Day 304 - 31st October 2015 - Sun, Leaves and a Hairy Woodpecker

Here we are at the last day of another month and it's Halloween. Not sure how many little ones we will get trick or treating this evening, seems like every year we have less. Our population in the hood is growing older, like many places. Stars and moon are out this morning, chill in the air and cats fighting somewhere nearby.
A lot of leaves fell during the rain and wind on Thursday, but I was surprised to see so many Oak trees holding on. The "Mighty Oak" as they say. Blue Jays, Crows, Chickadees, Robins, White Breasted Nuthatch and Woodpeckers were all the hood had to offer me yesterday morning. Nothing terribly exciting. I puttered around, did more cooking - just another day. Soon have to cut back in the kitchen and get some other work done. But for now it's therapeutic - especially kneading bread dough. 

The sun wakes up through the trees.

I always like this spot on my morning walk.

The poor old bent tree is empty of leaves now. Just reflections of it's bare branches in the lake.

A few oak leaves.

Female Hairy Woodpecker having breakfast.







Enjoy your day - don't forget the clocks "fall" back tonight.

Day 303 - 30th October 2015 - Sailboat and Leaves

Up too early - nothing new there! Another Friday - the weeks pass quickly that's for sure. Stars and moon are all out this morning, still feels mild. Fine day on the horizon and I bet the birders will all be out checking to see if anything unusual has arrived courtesy of the yesterday's storm.  Maybe I'll luck in and something will land in the hood. Once daylight comes I'll take a roam - interested to see how much rain came down and if there are any leaves left on the trees. Even on a dull day I enjoy my morning walk.
Thursday wasn't a day to roam the hood with Big B. Lexi and I went out a couple of times only because we had to. Second time she turned around at the neighbour's driveway and said no way! I was soaked right through to my skin. Thank goodness by supper time it had stopped so she and Larry got a good roam in. She's also not really keen about the high winds and trees swaying. Rather a princess. I puttered around the house and made brown bread rolls for the guys to take in to the camp.

Looking across the harbour to the park.












I've been looking at this sailboat for the last couple of weeks and wondering why the owners haven't brought it in for the season. Apparently it's shrouded in mystery and seems it's been abandoned under the cloak of darkness. Interesting....

There were lots of leaves in the lake a few days ago.

Bet today there will be more.

Enjoy your day!

Day 302 - 29th October 2015 - Pink Skies, Mist on the Harbour and a Loon

Rain must have started during the night, a little wind but not a lot yet. Looks like it's going to be a wet and wild day. No roaming this morning, it will just be a day to take Lexi on a couple of quick jaunts.  Guess I'll make Brown Bread Rolls for Larry to take to camp tomorrow night, get his stuff ready and more purging and cleaning. Deer hunting season starts tomorrow - most of us will have men that disappear into the woods for at least a few days.
Wednesday is my morning walk on the waterfront. It was calm and pretty today not  breath of wind but very chilly. Good day in town - errands, lunch at the Beandock and some volunteer work. Picked up a few things on the way home for the weekend.

Still patches of color and the sky had a pink hue reflecting in the harbour as the sun rose.

The Lighthouse looks like it's floating as the mist rises from the water.

The Hunter Moon was still high in the sky.

The anchor had a thin layer of frost too.

A solitary Loon in winter plumage.








Enjoy your day!

Day 301 - 28th October 2015 - Frost, Leaves, Mist and Ferns

Wednesday again and my town day! We were both going for blood work this morning, but I've mislaid my form so Larry will get his done and I'll have to go next week. Sometimes I feel like the absent minded professor. I really hate going without my coffee first thing especially if I've been up early.  It's another frost morning out there and with the Hunter moon, just as bright as Tuesday.
Brrr it was cold on my walk Tuesday morning. Definitely a glove and cap day but it was beautiful and peaceful. The only sound were the leaves tumbling to the ground as the sun hit their frosty stems. It was mostly a kitchen day with a little cleaning thrown in. Nothing like a big pot of Chili simmering on the back of the stove on a chilly day. Although once the sun came out it did warm up considerably. A batch (2 1/2 dozen) of chocolate zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese icing completed my cooking. Those I'm giving a way. Not on Larry's diet but I had the urge to bake so better to get them out of the house. Cathy stopped for coffee late in the afternoon on her way home from work so some were packed in a container for her and Harold.

Every morning I think - oh this is the end of the leaves but I'd forgotten how pretty they are dipped in frost.

The sun melts the frost quickly.

The mist was rising from the water.

The ferns were coated in frost too.







Enjoy your day!

Day 300 - 27th October 2015 - Red Bushes, Trees, Sunshine and a Robin

The moon is bright  - lighting the whole sky up. Almost looks like day time. Hard frost, temperature is -3 (if my digital thermometer is right). This will probably mean the end of our Swiss Chard. I guess I'm back to more of the same today - cleaning, cooking and roaming.
The hood is quiet these days, although I did spy a couple of Hermit Thrushes still hanging out, a number of Robins and 2 Juncos. The Cardinal didn't return, but the feeders are active with Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Squirrels and Chipmunks. Others will soon arrive for the winter in the backyard. It was back to the purging and cleaning for me, seems it takes longer to make progress. Not sure if because things are more of a mess or I'm not in the mood, maybe  a bit of both. Anyway, two more room down. Exercise class last night - another lovely workout.

 The colors are still worth seeing.

 Nothing like Fall in Nova Scotia.

Even the water is beautiful in soft muted tones.

The sun breaks through the trees by the lake.

One of several Robins soaking in the morning sun.











Enjoy your day!

