Day 318 - 13th November 2012 - The Lake, Shadows and a Squirrel

Tuesday and the temperature is +13.6 this morning. Definitely have to get a few things done inside today even though they aren't giving rain until later this afternoon. I've got a report to finish up, a presentation to do for later this week and framing to get done. Town this evening for a meeting. I should do a little computer maintenance if not today, this week sometime.
Well that was one beautiful Monday! Temperatures rose to +17. in the afternoon, you certainly can't get better than that in November. Got the weekly chocolate chip cookies made, some laundry, swept, etc. But didn't waste time on much housework. Rain coming this week, lots of time for inside things then. Lexi and I roamed around a lot, through the woods, by the lake and down the road - just too nice to keep us in. I suppose I should have done some outside yard work but couldn't find the rake [actually I didn't search that hard - Ha!Ha!] I'm am thrilled over the moon for my friend and her find of the Northern Lapwing, other birders arrived yesterday and got a fabulous photo of him.
Thought someone else might be able to use a little of Grandmother today as she will need a little extra strenght this today.
Sunday 12 November 1972
Rainy and overcast, up early. Bobbie came to go down looking Beaver traps. Left 10:15 to go to Ensors. Got one big Beaver. Got home before dark. Sid and I alone all day. Long day. He's a good little boy, plays and makes things in workshop. Watched the Jays and Chickadees in the tree and shelter. Makes a long day. To bed early.
Monday 13 November 1972
Trying to be fine. Scrapper here this morning. Hope it helps the road. Quite wet. Waxed floor this morning. Mum came up. Afternoon late we drove to Ohio. Road good now. Lots of cars and hunters around. Got home early. Had supper. Bob & Bobbie went to look Beaver trap down river. Nothing. Sid went home with him.

Sometime you can find a little bit of color if you look hard for it.

The long shadows of the trees.

Mourning Doves high in the trees.

The sun was sparkling across the lake yesterday morning.

He was a funny little fellow with that cone.

Beautiful day on the lake.

Blowing in the wind!

The rest fo the bodies are moving, so time for my coffee. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 317 - 12th November 2012- Sunrises, Birds and Lexi

Well Monday has rolled around again. For some it's a holiday - mostly if you work for the government, the rest of the world pretty well has to go to work. Temperature is +7.4 and it's suppose to be a nice warm day. Maybe Lexi and I will spend a lot of time outside as the next few days look like rain. Will finish framing a few photos but still have to pick up a couple more frames this week. The worse part of framing is cleaning the glass I'm sure!

Sunday was wonderful, started with a beautiful sunrise, moved on to photos of a Pileated Woodpecker by late morning then a walk through the woods to the lake and a visit with Lois and ended with a surprise party for Karen in the evening. I guess that's it in a nutshell. There was some housework and putting away my bulk barn purchases, cooking supper in between all the excitement. I almost forgot a friend called me just before supper very excited because she thought she had a Northern Lapwing in her yard. She managed to get a couple of photos of him and upon further discussion and consultation with the bird book and internet we were sure that's what it was. Members of the Nova Scotia Bird Society confirmed her find. That was very cool as they are certainly not native here and must have flown off course with some of the bad weather lately.

The start of my day. Well I actually was up and had to wait for an hour for the sun to follow me.

Sorry can't help it, I have to say it again - doesn't get much better than this.

I'm in the house vacuuming away when Larry distracts me and says the Pileated Woodpecker is in the apple tree bring my camera. Don't have to tell me twice. There goes the housework!

It was difficult getting good photos in the apple tree, but when she flew across the road to an old pine tree right near the ditch, it was fabulous!

I actually got right on the shoulder of the road and she went about her business hunting for food in the tree and ignoring me.

Her bill is right in the holes that were pecked out earlier.

The lake was kind of dull and overcast looking in the afternoon.

Lexi loves to bring the mail or paper in. Today the phone books came.

Guess that's it for now. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 316 - 11 November 2012 - A Day to Remember

Sunday and Remembrance Day, I hope some of you are going to a service or at least taking a few minutes of silence at 11am to remember those men and woman who have fought on our behalf.

