Grey day, with accent colours.

The morning dawned grey and cold, and the few rays of pale sunshine that warmed the treetops were gone by noon. We put off going to the beach; the warmth of home appealed to us more. I fed my home birds and stood at the window, attempting to take photos in the shade without flash. The juncos and sparrows proved impossible; brown blurs on brown earth under brown branches. At least I was warm.

And there was still plenty to see:

Chickadee and turtle. The birdbath is stored until it stops freezing unexpectedly, but Mr. T. holds drinking water.

Rather scruffy squirrel. One of a pair that came together, and obviously the loser of several fights. Patches of hair missing, a bloody ear, and a badly irritated eye. (On the left side, not visible.)

Varied thrush, stopping the search for grubs to see what I was up to.

Checking the aquarium, I found a carnivorous snail eating light, for a change.

Detail of the shell. Look at that unusual squiggly tip.

Distant sunset 

We made a quick trip to the mall for muffins and meds. The sky, as we walked back to the car, was covered in spectacular, bright clouds. By the time I'd freed my hands, got the camera out of my pocket, and turned it on, it had faded to this. Sic transit gloria, Monday! (Sorry. I'll be good now.)

Injured Epimedium*. Not exactly Rowdy* at the moment.

I love this plant; it stays green through the winter, and when everything else freezes, it just turns red and keeps on growing. This winter, however, I was cleaning up before Christmas, and jostled the planter. Turns out the hook was rusty, after several years of use. It broke off and the whole (heavy) pot landed upside-down on my head. Ouch!

Luckily, most of the soil was frozen hard, so it stayed together. But the top of the plant was worse off than my head, broken and twisted. And I had no time to deal with it, so it got jammed back in the pot any old way. It will recover, but not yet. Still, it soldiers valiantly on, providing colour and cheer even on grey days.

*Also patiently tolerating other names, such as Rowdy Lamb Herb, Barrenwort, Bishop's Hat, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, or Yin Yang Huo. (Wikipedia)