Weather Change

Finally, after X-mas we have snow.

Turkeys

I was bringing wood in from the far west meadow when two turkeys flew into the field just ahead of me. I was too slow with the camera. Hoping for another chance, I got the camera ready & circled ahead. Yes, I got another chance but the camera had automatically shut itself off to save power so I again did not get a photo. Sigh!

Sent from my iPhone

First Fire of the Season

I'm not sure why it took so long to have our first fire this fall. Perhaps because we have not had snow?

Still Blooming

Sounds of the Morning

At 5:15 this morning the coyotes started to yip and howl. The donkey replied with loud braying. The wind whistled through the trees and snow pellets pinged against the windows. So much for quiet country living.

Running

Running on rail trail. Little rain. No one else out.

Snow

Snow yesterday morning. Gone by noon. Just felt cold today.

Rooster

Here is the first photo of our new rooster. Names suggested so far include Rudy, Roary, Ko-ko-dee. Do you have suggestions?

New Post

In spite of best intensions somehow this blog gets left out of many of my days . . . as is obvious. However, we have a new animal that needs to be celebrated this morning. No photo yet but coming soon. This morning as I went out the door I was greeted by a sound from my very distant past, the crowing of a rooster. I bought a rooster from a farm near Dundas yesterday and brought it home last evening. It should add some neat sounds to our mornings. I have missed that sound for years and years.

New Sculpture

Part one of a two part sculpture.

Oct. 26

Gloomy weather
Brightened
Just a bit
By
Maple power.

Butter-and-Eggs

Butter-and-Eggs
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

24 October

Traffic noise

Wind in trees

Our water fountain

One spring peeper

5:20 a.m.

Morning

Greeted by Jupiter
As I go out the door
And the sounds
Of the Great Horned Owl.

Oct. 20

Lots of rain last night.
Robins still chirping.
White-throated Sparrows
Still learning calls.
Crows just 'caws.

Heal-all

Heal-all blooming & Red-wing Blackbirds singing in the background make a cool October morning more joyful.

Early

If I could add sound, it would be one of the local screech owls. It has been calling for at least 10 minutes.

Wales

Hiking in Wales up into the clouds.

September 2

Great Horned Owl calling @ 5
& Spring Peeper, many Crickets, other insects.
Forecast: +30 (+39)

Sent from my iPhone

Storm Work

Spent over an hour picking up branches, sawing & lopping branches, and cleaning up a small part of the yard. There is still another hour or three of picking up to do & then there is this large limb still high in a tree waiting to fall. Wondering how to safely get it down.

Lots of Rain

It rained all morning yesterday. It's been a long time since I've seen this much water in the rain gauge.

Another view

Thunderstorms?

The forecast calls for thunderstorms all day but the sky looks good from the porch this morning.

Glory in the Morning

July Garden

Garden

First

First
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Looking forward to fresh eggs. Someone offered us some "free" chickens but as it ended up Fleur-Ange drove 3 hours to collect them so they were not quite free. (I wonder what it costs to buy chickens and have them delivered?)

Ticks Again

Two ticks found on our dog so far & none on me for a difference.

Sent from my iPhone

Trout Lily

Trout Lily
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Enjoying lots of trout lilies these days!

West of the Barn

West of the Barn
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

and in the morning
robin song
spring peeper peeps
woodcock buzzes
and then
toad trill
for the first time
this rainy spring season

Tree Swallows

The tree swallows are back & inspecting the bird houses. I just cleaned the houses this morning.

Sent from my iPhone

Often Overlooked

Often Overlooked
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The Blue Cohosh is just beginning to bloom. This is from last Friday.

Correction: This is Caulophyllum giganteum or Giant Blue Cohosh. (Thanks to Mike Whittemore for the ID.)

An early "Early Meadow-rue"

An early "Early Meadow-rue"
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

In spite of snow this morning, I still think spring will come someday.

New

Enjoying some colour at last.

Another New Migrant

Picture of new bird for the season seen this morning.

Towee

I used iBird to double check the id of the first towee that I have seen this season. Its song was not quite right. Maybe it's just learning?

My New Book

What's That Flower? by Dean Gugler | Make Your Own Book

I made this book to go with the photo show that starts today in the Giants Rib Discovery Centre display area at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre.

Buds

The Silver Maple flower buds are just starting to open.

Note From Our Art Show

Note From Our Art Show
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

One of the students in the class made a small book to share our art work. This is one of the pages about me.

Art Show Coming Soon

Art Show Coming Soon
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The description says that the opening is from 7 to 11 but if anyone wants to see me it would be best to be there before 8:30. I have to go home to take care of our animals and enjoy my early bedtime.
I have two sculptures and a video in the show.

Lost in the Crowd . . .

