There are a lot of limbs down at CasaBalla, with all of the ice and snow that has been hanging from the trees. The most compelling concern is the large branch that is hanging right down in front of our door, partially blocking the way in and out. That's it right there in the top picture. As for the bottom picture, there's nothing like a pair of Goldens in the snow...
This was the sight we beheld over MLK weekend when we left Rehoboth Beach to make our way home. We weren't sure at the time what type of birds they were nor what they were doing. Difficult to say whether they were taking a break while en route to their migration destination or if this is the place they stay year round. Whatever the case, they were causing quite a stir on Route 14. A few cars, including ours, of course, pulled over to get a closer look and a few pictures of this special sight.
A little research revealed the following facts...
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (Mowbray, T. B., F. Cooke, and B. Ganter):
A medium-sized goose that breeds on the arctic tundra, the Snow Goose travels south in very large, high-flying, noisy flocks.
Breeds on subarctic and arctic tundra, near ponds or streams.
Winters in coastal marshes and bays, wet grasslands, freshwater marshes, and cultivated fields.
Entirely vegetarian. Eats variety of plant species and parts, from aquatic plants to grasses and grain.
They had traveled a long way to be there, and we were glad that they had!
The top picture is Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL), a friend of mine dating back to our days in grad school together. In his own words, he's not backing down...and neither is the rest of the movement!
A few weeks ago, none of us had ever heard of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. But there we were the other day, at the National Gallery of Art, staring at portraits of rulers from Prague and the Habsburg Court...portraits made out of fruits, vegetables, fish, animals, roots, trees, and other oddities. It's a wonder the guy wasn't beheaded!
And it's a wonder (at least to this fan of modern art) that Arcimboldo's work apparently went largely undiscovered for four hundred years.
~Steve
PS: Click here for images of my favorite Arcimboldo portrait, which, when turned upside down, is a basket of fruit.
The View Out The Doors
