I'm trying to get kick started here this morning. Not much in the mood for doing much so thought I'd write about my day...yesterday. This past weekend during beach cleanup, I ran into the vet. Told her that Freya was still stumbling when I put the ear drops in her ear. She said to call Monday and make an appointment as these things took time to clear up. Up to six weeks in some cases. Yesterday morning I phoned and got an appointment for 11:10am. So we packed up the cat and took off. Final result...the ear has cleared up well but she was put on another weeks medication. I hope that's the end of it.

We had some shopping to do and I wanted to stock up on things as R. is going for a two week holiday to see his daughter in the US near the end October. I had to get some bird seed so we went to one of the larger department stores. Got out of the car when a pickup pulled up with a dead, large male moose in the back of the truck. There were women going into the store at the time laughing at it and yelling to the guy, "You got your moose." I nearly got sick as did Roger. Not only that but what really sickened me more was that the guy had stuffed his work gloves in the moose's mouth, trying to be funny. I couldn't get my head around how he could be so disrespectful of such a magnificent creature, any creature for that matter. It had upset me so much that I woke up several times during the night with that picture in my head.

Then we went to the supermarket. I noticed the prices on most things had gone up since I'd been there last. They say it's because of the oil prices. I don't know where it's all going to end.

I was out taking pictures a couple of days ago of different flying insects and thinking to myself that if anyone had told me a couple of years ago that I would be taking any pictures, something I very rarely did ever, I would have told them they were crazy, lol. I've gotten quite a fondness for these creatures and really do take too many pictures of them but heigh ho, what can I say. An internet friend, someone I haven't met in person, only to chat with, sent me two books on Butterflies and Dragonflies to help me ID these beautiful creatures. How wonderful is that!

I haven't seen a dragonfly for a while now, but the odd Butterfly and many bees still about. Lots of wasps as well only on warm sunny days for the most part.













A big surprise one of the rose bushes has bloomed again.

Beach Cleanup

This morning we decided to give a hand at cleaning up two of our local beaches. After the frost a couple of days ago, today was glorious. Just like summer again. Sunny, hardly any wind and in the 20's. About a dozen of us showed up and between us two of the beaches were done in a matter of a few hours. We were then treated to a lunch of pizza and juice. Met some new people so all in all it was a great morning. Something I rarely think to do when I go anywhere is take the camera, but today I did.

The first few arrivals at the cook house.


I don't know what this bird is. Some sort of sandpiper I think.


Gulls





Then this strange old bird with his garbage bag lending a hand. lol


And, a bit of scenery.


Oops missed this one. Sandpiper, I think, again.

Frost

Just a few pictures of frost yesterday morning.

Brrrr...Cold Morning.

A friend who has been looking after another friends cat while she's been away, lost the cat. It had been several days since the cat took off and the friend had been frantically looking all over since. Yesterday she phoned and said she knew where the cat was. Roger said he'd get one of our cat carriers and drive to the spot to help her get the cat in the carrier and get him home. Roger came back sometime later and I asked how it went. He said that they got the front half of the cat in the box but he braced his two back legs on the outside of the container and they couldn't get him in. Then he took off again. Sometime later the friend called back saying that it was the wrong cat that they had tried to put in the carrier. It looked like the right cat but belonged to someone else, lol.

Which brings to mind another story which I think I blogged about ages ago. We had this wonderful orange tabby called Thomas. We adored him. It was summer, daughter was here for a few days, I was outside doing something in the garden when Roger got a phone call from the neighbour saying that there was a cat killed on the road and it looked like Tommy. Roger didn't tell me about this and got a plastic bag, went down the road and had a look. The next thing I knew, he was standing near me with the bag and obviously something in it. I said, "What's wrong, what's in the bag. He had tears in his eyes and said "It's Tommy, you don't want to see, he's been hit by a car." With that, I went to pieces. Daughter, who was in the house, came running out wondering what had happened. Once we pulled ourselves together, I got the shovel and we found a lovely spot beneath a tree to bury him. I dug the hole and we laid him to rest, both of us crying our hearts out. Roger went back at something he was doing outside and I went in the house and was sitting at the kitchen table trying to get my head around it all when daughter yells out from the living room, "Mom, come here." I go to see what she wants and there's our Thomas coming out of the bedroom after a nap. I felt as if I had entered the twilight zone! Of course, I then yelled out to Roger "Tommy's here, Tommy's here. " We had buried the wrong cat! We found out later that it was the cat that people down the road owned that looked very much like Thomas. Phoned them, said what had happened, the woman came up, thanking us for burying the cat and we both stood by the grave to say goodbye.

Yesterday we had hail for a short time. It was a strange sight to see this time of year. This morning when I got up it was -4 C but suppose to be a sunny day. I noticed a few Juncos, Fox Sparrow and White throated Sparrows around yesterday. I got a few pictures but not the best. Decided to put them on anyway.


White throated sparrow.


Chick a Dee


Finch


Junco

Nuthatch

Busy Day.

Yesterday, got up before the crack of dawn as usual. Did a load of laundry and got that out on the line. Then as it was sunny with little or no wind I decided to re-do the chickens greenhouse with plastic as winter will soon be coming on. A job I've been putting off as it's up and down the ladder with hammer, nails and strips of wood. It didn't take as long as I had thought and I'm well pleased with the job. Then cleaned out the chicken house which I do at the very least once a week. It's funny how the chickens get interested when I'm doing something, hanging around, muttering and clucking as if saying "What's she at now." A friend brought me some beets he had grown so I bottled those, we do love pickled beets. Then decided to cut back some of the perennials and tidy up a bit. I was tired and aching a bit last night but it was a good feeling. A sense of satisfaction when you get things done.

So, today it's back out in the garden to do more cutting back. Another friend wants some bits of plants so will probably dig some up. I really have to cut herbs and bring them in for drying so may get to that as well if I can get at them before the predicted rain comes later this morning.
Cold this morning so must go and light the fire.

A few butterflies around yesterday. I'm surprised to see them this late in the year but as I've said before, I've seen more butterflies in the garden this year than ever before. Oh, and still loads of bees. When my mom was here she couldn't get over all the bees on the flowers that are still in bloom.

This was a huge one.


Flutters.






A bug.


A few poppies still blooming.