The World in a Water Drop

Well, not quite the world. I find it fascinating that the small drops of water pick up reflections. Frankly, I've never really noticed this before until I started using the macro setting for small stuff.




The ice is in the bays so yesterday we decided to go to two of the local beaches and have a look. Sometimes it sticks around until June which makes the month very cold. Apparently it goes out as far as 200 klms. If the wind turns the right way it will blow it out but of course it could twist around the next day and blow it back in.

Eastport Beach.




Sandy Cove Beach.

I should have had himself stand in the middle of this. I'm told it's a whales jaw bone and used as an archway.


Chick a Dee.

Redpolls and Others.

The weather has turned mild and the snow has shrunk considerably. The feeders have been full of birds lately with the Redpolls coming off and on all day long. Still lots of Juncos around and now there are three pairs of Jays instead of the one pair that's been here lately. As there are usually four pairs around most of the time, I was getting a bit concerned having only the one pair. I saw a male feed a female yesterday and have read that when this happens it mating time. Looks like spring is well on it's way. The Boreal is still here, lots of woodpeckers and black capped Chick a Dees. Quite a racket out there at times.

Redpolls Return

"Let me play the fool:
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come,
And let my liver rather heat with wine
Than my heart cool with mortifying groans."

(From the Merchant of Venice.)

Well, a bit of excitement today. Looked out at the feeder and saw that the Redpolls had returned. Last year it was in February so they are later this year. Maybe because we've had a relatively mild winter over all. It was good to see them, such cute little things. I expect that they may hang around for a while so hoping to get some better shots. They were at the feeders with Juncos and what looks like Siskins in one of the pictures.





Not much has been happening. The snow is slowly melting as we've had a few days above zero. Him inside got a knock on the head yesterday. He was kneeling on the floor in front of the bakers rack getting something out of a basket beside it. He bumped the bakers rack, knocking off a heavy jar that I keep coffee in off the top shelf. It came down right on the top of his head. He said he was seeing stars. Fortunately it didn't break the skin but it sure hurt.

Saturday, a friend of ours, who's an actor, singer, writer, is coming to do his one act play at the Heritage Center. He will stay with us overnight. I had an appointment to have my hair done at the salon on Saturday morning but got a call from one of the women there saying that the one I wanted to do my hair fell down and broke her ankle. She will be off for sometime so I rescheduled the appointment for Tuesday with the woman who phoned. Got to get that grey covered, it's getting to be too much now. It's funny, two women I know have long white hair and they look terrific while white on me looks awful. Oh well!

A couple of pictures of a woodie taken yesterday.

More Snow!

A couple of you said that you looked up "Sheila's Brush" so I myself got curious and found this site with a bit about Sheila and some other weather lore. http://www.bishops.k12.nf.ca/science/escience/weather.htm I saw some interviews on the television news with people on the street in St. John's. They all commented that yes, it was Sheila's Brush.

We were still doing some shoveling yesterday, we were making a pathway up to the house. We decided that if one of us started on one end and the other on the other end, we would get it done quite quickly. It worked! We have what we can only call a road cut from the gate to the back steps, lol. It turned out to be a beautifully sunny day and the temperatures went a bit above zero.

Got up this morning and on looking outside saw that we had another fall of snow. Mind you, it's only about 4 inches so no big deal but it's still coming down....argh!! The weather man on the news said "Don't put your shovels away yet!"

It Came.....

And still falling. To think just a couple of days ago one of the raised beds was free of snow and I was thinking I'd get out and clear it of weeds etc., lol! I was out early, there was at least a foot of snow on the chickens greenhouse roof. I dragged the ladder up around the side of it and started pushing the snow off with a broom. The broom slipped from my hands and went sliding down the other side of the green house. Got down off the ladder, went to see where it landed and saw that the snow was so deep there, that I wasn't going to climb through it to get that broom so made my way back to the house to get another one. Then, of course, it was time to haul the ladder to the feeders as they were piled high with snow and I could see the little Juncos trying to get down through it. That done, I went around to shovel off the front porch as the storm door wouldn't open with all the snow in the way. Himself is now outside trying to get through the snow in the driveway. Oh well, a few warm days and it won't last for long.....I hope! So, I'm off to fill the feeders once again. The Grosbeaks have been by several times and have emptied two feeders.