Lost in the Crowd . . .
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

. . . is better than being trampled in the crowd. Given just over 7000 runners were in the Around-the-Bay 30 km race and given that most of them were faster than I am, I chose to be in the back of this crowd. Actually, I am probably not even in this photo yet. Fleur-Ange was on a pedestrian overpass looking for me when she took this photo. She almost missed me but managed to get a photo of my back from the other side of the overpass a bit later.

I finished in 3 hours 47 minutes or 10 minutes faster than three years ago when I was only 65. I felt better than I had in the previous race but was having a bit of vertigo in the morning and during the run so perhaps without that I could have been a bit faster. Not much though.

And Then There Were Three

Fluffy met a snow plough sometime in the last 24 hours. He is buried under the big willow by the road. Very sorry to see him go! He was the grey cat in the middle of this family group photo taken last Monday.



And Then There Were Three
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Snow Again

More welcome in December than March.

Photo Art Show

Photo Art Show
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

From my large collection of wild flower photos, I have picked out about 35, so far, to process and will print 20 for an art photo show. In addition i am making up a photo book which I hope will turn out well enough to offer for sale and I have also made up a collection of some of the same photos in a photo frame that will be identifying all of the flowers. As a last addition, I want to print up some to poster size. Hope I can get all of that done in the next eleven days.

For Art Show

For Art Show
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I am working on a flower photo art show that will show in April. I plan to have 20 8x10 framed photos, a slide show on a photo frame, and a book to show. The will be lots of work between now and April to get ready!

Missed

Missed the photo by a few seconds but I just saw 5 Wild Turkeys about 40 metres behind our barn.

Sent from my iPhone

More Snow

Snow again this morning. Will it ever stop? Oh well, it was easier to take with the songs of Red-wing Blackbirds, Chickadees, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Crows, Juncos, and even a Robin this morning. It's nice to hear bird songs again as the sun come up.

Sculpture Project

Sculpture Project
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Using an old spring and scraps of wood I came up with this sculpture and then was offered the challenge of making a video. The first video, or rather the sixth version of the first video, has been chosen to be shown in an April art show. This is not that video but a collection of still photos that I played with to make a different kind of video. I have a long way to go to be able to make a video without much effort.

Dizzy Goat

OK, now I am over my dizzy spells and Gertrude, our mother goat, is dizzy. Fleur-Ange called the vet and she came over and gave Gertrude several injections today and left more to be given over the next week. Thank goodness for neighbours that can give needles!!!

Dizzy?

Finally felt dizzy enough and long enough to have Fleur-Ange phone the doctor for me. (I hate phones.) Long story made short. I was told to go to emergency. Then I got to wait for just over 4 hours to see a doctor, have my blood pressure taken over a half dozen times, had an EEG, and finally told that I have a common inner ear problem that is not serious and will go away on its own but possibly return. Nice to know that i am not having a stroke or heart attack but was it really worth over 4 hours of my life? Guess so, I do feel better.

East Pond

East Pond
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Our east pond is full and way past it's usual banks with all the snow melt being added to by lots of rain falling on frozen ground. It is more pleasant due to the sound of Red-winged Blackbirds and the sight of willows starting to open their buds. Now if it were not for the forecast of snow tonight . . . .

New Early Arrival

New Early Arrival
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Woke up this morning feeling dizzy. Not sure what that is all about. Better by 10 a.m. but still a bit of a worry. Meanwhile, when I went out to feed the animals this morning there were lots and lots of Red-winged Blackbirds in our trees. They were singing and chirping and hopping about the trees as if spring were really here in spite of the -12 C temperature and the fact that I have never seen the so early in March on our property before.

Willow Buds

This is not a wonderful photo but it is the first sign of a willow shrub bud starting to open.

Just Visiting

Just Visiting
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

We are lucky enough to see a fair bit of wildlife out of our kitchen windows. These three White-tailed Deer were the event of the morning. They took our attention away from the bird feeder regulars for a few minutes. The Willow encircled pond is between 150 and 200 metres away from the house to this photo is not as sharp as I would have liked but so it goes.

Trying to add this to the "Scenic Sunday" site. We'll see if this works . . .

Snow

Attended the movie, "The King's Speech" last night and came out of the theater to falling snow. (Time on this app is still Greenwich time. Can't figure out how to change it.)

Woodpecker Calling

Heard a red-bellied woodpecker calling just as the sun came up this morning.

Stars!

Last night the stars were showing! It seems like a long time since I have seen them.

Furnace Problems - Again

We have had problems with our furnace for a couple of months. The fan is not working properly. We have had three new fan motors. Soon they will figure out that the fan is only the result and not the cause of the problem. Thanks goodness for furnace insurance. So, when I woke up at 5:00 this morning I did not hear the furnace and, yes, it stopped during the night. It is 9 degrees Celsius in the house. Glad it is not as cold as is has been outside. (- 10 with wind chill of -17)

Cold Again

One cannot expect the weather to stay the same at this time of year. Feels like - 17 this morning.

First

First
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

One of seven flower species seen today when most of the snow melted.