Day 181 - 30th June 2015 - Daisy, Wild Strawberries, Song Sparrow and Red Leaves

Overcast this morning but I can hear the birds singing.  No walk for me, I'm going in early with Larry. Maybe I'll get a quick jaunt around town and find something of interest. I need to spend some quality time training our summer student, last week he just got thrown into things because I was busy. However, he seems to be a quick study and catching on.
Well Mondays aren't such a bad day lately. Seems they are getting better. Started off pretty drizzly and foggy - not great for pics through dark bushes and under alders. Got the cover done for the book with a little help from a friend. Sometimes I get smart and just call someone who is actually good at something instead of trying to muddle through myself. Felt pleased with myself at the end of the day - progress is being made. Exercise class last night - one of those sneaky workouts - bound to hurt tomorrow.
Daisy wet with rain.

If you look close beneath the tree trunk, you'll see mother Mallard and her babies.

Wild Strawberries are ripening.














Little red globes beneath the leaves.

Lots of Song Sparrows.

Red leaves - oh we aren't ready for those yet!




Enjoy your day!

Day 180 - 29th June 2015 - Red Sky, Red-Eyed Vireo and Swallowtail Butterflies

Here we are again - Monday morning and nearly the end to another month. A little drizzle and fog out there but it's suppose to clear and be a nice day. Hopefully in the next hour and I'll get my walk in.  Hermit Thrushes and Song Sparrows singing in the woods. Can hear a Loon on the lake.
Managed a very quiet jaunt around the hood yesterday morning before the rain set in.  Saw a Hermit Thrush, heard some Song Sparrows and that was about it. More action in our yard watching the Tree Swallows flying in and out of their house - feeding or cleaning the young, although I've yet to see them. Soon enough they will be leaving the nest.

Yesterday's sky was a sure sign of the rain on the way.

The Red-Eyed Vireos are hanging out in the apple trees. They are certainly fun to watch.

Clematis - such beautiful big blooms.

Seems to be lots of Swallowtails around.

This poor fellow doesn't look like he's in good shape.







Enjoy your day!

Day 179 - 28th June 2015 - Song Sparrow, Catbird, Yarrow and Ducklings

Sunday and rain on the way. Hopefully it holds off for a while and I get a chance to get out for a jaunt. Seems it has rained every Sunday this month. It's been nice to have a weekend without doing office work. Will spend an hour or so in the kitchen doing lunch box cooking later, then a little housework. I should work on some greeting cards today and maybe curl up and read later if it's not fit to be outside.
It was a beautiful day but alas I didn't get to the beach birding. Larry got sawdust or something in his eye on Thursday, went to Out Patients Friday and got it flushed out and drops. Saturday morning it still wasn't feeling great so we hung close to home mostly. Figured that the beach may not be the best place for him - blowing sand would only add more problems. At least by supper time it was looking and feeling better. He was feeling restless by then. I roamed around the hood some and we did make a quick run in town to pick up groceries and do a few errands.

Lots of Song Sparrows around.

Grey Catbird. What a voice these guys have.

Yarrow, Dandelions and Pink Clover.

Dragonfly. The lake is covered in pollen.

A beautiful, peaceful day.

This frog was hiding out in the reeds.

The ducklings are growing and getting cuter. I can tell they are a worry to their Moms as they become more independent.

Enjoy your day!

Day 178 - 27th June 2015 - Reflections, Sailboats, a Chipmunk and Grandmother's Journal

Looks like a good day to do some birding. Not sure where will go, but I'm dying to get out somewhere. It's been weeks since we've had a Saturday to go. I'll let Larry and Lexi sleep in some then I'll get them up and on the move. Rain on Sunday - I can get the housework caught up then.
Friday was a great day  - the book went to the printers and got a few things caught up. Bestie and I got take out from the Beandock and had lunch at Island's Park overlooking the harbour at one of the picnic tables.
Grandmother's Journal:
27 June 1976: Rain all day off and on. Both of us rested and slept most of day. Bob, Bettie and Mike up. Mike up river - no fish. Mike stayed all night. Bear here around 8 o'clock at night. 
28 June 1976: Mike, Bob, Tom and I to town, as usual late. Overcast and light rain most of day. Some sun in the afternoon. Late home tonight. 
28 June 1976: Real wing dinger storm early morning, 3 o'clock until 5. Tired today. Played Bridge had a big afternoon. Won every rubber but last one. Come up home with Reggie and Gertrude. Saw a partridge with babies this afternoon. No bear tonight after we came home. Gertrude and I had four games (cribbage) waiting for Bob. 

A beautiful morning on the lake.

A little pink in the sky that reflected in the water.

And you could see the clouds in the lake too.

Love this Pine tree.

Mom and Dad had the babies out.

