It is December 8 and this past weekend, we had our first "official" snowfall. In my backyard I have 7" of snow and I've made certain that the three bird feeders on my back deck always have bird seed in them. My kitchen sink is strategically placed below a window with a direct line to see these feathered creatures come to feed. I also have a reference book of bird photos which sits near the window sill so that I can identify each winged "diner".


Later on in the season, when we start eating grapefruit (to beef up our Vitamin C intake), I take the emptied rinds and fill them with a combination of bacon fat and bird seed. The birds love it and it helps boost their layer of "insulation" through the really cold months of January and February.


While I was browsing through the wood section of my favorite craft store I came upon unfinished wooden bird houses and a butterfly box that were on clearance. I snatched these up in a hurry and decided that over Christmas break I would paint these and get them ready for next Spring. I bought a book several years ago and took my cue from some of the suggestions in it. The book is entitled, "Quaint Birdhouses You Can Paint and Decorate", by Dorothy Egan. The author presents several different ideas on how to paint your birdhouses. There are birdhouse "libraries", "churches", a "Post Office" and a restaurant - just to name a few.


As much as I love winter, when the mercury dips below -10 degrees and the wind chill is enough to freeze a foot of ice, I'll leave the outdoor stuff to the ice fisherman in their little huts on the Mississippi. This is when I get out all the craft projects I've been collecting over the year and get "busy".