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.

Monday

My parents arrived on Thursday and left yesterday. They usually only stay a couple of days mainly because my father gets bored and wants to get back to the city. It's strange that lately funny things that have happened over the years have been popping into my head. I was remembering one time they were here, my father had just spent hundreds of dollars on new false teeth (uppers). He was quite proud of them I might add. So the first morning they got up and Roger had just finished in the bathroom, washing, shaving, etc. He came out and dad went in. He wasn't in there long when he came out and said he couldn't find his false teeth. Said he had left them on the bathroom window sill wrapped in a paper napkin. Mom and I went in to look around....no sign of the teeth. I then asked Roger if he had seen dads teeth, wrapped in a paper napkin on the sill. He says that he didn't see any teeth but there was a paper napkin on the window sill and he flushed it down the toilet. Well....Dad was livid, I burst into tears, Roger tried to lighten the situation by saying that we could dig down to the septic tank, take the cover off and look for the teeth, a bad move! And, mother was in the middle of it all trying to calm everyone down. Well, my father being a rather vain man wasn't going to stay around here with no teeth in his head so he told my mother to pack her bags, he was going back to the city. Of course, now I can laugh at it but at the time it was terrible.

It was a good visit this time. Friday night we had friends in to celebrate Rogers birthday. Had a fine time although I don't think Dad heard a word that was said as he's gone quite deaf this past year and doesn't want to spend the money on a hearing aid. I think he's starting to change his mind about that now though because he realizes he's missing out on so much.

The weather has been quite nice. Leaves are changing colour and I'm looking forward to those wonderful smells that fall provides. I expect I'll be busy all this week preparing for winter. No signs of any bears as yet. Will be next month if they do decide to come around.

Bittersweet berries.

Crown Vetch.



Spider with dinner.

Update.

Freya, the cat, is somewhat better but she has a way to go yet. I think the meds finally kicked in today, she was a bit wobbly this morning but seemed to get a bit better as the day wore on. Hoping it's all up hill from now on. Parents are coming tomorrow for a few days and we will be celebrating Rogers birthday Friday night with a few friends.

Was just getting out of the car after coming from store when I saw a white butterfly with a bit of black around it's wings. I've been trying to get a picture of one all summer but they just wouldn't land. Here was this one on a leaf. Dropped groceries on the ground and ran for the camera. Came back out and no sign of the butterfly. I did get some bugs though.

Stressful Morning!

It started yesterday afternoon when Roger said that one of the cats was trying to get up on a chair and it looked like her legs gave out. So, I checked out the legs thinking she may have hurt them somehow but everything seemed okay. This morning when I got up she was falling all over the place, didn't have any balance. Threw up a bit but ate her breakfast. Phoned the vet and explained the situation then we took off for the hours drive to Gander. Cat was in the carrier crying as she didn't like the whole situation, got half way there when Roger needed to go pee. Pulled the car off to the side of the highway, he got out, no cars coming either way so he started to "go". Oh, Oh, two cars coming so he had to stop....started again...more cars coming. He gets back in the car fuming about the blankety, blank cars on the road. By the time we got to the vet he was practically dancing he had to go so bad. He then went into the bathroom at the vets and when finished couldn't get out, had somehow locked himself in. Honestly, I just can't take him anywhere, lol. He did get out eventually.

So vet looked at the cat. After I explained the situation she gave her a thorough going over and the cat had a badly infected ear. Lots of pus deep down. They cleaned the ear and gave me antibiotics and ear drops. A 14 day treatment. I can get the pills into her but I get more of the drops outside the ear than in, she struggles so much. Anyway, she is walking slightly better now. Hopefully in a few days she'll be feeling better.

It turned out to be a lovely day weather wise. Very windy but a warm wind. Yesterday I saw a butterfly in the garden. One of the few left to see I'd say as it's getting colder. Thought I'd best get a few pictures as it may be my last chance for this year.




Blue jay.

