Weeks' End

First off, I need to correct a part of my last post. I had my little greatgrandkitties' names confused. The one I called Sully was actually the no name one, so I stand corrected. No name actually has a name now, though it took over a week to get one. His name is Piper, and it fits him to a T. Both have loud motors, and are most comfortable now in their new home. I managed to stay away for about 4 days, until this morning, when I just had to get down there and see the boys, especially since Piper just got his name last night. :) Oh my goodness they are so sweet. I love them to pieces.......

I managed to do something to my back this past week, but it is much better now. I put together a rather large bookcase, last week, and then on Tuesday, I picked up a heavy file box, full of books. The next morning........I knew I had done something I shouldn't have done.  Needless to say I didn't get much done for two days, but today has been better, though there is just a twinge.

I have decided that after having the racoon take off with my good bird feeder

that I would make due with two cheapy feeders from the Dollar Store.

They are working out well, and only once has the racoon returned to steal the 

copper one, but he didn't get far with it for some reason and I was able

to rescue it the next day.

I have also decided that the little sparrows or sparrow like birds are

quite fascinating. I am having trouble figuring out exactly what kind they are for 

sure. They have neat little songs, and one at least doesn't seem to mind me 

sitting there and watching, even taking a picture or two. For all

the above pictures I am less than 4 feet from them. I have also taken

some with my phone, putting them on instagram.

This is the bird feeder thief, peering through the 

branches and daring me to try to get the feeder back.

I give up pal, it's all yours. (for now)

Some New News....

I am delighted to say that my daughter has adopted two sweet little boys.........boy kittens, that is. They are just as cute as they can be at ten weeks old. They are rescue kittens, and litter mates.
I tried to get a few pictures, but they moved around quite a bit, and perhaps were a bit nervous, as it was the first evening with their 'new family'. I deleted more pictures than I kept, because most of them looked like this.....

This one would have been nice if he hadn't moved

I caught this one eating. At least he was still.

This little one's name is Sully  No Name but his brother  is called

NTBD......(Name to be determined)...Sully

Sully   No Name playing with paper

 Since my Sadie left me, and Dawn's dog died, I have had few chances to cuddle four footed creatures, except for my trips to Heather's to see their flock, cat and dog.

Should I admit that after spending 1&1/2 hrs with the kittens last night, I just had to stop in for a short visit at noon, to see how they made out on their first night in their new home. They are quite content it seems to me.  Did I mention that they are so cute?

I took a few pictures of the evening sky. It had been overcast all day, and then in the evening it brightened quite a bit.

An old bean thrasher on its last legs. We used to use

it many years ago. The Captain wanted to use it

for a farm sign, but.......it never happened.

Now it just lies there, falling apart little by little.

The best laid plans.....

That's the exciting news this week. I am sure I will post more about these little guys.

I have corrected the little guys' names........

Thinking....

       I have been sitting for the last twenty minutes or so, just watching the birds that are coming to my bird feeder. In my attempts to keep the seeds away from the squirrels, I have hung the feeder in a different place, where there are no branches for the squirrel to use as a jumping off spot. I wondered if the birds would come, and as I watched, a goldfinch, a chickadee and a purple finch came to eat.

      It didn't take to long, and there was the squirrel sitting on a branch about eight inches away from the feeder. He reached out, stretched and put his front feet on the top of the feeder. The feeder twirled and the squirrel did a flip, still clinging to his branch. He did this sort of 'trick' several times, but he didn't give up. Eventually he managed to get to the middle part of the feeder and was able to get a few seeds. It was a very precarious perch and he ended up falling to the ground. Perseverance must be his name, since he ran across the grass, back up the tree to the same branch and did the same thing all over again. It seems that I can not win this game that 'Percy' is playing with me. It is as if he is saying to me, "Ha ha ha, you can't get ahead of me..." I think perhaps he may be right.

You can just see the branch that he stretches from

(upper middle)

He slips and slides as he tries to get the seeds.

He does get one at a time, eats it, and puts his

head down for another.

He has just landed on the ground, whoomph! though

he doesn't seem to be hurt at all

He just happened to bring a seed with him, and needs to eat 

to build up energy for his next foray.

     He is a cute little fellow, but I am not buying bird seed for him, even if he is a talented athlete. I shall get my handy dandy saw and cut off a bit of the branch and see if that will make a difference.