The car is there somewhere.


There's a barrel here that's at least three feet in height.


Table and chairs.

Big Storm Coming!

As much as I've been going on about the lovely springlike weather, now we are in for it! Storm watch in effect, blizzard conditions, zero visibility and up to 40 cm of snow. The thought of it is enough to do one in. It hasn't started yet, it's light overcast and very still outside. Obviously the calm before the storm.

I've made salads for supper as there is a very good chance that we will lose the electricity. We brought loads of wood inside, got shovels at the ready, although we will hire a snow plow if it's that bad. Himself is still suffering from his fall yesterday. Sore all over. He will be going to the shop shortly to get a few things we may need in the next day or so. I remember my grandmother always saying in March that we have to have Sheila's Brush before winter is over. Maybe this will be it. And to think that yesterday morning, it being the first day of spring, I was outside standing on bare earth with a big stick, pounding it on the ground telling the mother to wake up. lol.

I have to get the feeders stocked shortly, I expect the birds will be filling up on food for sure.
Maybe tomorrow there will be some snow pictures, in the mean time....

The fat cats favorite sleeping position.

The top.


The bottom.


"Mommmmm! I want my dinner."


Don't let this pretty face fool you, she's really a lunatic!


Seems to be just hanging on!

First day of Spring.

I've started....yep, started spring cleaning. Had no intentions of yesterday but there you go, something tweaked inside me and all of a sudden furniture was being hauled out, piled up suitcases being put away, strings of dust vacuumed off the ceiling, etc, etc. And, that's just for starters in one room.

Lovely day though chilly. Although I keep saying how it's been a lot like spring on some days, it will be April before we really see signs of it. Now I know that some of you are seeing spring flowers, even flutters and bees and I'm terribly jealous. But, where I live, just to see a small patch of grass showing up from under the snow is a big plus for the month of March.

This morning himself went up on the roof and cleaned the chimney. Call us crazy but we clean it once a month. I always feel "better to be safe than sorry". Anyway, he cleaned the chimney and was gone for the longest time after. I, of course was busy getting the stove going and making coffee but it did make me wonder what he was doing outside. He comes in all twisted out of shape, he had gone up to put something in the cabin, there was a lot of ice around, he figures if he takes tiny steps he'll be okay but it didn't work. He slipped, went down with an awful bang, hitting on his shoulder, arm and hip. He was just laying there on the ice wondering if he could get himself up or not. Nothing seems broken but I expect there may be some bruising. "A grand start", he says, " to the first day of spring."

A few pictures.
The Boreal Chick a Dee is still around, hanging out with the Black Caps.





Caught in the golden glow of sunrise.

Sunday Morning!

Spring cleaning is definitely going to be on the agenda for this coming week. The sun is coming in through the windows at a different angle these days and all the cob webs and dust bunnies are showing up from over the winter. It's funny, every year at this time the same thing happens. You go through the winter thinking everything is fine then one day the sun comes through in all it's glory and you get a shock when it shows up strings of dust around the ceiling and different corners of the rooms. So, it's time to get the bucket, detergents and rags on the go. Better to do it now as soon, I hope, I'll be out in the garden, not shoveling snow but at the plants.

I have to pick out colours to paint the outside of the house. Not an easy job! I like the dark colours and was considering a rust colour for the main part or even a navy, but the house is so small I'm afraid these colours would make it look much smaller, although it may look cute.

It snowed last night, only about five inches and feather light. I could sweep it off the deck and steps with the broom. Yesterday and the day before were bitterly cold with a wind and night temperatures got down to -14 C. The next few days are suppose to be chilly as well. Still a good bit of snow around as you can see from this picture taken this morning.


A few birds about including the Boreal Chick a Dee. I've only see the one. Seems to be hanging out with the Black Caps.


A couple of male Grosbeaks.

Jay.


Juncos.

Malachi.

Getting ready to pounce.