Walkin' on water

 What!!? ....   well, it isn't all that tough.... but it sure is annoying when I just want a drink or a bath.......

Not perfect photos as it was through the venetian blinds and screens, which is more or less the norm around here most days....

It is getting down to freezing temps. overnight now and the birdie bath gets frozen solid.  They come as soon as the sun is shining and hop around all over it searching for tiny crevices or eventually making a little hole to get a sip.

It's pretty slippery and they fall around... feathers stand on end...they do the splits...look pretty awkward and probably even stretch things they don't actually want to stretch... slide around a bit more and then.... leave.

But, they come back often to check for open water as the day wears on and the temps. climb to acceptable numbers ...like +15C... it's great days right now ... oh, to have it last until December..hahahahhahahahhah ...oh, sorry, lost my mind for a moment there.  As I'm sure you all remember, we have already had a huge snowfall to remind us of where we live.  That 17 inches melted finally, and hey!..there was still green grass under it.  Now it is more seasonable... like ...dying ...oh, alright, going dormant....and a bit more brownish with more coloured leaves on it and looks about ready for winter weather.  Almost.


Click on them to see a bit larger and more detail will also be visible ..even if it is semi fuzzy...

Wild Bird Wednesday

I got lucky ...   

I never get pics of Blue Jays … people say they are brave, cheeky and all of that…but, I have not found it to be so.  Around here …they just land …squeak, see what is around, and fly off….

So, yesterday when I was trying to clean over a foot of snow off the patio wall and make a trail in there so I could get to the feeders…one flew by.  I set out some mixed nuts that I buy for the bigger birds and tried to lure him back.

He did come back. But, grabbed a nut at lightning speed and was gone!  Dammit.  Missed him.  

So, I went in and sat by the window.. with the blind up a crack so I could get a clear photo.  He flew back about 15 minutes later… grabbed another nut at warp speed and …poof…gone again.  Nuts!!  Literally.  I wasn’t quick enough. 

I waited.  And, waited.  About 10 minutes later, he showed again… this time I actually was ready and got a few shots..but just not as good as I wanted.  I hoped he would come again.  He did ..about another 5 later… this time I got one or two ..and off he went again.  The last time he showed up … he hopped around… looked right at me and hung out long enough to pose for me … the little bugger!  Taunting me…I know it.  He made me use up the better part of an hour hoping for his return.  Hhmppf….. 

But, he is a beauty.  Well, I say ‘he’, but it could just as easily be a ‘she’ couldn’t it?  How do you know with Blue Jays? ….



























We had a huge snowfall... about 16 inches at our place.... the snow was this deep on top of the patio wall too..so I cleaned it off to let them have a place to sit.
It is too early for this much snow... all the tree branches were drooping from the weight of the snow on leaves that haven't even fallen off yet.  A disaster for many trees....
The guy was supposed to come and blow out the sprinkler system.... not for how long now I wonder?  It will take days for this much snow to melt..... and more is forecast for next week.  Darn it.

Three more chin ups.......

..and I can have another nut. ...

... Oh, yeh.......

                         

Linking to Paying Ready Attention Gallery..just click on the photo below to be transported there.

Wild Bird Wednesday

Well, sure ...it isn't Wednesday any more..but, I'm here ..

So were all the birds we usually see about this time of year.  In the space of 20 minutes...I took 84 photos... not all of them good enough to use... so there was a lot of deleting.  Normal for bird photos ... Dave will attest to that.  He has a blog totally devoted to bird butts... I'm serious..check it out. He has the cutest photos.

We had nuthatches, black capped chickadees, sparrows, Northern Flickers, Downy woodpeckers, ... Even a robin came to see what they were all up to, but robins don't do bird feeders so he just had a bath instead in the birdie bath and carried on his merry way, looking for Mayday berries.

Black Capped Chickadee

Red Breasted Nuthatch

Male Downy Woodpecker

Female Northern Flicker

Male Northern Flicker

American Robin (but, he lives in Canada)

My lovely half hour sitting near the window watching the patio feeders.... what fun.

Have some fun going to Stewart's blog too....lots more birds to see over there.. click on the badge below to be immediately transported there.

