Day 166 - 14th June 2013 - Grandmother's Journal, Ducks and Twin Flowers

4:30am - up way too early! Will be a long day, maybe I'll snooze on the drive after work. No rain so far this morning, fingers crossed it stays that way. Truck is almost packed and we should be able to hit the road by 4:30pm, we are both getting off a little early so we can catch the 7:30 pm ferry to the Island. Housesitter will be here before we go, but I've run through everything with him so that's looked after. Am looking forward to a weekend away and I love the beauty of the area. Also a good chance to visit with Dorothy and Roger - haven't seen them since January. Larry's job is to lend his expertise in gardening and he has some tomato plants for them too. My only regret about not being home we'll miss the boiled lobster supper that we always attend at Upper Clyde on Saturday, but you can't do everything and we'll go next year. It's one of the best suppers around so if you are in the area please do go, it's a fundraiser for the community hall there, which used to be one of the original 1 room school houses.
A busy day - not much accomplished that I needed to get done at work as I was distracted by others. Oh well that's how it goes. Home, supper, put my trifle together to take with us, exercise class and then some last minute things to put in a bag. No time to sit and relax until it was almost bedtime.
Time for some news from Grandmother's Journal:
13th June 1974 - Beautiful day, real warm. To town early back 5:15. Bob worked outside until dark. I walked to dogs with water. Many birds singing now. Just beautiful. Flies are bad now when there is no breeze. Garden coming well now.
14th June 1974 - Beautiful day nice not too warm. Foggy driving to town early. Mike came back with us for weekend. Back to town 9 o'clock to get battery for tractor. Home 10:30, saw 1 deer.
15 June 1974 - Beautiful warm hot day. Bob & Mike worked in apple orchard. I worked in house. Bobby and Betty up in afternoon late. 

 Galls on an Oak Tree - I saw these last fall but they had changed color by then and were brown. Research tells me they are caused by wasps.

 Enjoyed watching the ducks at Myrna's yesterday morning.

 She has a lot of mouths to feed!

A day of Mallards as one flew from the Harbour.

Found more Twin Flowers in the woods. Actually you smell their sweet fragrance before you see them.











Enjoy your day! I may be a little late tomorrow morning but I'll still be posting!

Day 165 - 13th June 2013 - Rhododendron, Iris' and Song Sparrows.

Overcast with light rain this morning, but it's going to clear. The birds are all singing up a storm. Back to the grind today. Hoping for a quiet day where I can whiz through some work, have some editing to finish and I'm on a count down to get that done up. I guess I do my best work under pressure, but truthfully there's been no time lately to get to it. I need to have it completed by the end of the month with photos etc so I can take one last run through and send it off to the printer. Summer Student starts next week so will need a few days of training with her, then I think she'll be  a great asset to the centre for the summer. Exercise class tonight and I've got to put my dessert together to take on Friday night with us. Busy day!
Wednesday went marvelous - laundry caught up, cookies and brownies made, housework done and clothes packed. It even cleared enough that Lexi and I could roam the hood, we stopped and chatted with Lois along our route. I guess the secret is not to rant at the weather too much and think positive! It will come around to your way of thinking. Larry got up to the garden after supper - he was probably doing some weeding, they'll grow even faster now than the vegetables do.

 The neighbour's Rhodo.

 Playing around with the Lupins.

 Song Sparrows were out in full force, including on the deck.

 My Wisteria is still in bloom.

 Another hiding in a bush - think they might be nesting nearby.

 The lake is really high now.

The purple ones are opening, first sunny day and I expect the yellow ones to be in bloom.












Enjoy your day!

Day 164 - 12th June 2013 - Flowers and Ferns

Off today! Rah! No sitting on the deck this morning - it's pouring down rain.  Lots to do. We are going away on the weekend so I need to get everything ready today so we can pull out after work on Friday. Got a housesitter all booked - hope he does some housework! Heading to Freeport - that's Nova Scotia not Maine, should be fun - visit with friends, some gardening for Larry and birding/photography for me. It's a great place to take photos and roam around. Going to do the brownies for the base of the Death by Chocolate Trifle to take with us: I'll put it together Thursday night or Friday morning, might do some more baking if the weather stays this way. Lexi's suitcase is all packed so I just need to deal with Larry and I.
It was a wet miserable day on Tuesday, actually doesn't look much better for the rest of the week. So we are just going to close our minds to that, think positive  and maybe the weather will turn around. It was  a long day, busy at work, then back to town for our AGM. I find it hard to get moving once I stopped and there was just enough time to set down with a cup of tea after supper that made it hard to get back up and go out again. A good meeting.

 Hidden in the forest - Lady Slippers.

 Pretty in pink

 The Hummingbird loves to sit at the top of one of the apple trees.

 Ferns are wonderful these days.

 I really like the pink clover - weed or not?

A Butterfly rested on the top of a fern.













Enjoy your day!

Day 163 - 11th June 2013 - More birds and Lady Slipper

Up a little early this morning. The sky is fire engine red through the trees - "red sky at dawn sailors be warned", in for some rain today. It's like an orchestra in around the property as well - can hear all the birds singing their songs. Maybe the weather will hold off until I get to work. Have to go back to town this evening for our AGM, I really hate leaving once I get home, but it shouldn't be a long evening.
Another Monday went by - thank goodness. Normally I don't think it's wise to wish your days to past quickly as it just ages us that much sooner, but yesterday was one of those days. I did accomplish some things, but then went on to waste several hours trying to get something else to work - ugh I hate when technology doesn't run right! Home to a fast supper, Lexi got balsam in her fur - Larry's solution was to "trim it out with the scissors" I got more on me than she did. She ended up with a bath but needed one anyway, she' s really dry and I've got medicated shampoo for just the thing and then I was off to exercise class. With the new sound system tweaked it's great, of course that doesn't mean I like going any better, but variety is the spice of life.

