Day 237 - 24th August 2013 - Impatiens, Squirrel, Clouds and Hydrangeas

Saturday morning, I'm up again too early, didn't sleep well but there is always tonight. Convinced Larry to give up his sleeping in this morning and get up the same time as a work day. We are off on a little adventure and I need to catch the tides right. Will fill you in on all the details tomorrow morning. Of course there are all the normal Saturday things to do - groceries, laundry, etc. Might make a zucchini chocolate cake and head over to the visit the campers at the park supper time. A nice evening with friends - always lots of laughs. Sounds like a fun packed day.
Friday was a busy day, didn't quite get all the things done I needed to but that's the way it goes. Although I'm probably going to have to do a few things on the weekend as I have someone coming on Monday and I need to have stuff sorted out before they arrive. Will worry about that later. An evening jaunt around a quiet hood and then home to put my feet up and chill for the evening.

I love this tub of Impatiens that belong to a neighbour.

 This seems to be just about all I"m seeing these days!

 I did find a Black and White Warbler.

 Fabulous clouds over the lake last night.

 Lois' Hydrangeas.

More red leaves, prettier from a distance than up close.












Enjoy the day!

Day 236 - 23rd August 2013 - Birds, Queen Anne's Lace and Grandmother's Journal

I've had a rather sleepless night and up too early. Not sure why except there is something nagging in the back of my mind and I'm not sure what that is either. That little feeling of forgetting to do something. So I guess basically I don't know anything! At least it's Friday and that makes most of us pretty happy. Suppose to have a few showers, although doesn't sound like  a lot. I can see the water in the lake dropping, beaches are beginning to show.
What a busy day I had yesterday. Lots of people in doing research, etc.  This is my summer student's last week, so you know things would pick up and I'd be overrun. Oh well that's how it rolls sometimes. Not a great morning for birds on my walk, think this weekend we will try for some more shorebirds before they all disappear too. Exercise class last night - more punishment for the body - oh the things we do to stay in shape. Since I'm not a big fan of exercise except walking which I love, I can't believe that another week or so and I will have been at it a year. Some nights it feels like I just started but I joined the group the first of last September. How time flies.
Grandmother's Journal:
 23rd August 1974 - Fine Friday, overcast and rain overnight.
24th August 1974 - Mother, Ruth  up here 7:30 to go to Yarmouth. Gertrude went with us. Overcast but not a bad day. Foggy, stopped on our way back for Kenneth's wedding. More food. Home at 6 o'clock. Had my hair cut, washed and set. Small deer in swamp this side of Lore's. Spotted.
25th August 1974 - Beautiful fall day. The locus' are singing more. Birds not singing, very quiet. Swallows gone. Every day same.

 Slim pickings in the hood - just this little Song Sparrow.

 Of course we always have the ducks in the lake.

I'm seeing more Chickadees, they are back around and in the feeders too.

I took this one on Wednesday, not a great pic but you can see the red eye of the Red-Eyed Vireo.

Queen Anne's Lace is still looking good.












Enjoy your day!

Day 235 - 22nd August 2013 - Glads, Clitonia Berries, Ducks, Pine Cones and Sunrises

Larry got up an hour earlier to go to work today - a deadline, job to get finish. I rolled over and went back to sleep. Unusual for me, but I guess this morning I wasn't ready to get up at 4:30am. It's thursday already and work week is flying by. I have so many things I want to get done in the next two days, I'm not sure where I should start. Pick one and plod through I guess is the answer, till the task is done. I noticed last evening when I was downloading photos that my camera has rolled another 10,000 over. Seems I take an awful lot of photos.
Had a great day off. Left the house around 7 to get in my walk, pretty quiet these days around the hood. But it was good to clear my head and get my thoughts where they needed to be. A quick whip around the house, then Karen and I went off to visit our friend Kim after lunch. Had a great afternoon and it's been too long since I've seen her. She's the type of person that you instantly like the minute you meet. She looks great and I'm hoping that things stay well for her. More fresh vegetable from the garden last night for supper. I have to soon re-organize the freezer so we can get some more in there for winter. I keep hearing people say they've been canning their veggies, should really try that some year, would save a lot of space. I would still rather eat our frozen produce than half of what comes in to Sobeys in the winter time. Sorry but I find most of that doesn't have much flavour.

 The red glads have begun to open, love the color.

 The Clitonia now has berries. Several months ago we saw the flowers.