The temperature is -3.6 this morning, a wee bit chilly. I forced myself to stay in bed longer but all I did was toss and turn doze for 2-3 minutes and wake up again so I finally gave in and got up shortly after 5:30. For me I guess that's an accomplishment. Not sure what's on the agenda for today, I suppose Larry's got some outside work done as the forecast is for sunny. I'm definitely going to get out and around and take some photos. Will keep an eye on the sky this morning, maybe I can nip out and catch the sun rising.

We had a good day in Yarmouth - sort of. I guess I just go nuts when I get to a place that has more than one grocery store because I think I came home with a truckload of food. Bulk Barn was the first stop - two bags that I could hardly carry. Then we moved on to the regular stores - Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc. A stop a Superstore, then Sobeys and lastly Red and White.  I have to sort out the Bulk Barn purchases and put them away. I picked up a few Christmas presents but since I really have no idea what to buy anyone it really makes it difficult. Stopped to visit one of Larry's brothers and headed for home.

For such a little bird he looks like he's taken over the feeder - feet are braced and it's his!

A single head of decorative grass waves in the wind.

 

A Blue Jay gazes out over the lake.

Snack time!

They've got to be one of the more colorful birds.

Enough for now, time to finish my coffee. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

Day 315 - 10 November 2012 - Chickadees, Blue Jays, Boats and Trees

Saturday, the stars are out and the moon is hanging in the sky. Looks like a nice day in the making. Temperature is lower though at 0.8, so it might be a bit nippy. We are going to head to Yarmouth to do some shopping. Have a list all made but it appears to be mostly food oriented, which is great in one sense but I really need to get some Christmas shopping under way. The big problem is I don't know what to buy. Hopefully some things will jump off a shelf and hit me in the head and be the perfect gift for someone! Also need to get some inexpensive frames.

Lexi and I had a great day, Friday. I cracked right on first thing in the morning - did up the bed sheets, the floors and some maintenance housework. That's what I called a quick whip around to tidy up the rooms that have been purged/fall cleaned. Next week we'll get back at that again. Darrell inspired me to tackle the squash so I began by cutting one up to puree and boy did it turn out good - nice and smooth. The other one I cut in two and baked it in the oven - no Larry home so I had one half for lunch. I actually like buttercup better for baking as it's drier but it was still good. I have one left to do something with. I ended up with 4 cups of puree and decided to try Impossible Pumpkin pie cupcakes - I've given most of those away, kept a few for Larry. They past the first taste test, will see what the little girl I've given them to thinks, when she gets home from the city tomorrow. I say little girl, but she's actually a grown up married woman now - ah she's still a girl and skinny - just the kind I like to bake for! The weather was just so  so yesterday - sort of blah, mild in the temperature department but windy. Lexi and I got out around the neighbourhood, stopped and enjoyed tea with Lois. Larry picked up the photos I had printed on his way home. I'm pleased with them, quality is good, so if you are looking for someone local - check out Dan Peacock Photography & Printing. He has various paper and can do a lot of different sizes. I almost forgot to mention I had a lovely visit over coffee with a very good friend late this afternoon. So it was a very good day!

The chickadees will probably be like the ducks and geese - you will see  a lot of them over the next few months.

And of course the very vibrant and greedy Blue Jays.

Getting ready for take off, they don't sit still very long. Not a great photo but I thought it was kind of cool.

These are rather interesting but I'm not sure what the name is.

The boats were all tied up at the ramp today.

This oak tree is still holding on to a few leaves even with all the wind and rain we've had lately.

Guess I'll let the rest sleep for another 1/2 hour before waking them up and getting them moving, more time for me! Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 314 - 9th November 2012 - More Rain, Leftover Photos from Freeport

Friday, temperature is +9.0 and they are giving a chance of rain again. This rain is really getting tiresome. Well  guess I better do something with those butternut squash today that I never got to yesterday, Darrell has given me some great ideas and I love the one for the frozen yogurt which tastes more like cheesecake - right up my alley. Think I will also cook some up for the freezer as well. Squash is tricky in our house, Larry doesn't like it as a vegetable but likes it in baked goods. I on the other hand love it anyway. Growing up I was one of those children that loved their veggies, the only one I can say I truly dislike is sweet potato and baked beans - yuk, which is weird since I really like squash. Most Saturday nights in our house were baked beans and brown bread. Beans any other way are fantastic but oh I do not like them baked. The brown bread on the other hand was marvelous!

