Christmas 2008

Had a great day with the kids and Becky's "beau". Quite cold, but lots to do inside with new puzzles, games and dinner of course!

Boxing Day and more snow overnight, so back on the tractor for Bruce while Erin and I watched.

Actually Erin played in the snow, much nicer snow than she would ever find in Toronto!!!

November walk

Went for a walk today by the bay and along the river...

It's been pretty cool these days, and the rocks along the river edge were
cased in ice

Frosty clumps along the shoreline

Isn't this cute? He was eating something from the dogwood bushes,
not sure what...dried berries mayhaps

I've been remiss...so here you go!

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything. Here are pictures of our exciting, action-packed lives since July. So, sit back and here we go! (It won't take too long).

Becky's 20th birthday with her bf Tyler

Deer in a marshy area

The two storey addition Bruce did. New livingroom, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The deck is attached to the old section.

Point Pelee boardwalk at Thanksgiving.

Erin and Bruce on the shore at Point Pelee

A Kingsville seagull...the excitement was unmanageable!

The arrival of the winter fuel. Only half of this was ours...thank goodness.

Bruce and Tyler have a splitting good time...Becky was supervising.

Only 2/3's of a pile left to go!

A frosty morning on the grasses in the field

A frosty daisy on the same morning in October

A foggy morning this week. Taken from our upper deck at about 11 a.m.

same fog...

Here a heron, there a heron....

Just when I thought my life couldn't get very much more exciting, it did! I was hired to sit beside the highway and observe the activities of great blue herons. I said for a total of 34 hours over a period of 3 days, making sure the birds were not unduly stressed by the activities of the highway crews. The gov't obviously thinks that this would be much more disturbing than the freight trains below them. For your information, I saw 2 birds.

This is the intrepid birder carrying out her task. Notice the essential camouflage necessary to blend into the trees so as to be unobserved by the very sensitive birds.

Look Susan! A heron...quick, take a picture!

The object of my affection...can you see it?
Don't feel bad, I couldn't either for the better part of 3 days!
(it is there)

The pulverizer, which made a slight whirring sound and spewed diesel fumes, didn't seem to bother the heron(s). I figure it was a break in the boredom of sitting in a poplar tree!
By the afternoon of the 3rd day, there was no sign of any birds...my job was done.

Posies and a Grasshopper

Various blooms and blossoms in our "neighbourwoods"

Anenome

Buttercup

Red Clover

Dandelion

After a rain

Columbine

Cow Parsnip

European Columbine

Spreading Dogbane

Bull Thistle

Hopper-grasser

Yarrow

Birdsfoot Trefoil decorated with dew

Dewy Daisy

Lily of the Valley

Beach Pea

Kestrel cuties. Oh, and a pelican

The youngsters have finally appeared in the trees. Unfortunately I found the remains of one of them one night after a larger species of hawk took it from the nest. There are two now, and they are making quite a commotion, waiting for food. I personally think that they should be a lot quieter as their brother/sister was "done in" by one of the hawks around here.

As I was standing in the lake getting swimmer's itch, a pelican landed very close by. He noticed me finally and took off, but I snapped this as he went by.
(does one snap a digital camera...must be a more modern expression...zap, perhaps?)

A Kestrel's Quarters

I have tracked down the hole where the sparrow hawk family has been nesting. It's a live tree on the edge of the hill in front of our place. I've been keeping an eye on the comings and goings, and I'm hoping to spy the youngsters one of these days.
This parent was just leaving the hole after leaving some tasty morsel for the kids.

Up, Up and Away

Had our visit from the Hydro One helicopter this afternoon.

The line up to the helicopter was 100'

At the foot of the driveway...the gravel was biting my legs, but I endured!

Above the place it would stay

No more ring-neck ducks Pat!

I know I'm a bit lazy about updating this blog, so here are a few new ones.

I expect to have some interesting ones tomorrow, as Hydro One is coming with a helicopter to install a new pole on the corner of the property.

I enjoy nodding trilliums...we don't have the other ones here, at least I've never found one.

The evening out at the lake before our fireworks on Sunday night.

My apologies to the fox, but this has to be the scraggliest one I have ever seeen. I was standing out in the lake, because I won't walk on the trail ever since I found bear poo, and this guy wasn't sure whether he should be afraid of me or not. I walked down to where the eagle's next is, and could see one youngster up in the nest. He was peeking out, but the distance is too great for any sort of decent pictures.