Little furry caterpillar.... soft and slow......

Little furry caterpillar soft and slow
Being sleepy thought that he to sleep would go
So, in blanket closely wrapped
On a twig he lay
Little furry caterpillar dozed away.
But, one day he wakened when the sun was bright
Stepped out of his blanket feeling gay and light
Then unfolded wings of gauze
Bearing him on high
Little caterpillar was a butterfly.

Who knows this rhyme?  Anybody?  I have no idea if it is totally correct...but, it is more or less what I remember from way back in about Grade 2 or 3 or somewhere like that.

I've tried to look for it online..and there are some that are sort of similar ...but not this particular little one.  I wonder who it was that taught it to us?  Hmm...

Anyway, last night while I was watering I saw this guy crawling around on the sidewalk (and, he isn't actually all that slow either) ... near the grass and it reminded me of my little singsong from way back.

He is black with an orang-y brown band around his middle ..and, long white spikes of fur or hair ..on either end.  I also can't find one that looks exactly like him.  Looks like some of my needle felted bears that I have "hair" to by needling it into their heads.

There are some sort of similar and they say they are Tiger Moth Caterpillars... called Woolly Bears .... however, they also say there are plenty of variations..so it could be the one.

I tried gently to put him into the garden, but he hung on mightily to the cement sidewalk...and, I didn't want to injure him, so let him go his way.  I don't know if his way was the safest way.

If I see him today I will offer him a leaf or something to crawl onto and then move him into safety of the garden... he is probably long gone somewhere by now though.... darn it.

On the orange band there are spots on the top that are diamond shaped and some stripes down the sides.

The white spikes of "hair" are quite long...about half an inch they stick out.

Overall, he was about an inch and a half long.... and pretty fuzzy and fat.... you couldn't tell which was head and which was bottom til he moved... I should have gotten my macro lens I guess...but, I just wanted to get his picture and let him go his way.

Wild Bird Wednesday

I think it is a Sparrow Hawk.

This guy flew onto the patio wall the other day... looking for snacks I guess.  Little birds that is.... they hang out in the lilac and on the wall too.... begging for treats.  'Somebody' must have noticed.

And, besides ..there is a new little fountain in the patio with burbling water...maybe that enticed him.

All I know is..I saw him swoop in....mostly just a shadow, and jumped up, grabbed my camera and managed to get a few shots through the window before he flew away.  He took a quick peek into the lilacs..but I'm sure the little guys had fled by then... thank goodness.  Didn't need to witness any of that nonsense...

He/she... looks pretty fierce.... hide little birdies !!

Linking up to Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday (on Wednesday) ...

Click on the photo of this crazy bird to go there..

Wild Bird Wednesday

Hey!  It's Wednesday.... and, I will actually be posting on the correct day.

It's a bit cooler today but only because the sun can't even penetrate the smoke layer.  Golfing was kind of weird.. almost like a thick mist all the time we were out there.  Luckily, I don't seem to be bothered by it .. some of our group seemed to be having a bit of difficulty.

The birds have been around the new little fountain we got for the patio... but, so far I've only seen a brave little chickadee and one Flicker and one crazy crow land on it... this little guy had several sips from one portion of it.  The Flicker was gone before I grabbed my camera.  They all look at it and several fly down and up again without landing...but, this little guy...or gal.... loved it.  Sat there quite a long while and then...turned to look straight at me.

It almost looks like he is drinking from the little waterfall... nope.... just the angle...

Did ya get enough photos yet lady??

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday... have a look at other people's birdies.........

Golfing and Gardening

and, sweating big time with both!

We, like many parts of the world, are having plenty of heat.  Today is supposed to be +37C... great.

It is too hot to bother with anything physical in those temperatures.  As a matter of fact... my ideal temperature for golfing is probably about +15C... some sun and some cloud.  Not the stinking heat of +30C days.... that's downright ridiculous.  Luckily, I don't have to work in it.  I did that for 7 years working in a plywood plant in my youth.  I'm not sure what 112F equates to nowadays ...but, that was usually the temperature in there in the summertime with all the ovens running full tilt.  And, you had to work faster as they had to set the rollers to super fast to get the sheets of veneer out of the ovens quicker when it was that hot.  Or...they caught fire!  Then, it was even hotter ..hhahahah...and, horrible and messy and we used to be totally black with soot and drenched with water and well, it was not a pretty sight...

