegetables in her garden. She didn’t know that tomatoes are about $3.00 a pound if you have to buy them in the store.
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Something magical about this place and pictures 🙂
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Thanks!
I agree.
Falling snow has a way of making everything appear quite extraordinary, shifting perceptions.
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Your weather sounds like our weather here in Texas!
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I think it has been a strange winter for everyone, so far!
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How cold must those tiny little feet have been!
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If I was standing barefoot in the snow, my feet would freeze.
But these birds seemed to be doing just fine.
Maybe they know how to think warm…….
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amazing 🙂
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Hallo,
This is for you, for being kind for others and me, http://www.bigcards.nl/card/pickup/bc-c7cf3c10/
Sweet greetings, Summer
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Summer….thanks for the loving thoughts
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Great post..n very good pics..thanks for liking my pics 🙂
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Thanks.
Love your photos of the steam rising out of the water (in the area around the Volcano in Hawaii).
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I don’t even like to think about snowy feet. I freeze when the temperature drops below 70!
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Unfortunately….me too. I lived in Hawaii for many years and I miss it, especially in the winter. Some people like the 4 seasons….I like WARM. Long live eternal summers!
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Your dad used to cover your books with weather maps? How COOL!
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Yes…I thought it was wonderful.
Very distracting, following the lines of the weather patterns (when I should have been listening to the math teacher), but wonderful. Tracing the lines with my fingers, traveling around the world on winds and currents in my mind.
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Your photographs are beautiful. Love the colors.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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Thanks…blessings to you also!
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great photos
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Thank you. I had a good time standing by the snowy river with the birds.
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Oh, burrrrr!!!! I am freezing already here in Sunny SoFLA and the front isn’t really here yet!!
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It is 1 a.m. here…and there is a snow storm wandering around outside my window, putting a cold chill on me too. Supposed to get 7 to 14 inches. Will be interesting to see what sights the morning brings
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LOL!! Well here we use expressions like..burr…its going to drop down to 70degrees tonight!! This is what happens when you have been in Florida too long!! Even though we are due for temps in the 40,s tonight I hear.
You be safe, keep warm and hope that you have some love crystalline beauty to photograph in the morning.
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Really great shots, Mary!
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Thanks Matt….something special about birds on a cold river watching.
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Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing…
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Thanks Pierre.
And it is snowing outside right now.
The first snow storm we have had this winter….in Vriginia
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Now that is indeed strange!
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Not too strange for Virginia.
The photos that I took of these birds on the river are from 2009, when we actually got over 2 feet of snow. Sometimes we go the entire winter without snow. I thought this was going to be one of those winters…but…here it is almost Spring, and Mother Nature just decided to bring us some snow!
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Awesome photos and comments. You are truly gifted. Thank you for taking time to like my modest attempts. I am slowly learning, but there is so much out there!
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I have looked at your website. I think your photos are wonderful.
There is so much out there to see, that’s true.
Sometimes, I have a hard time keeping up with it….as you can see. 😉
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Absolutely beautiful photos. The first one is my favorite, however, the only thing I could find wrong with it, it is not enhancing a beautiful frame.. 😉
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Thanks Jerry.
I took these photos in a 2009 Virginia snow storm, because my daughter (in Texas) asked me to take a snow picture so she could hang it in her son’s room. They don’t see much snow in Austin. 😉
Anyway…
The photo that I sent to her was the one that you like the best (the first one). So it has been hanging in a frame for a few years….deep in the heart of Texas!
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Lovely thoughts to warm the heart on a cold day!
smiles
e
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Thanks…..
Now, thank goodness, it is finally warm….kind of.
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Absolute gorgeous photography, I love the first one, number 2 and 3 are great as well and I like the rest too!
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Thanks Dina.
I like the first one the best too….with the old train bridge in the background. Mother Nature did a great job painting the bridge reflection in the water!
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This makes me think of Va Beach.
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Really? I’ve been to Virginia Beach once or twice, as it is only 3 hours away from here.
Probably the same type of birds are around that area too. At VA beach though, the there the birds get to stand alongside the ocean, instead of a river!
