So Cold You Can See Your Breath!

It's spring, but we're a few weeks behind this year on the usual signs of its coming. Some days it feels like winter in the morning and spring in the afternoon.

Thursday morning, it was VERY cold. Around 18 degrees F, or -8 C. Brr! I thought I might be able to capture a picture of some hoar frost, or maybe some mist rising on one of our local ponds. So I stopped at one of them to have a look-see.

What I found was that the pond had been taken over by a number of geese. They are pairing up these days and looking for places to nest. I received a raucous welcome when I got out of my car.

HARNK-HARNK!! HARNK-HARNK!!

Several raised heads and loud honking. Warning honks, or so it seemed. But what made me laugh out loud was something that I've never seen before. It was so cold that every honk provided not only audio but visuals as well. I would HEAR the honk as it came out of the goose's mouth, and then I could SEE a little puff of steam!

Now, I know that geese are warm-blooded creatures, so it makes sense that this should happen. But I had never seen it before so I thought it blip-worthy! (This is twice in one week, folks. First that curled-up squirrel in the tree on Tuesday, now this.)

A song to accompany this photo: Joni Mitchell, Come in from the Cold.