When I woke up this morning it was so quiet and it really felt like the “dead of winter” out there. It was misty and the frost was thick on everything.

It looked quite beautiful, really.

Except the quiet was a bit unsettling. There were no noises coming from the dog kennels or poultry pens. Even the little house sparrows who are normally chatty in the viburnum were completely silent.

The only sound I heard was the coffee machine beeping to let me know it was finished but otherwise, stillness.

I suspected I’d look out and see a hawk or two in the trees or circling overhead but there were none. I did spot something in the quaking aspen, though, so I grabbed my camera to get a closer look.

It was the northern flicker in the tree above the bird feeding station! I watched as he made his way around the feeder before I headed out into the quiet stillness to start my rounds.

He is just so cute!

The pups were happy to see me and wanted me to stay out and play but it was just too cold yet for that!

I put food out for everyone and soon the noise level rose as they all came alive. In swooped the starlings and house sparrows. The roosters began to crow happily. The pups yelped and yipped at the left over soup I shared with them.

The little quail chittered at me as I fed them carefully, trying not to scare them since they spook easily and I didn’t want to send them flying up into the poultry netting.

Along the way I noticed that the windmill had lost a blade and quit spinning, which had added to the soundless-ness of the early morning. Usually it squeaks a bit and I hadn’t even realized it was quiet, too!

The starlings probably broke it, I thought to myself.

As I made my way back inside to have my morning coffee I listened to all of the background noise I had stirred up and felt quite satisfied having brought the dead of winter back to life here at our little homestead. 😊