The theme of the week here on St. Simons is COLD. We have had cold with rain, cold with drizzle, cold with a wee bit of sun, and cold with wind. After more than twenty years of living in Alaska, you think I’d be used to it. But the cold here is the raw, wet, kind that makes you feel as if you are wrapped in a freezing, wet towel. And we don’t have a crackling wood stove or fireplace to warm our extremities, so my fingers and toes feel like permanent ice cubes.
The birds are hunkered down, with their feathers highly inflated.
Rental bikes are sitting idle, but the local BBQ is going strong, adding a wintry hardwood smoke aroma to the neighborhood.
The skies have been mostly a gun-metal gray, making color even more welcome than usual.
Even the less colorful birds are a welcome sight.
And a wood stork’s reflection.
The cold weather seems to bring out the cats–they are everywhere, both feral and house cats. This cat brought my walk to a screeching halt because, at first, I could not believe my eyes.
It was the size of a small lynx, or a plump Brittany Spaniel. I actually thought it was a dog at first, then concluded that it must be a lawn ornament. But when I moved, its face followed me. An enormous face with little foldy ears. I don’t imagine its owners have to worry about rodents–it looked large enough hunt raccoons. I have never seen a anything like it. Does anyone know what it is? A Scottish Fold maybe? It was HUGE.
The gray weather seems to highlight oddities, such as fungus, bark, and fishing lines.
Not to mention tree faces and the backside of a local restaurant.
If these buds are any indication, some warmer weather (and sun) should be coming soon and we will be able get out and explore without freezing our buns off.
Zoe’s ready.
That is the strangest cat I have ever seen and as for the back of that restaurant!!!!! I wouldn’t have much faith in it’s fresh fish….
The cat was so enormous that it kind of freaked me out. And it sat absolutely still, but tracked my movements. I hope someone reading this will know what breed it is.
I suspect that the restaurant’s kitchen is clean enough, but approaching it from the rear will not whet the appetite.
I have seen a cat that looked like that before… he lived outside and had been involved in numerous fights. The cartilage in his ears had been torn many times, and caused the ears to fold over.
Superb images
Thanks so much. I enjoy the photos on your blog–they really give a flavor of your part of the world.
Thank you
It looks as if we have similar approaches
I think so, too.
I suspect that cat is old, which is why it was just tracking you…the jowls make it look even freakier, as do the Scottish Fold ears. The size is alarming. Something from the Walking Dead :-). On the other hand, your photos and observations are wonderful, as always. I hope you put this all together when you settle down once more, into a book.
Oh, the cat was so strange. Thanks, as always, for your wonderful comments. No book in the future, I’m afraid, the blog will be it!
Lovely photos! Yep, that FL cold is much like the DC Metro’s cold, not so low as Chicago’s, but more humid & just plain nasty!
Thanks for stopping by my place ~
del
Thanks! Humid cold is the worst. I loved the plate on your latest blog post–reminds me of some Australian fabric with similar designs that I bought about 10 years ago. Thanks for stopping by here as well!
You’re welcome! Oooo – fabric! Would love to locate some with similar colours & designs someday… might have to go travelling meself.
Wooden face is one of my favorites among Your gorgeous photos.
I’m not surprised you like that one! They are quite unexpected to see in the live trees. No bear faces here, though.
I love your blog and its photos, Brenda, and I am just going back on some earlier ones I hadn’t read. Do you know that the flower at the top of this page is an Australian callistemon? There are many that grow around here.
Do you call the callistemon a bottle brush tree? That’s the name I’ve always known. I love them and had some vague notion that they were Australian, but wouldn’t have waged anything on it. You have so many beautiful and unusual plants, animals, and birds there, I can’t wait to visit someday. Now, that would be some fun blogging …