Day 182 - 30th June 2013 - Hermit Thrush, Ducks and an Evening at the Park

Once again we are ending another month - goodbye June. Hopefully July will be a summer month with only rain at night and sunshine during the day. Wishful thinking, probably, but it sounds like a good plan to me. We are both up early this morning, it's our turn to work the breakfast at our Community Hall today.  It's not so bad we only have to work every third month, but for some reason we seem to be hitting all the long weekends this year which really sucks. So that kind of shoots the morning, won't get home till close to lunch time.They afternoon will depend on what the weather is like as it has most days likely, looks like rain most of the week too.
So yesterday was one of those humdrum days - did the town thing for groceries - my least favourite thing in the world to do. Came home made up some bread bread rolls and a potato salad to take back to the Park for supper with the campers. A good evening with lots of friends and great food. The weather even held somewhat for us to enjoy yourselves.

 I'm seeing a pair of Hermit Thrushes quite regularly. Assume they are nesting somewhere in the area I see them.

 Another topsy turvy mallard.

 Had a couple of lovely young ladies assist me last evening at the park. The girls were very good at picking out things/scenes for me to photograph.

 Along the shoreline.

 We had lots fun - they thought this one made a nice frame with the tree at the top looking out at the harbour.

Of course I can pass up a view of Dock Street. I think it's the colorful buildings that catch my eye.

A sailboat waits for a better day to set sail, a shag on the rock.













Enjoy your day!

Day 181 - 29th June 2013 - Swiss Chard, Song Sparrow and a Foggy Lake

Saturday - rain, rain rain - at least it's mild out but I'm tired of this weather! Have no idea what's happening today. I know we'll have to make a run to town for groceries, etc. Might make a stop over to the Park to visit with the bestie and others camping. If there's a chance of this weather breaking we might enjoy the evening there, had a good time last saturday night. If my ambition increases today might even make some brown bread rolls to take over. There's always housework to do - that sounds like fun - not! Maybe we will just see where the day leads us sometimes plans are not the way to go.
So the weekend has arrived with an extra day tacked on the for the holiday. Fingers crossed that we at least get 1 fine day otherwise we will have cabin fever in this house. Ran out after supper has it had temporarily stopped raining, took along my trusting plastic grocery bag for my camera just in case. Didn't get too far but did manage a few photos before I got caught in the next downpour.

 Swiss chard soon to be picked.

 Bubbles floating across the lake.

 A very foggy evening on the lake.

 You can see the lines of pollen on the rocks from where the lake went down.

 Crownvetch I think.

 I did find a loyal subject to pose for me - Song Sparrow.

Enjoy your day!

Day 180 - 28th June 2013 - Daisies, Lily Pads, Potatoes and Queen Anne's Lace.

Here we are at Friday once again and a long weekend. Lots to do again today - need to dig out some photos for the book, editing finished up yesterday (or at least I hope so!). Up a bit too early. Raining this morning, sounds like we are in for a full day of it. Not even thinking about what they want for the weekend - hopefully we will salvage one decent day out of 3.  Skipped exercise class last night, wrist and hand is still playing up so didn't think I would chance it. Went for a walk instead and visited with the "Ladies of the Lake" - 3 long time friends are spending the night at a cottage in the hood. I would say they were having a great evening. Nice to see friendships last so long. Not much in birding yesterday - lots of songs but very little sightings.
Time to visit with Grandmother's Journal:
27th June 1974 - Still overcast, misty early. Saw 2 young partridges before Warners this morning. Lovely evening. Hoed potatoes. Worked around garden.
28th June 1974 - Lovely day, so good to get up and see the sun. Bob had a hard night. Thank goodness he was alright. Tired all day. Not enough sleep. Beautiful sunny warm but not too hot. Looking for Reg & Gertrude Saturday or Sunday. Didn't get much done tonight. 

 More Daisies - but they are rather lovely.

 The lake has dropped a lot - a little foam around the shoreline.

Potatoes are looking good. Might be eating some swiss chard very soon.

 I can't remember the name of this one and if I wasn't so lazy I would have gotten up and looked in my wildflower book.

Queen Anne's Lace, I have a huge amount of it in the backyard.

Lily pads everywhere!













Enjoy your day!

Day 179 - 27th June 2013 - Snapping Turtles, Snakes, Grasses and Roses

Here we are thursday, work today, lots to do as usual. If all goes well today and tomorrow, I'll finish off editing the book and get some photos sorted out and inserted, really want to have this out of my lap by next week and sent to the printer. He'll run me off a draft and I can go through that one last time. Helps with layout etc to see it in the final version. That's the plan anyway, hopefully I don't get derailed! Other than that - more rain in the forecast, but we won't even discuss it. Positive thinking please! Our turn to work breakfast at the firehall on Sunday morning - seems like this is our year to hit the long weekends on the breakfast shift.