I feel sorry for anybody who has to be outside in the burning sun on days like this.  And, I feel really bad about any animals... those poor things.  Such suffering ... I cried right out loud upon seeing a picture of cattle swarming a water truck.. couldn't even read the article.  Awful. Absolutely awful.  The poor, poor things.

The birdie bath is kept topped up and I water the gardens and grass almost daily in order to help the little birds... they come to hide out in the shrubs and have a bath or a sip of water all during the day ... the crows seem to have gone away somewhere.  Maybe over near the river in some of the big trees...it is pretty quiet crow and magpie wise these days.  The little chickadees, nuthatches, house finches and sparrows are all still around...

Haven't been taking many photos and certainly haven't bothered with this blog... oh, well... the minus numbers will soon be upon us and with 2 feet of snow and -30C ... there definitely won't be any golfing, gardening or anything like that for many months...so I'll get back to it .... maybe......if I am not snowed in and doing too much shovelling.

I already purchased a small Danielle Donaldson art class which begins in September ... painting Bonsai trees... that could be fun.  It was only $38 U.S. .... but that comes out to be over $50 Canadian... damn exchange rates... and our stupid dollar.  Along with our stupid Prime Minister and a few other stupid things.  Honestly, it all makes me not want to read any news at all...just go along in my own little bubble and try to ignore all things stupid, cruel and horrible.  Can only be done for so long though... have to have my head out of the sand every once in awhile.  Bummer.

The flowers are suffering after some major hailstones last week....and now ...a week of extreme heat... but this guy...wow... he was in one of the patio pots... and was so big and beautiful I had to take his picture.

A full 3 1/4 inches across....I measured.  And look at the colours!

This is the golf ball sized hail we had the week previous..... luckily there was also a howling wind...it took the stones sideways from north to south and they somehow missed the patio pots that were closest to the house.  Thankfully, the skylight survived as well.... several in nearby neighbourhoods did not.  Apparently it was soooo loud on the houses you couldn't believe it.  I happened to be out of town at the time and didn't even know we got hit til I drove into the neighbourhood... what a mess!!
A branch got smashed on a Dogwood and the backyard pots got whacked...but overall...not too bad really...considering the size of them.  The whole lawn looked like it had dimples too.... big ones.... for hours after the storm.

Wild Bird Wednesday

You just never know with birds.

What are they doing?  What are they thinking?  Why do they do that?  Are they nuts?

Every year some little sparrows work diligently ... dragging leaves, long stems of grass, and twigs and bits of string and all sorts of things up inside the top boards of a privacy fence in the yard.

I can't decide if it is several nests in there or if it is just one looooong one... the fence is 8 feet wide and they go all along the full length of it.  Maybe a communal  nest? Who knows.  All I know is... they work at it...then, work stops...and all of a sudden there seems to be no interest in it anymore.  Nobody comes and goes...no babies show up or anything.... hmmmm... what the heck is happening?

I pull out handfuls of stuff later in the season..or sometimes I try to do it as they are dragging in "stuff" to dissuade them..... nothing works.  We always say we are going to put in some blocks between each upright but, we never seem to get around to doing it and it begins again mid summer each year.  They are at the stage where they have sort of slowed down and are not so excited about dragging in any more material now.....

Look at this little guy...his leaf is bigger than he is.

He noticed me moving in the window...and took a running start with his prize, whatever it is ... ...you can almost see the soles of his little feet...hahahhaha...

See the tail feathers?  They jump and climb up inside there .... it's crazy... they come out looking all wonky and their feathers are standing up on end...it is a pretty tight fit.  A throttled " 'and brush" as my Mum used to say.

Missus Limpy sits on the patio wall...just watching,.. wondering what they are up to.
Oh, and that's another myth bashed.... crows do not keep the little birds from your yard.  As a matter of fact... the sparrows and others steal the seeds or crumbs right off the garden stone that is the "crow platter"... every time the crows step more than 2 feet away from it.  Crows don't scare anybody......

