Day 274 - 30th September 2013 - Shades of Fall and Dragonflies

Here we are again at Monday morning, temperature is +6.2, no frost but still a bit nippy. Stars are all out and the moon is hanging in the sky as bright as can be. Chance of rain this afternoon and more for tomorrow. The lake has been going down so guess we do need it. As usual not a thing we can do about mother nature. Once again we are saying goodbye to another month. Off to work this morning - not sure what the day will bring but fingers crossed for lots of work and very little aggravation. Going to start the week off on a positive note and hope it stays that way.
A busy breakfast yesterday morning, we served over 100 people. We were both done in when we got home, but had things to do so kept moving. Larry of course was in the woodpile - he'll soon be done for those of you concerned that the man must live there. Turkey went in the oven for supper and I finished up some housework. We have a house guest for a few weeks and she arrived mid afternoon. So after the supper dishes were done we had a lazy evening.

 Fall and the changing colors are my favourite time of year.

 Even the ferns are changing.

 I loved the color of this Dragonfly today. Such a nice red, goes right along with the maple leaves.

 The lake was perfectly calm allowing for beautiful reflections.

 One of my favs.

He as huge!

 As I walked through the woods in the afternoon, you can hear the dry leaves falling to the ground.

Mostly maple leaves turning now, many of the oak are still green.













Enjoy your day!

Day 273 - 29th September 2013 - Ducks, Birds, Sand and Seeds

As many of you have guessed, I had no internet this morning. So call 1-888-345-1111 and complain to the good folks at Eastlink. I'm sure they will appreciate the business. Don't call before 8am because they have no one in the rural broadband department! We were off to the Fire Hall at 6:45am to work out turn at the monthly breakfast. As usual it was busy! Have to get some work done around here, cooking a turkey this afternoon and company coming. Hoping to sneak out around the hood for at least an hour. So better get moving.
Well it wasn't quite the adventure I had hoped for - only 1 new bird, actually not many birds at all, but we had a good outing. We did a lot of walking if nothing else and it was a beautiful day. Larry got some eelgrass for next year's garden so that was a bonus. Since he had the binoculars and could see further than me with the camera, he spotted 12 Great Blue Herons in one cove. Too far for me though. We drove down to Hemeon's Head, roamed around the beach and the lake. When we left there we went down to Rockland - saw a house with bright yellow paint on the front - looks good, quite sure I know who that belongs to. Stopped in to Lockeport at the beach but there were a fair amount of people and just some gulls so we headed back to Shelburne for groceries and a quick visit with the bestie and the Park. All in all a good day. Can't even feel guilty because I came home and did up some laundry and housework. I broke down and got Larry to built a fire in the furnace. Might have been nice outside but our house didn't warm up one little bit.

 The sun was drawing through the clouds.

 Quite a few ducks around, think there were some teals, not sure what else though.

 Everything has gone to seed.

 In for a landing.

I think he's a Solitary Sandpiper.

The waves and worms use the sand like a canvas, creating masterpieces.



















Enjoy your day!

Day 272 - 28th September 2013 - Chippy, Lake, Hermit Thrush, Foam and Ducks

Heading off birding this morning - RAH!! Hoping to find some new shore birds and you never know what else, since Larry's coming with me, might be something exotic - perhaps an albatross. Oh we tease him because I have to check what he's looking at in the bird book, seems it's usually something rare and unusual and mostly turns out to be something rather common. Think we'll leave around 8:30 and go in the direction of Hemeon's Head. Will be great exercise too - a fair hike through the scrub and then along the beach. After our adventure, it will be grocery shopping and then home for some housework.
Wow what a long day Friday was, didn't get home til 11:45 pm from that training session. Which is at least 2  hours past my bedtime. Then you know I need a little wind down time. Had a good day at work, lots accomplished.

 Haven't seen Chippy around for a while - hope he looks both ways before crossing the road.

 The sky was looking a little better yesterday morning.

Some of the ducks had come in, must be looking for breakfast.

 Foam along the lake shore.

 Will miss the Hermit Thrush, rarely a morning I go without seeing him.

He's just showing off what he's found for his breakfast.













Enjoy your day!

