The Day After the Storm

A beautiful sunny day. Cold, but no wind. So, off with the shovels once again and they say there is another load of snow coming tomorrow. Loads of birds around again. Some pictures of the garden this morning.

December 28th., 2007

We're having a bit of a snow storm today. It hasn't stopped. High winds as well. We've been shoveling several times. I've been to the feeders three times as there are loads of birds and the food is going fast. I've been up on the ladder several times pushing the snow off the hens place and shoveling around their door so I can get in and out. It is piling up again pretty fast after each clearing. My body feels a wreck! The snow is suppose to go on all day and overnight, clearing tomorrow. The electricity hasn't gone out, thank goodness. Maybe it won't this time. I got a few pictures of some of the birds, a few aren't that sharp and I don't know if it's because I took them from inside through the window or if it's because of the blowing snow. I will take some of the snow tomorrow when it clears. In these pictures the storm doesn't look as bad as it really is.

Boxing Day, 2007

The temperatures have warmed up some, if you can call it warm. Waking up to -2 and -4 C rather than the dreadful mornings of -18C. Christmas Day was very quiet but enjoyable. We've been eating far too many sweets and food in general. Got to get geared up to lose weight once New Years Day is over and done with. Maybe I'll be able to get back into my little bikini by summer, ho, ho, ho.

Xmas eve morning just before daylight I was outside putting food in the bird feeders when I saw a larger bird running across the ground. It flew up in a spruce tree over by the stream and I knew it was a Grouse. Nothing else to do but run in and get the camera. Made my way through the snow to get through to the woods and as it was still dark I had a hard time trying to find the bird. I was just about ready to give up when I saw what looked like a ball type object on one of the branches. I got the picture below. Not one of my best, but decided to put it on anyway. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)


A few pictures I took this morning.

December, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
TO EVERYONE.

December 19th., 2007

Nothing to blog about so went out in the chill and took some pictures.

Chick a Dee


Blue Jays

Junco
The small Downy Woodpecker, female

The larger Hairy Woodpecker, male.

The Weather Outside is Frightful.

We woke up to blizzard conditions this morning although it has stopped snowing now but still quite windy. I'm surprised the electricity hasn't been knocked out as that's what usually happens in bad weather around here. The morning was spent shoveling, getting food to the feeders, the poor little birds were having a hard time of it, up on the ladder once again to push the snow off the chickens greenhouse area and bringing in wood for the fire. At least the temperature has warmed up some from what it has been.

I was reading a friends blog where she mentioned a doll that she had gotten for xmas when she was young. That brought back a memory of mine of a boy doll that I received as a xmas gift when I was a little girl. It was sent from someone in England and at that time, to receive a gift from another country was a big deal. I remember he had a hand knitted outfit on and I can still picture him as I write this. Anyway, curiosity kicked in and I phoned my mother to see if she remembered anything about it. Yes, she said, during the war years, my grandparents befriended a young man in the British Navy and he would often come to the house. She even remembered his name...Maxwell McDuff. He had a sister in England and thinks it might have been in Stratford. My grandmother and the sister use to correspond and she's the one who sent me the doll. The sister died a few years later and when Max, as they called him got back home, he sent my grandmother a bracelet, which my mother still has. I said to my mother that I wish I still had all my dolls but when I grew up they were given away. She said that was the way it was, they would give stuff like that to people who didn't have as much as we did. A nice thought, but still, wish I could see them all again.

A couple of pictures of the storm this morning. Funny, they don't make it look as bad as it was.



This one looks like a terribly blurry picture, but it's the snow swirling around.


A few bits and bobs, taken a couple of days ago.


A try at capturing the sunlight coming through the window.


Roger arriving home from walk to the stores a few days ago.

December 14th, Freezing!!

-18 C. I'm fed up with the cold. No sign of it ending anytime soon either. The two young cats are driving me mad as well, not only have I had to replace five shower curtains, not only is the new carpet I put on the steps shredded, not only are plants knocked over from time to time, but now it's fun time with the xmas tree!!! After getting up this morning, it took me a while to see that the tree wasn't looking quite right. Well it wasn't right!!! Obviously during the night they had a great bit of fun. The beaded stuff that I had looped from branch to branch was at the bottom of the tree, ornaments were on the floor, the strings of lights were dragged down and the branches were all a screw and flattened. There is no way I can get it back to the way it was unless I take everything off and start over again and I'm not doing that. I was thinking that if I piled the gifts up under the tree then they wouldn't be able to get at it but then realized that they would probably tear all the wrapping off the gifts. The two brothers are a menace. Well, now that I have that off my chest, lol, just needed to rant.

I hadn't seen any Nuthatches for some time. There are lots at the feeders during the summer months but since fall came in they disappeared. Yesterday there was one at the feeder. I expect they will come around now. They need the suet, etc. to fill up on with the cold weather. A couple of pictures I took yesterday.

December 14th, 2007

I've been Tagged by Pete

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? - Wrapping paper. I love wrapping gifts and adding baubles, beads and glitz although this year I didn't go through the trouble.