 The Song Sparrows are always singing  but lately aren't posing where I want them too.

 Still lots of Lady Slippers through the woods.

 I couldn't resist one more pic of the cute little Swamp Sparrow.

 One of my favourites that are always in and out of the feeders - Red Breasted Nuthatch.

 One of our pair of Starlings - they aren't so bad, kind of grow on you.

There she is guarding her nest.













Enjoy  your day!

Day 162 - 10th June 2013 - Clouds, Lake, River, Birds and a Turtle

Monday again and a foggy morning, Birds are beginning to come alive and singing. Back to the office this morning, hoping to get a good amount of work done today. We had a rather sleepless night or not  alot of sleep. Lexi hurt one of her hind legs yesterday and was limping which meant she had trouble getting up and down off the bed, etc. Now being independent she doesn't like help, so every time Larry tried to lift her she would get upset with him, thus waking me up too. She seems fine this morning so she may have just twisted it.
Had an enjoyable Sunday - a nice mix of work and relaxation, haunting the hood and a new spot. I sure do have a wonderful husband. I woke him up to say I was going for a roam and would be back in less than an hour, well 1 1/2 hours later I rolled in - it take a while to check out the hood. There he was though ready to cook breakfast, just waiting patiently for me. I finished up some work leftover from Saturday, Larry spent a good portion of the day in the garden - almost done! We even got the truck cleaned out.  We had an early supper, I got the dishes done up and then we headed somewhere I'd never been - a cabin in the woods. Good walk - Larry figured about 2 miles in on the river. Beautiful spot, heard lots of birds, some I hadn't heard before and I did get a pic of a new one for my list. Yah!

 Some clouds over the lake, but they rolled on by.

 I was so pleased with the shots I got of this Swamp Sparrow.

 Didn't take long for the sky to brighten and become a beautiful day.

 My hostas that were lovely but no more thanks to the deer.

 Hummingbird darts in and out all day long.

 New to my list - Common Yellowthroat.

 A frog hiding in the grass.

A turtle who just finished laying eggs.

And a view of the river from the cabin. Look familiar Cindy? We signed the guest book before we headed back.












Enjoy your day!

Day 161 - 9th June 2013 - Fog, Mallards, Robins and Flowers

Cloudy Sunday morning but the blue sky is parting the clouds and it looks like it will be a fine day. The birds are beginning to sing and move around. A roam in the hood is definitely on the agenda for today and maybe we will get a little farther a field later today. Larry has plans to plant his tomato plants. Glad he didn't plant them Friday night, I'm afraid they would have been beaten down. He's got some broccoli plants to put in too,  and I think almost done with the planting, next will be the constant job of weeding.
 I'd like to wish a very Happy 40th Anniversary to a wonderful couple I've known forever.  Years have come and gone when I didn't see them but they will always have a soft spot in my heart. Happy Anniversary Karen & Edwin, may you have many, many more years together.
It was definitely an inside day, I did everything I said I would and then some. Larry hid most of the day in his building which was good, since it's easier to work around the house without him underfoot. Finally after supper the rain ended and the fog rolled in with a bit of mist. I headed out around the hood for a good long walk. When I got home Larry and Lexi took off for her evening drive and run and I got stuck doing the supper dishes - oh well he did cook - fried clams and fries, which were very good.

 I startled some Mallards.

 Into the fog they fly.

Myrna had more by her place - lots of males.

 Thick fog - I've been trying to catch the baby beaver but no luck so far. Soon I hope before he grows up!

 Lois' gardens never let me down.

 She always has so many beautiful flowers.

 The Lupins on the road side didn't make out so well in the heavy rain today.

Mr. Robin looks quite wet as well.












Enjoy your day!

Day 160 - 8th June 2013 - Birds, Pollen, Blooms and Sunshine

Rain it is on this Saturday morning. Looks like it will be a day for housework and groceries, but tomorrow is suppose to be fine so it will nice to get that stuff all done for a few days so I can enjoy the sunshine when it comes. Not sure what Larry's got planned - probably something in his building for fear that I'll put him to work on a project in the house. Lexi of course will hang between the two of us.  I'm pretty sure the Myrtle Warbler must be nesting somewhere around here, they are always singing to me and I've spied one of them several times high in the Weeping Willow tree. We have some coniferous and hardwood trees around so no doubt they have picked one of those.
Guess I could have taken my camera to work with me yesterday as the only rain we really got was in the morning when I left. Of course it was spitting rain after supper too. Good day at the centre, got things ready for the AGM next week, bookkeeping up to date, newsletter pretty well finished up, a couple of researchers and some other stuff cleared up. So all was good, I fade fast after supper, swear I'm going to start working a 6 am - 2pm shift - suppose anyone would come in that early? I would certainly be smarter than in the afternoon. Hoping all the girls that did the Relay for Life in Lockeport had a good time last night. It's good cause and they would have had a wet evening since it was outside.

 Cedar Waxwing enjoying the neighbour's tree.

 There's been a lot of pine pollen on the lake lately.

 Larry's Chestnut tree is in bloom, suppose we'll be roasting chestnuts this winter?

 Love the silhouettes of this wonderful family in the early morning light.

 Looking up a driveway on a nicer sunny morning.

 Usually a Song Sparrow along the way.

Smiling suns and flowers.














Enjoy your day!