     Well, on another topic, I have been hearing this buzzing sound in my head for over a year now, and I finally saw an the specialist, and also had the hearing test. My hearing is good in the normal range, but apparently it is the high range that is my problem. It has to do with the nerves and the cells dying due to my age, and although I still can't understand all of it, this buzzing is the result......not too much I can do about it. I could get a hearing aid just to shut out the noise......maybe, but for now I will just live with it, knowing that there is nothing else wrong with my ears or my head. (As far as the hearing go, that is.....)

That's all for now.....

A Food Blog????????????

        When I inquired about taking a few pictures in a cafe where we were eating today, the gal asked me if I  had a food blog.  If I hadn't have been in public I might have choked. Now....., those who know me best, are now probably rolling around the floor with laughter......Bonnie?  Food blog???? The funniest thing they've ever heard.

It's  not that I have anything against food blogs, or food for that matter, it is just the idea of me writing one. I do not like to shop for groceries. I am not great in the kitchen, and getting worse as time goes on, and I do not care if I eat. Well, I do eat, but not much. 

But.......

every once in a while I do enjoy a meal, especially if it is a Belgian waffle, with whipped cream and

strawberries, and an excellent cup of coffee. 

I took a few pictures with my phone, but I have a big problem holding the phone still, and not jiggling, and these are the only two that aren't blurred. This is the Green Elephant Cafe in Kingston, They have just added an addition, which is the picture above. It is bright, and welcoming, and they have the friendliest waitresses. I should have taken a picture of them. One gal, J, had run the Bluenose Marathon in Halifax on the weekend....she totally amazes me.... That is quite a feat. Maybe I will take my camera the next time and do it up right. Anyhow.....it was absolutely yummy and tasted like more, on another day of course.

It has been nice yesterday and today, with the sun shining most of the time, though there was a little shower this afternoon.  Yesterday I took my walking stick and went for a little walk in the orchard. I don't know how far it is to the pond, but I knew I would need the stick. I took a few pictures but my favourite is the snapper.

I am not sure if he/she was headed to the pond or not, but it went into the grass instead.

Lots of dandelions and blossoms for the bees

These are Gravenstein blossoms

The edge of the pond has lots of these little white, four petalled wild flowers

As long as I am writing about food, here is a little squirrel who is 

always checking out the bird feeder.

Needless to say, he/she is fearless

"Are you going to give me more, huh.......huh?

And then there is this delight.......yummy

Okay....I perhaps should stop here before I get overwhelmed with this whole food thing. (I didn't make it) A friend did, which is a good thing.

Excuse me, I am just going to get a cup of coffee...the elixir of life.......

Not eating.......

Not hungry...........

Horrible Wildfire, Alberta

A gigantic wildfire is burning in one of our western provinces, Alberta. Perhaps you have caught a news broadcast about this. It is the Fort McMurray fire. Though it seems to be the biggest and has displaced a whole city there are many more wildfires burning in our west, with at least  80 fires burning in north eastern British Columbia. The pictures from around Fort McMurray are horrendous, and it is hard to imagine driving in your car between walls of fire being unable to see be cause of the dense smoke, fear gripping you as burning embers fall on the road and your car. This is exactly what I saw on the news yesterday.  Today, they say that the fire is growing larger, and could double in size by the end of today. It has been burning for five days.  Thousands of people have lost their homes and possessions and have made their way south to Edmonton, and other places of safety. Some people had earlier gone north, but with little in the way of accommodation and supplies, the Mounties are bringing convoys of cars back south through the burned city to get them on their way south. People, once they get to safe areas, the families can find their own places to shelter, with friends or family, or even strangers who have opened their homes to evacuees or there are also places opened where families can stay if they have no other options. It is beyond belief. Some of the pictures just break your heart. Such devastation. First responders are under great stress, and are overwhelmed. The fire has been described as a monster, eating its way through thousands of hectares.
A great many maritime people had gone 'out west' to find jobs, and now some are coming home, jobs gone and no expectation of one after the fire does its worse. Homes, jobs, livelihoods gone.

Monday, 09th
I'm not sure when I started this, but the fire is still burning though it has moved north east away from the town, but is burning through hectares of boreal forest.

