Creation never ceases to amaze me! Love your photos Konrad!

Great pics!! I took a stroll thru your yard pics - absolutely beautiful!! You've been busy. Love the Wave petunia/Creeping Jenny combo; the Elephant ears w/red petunias?; the Caladiums/ferns; and the Cottage walk. I've always wanted a path like that here in the woods, but the Copperheads won't let me. What variety is the Canna?

Thanks Angie. I will indeed photograph more often. I set the tripod and camera in my kitchen sink and the feeder is maybe nine feet away. The birds are becoming more and more trusting of me. When I go outside in the morning to fill the feeder (sunflower hearts) there's singing and more and more birds are venturing closer to me... especially a Downy woodpecker. He will allow me to get near the feeder when he's on the railing before he flies off. Of course I enjoy greeting him and the other birds with a simple: "hello guys" or "good morning guys" One question I have is the use of capitalization when talking about birds. I'm very well versed in trees/etc- What is correct with birds, i.e.: Northern Cardinal or Northern cardinal White-breasted Nuthatch or White-breasted nuthatch The "common names" of trees are always lower case, i.e. fir, spruce, maple, oak, etc- Never Oak or Maple, etc- Many thanks guys and gals! Dax

Downys also use thermoregulation in the winter to conserve energy. They can slow their heart beat and reduce body temperature - sort of a mini hibernation. I've seen many photos of people in the dead of winter going out after dark and taking pictures of downies "sleeping" in bluebird boxes. You can open the box and they dont wake up. I was meaning to try it this winter, since I have a BB box a Downy uses. I never made it out this year and the extreme cold temperatures are past us, maybe next year.