 Landing.

 Am seeing a lot of cones around this year.

 Yesterday morning the lake was beautiful with the golden glow of the sun and mist rising up.

 Flying off into the mist.

The water was so calm, everything was reflected perfectly.











Enjoy your day!

Day 234 - 21st August 2013 - Red Leaves, Golden Sunlight, Black & White Warbler and Blue Skies

Wednesday and my day off - rah!  Looks foggy this morning but since I'm up early and it's still dark - hard to really tell. No stars in the sky though.  Par for the course, the weather people were wrong and we had no rain. I'm not complaining. They are predicting hot and humid for a day or so. Sounds like summer weather has returned. Plans are to get some housework done, but you know I get so easily distracted with being outdoors this time of year. It will be a quick whip around just to keep the cobwebs down to a dull roar and the dust bunnies. Loads of time come winter when the weather turns cold. Will get a run around the hood early, getting harder to find those warblers. They are moving and feeding, getting ready to migrate. Might head out and visit a friend later if she's home today. It's been too long.
Had a good day yesterday. Things accomplished, except some research which is driving me mad, but sometimes that's how it goes. Good to take a break, maybe I'll see something with fresh eyes on Thursday. Went out for a walk after supper, wish those mosquitoes would disappear. I'm sure this is the worst year we've had for them, but it's a bit wetter than normal, I still see water in ditches and swamps, perfect breeding ground for the little blood suckers.

Red leaves already?

 I love the golden glow of the morning sun over the lake.

 Some bling among the silhouettes of the ducks.

 Nature's spinners.

Above: No one said there would be a parade!



This Black & White Warbler has a great pose.

Lovely evening on the lake.




















Enjoy your day!

Day 233 - 20th August 2013 - Lake, Birds and Waves

Stars are all out and it's still dark, dawn will be coming soon. A chance of rain for today - thundershowers is what the forecast says. Well you know what that means; Tuesday and no internet. Last week Larry saw someone up by the tower taking pictures of a pine tree - the culprit they claim. I suppose they will be another month cutting it down. Guess no one noticed that big tree when the put the tower up. Just dumb! Lots to do today.
Another Monday past and not bad for a change. Nice to have a fairly successful start to the week. Weather was fabulous, am really liking the cool morning and warmer days. Exercise class last night, sure I'm going to be hurting this week and I fell off the ball again. That ball and I really don't get along well. Larry came home with another pail of beans last night from the garden. Busy time of year with the garden producing faster than we can get the stuff done up.

 Pretty peaceful on the lake.

 Seems like I'm finding less Warblers, but I did spot this Black and White having breakfast.

 Chickadee in the bushes.

 He was preening and getting prettied up.

Woodpecker enjoying his breakfast too.

 Thought I'd sneak a few pics in of the beach from Sunday.

Enjoy your day!

Day 232 - 19th August 2013 - Fog, Flowers and Shore Birds

Monday has rolled around once again and off to work we go. Looks like it's going to be another fine day, but rain in the upcoming forecast. Still dark out there this morning, stars are out but dawn definitely is getting later. This is the last week for my summer student so there are lots of things I want to clean up and finish off this week. Hopefully I'll have some success. Exercise class tonight.
Sunday was a great day! I snuck out of the house early and went for my 2 hour walk in the morning, but it was pretty quiet - just the ducks, a few song sparrows, but nothing new. It was fairly quiet in the hood, not a lot of people up at 7am on a Sunday morning. Larry had breakfast ready when I got back and I was so hungry. Did the normal housework etc. Cooked a ham so we could have the afternoon free. Chris and the boys arrived late morning so Larry hung out with them for a while. We had an early supper and headed to Round Bay beach to see if there were any shore birds around. The tide was coming in so we didn't have a whole lot of time, figured that would be the closest place to go with fewer people. I treated us to a Dairy Treat when we got back to town and we visited the campers at the park.

Early morning on the lake.

 Can't wait for this to bloom, love the color.

 The bees were busy today, glad to see some around.

 Saw this fellow on my walk.

 He was out for a walk when we were driving to Round Bay.

 Semipalmated Plover at Round Bay Beach.

 Semipalmated Sandpiper.

 I took so many photos it was hard to pick a few out.

 Can't go to the beach without taking photos of the waves.

Several times they took off but just landed again not too far from us. Had to do a lot of crawling on my stomach to get where I wanted to be.

Riding the waves!














Enjoy your day!