Day 299 - 26th October 2015 - Northern Cardinal, Horses and the Lake

How did Monday get here so quickly! For some it's the start of the work week, me I'm back to cleaning and purging. Ugh! It needs to be done so might as well get at it.  There is always walks in the hood to break the restlessness. Several neighbours have began filling feeders again so I'll keep my eyes on those for something interesting.
We didn't go far on Sunday, attended breakfast at our Community Hall then took a drive up the road to see the fall color/look for birds (not hopeful and was right). Stopped at Wanda & Leon's as it gave me a great view of Lake Philip from their hill. I wasn't disappointed. Larry went up to the garden after we came home to clean up there - pulled the beets and picked the rest of the beans (for drying or seeds). I did the Sunday lunch box prep and things in the house, quick roam around the hood. After Larry got back he spotted a Cardinal in the backyard around the feeders. So my afternoon was definitely entertaining. Hard to believe near the end of October that we are still picking Swiss Chard from the kitchen garden. The touches of frost we've had in the last few weeks hasn't bothered it.

Northern Cardinal. He hung around all afternoon, hopefully he's back today.

Lake Philip in Upper Ohio.

Wanda's horses.

An interesting piece of old farm machinery with Black-Eyed Susans.

Fallen leaves are filling the lake.








Enjoy your day!!

Day 298- 25th October 2015 - Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Bonaparte's Gull and Chipping Sparrows

Well the sleep of the exhausted finally over took me last night and I slept til 6am. How sweet is that! No idea what's on the agenda for today, sure we'll find something entertaining to do -maybe more birding. Larry will want to do some things around the yard, but my thoughts on that are - it can wait. 
A spectacular Saturday of birding.  Wasn't long before the touch of cranky I started off with yesterday morning vanished. We headed out to Cape Sable Island. We were quick to find the Bonaparte Gull - very small next to the Gulls that we normally see. A Black Scooter, Sanderlings and Yellow Legs were around. Over to the Hawk we saw a number of other shorebirds in the distance. Found a couple of Field Sparrows along the road. Went in search of Warblers but a Kestrel was stalking the normal patch so that was quiet. Just off the Hawk Road  something flew in front of the car into the bushes. For some reason it registered as something different (maybe I'm finally catching on to this birding business).  Turned around, went back to the bushes and I got a couple of shots of his head and bill. Umm..... Yellow-billed Cuckoo. As it happened we were across the road from another birding friend, so made a mad dash for her place. Cal wasn't long grabbing camera and getting on her boots. Yup, we found him in a neighbour's yard and after a number of photos he flew back to her yard. More photos and we were lucky enough to watch him catch a grasshopper. Oh yeah, then we stopped in Shelburne got groceries and headed back home.

 Yellow-billed Cuckoo with lunch.

 A back view

I like this view - you can see the underside of his tail.

Bonaparte's Gull in the foreground. You can see how small he is.

A group of Sanderlings on the beach.

Yellow Legs.

Chipping Sparrow.

The Kestral - wouldn't stay close enough for good shots but they are small too and very pretty.






Enjoy your day!

Day 297 - 24th October 2015 - More Fall Colors - Trees, Bushes and Grasses

I'm up at 4:30 am, once again - getting tired of this really fast! Going to be a late start to going birding, groceries, etc. since Larry stayed up til 1:30 am watching that ball game. I'm not a sports fan and these games are really cramping my plans. Am feeling a tad bit cranky this morning, hopefully as I get through this first cup of coffee it will turn around. Might be a good day to head to Cape Sable Island and see if the Bonaparte Gull, Red-throated Loon and some Warblers are still around. Looks like a good day on the weather front.
It was nice but chilly with the wind most of Friday.  I continued with the saga of the tomatoes - seriously I'm tired of making, sauce etc., I hate to see anything go to waste so more we do. We've given a lot  away and hopefully I'll soon see the end of them for another season. Sadly I'll pay an arm and a leg this winter for one tomato that has half as much flavour of those we grew.

The sun was breaking through the trees as I walked along the lake.

Still some good color.

Most of the ferns are no longer green but a brilliant golden bronze color.

Reds in the bushes and golden grasses frame the water.

Just a leaf.








Enjoy your day!

Day 296 - 23rd October 2015 - Leaves, Grackle and Grandmother's Journal

Some rain over night but the stars are all out now. Looks like a good day in the making. It's Friday and the end of the the work week for most.  Best get some birding in this weekend, might be my last for a couple of weekends as Deer hunting season opens next Friday.
So 1 1/2 rooms done, 19 1/2 left to go - I think it's probably too early to start the count down. Started out on my walk, early but got caught in a shower so headed back home since I didn't have Big B.'s raincoat with me. Lexi and I went roaming later but she's not into birding these days, more sniffing for squirrels.  The yard seems to be busy with Blue Jays, Squirrels and  Chipmunks, but a Leucistic Grackle arrived. Leucism is a genetic mutation that prevents pigment from being deposited on feathers. Exercise class last night - more pain I'm sure.
Grandmother's Journal: 
23 October 1976: Some sunny intervals. Rain and Hail showers. All day, high winds and miserable most of the day and evening. South westerly. Bobbie and Mike up, didn't stay long. I cooked and seemed to work hard all day. Made 16 jars of grape jelly yesterday. 
24 October 1976: Beautiful day. Windy. Bob worked around. I did odd jobs. Sid and Bobbie up in morning, back home early. Jackson here for a visit in the afternoon. We took a drive to Scotts for a visit.

We still have some colorful leaves but the wind is making quick work of them.

Quiet along the lake.

The Leucistic Grackle. Notice the white around his face. I tried for something more exotic but no luck. He was my himself.

Another day - mist along the shore.

A few little branches couldn't withstand the wind.






Enjoy your day!