2. Real tree or artificial? - Artificial, I don't see the need to kill a tree if it's not necessary.

3. When do you put up the tree? - Usually just before the winter solstice but this year I put it up earlier. Just felt in the mood.

4. When do you take the tree down? - The day after New Years Day.

5. Do you like eggnog? - I do like eggnog and brandy over the holidays but only have it when I can get the egg less kind of eggnog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? - This is going back a long way. I remember when dolls with rooted hair first came out. I wanted one desperately, I've always loved dolls, still do. I was over the moon when Santa brought me one. I adored her.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? - No

8. Hardest person to buy for? - Roger, he doesn't particularly like anything I get him.

9. Easiest person to buy for? -Me, just get me books, books and more books.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? - Well, I don't know if it was the worse gift but it was certainly the most disappointing. When I was quite young, just before Christmas my father was dropping hints as to what they were getting me. He would make dog sounds like "Woof, Woof", I was convinced they were getting me a puppy. Christmas Day arrived and there was a large stuffed toy dog under the tree. I don't think I've ever gotten over that.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? - Usually mail.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? - A Christmas Carol with Alister Simms. Very old but I've yet to see a better one.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? - Hmm, about November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? - Not that I can recall.

15. Favorite thing to eat/drink at Christmas? - Chocolates and Irish Coffee.

16. Clear lights or coloured on the tree? - Coloured.

17. Favorite Christmas song? - Don't have one.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? - Always stay at home.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? - Of course. I thought everyone could.

20. Angel on the tree top or a Star?- Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? - Morning.

December 13th., Cold and Snow

Woke up this morning and saw that it had snowed overnight. More shoveling! The sky is milky at the moment with the odd bit of blue coming through. As soon as it was daylight, I shoveled off the deck and then had to get up on the ladder once again to get all the snow off the hens quarters. Something I will be doing regularly I expect from now til April. That done, I brought in some wood for the fire and had breakfast. Then I remembered a dvd I bought last year and never played of a fireplace with the fire going and xmas music playing. Of course I bought this at my fathers insistence when I was in the city last winter. He just loves this kind of stuff, lol. I turned the house upside down looking for it and finally after going through everything I could think of, found it. I put it on to try it out and yell for Roger to come see and of course he says it's the most ridiculous thing he's ever seen. What an old hum bug scrooge.

Yesterday we decided to go pick up a few things at the stores and thought we'd run into the second hand shop to have a look around. I immediately spied this wonderful lamp that hangs from the ceiling with a chain. It's looks rather like a giant onion with brass on the top and bottom, with the glass itself being amber in colour. And the price....one dollar. Well, I couldn't very well leave it there. Of course, himself says it's the ugliest thing he's ever seen and what am I going to do with it! I say that I think it's quite sexy and will put it in the bedroom. I'm sure he was hoping I would drop it and break it on the way to the car, lol. Anyway, will put it up after xmas.

So, I'm off now with a container of cat urine. What you might ask is she going to do with a container of cat urine, ha, ha, ha. Well, I have rats under the hen house and a friend suggested I google rat deterents. So, before daylight this is what I was doing and came across this idea. I figured it was worth a try.

A few pictures. Junco, Chick a Dee and the snow this morning for those friends in particular who get about 2 cm all winter. lol. And to remind them that this is just the beginning.

December 9th., 2007

It's been snowing off and on all week and chilly. Nothing much has been happening of late. Loads of Chick a dees at the feeders these days and the Juncos have arrived. Today a flock of Evening Grosbeaks came to feed up on sunflower seeds. It seems to be the only thing that attracts them. Took these pictures looking out the kitchen window. Unfortunately the window was dusty so they are not as sharp as they could be.

December 7th. Busy, busy!

Got the tree up and decorated, mantle decorated, and my Santa collection arranged. Now I have to find a place to put the xmas houses. Gifts are all bought, ones to be sent off are in the mail and most of the others are wrapped. Whew.....took me all morning! Still some more things to finish up but I've had enough of it for one day, will start again in the morning.

A little Chick a Dee hit the window yesterday morning. I ran out and it was lying there with wings spread and not moving. I gently picked him up and still very little movement. The only thing I could think of to do was to put him on the platform feeder which is high up from the ground. I didn't have much hope for him although I could see his neck wasn't broken but there was little life left it seemed. I kept checking on him and after about half an hour he flew off. What a relief. I guess he had been knocked out.

It's been a beautiful sunny day but chilly. No wind thank goodness. The chickens are disgruntled as they won't come out when there is snow down. Can't say that I blame them. They do have lots of room to go around in their green house section, still, I feel bad as they are use to being out and about.

I've been in a lot of pain with my shoulder and neck for three days. Don't know what I've done with it. The only thing I can think of is that I pulled something while trying to haul the ladder around the stacked wood to go up and clear the snow off the chickens roof.

The settings on my camera got buggered up when I was in the city last weekend. I won't go into why, enough to say I was not very happy. Back to the flippin manual. Well, after two days, I finally got it back to normal.

A few pictures of the "same old, same old".





December Sky.