Well I got out and around the hood early yesterday morning before the rain started. Bought some new bug dope on the weekend - something without deet that maybe I wouldn't get an allergic reaction.  It works well, not quite as well as the pure poison stuff but I keep forgetting to use it and the flies are chewing me up! Just dumb I guess. It did rain, most of the morning, then some light showers but cleared before supper. Lexi and I had a couple of runs between raindrops. Since it wasn't fit to be outside long, I did some housework, no cookies today and cooked supper. I did goof off a bit in the afternoon catching up on some reading - mostly photography related. I get several blogs/newsletter via email and don't always have time to read them, so it was a good afternoon to unwind.

 The grasses on the side of the road look so soft and wispy.

 Snapping turtle was up on the beach laying eggs early in the morning.

 On the left you can see her foot print and right - where her tail was.

 Wild Iris or Blue Flag hiding beneath the ferns.

 Maybe Larry can teach her how to saw the wood - would make his job easier!

 The sun started to come out but...

My old fashion rose bush is beginning to bloom, seems to me it just about always gets beat down with rain.

 I do like raindrops on flowers.

I'm not a great fan of snakes - but so long as they keep their distance I can handle them. This guy was in a neighbour's fire pit.











Enjoy your day!

Day 178 - 26th June 2013 - White Throated Sparrow, The Lake, Ducks and Water Lilies

Finally woke up at the time I should have - not too early or late. Although I think I could have rolled over and gone back to sleep. Day off and looks like I've got some housework to do - suppose to rain but they have been giving that every day so I'm just going to ignore it. Still warm and humid, summer has arrived. Haven't seen the geese for several weeks now, assume they may have gone down or up the river when the water rose a few weeks ago. Hopefully by now they are big enough to look after themselves, they should almost be old enough to fly.
No rain yesterday but lots of sun and humidity, temperatures rose to at least +33C. Yup that was hot! And even more so in my office. Oh well, got some progress made, researchers were in, all in all a busy day. To end it off I got my hair cropped - Thanks Tam. Feels so much better short, short, short. The only bad thing is it grows so fast and is thick - this time of year I like it gone! A walk after supper, quiet around the hood, must have been too warm for the birds to even be around.

White Throated Sparrow, had  a hard time catching him - he was really lively and chatty!

 Along the Lake in the morning, just a hint of color in the sky.

 Reflections in the lake.

 Female Mallard.

 Love to watch them go bum up to feed.

 Sailboats in the Harbour. These days you can always see a few - so peaceful.

Seeing lots of water lilies these days.














Enjoy your day!

Day 177 - 25th June 2013 - Foggy Morning, Birds, Squirrel and Grasses

Made up for the oversleeping yesterday morning by getting up an hour earlier this morning. Groan - will be a long day. I'm making no derogatory comments about the weather this week - thinking positive in hopes it will change by the weekend. Last year on the long weekend we took a day and went to Johnson's Pond with a picnic - it was a great day and I'd love to be able to do something like that this year. Just realized that I've had my camera for about a year now, wow can't believe it's gone by so fast and I've taken so many photos with it. Taking a lot of pics doesn't mean they are good ones but with digital you get to play around with settings etc until you are happy and can delete what you don't like.
Had a good birthday yesterday - uneventful as some should pass. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Mom brought me an ice cream cake and that was pretty tasty and saved Larry from having to bake one (he usually does me a chocolate pound cake). Went to exercise class last night in order to work some of that cake off. I should probably thank Cindy, as the belt I have been wearing lately I bought when I was 16 or 17 and it still fits - maybe all that punishment she deals out to us is the reason why.

 A real foggy morning on the lake yesterday as I walked over to meet Nancy.

Red-eyed Vireo, wish he would come down a little closer, instead of hiding way up in those trees!

 Can always depend on the Song Sparrow to be around.

 Hope this pesky squirrel stays in the woods and out of my feeders.

Just some grasses along the shoulder of the road.

Cedar Waxwing in the apple tree, last evening he was in my rose bush.












Enjoy your day

Day 176 - 24th June 2013 - Cinnamon Ferns, Birds and Chairs on the Beach

Monday morning, dismal looking outside and I've overslept. Sounds like a bang to start off the week. Guess the nights I didn't sleep well have caught up with me. Looks like a wet week out there folks. Since we have a long weekend on the horizon maybe it will be fine for that. Back to work this morning - lots to do and since it's going to be a wet week, I should have lots of help. This week I need to get the book finished up and out of my hair. Some other small projects to finish up too.
Another weekend has flown by. Had a quiet day around the hood on Sunday. I worked inside and out, Larry in the woodpile but the woodshed is now full. Next will be the basement to fill and then we are ready for next winter. The joy of wood - gives fabulous heat but you never have a break from it.

 Cinnamon ferns - they are lovely this time of year.

 Hermit Thrush, but he didn't want to come out in the open.

 Palm Warbler - maybe he's like "chicken little" and looking for the sky to fall.

 Daisies along the roadsides.

 Beautiful evening on the lake - someone should be using these chairs and taking advantage of the view!

Oven bird - looks similar to the Thrushes but has an orange streak through the top of his head. Sounds like he is saying "Teach..er" when he sings.









Enjoy your day!