Linking to Stewart's blog and other bird pics and stories about birds.

Wild Bird Wednesday

Red Polls.

It's been awhile now since these photos were taken...but, I didn't want to just archive them and forget about them...

These little guys are so cute with their little red caps.  They only come around in the wintery days... and, come in little groups and hang out for some hours.. or even days.  Flitting in and out to get some seeds.

It says they are members of the Finch family...but they have tiny "seed eating" beaks.

Here is a Male House Finch sitting on the feeder with the little polls...you can see a huge beak in comparison.

These two are a different type ...   Hoary Red Polls I think because they are more white overall... especially whitish rumps ... smaller chin patch...

I like this one with the little guy coning in for a landing with his "wheels" up....

I'm thinking mainly Common Red Polls in this photo....but, I am not altogether sure.  Some females and some males...

I'm calling this a Mister....

and this is the Missus.....

Linking up with Stewart on Wild Bird Wednesday... pop on over to his blog to check out the other birding goodies...

just click on the badge below to be transported directly there....

Wild Bird Wednesday

Finally I am almost back in the land of the living... coughing and blowing and my head still feels like a giant puffball... can't hear properly and can't smell a darn thing.  It's so easy not to bother eating when you can't smell anything interesting ...  lost several pounds.

That could be weight loss suggestion # 347... put a clothes peg on your nose.... if you can't smell it you can't taste it..so don't bother.  Perfect solution.

Haven't done much of anything ... zero energy and zero desire.... you know if I'm not baking or taking photos I am damn good and sick.

Today was the first day in two full weeks that I even wondered where my camera was.  Found it.

Managed to clean out the birdie bath... my crippled crow Mr. Limpy was the first to have a bath.  Then, a cute little Mr. Chirpy..aka House Finch showed up.  I didn't have time or inclination to take off the window screen..but, managed to click a few good ones of him splashing about.  I intentionally tried for the "action" shots.  Forget the ones where he was just standing there...although I did take a few for identification purposes later... and, missed the last one altogether as he flew straight off out of the water instead of the usual jump onto the rim to check things out.  The frame was empty.

Love the little 'stop action' looks at him and his bathing antics .... and such a sweet, dripping wet little guy he was too.

Any suggestions as to how I can get larger photos in my blog?
You will have to click on to enlarge until I can figure out if it is possible.


Thanks to Betty Crow ...these are now larger...yaaaayyyy    silly me...so simple too.  However I did also have to make the page wider and somehow I managed to do that....yaaay me again.!   Somehow got my head around it all.

Linking up to Paying Ready Attention for Wild Bird Wednesday...check out lots of fun birds there.

Click on the image to be transported directly.

Mary Berry's Jaffa Cakes

It is so annoying when you can't find out for certain how some of the recipes are actually done.  Yes, you can always find out some of it...but, the fine details....not always.

Like, ..... how on earth do you get the chocolate on the top to look like Mary's?  It doesn't tell you other than to say you can spoon it on if you don't want to go to the trouble of getting it perfect.  Huh? Why the heck doesn't she say how she does it and let me make up my mind later as to whether I will do it her way or not?

Here is a pic of hers.... from the Great British Bake Off show... see how lovely the chocolate line is all around the little cake.  Note the great criss cross pattern they say should be there ... I've never seen a store bought version so don't really know what one should look like.    

To me, they almost look like they have been dipped in the chocolate...but, it hardly seems possible as the cake is quite flat and how would you grab the bottom and keep your fingers out of the chocolate? ..maybe a couple of skewers through the bottom of the cake? .. some other method? .. who knows?......  ...... anybody got any suggestions?                                                                  

Then, there are dozens of folks who have made them and put them out there ... and, most of them look like this.  I would probably be too embarrassed to show mine if they looked like this... but, I might.... just to let you know how difficult they were to get right.  There has to be a better way to get the chocolate on there and make it look tidy at the very least. 

I want to try Jaffa cakes some day soon... and want them to look nice.