I had a really nice spur of the moment trip back to Ironwood, yesterday. Dawn suggested we go and I jumped at the idea. Again, it would be a short visit.....had to get home by supper, but I was happy to spend the afternoon with my girls and the grandbaabies. The weather was nice, warm and sunny. I took 56 pictures, but I won't share them all here of course. It will be hard to pick out the best but I shall try.  Heather gave Dawn and me flowers and then when I got home, Rae and Colton brought me some tulips. So nice. It was a good day.

This is little 'Stinky' and he liked my shirt

These little ones are looking for their bottles, since

they were bottle fed, though not as often now.

One of my favourite views on the farm

Meet Franklin. He joined us on our walk to the barns

This little lamb was born a week and a half ago. He was a

little timid.

These little lambs(twins) stick quite close to their mom.

Just look at that face....

This ewe just loves to have a good scratch. You can tell she's 

enjoying it and H is working hard to do a good job

Dawn and Heather giving a little rub to the ewe 

and having a conversation as well.

I have to show some of the little black ones as well

They look like they are paying close attention to H

We all talk to the ewes and lambs as though they understood

every word, but I think they do understand H

Friday, the 13th........

A few days later.........the wildfire has moved away from Fort Mac and the cleaning up has begun. It will be at least two weeks before the people can get back in to see what is left of their homes.  

I am still having difficulties settling down to do anything specific, but am feeling better, so that's a good thing.

I thought I would finish this off before too many more days passed. As it is, it is old news.

The leaves are beginning to pop on the trees,

and even with the cooler mornings

Spring has finally arrived.

Grass is a dark green

Dandelions a brilliant yellow

Sky, varying shades of blue

The sun warming.

and the peepers peeping.

Ah, Spring

Welcome

Short Visit to the Farm

A week ago Saturday, serendipity stepped in and I was able to get out to my daughter's farm, where I finally saw the many little lambs that have arrived this spring. My goodness, but they grow so fast. In pictures they appear so small, but in a matter of a few weeks, they are quite big. They are so sweet. I could watch them for hours.
It was a little chilly Saturday, but the rain held off until the trip home.

For some reason, I didn't take a whole lot of pictures.

Guess I was too busy just watching.

The day was cool, but it was wonderful to see all my lamb grandbaabies.

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I have been having a few rough days, but am doing much better. New meds sometimes can 

do a number on you, and I was struggling with trembling hands, major indecision(staring at the closet trying to decide what to wear, for 15 minutes as an example), dizziness, and low Blood Pressure. Not fun. Since the side affects of the new pill was too much, the search is on for a different one. I apparently am very sensitive to drugs, which is good or bad depending on how you look at it.

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It is a new week, and I am managing to feel a bit better, but have yet to really take interest in things I want to do. I do what I have to, and hopefully as the days go by, and the sun shines more than the rain falls, I will begin to do more things. Depression is a thorn in the side, but I am in hopes that this low session has passed and brighter days are ahead.

As I type there is a great amount of noise over my head. We are getting our roof shingled. So many shingles blew off through the winter, I began to wonder if there were any left up there. I guess there were enough to keep the snow off the upstairs ceiling, but it will be nice to have the roof done (if the rain holds off).

Blue Skies......and snow

The days have been running together as usual, and sometimes I have to think about

what day it is.  I am having trouble settling down and finishing the various

tasks that are on my to do list.

When I come to writing something I can hardly remember when I took the pictures.

It doesn't matter I guess because it was just so great to see the blue blue of the sky

even if there were puffy clouds.

Of course I knew it couldn't last, and on Sunday past the picture below is what I woke to.

It was pretty, but it was April 10th......

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Floyd had a pretty good hour with the patients at Rehab last Wedenday.

He was up to his regular tricks, flirting with all the gals, and

shaking hands with the men. He had so many hugs and kisses that he

was totally washed out when he got home.

Below is a picture of the gang, friends of Floyd. There is little lambchop, baby bear,

Ed Eagle, Baby Lamb, Mr Crow and Black Kitty.

They talked to the group, up close and personal and again each got lots of hugs and

kisses, and each ended up being cuddled by someone.

We also sang a few songs, and I played my uke. Then to close off we sang

a couple of hymns and I played the piano.

This unit at the Rehab is for Alzheimer patients, and they laughed and sang,

so I guess Floyd accomplished what he had set out to do.

I think that is all I have to share today.

The sun is shining as I write.

Frost covers the ground.

Snow is forecast, but I think I heard that it won't hit the valley.

We shall see what we shall see........I'll let you know