Day 271 - 27th September 2013 - Sky, Lake, Birds and Leaves

It's Friday - Rah! And I'm up way too early which means a very long day for me. I have a meeting this evening that's going to run very late. Since I go to bed early normally, it will be double hard this evening to pay attention and not nod off. Ah well, guess I'll survive. Sounds like we are in for a nice weekend weather wise. Temperature is +12.9 this morning so that's not too shabby.
Thursday went well, accomplished a lot - felt productive. Got to meet the new Doctor - seems very nice, hopefully she hang around for more than 5 minutes. So some morning next week I'll get some blood work done - it's been awhile. Had a good workout at exercise class. We've got some new equipment so we had some time to play around and get used to that stuff.
Grandmother's Journal:
27th September 1974: Home all day. Made pickles and did house work. Gets dark very early now.
28th September 1974: Permanent, also Helen Lain there. Went with Reg and Gertrude. Home before dark. Kim stayed with her grandfather. Felt miserable. 
29th September 1974: Rain most of day. High wind all day. Kids up for Kim, stayed for supper. Glad to have them. 
30th September 1974: Stayed home all day. Mother up for hunting partridges. 

It was a gloomy looking walk.

 But the dark sky began to

 The sun broke through.

And blue skies were revealed.

 It was pretty quiet around except for the woodpecker, a flock of robins, the odd blue jay

 And song sparrows.

 Love to see the reds in the leaves and
berries this time of year.

Enjoy your day!

Day 270 - 26th September 2013 - Mist, Reflections, Colors, Mushrooms and Birds

Thursday, temperature is +10.1, not too bad, few stars are still out but it looks cloudy - well what you can tell since it's still dark. Seems our lovely fur child, Lexi has an ear infection - so I guess I've got to tackle cleaning her ears before  I go to work this morning. Joy - she doesn't mind ointment put in them but really protests at any liquid/drops. Always a good day to start the day, will get Larry to help me wrestle her down for that job. Thinking it will be a good day, although they are giving a chance of showers. I've got an appointment with the new Doctor - nothing serious, thought since I'm a new patient I better check her out. Never hurts to have a meet and greet. Hopefully she's good and stays around for more than 5 minutes.
I had a full work day on my day off. Got the cobwebs and some dust beat down, floors swept, etc etc. Laundry caught up. I even managed a few trips around the hood. Pretty quiet though, guessing a lot of the summer birds are moving on. Before too long there will be others here that I can enjoy through the winter months. It was kind of an odd day on the weather front - dark clouds in one direction, blue sky in another then drizzle. Can't say it ever got really warm, but then it is that time of year. We've put it off as long as we could but after supper it was time for heat. It's the first night I've really been bothered by the chill, guess because the house didn't get warmed up by the sun today. Larry cleaned the chimney ( I told him that on the weekend but I said nothing tonight - like a good wife!) and he put the oil on just to run that for a bit, sure tomorrow night we will have a wood fire.

Misty  morning on the lake.

 Off into the mist they fly.

 Lake was calm, just one red branch in this reflection.

 I think these are Turkey Tail mushrooms.

 My little buddy the Hermit Thrush.

 More colors.

 The White breasted Nuthatch, he'll be here all winter.

Song Sparrow eyeing up those berries.












Enjoy your day.

Day 269 - 25th September 2013 - The Lake, Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush and Chickadee

Wednesday and my day off has arrived, how sweet to see you. So I really have to buckle down and do some housework today instead of chasing birds all around the hood (will still do that but not for as long). Have company coming on the weekend and since it's only a few weeks away from my annual fall cleaning the house is beginning to look like a shambles. I've spent too much time outdoors and running the roads on adventures. I don't regret it one bit, time spent with my hubby, lots of new and old places visited and birds and other things found. Life is short, live each day to it's fullest. I also need to get out there a little earlier and catch some of those beautiful sunrises over the lake. Might even manage a few sunrises now that it sets a bit earlier too.
It was a  draining Tuesday afternoon, even though we saw people that we haven't seen for a while. Truthfully I would rather not have seen them under those circumstances. At some point we'll come to some kind of peace with what happen, but I believe it will take time. Rained off and on, hard at times in the afternoon. Funny but you knew all day it was coming, sky was overcast, air was damp and cold.  I sat out on the kitchen window seat after supper looking at the yard and the chickadees were buzzing around enjoying the suet. Such happy little guys, they can't help but put a smile on your face and help ease the sadness.

 More clouds over the lake.

 Reflections were nice.

 Depending on what cove or where you are, the lake looks different.

 And a punch of color.

 Might be a juvenile or female Hairy Woodpecker.

The Hermit Thrush is always a faithful visitor in the morning.

Not a great photo but glad to see the Chickadees back.



















Enjoy your day!