This male cardinal is surveying the area around a bird feeder, where it would periodically feed on the ground below the feeder and then return to the safety of a tree perch. Cardinals are frequent visitors of feeders and are easily spotted, especially against the contrast of white winter snow.
Late-season wild weather
A multi-day snow event starting on the 24th of February affected the area, with over a yard of snow falling in many areas. Not only did it affect us, but it profoundly affected the area’s wildlife. Areas that were largely snow-free a day before were now covered by a thick white blanket.
Last week Willy Landem, my Texas fishing buddy, and his cousin “Split” Kane came over to our place for a fly-tying session. As fur and feathers were being applied to steel, the talk turned to the vagaries of fly fishing for trout. While Willy and I having been playing this game for some time, the only thing we have learned for sure is that there are no hard and fast rules. Many fly fishers spend their lives making rules for trout. The fish spend their lives breaking the rules. Young Mr. Kane, being more of a newcomer to the art of fly fishing, feels he has learned some absolutes of the game. Some may wonder where the nickname “Split” comes from. In Texas, it’s said that to ride a horse a fella needs to be split up the middle. Split Kane sure fits that description.