Sunday, Sept. 14, 08

Early this morning two friends stopped by on their walk for coffee, croissants, cheese and crackers and a grand chat. Then they wanted to walk the pathways around the flower gardens and I saw that one of the archways was flat on the ground. I don't know what happened, it would have taken quite a push to have it all beaten down. Very strange indeed. So off the women went, headed for the beach down the road. They were going to walk up this beach, go around the rocks to the next beach and then take the road back home. Well, about ten minutes after they had left, they were back here again all out of breath. As they were going off the road onto the beach right in front of them was a coyote. Needless to say they didn't feel like continuing their walk as the coyote turned around and headed for the beach himself. So Roger drove them back home. Now I have to keep watch because of the chickens. I'm hoping that the creature won't decide to come this way. I'm thinking that may be what went after the hens back a few weeks ago.

It's a beautiful day once again. Yesterday we went to a flea market in one of the nearby communities. I know, I know, I really wasn't going to go but called a neighbour to see if she'd like to go as her husband is not well and I thought she might like a break. She said she'd love to go so off we went. There was a nice crowd there and at first look I didn't think there was anything that I wanted. But...on the second go around, I came out with my arms full. I bought some very nice dinner plates, not that I needed more mind you but thought a change would be nice. A couple of garden lanterns and two wall sconces that himself wanted to get. Where they'll go I have no idea.

We must have had rain overnight as everything is very wet outside. I'm hoping the sun will dry it up today as the grass is in desperate need of cutting. I haven't taken many pictures lately except of the squirrel. How can I resist! A little character with so much expression on his face.

Yesterday the rain came out of the heavens in sheets with wind as well. It was damp and cool so lit the fire and started back at the fall cleaning that I've been doing all week. Body is aching a bit at the moment what with moving furniture, hauling boxes that have been stored for ages to go through and see what's there, washing curtains, ceilings and some of the walls. I'm going to sit back with a book shortly and take a well deserved rest.

Today the sun is shining, a bit of a soft breeze. I decided after lunch to go out with the camera to have a look around. Still a good many bees about, saw a dragonfly and it landed, managed to get two pictures taken before it flew away, ran in the house full of excitement, took them off.....both blurry...sigh! I don't say they will be around much longer as the days are getting colder so thought this was probably my last chance to get a picture.

I expect in the next few days I'll have to start moving some of the plants to better spots. Several small weigela and some rose bushes. So much to do and so little time! I don't know where the weeks are going. It seems Monday comes and before I can turn around it's the weekend again.

Not a lot of birds around these days, jays, crows, and woodpeckers mostly. The occasional chick a dee and finch. A few of the pictures I took today.....

Bee on Teasel


Don't know what this is, looks like some kind of wasp.


Woodpecker.

Soda Bread Recipe for Juli.

My version.

4 tbls. butter
half a cup of sugar
2 egg
4 cups flour (instead of the 4 cups of flour, I put 1 cup of white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 cup oatmeal and 1 cup mixed grains, the grains are the ones that are cut fine)
1 tsp. baking soda
half tsp. salt
1 and a half cups of buttermilk
handful of raisins
Put all dry ingredients in a bowl, rub in butter or margarine.
Add egg, butter milk and raisins and mix it all together.
Knead for a minute.

Shape into a round loaf and pat down until about three inches high. Score top with a cross for the four directions. Put on baking sheet and put in oven at about 350 degrees.

It's good even if you use the four cups of flour instead of the way I do it. I hope you can make sense of all of this.

Very Wet Day!

After all the hoopla yesterday about Hanna hitting us, there wasn't much to it after all. I woke a couple of times during the night with the sound of heavy rain but nothing out of the ordinary. Got up this morning and opening the door I could hear the stream on one side of the property rushing wildly and the wind making the Aspen leaves sing. I took a few pictures but they don't really show how lovely it looks and how beautiful it sounds. It's in the woods part so one seems to become part of it all when leaning against one of the big trees. Puts one in a dreaming state.




Dragon rescue yesterday. R came in telling me there was a large dragonfly on the deck floor and it couldn't fly. Oh no, I thought, so I went out to have a look. It was shivering it's wings but indeed it couldn't fly but looked intact. I got a piece of cardboard and got him on that, then I put him on a hanging plant pot well off the ground with the sun hitting him. I guess he was simply trying to warm up because after a while he flew off. I was too worried at the time to think of getting a picture. I only see the odd one about now, I suppose because it's gotten cooler.

It's very damp inside today, because of all the rain bringing the humidity way up. I daresay I'll have to light the fire shortly. Not much happening these days. This morning I've been trying to sort things out that I've had in bags and boxes for years. Beading stuff, lots of extra miniature doll house furniture, letters and cards from people over the years, writing material, lol, I don't say I'll be hand writing many letters anymore now that I have a computer. It was something I enjoyed so much but now with email, well.........

