(+1 inset & four notes to read) (Viewing large is recommended for dreamier details! :)

Stepping outside for my walk today, I smiled as I was greeted by the joyful chorus of frogs down at the pond. The temperature's creeped up to a seasonally warm 40°F this morning, but it's not going to last. The forecast promises a dip into the 20's in the next few days so I expect the frogs will need to retreat to their holes until it warms up again.

I know that you US Mid- and East-Coasters are laughing at those numbers given the unbelievable cold you've had to endure lately. I hope you're all faring alright. At times like that I worry about power outages and keeping warm. We've had the terrible combination of extreme cold and power outages with only space heaters to keep us warm until the power returned many hours later. It's no fun and it can be scary too.

I do hope that you have taken advantage of the rare conditions…my eyes gleam thinking about the macro candy land that extreme cold brings with it, though one must be very economical with the pictures you take and stay out for only a few minutes. I do look forward to seeing some of the unique images that come from the polar vortex.

Yesterday I went out for some frosty pictures and as I left the house with my camera, I noticed what appeared to be a green bottle fly huddled on the porch wall. Something about it didn't quite look right but I didn't have time to take a closer peek. I was on a mission to get pictures of the "frost bush" next to the sporophytes down at the gate and my 15-Minute Cold Timer began ticking the second I left the house. I have learned to respect that timer…if I don't my extremities get excruciatingly, painfully cold. A fly was not worth my attention.

When I returned to the house I saw the fly again and couldn't resist bending down to stare at it. Instantly I saw what seemed off to me. It wasn't a fly at all--it was a sweat bee*! And the largest I'd ever seen, in fact. These bees tend to be quite small, but this one was the same size as a green bottle fly. (Sweat Bees range in size between 0.12 to 0.40 in / 3 to 10 mm, while Bottle Flies range between 0.28 to 0.63 in / 7 to 16 mm) *NOTE: This is actually a MASON BEE and was identified on the Bug Guide

Such a gorgeous and special find was irresistible and I took a few pictures before diving into the warmth of the house, fingers and toes burning from the cold. I didn't expect to get anything good from my quick snaps but as you can see, I managed to get a winner! You'll notice that I dressed up the white wall setting with some filters and the outcome worked out very nicely I think. :)

I'm also including a panorama of a lovely afternoon a couple of days ago. We really do get some incredible views!

Pam, are you guys in the polar vortex region? If so, I hope that you don't get any power outages and have backup heating just in case! Stay warm! *BIG HUGGGGGS from southern Oregon* :)