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Hi, thanks for liking my post http://annikenbinz.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/we-all-know-it-there-is-no-guarantee/
I like your pictures! What a beautiful way to capture the moment:-)
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I’m so greatful to see an image like this! I’m talking about the one with the bird and the bridge on the background. I’d like to post this image to my facebook profile, if you don’t mind. I’m waiting to aprove 🙂
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I submitted this “bird and bridge” photo to the local paper (the Free Lance Star) way back in 2009. The Free Lance Star posted the photo online in their 2009 “photos of the year” and never told me.
So, I did not realize my photo was online until 2011, when I accidentally bumped into it (searching for something else). I was very happy to see that the Freelance Star had given me credit and also explained where the photo had been taken.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/Web/2009/122009/2009userpics/index_html?qstart=26
You can use it, but give me credit and show the link back to my webpage “Stories with No Books.”
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amazing photography!
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Thank you Sean!
The thoughtful birds were not bothered by my presence there.
But they were probably wondering what I was doing there….wandering about on a stormy day.
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very nice thoughts
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very nice pictures……
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Thanks for the compliment!
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I like them all, but definitely like the depth of field in #1, Mary. Nice shots! Thanks as well for liking my posts “Salmon Fishing on the Rogue” and “A Fine Walk to Remember”.
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Thanks, Laurie!
I don’t know why I didn’t see this comment earlier.
Enjoyed your post on the Pill Bugs.
We used to collect them. 🙂
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lovely pic’s
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Thank you, Daryl!
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De très belles Photos hivernales……………..Bravo!
Amitiés de France:Claire
http://esperance27.over-blog.com
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Merci beaucoup!
Winter is a cold but beautiful time of year, especially when it snows.
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Just getting a chance to go through some of your older posts. How happy I was to find these shots… beautiful! I love that bridge with the reflections and bird in the foreground. ~Scott
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Thanks Scott. I love the reflection of the bridge in the water also. Mother Nature is quite the artist!
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Mary, very evocative. Goes more than a bird, snow or bridges – calls out to something deeper and beautiful! Thank you for posting.
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Thank you!
I usually wouldn’t wander about in a snow storm, but I’m glad that, on that day, I did!
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Beautiful photos and poetry. So glad you found me so that I found you. I look forward to more of your posts.
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Thank you!
That’s what is so nice about WordPress….we get to meet other people, that we otherwise would have never found.
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And folks, you won’t believe it but SHE SINGS, SHE WRITES, SHE TAKES GORGEOUS PICTURES, SHE’S AN AMAZING CARE-GIVER AND SHE IS NOTHING IF NOT “STRONG”. Mary, I haven’t spent as much time as I’d like wandering through your blog but you are truly gifted. Your singing voice is a cut WAY above and that comes from a voice teacher. You sounded so haunting and beautiful on the RCS Spring Concert and now, I find these astounding photos of the birds and the bridge. It is truly a painting in pixels. Your talent is remarkable. Christmas blessings and thank you for today’s visit to Mom. She so appreciated it and appreciates you, as do we.
The Ts
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Thank you for this wonderful compliment, “Anonymous.”
I should add that I enjoyed standing in the hallway yesterday, listening to the angelic voice of your student singing Après un Rêve—right before I walked out into the rain. Now, although it is much colder, a bright sun is shining. The wonder of nature!
I wish you and your wonderful family a Merry Christmas, and best wishes for the coming New Year. And you can tell your mom again…..it’s true……my husband absolutely loved her carrot cake!
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I came to look at the ring billed gulls in the snow you mentioned!! So funny you got the yellow eyed and billed adults and the pink youngsters too….we both have green pilings only you have snow!! Same friends, different climate!! Happy 2014!
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I went back to your website and looked again. You are right…even the green pilings! On the other hand, I have no photos of “Royal Terns.” I just looked it up on the internet, and I guess they are only found “along ocean beaches.”
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I really do love the first picture with the beautiful bridge in the background and the gull looking your way. But it seems so surreal to me to see a bird I associate with a sub-tropical climate with snow flakes and snow covered pilings and trees.
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