Big bird -

Like a Pterodactyl - pronounced terrodactill, that ancient flying dinosaur -
(he/she) looms over the fishpond.
I walk through the kitchen maybe sixty? times a day, and stop dead in my tracks
seeing this out the window -

It's one of those herons who shows up in winter -
The leaf cover is down and they can spot the pond from way up above.
To save the fishes, there is wire over the pond. They can only look.

 Another day, another one, perhaps younger -
 a wraith-like figure wavering in the mist and rain, as if it could be be blown away.
,  

 We added a loose mountain of hardware cloth over the pond for added camouflage,
 which seems to be working, no sightings this week.
 A dove surveys the yard from this new vantage;
 A gentle guardian and momentary king of the hill.

                              ... And the golden treasure lies safe in the depths of the water:

 This site is linked to Our World Tuesday, check it out !

Local farmyard -

       Blanketed on a wet snowy day...

        Sheep, ducks and geese congregate for lunch...

                                           
                           There are many conversations going on -

 

Some more heated than others.

White on white, the geese look like cotton balls ready to be picked, camouflaged by the falling snow...

        I had never noticed how beautiful the eyes of sheep were,
        or perhaps I had just never been close enough to notice -

The peace of  the scene overwhelmed me,

                                      None of this happens without loving care.

Linked to Our World Tuesday, my favorite site.