Day 304 - 31st October 2014 - Reflections, Basketball, Juncos, Blue Jays and Grackles

Happy Halloween and good bye October. Feels a bit cooler this morning, but the stars are all out. Temperature is +2.5. Was nice to sleep in again this morning, think I could get used to this. It's going to be back to purging and cleaning for me and roaming the hood. Today we'll be more careful when we go, first day of deer hunting season and sometimes they are just a tad wonky in the excitement to be out there.
Wow, Thursday felt more like September instead of the end of October. What a great day. The birds weren't long finding the seeds in the feeder, but they were mostly Blue Jays, Grackles and Mourning Doves. Had one Junco drop by and some Purple Finches took one look and decided there was no room for them. Oh yes and at least two squirrels - which spent some time fighting in one of the feeders. Had a great walk first thing in the morning, but once again it's quiet, everyone is seeing birds along the coast but here in the woods they've moved out except for the feeder birds.  Finally finished off the living room yesterday and got the bowling alley started. Still too many rooms left to do a count down!

 Great morning on the lake.

 Song Sparrow.

 I like the wispy grasses.

Creeping around the neighbour's yard.

 One of our resident Blue Jays, sure we'll be seeing lots of them in the next few months.

 Harriet the Grackle - they really are beautiful when the sun hits them and all that irridesent color shows.

 First Junco of the season.

 He was hanging out on the deck.

Just a leaf floating along.







Enjoy your day!

Day 303 - 30th October 2014 - Street lights, Harbour and Weeds

Looks like we might get a little rain this morning, hopefully it clears and I can get out in the hood. Not that I've seen much lately but you never know when something will fly through. Remembered to get sunflower seeds yesterday on the way home so can get my feeders filled again regularly. Will be nice to see what comes in besides the squirrels. I'm back to cleaning and purging today, maybe a little baking and then exercise class tonight. Hoping today goes smoothly.
Wednesdays are exhausting. Lots of running around - errands done and some volunteer work. Had lunch with some friends - good to catch up with the girls. All in all it was a busy day. Home and a lazy evening, of course by the time you get supper it's dark again.

Street lights on the waterfront were still on at 8 am. Oh I dislike these short days.

Lots of foam along the shore lines.

Kind of a spooky looking morning.

Old weeds waving in the breeze.

The flower baskets have been removed from the lamp posts for another season.












Enjoy your day!

Day 302 - 29th October 2014 - Reflections, Mushrooms, Woodpecker, Grackle and a Rooster

Slept better - I basically burned and crashed early last night. No stars this morning - kind of overcast, but the forecast is for sun/cloud most of the day.  It's Wednesday and my town day - run some errands, do some volunteer work and maybe have lunch out. Simple things make me happy these days. Some days life is overly complicated.
Tuesday was certainly better than Monday except the early morning and late night caught up with me quickly. Best part of my day was roaming the hood, even though it was quiet. Lois' feeders are pretty active these days and I think I spied a few Juncos in another neighbour's yard. All I saw in mine were some Blue Jays, a Yellow Rumped Warbler and way too many squirrels.

 The water is high, but great for reflections.

 These mushrooms were growing on an old stump.

 I think I like the grasses when they turn to their brown/golden stage better than when they are green.

 An old bicycle nestled against the fall colors.

 There have been some huge mushrooms erupting from the ground lately.

 One of Lois' Roosters - I don't trust them, they come after me. They seem to have become her guardians.

 There were both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers around her feeders and lots of Nuthatches.

 Harriett the Grackle hanging out.

Dandelions gone to seed.










Enjoy your day!

Day 301 - 28th October 2014 - Foggy Morning, Hermit Thrush and Ferns

Another early morning and after a late evening I'm tired before I get started today. Not much to say today and I didn't get any photos yesterday so it's going to be a short and sweet. I started out with good intentions Monday got the living room ripped apart and cleaning was underway when I was called away for the rest of the day.

 A foggy morning as the sun tries to break through on the lake.

 My favourite summer visitor - Hermit Thrush.

 Yellow Rumped Warbler - I know someone has been missing bird photos.

 Better days of ferns - still lush and green before a frost.

Dew kissed leaves on the side of the road.

Enjoy your day!

Day 300 - 27th October 2014 -Leaves, Clouds and Grasses

Stars are out again this morning - although they sure fooled me yesterday. Another small chance of showers today! When is it going to end for a few days?? I think everyone is getting tired of the weather, I know I am. Well here we are in the last week of October - another month passing us by. Time for me to get my game plan together and get a chunk of this "fall cleaning" done. I like to have it all done before Christmas, but I don't want to spend 2 months doing it.
Sunday was a very full day. At the Fire hall before 7 am, busy breakfast, then home for a few hours. Made up some sandwich wraps and headed off to a baby shower at 2 pm.  And pretty much all during that time it rained - mostly very hard and a good long period of thunder and lightening. Before the shower was over the sun had come out and blue skies once again. As soon as I got home, I decided to head out for a walk.  It was beautiful and fresh and nice light for some photos.

 Even though the flowers are spent, they stand strong and tall on the side of the road.

 The neighbour's still have a bit of brightness in a barrel by their driveway.

 For some reason I really love this shot.

 A lone oak leaf on the road.

 One single flower left.

 Everything was wet.

 A collector of leaves.

 Clouds and grasses reflect in the lake.

 Been a while since we've seen this.

 The water has risen.

I like the bling created by shooting into the light.

Forest floor debris.








Enjoy your day!

Day 299 - 26th October 2014 - Greater Scaup, Mallards, Purple Asters and Mums

The stars are actually out this morning, first time I've seen those since early last week. They are giving a chance of showers today but maybe they will be wrong. Although we are busy all day so it does't really matter. Our turn to work the Fireman's breakfast this morning, which means we have to be there before 7 am to get things going, will be lucky to be home again by noon. Then I've got sandwiches to make and a baby shower to go to this afternoon. So the day is full.
Saturday was not a bad day - still overcast mostly, a bit of drizzle once in a while, but I think I saw blue skies for a few minutes. We never did get birding, some days it's just not in the cards. Larry and Lexi worked in the woodpile all morning. I did my morning walk - the long route. The water is certainly up - lake is high, swamps are full but doesn't look like the private road is going to flood this time. It was nice to get out and roam around some. I'm seeing lots of fungi - they spring up literally overnight but not the pretty ones (pink/burgundy, orange etc) I've seen other years. Maybe it's just a tad early and they will arrive after all this rain. Went to town and did the grocery shopping, forgot to buy sunflower seeds so my feeders are going to be quiet.

 A female Greater Scaup skimming across the lake.

 Lots of water but still some red bushes.

Lots of Mallards around.

 I think he's eyeing up the cat food dish.

 Bright yellow in a few places along the road side.

 And a few asters popping up among the pine needles and leaves.

My pot of Mums is still looking pretty good, got to do some deadheading though.









Enjoy your day!