Middle of May

 We had a couple of summer like days last week so I took advantage of it and went to work on the garden.  The large bed in front was in an awful state, grass and weeds had almost taken over.  Some of the poor plants had to be dug up and thrown away because they were so full of grass and being smothered that there was no way to get it out.  I also had to get rid of some branches on the black currant tree that had seen their day and were dead.  It was beyond feeling good to get outside at stuff again.  It has now been wet for days with the chance of a brief glimpse of the sun sometime today.  Very cold too.  We had frost overnight, 

Tommy has taken over Frankie's basket  Frankie is not happy about this situation,

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Spring is on the Way

 I've been able to do some work in the garden this past few days.  Although I have aches and pains by the end of the day, it's a great feeling to finally get outside.  Today it's -4 c so I'll not likely get much done today.  I have two large sheds that are packed with all sorts of stuff.  One of the projects once the weather warms up is to go through them both and start getting rid of things I don't need.  I'm a bit of a  pack rat I'm afraid.

We've had a brush of snow overnight which disappeared as the day wore on with much the same prediction for the next few day.   Well it is April and we can't expect much different.  

The work on the small bedroom is finished and it looks wonderful.  Now I have to get one end of the deck replaced as the wood has rotted.  I also need to get a few heavy tree branches cut and two shepherds hooks that a bear hauled bird feeders off last year and bent the hooks to the ground.  I'm hoping these can be straightened out. 

A gift made by my daughter.  A deer head made of bits of driftwood she finds on the beaches and bits of mosses she finds in the woods.  

It's been a while.

 The other day I was telling a friend that I use to blog at one time and this got me to go back and have a look at Wytchwood Ramblings.  This inspired me to start again although my life seems so uneventful that it's hard to know what to write at times.

This past few days, as my Grandmother would say, I'm in slings.  I'm getting the smaller of my two bedrooms renovated so this means that everything had to be taken out of that room, and believe me it was an awful lot of stuff.  My house is small so now there is just room enough to get through it.  I'm so looking forward to it being finished.

As I'm an older woman living alone, I find the winters here hard on me.  The shoveling and hauling wood in every day in particular takes it's toll.  My joy are the crows.  I have twenty to thirty plus coming each day at daybreak for their breakfast. When they see me come out the door with their food, the place goes up.  Oh how I love it. 

I had an amazing visitor in the garden last week.  A Northern Goshawk.  A big, fierce bird.  A magnificent creature.  I was able to get this photo.

There's still patches of snow on the ground and not much above zero each day.  I'm longing to get out at the garden again.  Soon hopefully.

Month of March

After a winter, so far, with very little snow, we've been dumped on this past two days and it's still coming down.  Well over a foot of snow so far.  Thankfully there hasn't been much wind.  My body is a wreck from shoveling.  I was outside at six a m this morning hoping to get a start on it all over again, not realizing that it was still coming down.  I did the steps and a pathway to the door then came back inside.  I'm now waiting for daylight so I can clean off the feeders and put food out for the birds.  There were loads of birds here all day yesterday looking for something to eat.  I put food out a few times during the day.  I suppose it's difficult for them to find food with all the snow covering the ground and trees.

Still, you can sense that spring is not far off now.  For a gardener like myself this brings  a feeling of excitement.  I even brought all my seed packets out of storage a few days ago to plan on what to start inside. 

I've had some leaks coming through the roof on the back part of the house.   This will be taken care of once the snow goes and the weather warms up a bit.  The back deck is starting to rot so that will also have to be re built.  I suppose after almost forty years, I can't complain. 

Here's some recent pictures.

Morning Visitors

Some of this mornings visitors.

This little squirrel is peeking out of the tree trunk where she's building a nest.  I've been watching her bring bits of plants inside.

I've been making another sign for the garden.  I'm getting anxious for spring these days.

Imbolc.

Not quite the end of winter for us but it's been looking very hopeful.  We've had unbelievably mild weather off and on this season.  Above zero temperatures on many days including today.  I've not had to shovel snow very much which in itself is a blessing.  And here we are, into February and a short month at that!  Yes, I've been thinking of spring and planting, moving plants from one spot to another, weeding, cleaning up the beds, etc.  I always feel and have said many times that once we're into March, hope is in the air. 

So...there's a squirrel making a nest in one of the Aspen trees.  I saw her today going in and out a hole in the tree, bringing bits of greenery inside.  There have been lots of Juncos here most days and of course Chick a Dees.  Not many Jays which is strange. 

Some pictures I've taken this week.

Malachi

I believe this is the squirrel I've seen nesting.

Nice to see the Woodpeckers around again.  I was missing them for a while.

And a little beauty of a Hawk here one day.