Yesterday was just down right miserable most of the day. Lexi and I did manage a decent walk in the morning without getting wet, but later on we both came home soaked. I spent most of the day going through and cleaning out my baking supplies and seeing what I need for Christmas baking. May make a trip to Yarmouth on Saturday to my favourite store - the Bulk Barn and a few other places. I'll finish off my list today. I feel like I squandered the day away but...sometimes it's like that. Larry's youngest brother stopped in the afternoon to visit so that was the rest of the day gone. Then it was on to exercise class, something new last night - equipment! So that was painful and I hurt before I even left. Mean, mean teacher! HA!HA! Just joking Cindy's really good - she never wants to really hurt you or at least I don't think she does. It was a good evening and I'll walk out the pain today. I guess I was visiting with Phil and I missed the rainbow that everyone had photographed in the afternoon.
Weather was too wet for photos so I've had to dig through some old ones.

Beautiful Cove in Freeport, Digby County, last Sunday morning.

Looking back up the road to the Cove.

Always like the ocean waves.

Clouds are among my favourite things to photograph.

On the Ferry looking at East Ferry.

 

Well guess it's time to pour another coffee and get on with things. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

Day 313 - 8th November 2012 - Chairs, Harbour, Dock St and Burning Bush

I looked at the clock on my nightstand this morning when I woke up and thought WOW I slept until 5:30am, good stuff. Went downstairs to make my coffee, turned on laptop and realized I hadn't changed the clock and it was only 4:30, how deflated and tired I suddenly felt. Oh well that will teach me a lesson. Not raining at the moment any way but I can still hear the wind although that seems to have died down some as well. Our house is probably around 150 years old but must have been made well made as I really don't notice high winds that much. A nor'easter off the lake doesn't bother us like it did when we first moved here. Within the first few years we planted a row of fir trees along the north property perimeter which has filled in and grown up after 25 years, offering protection.
Not sure what I have planned for today, if it rains all day perhaps another room. I have a bad one to tackle that I'm putting off - another of those catchall junk rooms, best done with out Larry home as he will not want to part with anything. I've got 3 butternut squash I should deal with today or tomorrow, but will see what Darrell has offered up in his Blog this morning, perhaps that will give me some incentive.
Wednesday was miserably cold, I wondered how it would actually rain and not snow. Maybe it's just because it's been so nice that we feel the cold so deep. Rained hard and really windy last evening. Got our next on-line auction stuff up for the office. It's a good fundraiser and people seem to be responding. Hard working for non-profit we are constantly having to raise money. Dropped a disk off with photos to get printed on the way home, now to find some inexpensive frames.

The chairs sit lonely and empty waiting for the warm weather and company to come again. Think I've noticed Linda enjoying a glass in wine in one of those.

Tide was low yesterday morning, this seagull is out on the reef having breakfast I think.

Looking down Dock Street.

This garden is totally finished for the season!

 

The Burning Bush is still burning. Love the bright red color especially since the other trees are all bare.

Time for another coffee, check my emails and see who's beating me in scrabble. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

Day 312 - 7th November 2012 - Lake, Birds and Bumps in the Road

Another Wednesday has rolled around and I'm off to town this morning. Temperature is nippy at -2.5 and I'm up too early again. Well I did have a couple of good nights sleep, can't have it all. Looks like mostly fine for today, but rain and high winds on it's way this evening and tomorrow. Sounds like another storm front. I think we've had enough! Checking the Internet this morning I see Obama has been re-elected in the United States. I don't know that much about US politics but I'm thinking this is a good thing, keeping up with Canadian politics lately is a brain twister.

Had a good day yesterday, spent most of it in the kitchen baking. Lexi and I got some outdoor time in and some minor housework. Also finished going through photos to pick some for printing, am getting it narrowed down. Will drop off a disk on my way home today to have them printed, then just to find some very inexpensive frames.  The seasons are definitely changing, you can feel the chill in the air more now. The blue jays hollering and squirrels chattering whenever you walk through the woods, the crunch of dried leaves on the path beneath your feet.

It was a perfect day for reflections on the lake.

What was beach a few months ago is now water.

Love birds in the neighbour's garden.

He was hanging out in the yard around the trees.

We have a quite a few of these signs up and down the road, but hoping it will be all worth it when they are done!

One of my favourite birds - the Chickadee.

 Well time for me to pour another coffee and get started. Enjoy your day!