Sailboats at the Yacht Club.

One of our lunch guests.





Enjoy your day!

Day 177 - 26th June 2015 - Pink Clover, Yellow Warbler, Tree Swallow and Apples

It's Friday! Daylight is breaking through, looks like another nice day on the horizon - chance of showers tonight. Looking forward to the weekend and maybe an opportunity to get to a beach somewhere. Today I've got to play catch up at the office - a few things that have been sitting on the shelf waiting for me this week.
I think I've got it done - long day at the computer yesterday and the top of my hand was swelling up by supper time. Have a couple of photos to add at the office (forgot to put them on my flash drive Tuesday before leaving). That was mostly my day, I did get Lexi out for a run a couple times and it was good to stretch my legs as well.

The pink clover is pretty.

The Northern Parula wasn't so co-operative yesterday.

The Yellow Warbler was hoping from tree to tree singing.

The ferns are gorgeous now.

Lexi was chilling on a neighbour's dock.

The apples are growing - looks like it might be a good year for them.

We are really enjoying the Tree Swallows.










Enjoy your day!

Day 176 - 25th June 2015 - Northern Parula, Lady Slipper, Grackle and Fushia

The light is breaking through the trees next to the lake. It's a beautiful morning out there. Song Sparrow are beginning their tunes along the edge of the woods, soon the Hermit Thrushes will be too. So another at home day but strictly work - today I'm finishing off the editing for the book. It goes to the printers tomorrow. Hopefully by the first of the week he'll have a proof copy that I can run through and double check things. Can't wait to get this project wrapped up.
A near perfect day, Wednesday (didn't get a lifer - that would have been awesome). Roamed the hood in the morning, had tea with Lois on her deck. Lexi and I got some walking in, made pizza for supper and enjoyed the deck and the sunshine. After supper the cousins arrived with cake (Cathy makes the best chocolate cake with  magic icing). It was a good evening with loads of laugher!  I'm truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Northern Parula - he actually stopped for a few seconds.

 He was beginning to have enough of the photo shoot.

 One water droplet from the rain last night at the bottom of the Lady Slipper.

 The Pitcher Plants are out, unfortunately there aren't many of them around. They are one of my favourites.

 The Old Man's Beard was swaying gently in the breeze.

 The Grackle was foraging for breakfast along the shoreline.

 There are lots of these fly/bugs around but I'm not sure what they are.

Lois' Fushia is beautiful.








Enjoy your day!

Day 175 - 24th June 2015 - Ducklings, Dark Skies and Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Wednesday and my day off! Pretty foggy out there this morning but looks like it will clear and be a fine day - rah! No great plans today - roaming the hood is at the top of my priority list, a little housework and a couple of hours of work on the book. Think I'll make pizza for supper - been a couple months since we've had that. Have company coming after supper bearing a cake. So I anticipate a pretty great day.
Not quite as much accomplished Tuesday, but I did managed to go over a few things with our student and add some more photos to the book. A few people around researching. The rain arrived late in the afternoon but not hard, by early evening it was pouring. Lots of chirping and tweeting in the backyard after supper - mostly the regular suspects but one I didn't recognize. Will keep my eyes open for a new visitor.

 These little guys can certainly motor right along now.

But Mom keeps a pretty close eye on them.

One of the many Hermit Thrushes that are around. There are a pair that feed every morning in one particular spot. I'm assuming somewhere handy they are nesting.

Didn't look like such a nice morning first thing yesterday.

A Yellow-rumped Warbler was looking for breakfast.

He barely stopped for me to get a few pics. Food was the only thing on his mind.








Enjoy your day!

Day 174 - 23rd June 2015 - Cow Vetch Swallows and Mallards

Little overcast out there this morning, but should turn out to be a good day. Rain forecast for this evening and overnight. Today will probably be a repeat of yesterday but I'm seeing the end in sight. Then I can get back to playing catch up with everything else I've put on the back burner for the last month. Hoping by the weekend I can actually call it my own and maybe have a beach day.
It was one of the better Mondays I've had in a long time. Summer student got started, felt bad as I couldn't spend as much time with him as I would like to have - book to finish! Over the next few days he'll get the hang of it. Nice guy and I think he'll be a good fit for our office. Made good headway with the editing and layout.  Quiet walk yesterday morning - wish those Warblers would pop out more instead of hiding in the swamps.

Vicia cracca or Cow Vetch - one of those invasive pretty weeds.

I watched the Swallows dipping and diving for flies over a cove in the lake. They move so fast it's hard to get a good shot. Seems to be more Tree Swallows around this year.

I can see one little yellow water lily appearing.

Everything was dripping from the rain including this Hosta.

The boys were having breakfast.

Blackberries are in bloom. Fruit will soon be formed.











Enjoy your day!