That's about it!

Batten Down the Hatches!

Severe weather bulletin this morning that hurricane Hanna is expected to hit us later today. No doubt we will loose the electricity as it doesn't take much for that to happen around here. Consequently I've spent part of the morning making salads.... potato, beet and macaroni. Got to keep our stomachs full, lol.

I've also heard that this winter is going to be "brutal" here. Yep, that's the word they used..."brutal". Have to consider stocking the larder. Best to be prepared in any event. Roger got in a bit of a panic mode this morning thinking about all of this. He's been going on about having wood ready to put up on the windows, worrying about what trees may come down on us, etc. I've been telling him to calm down. He does tend to over react.

The big spiders are about now. I found this one last evening. He had caught a wasp in the web and had nearly finished wrapping it up. Got the camera but by the time I got back out he had the wasp hidden away.



Wind is breezing up now and sky overcast. Best go and check on things outside. Hopefully it won't be as bad as predicted which often happens.

Moths been ID'd

Ann (me ann my camera) has ID'd the moth in last blog. It's a White Underwing Moth. Thanks Ann, much appreciated.

We set off around 7:00 am yesterday morning for the hours drive to the dentist. I was a little tense, hadn't slept much the night before. Arrived about 8:15, checked in, and was put in the chair. While waiting for the dentist to come in I was berating myself about how silly I was being. After all says I in my mind, I'm not a child, I'm a grown woman. Never the less, I had myself quite worked up by the time he arrived. All in all it wasn't bad at all. I don't have to see him for another year for a check up thankfully, as we don't have dental insurance it was a lot of money out of my pocket.

After that we went to look for a transistor radio for Roger. One of those am/fm ones that have been on the market for years. His old one isn't working all that well and he uses it on his walks. Well.....we went to three stores, two being department stores and one an electronics shop. Could we find a transistor........NO!..... but plenty of i-pods, black berries, etc, all that stuff that I know nothing about. Roger was not happy. He kept going on and on about people today, what was wrong with them that they needed all this other fancy stuff, etc, lol. I guess few people use a small transistor radio anymore.

The weather has been just marvelous. A few showers here and there but mainly sunny and warm. I am seeing some of the leaves changing colour on the trees now. I do love autumn but hate to see summer end as well. The warm weather has brought back some butterflies and dragonflies. I didn't get any dragon pictures, kept waiting for a landing but no luck.





Chicken dozing in the warmth of the sun.


Wheelbarrow taking a rest, lol


Some of the flowers in bloom now.




And this little darling still eating me out of sunflower seeds.

Muggy day.

I've been trying to find out the name of that large moth in last blog but no luck yet. It hadn't moved from that position all that day and into early evening and I was getting a little concerned. However, the next morning it was gone having flown off by the light of the moon.

We've had a few wet days now and when I got up this morning the fog had rolled in. It's suppose to clear later today. Temperatures are still quite nice. I had a dream the night before last. I rarely dream, or I should say, I rarely remember dreaming. It went like this....I had just put the chickens to bed at dusk and coming back to the house there was a HUGE black bear between me and the deck. No way was he going to move and Roger was somewhere in the house. I started yelling out hoping he would hear me shout "Get the camera, get the camera." Then, all my shouting woke me up. lol. I told the story to a couple of people and they asked me if I was scared. I said, not at all, I wanted pictures. Strange how the mind works.

I have a dental appointment in the morning, in Gander. I'm dreading it! It's only a small cavity but none the less.....I know, I know, I'm a big baby when it comes to going to the dentist. We'll do grocery shopping while there and I'll have to look for a birthday present for himself as he keeps reminding me that his birthday is this month.

The chickens are moulting now, so no eggs. They haven't laid since the incident a couple of weeks ago. I have several people waiting for eggs but after they finish moulting they may not start laying until spring. A friend said he had a talk with the chickens and chickens said they weren't going to lay again until the security got beefed up a bit here. I thought that was so funny.

There aren't many finches around these days and I haven't seen the pine grosbeaks for days. Some of the berries are ripe now so I expect they are filling up on those. The squirrel continues to deplete the sunflower seed feeder.