Backyard Box Office

Who needs HBO or Netflix when you have live entertainment right in your own backyard? The kitties and I have been watching Red Squirrel Theatre.




























Yep, the battle continues. "Little Red" has figured out how to jump down onto the suet balls... watching his antics has been most entertaining. I think I will nominate him for an Emmy Award... wonder if there's an Emmy for best stunt man squirrel? I must say, he makes the day more interesting for Scamp, and he keeps me laughing, now that I've just given up on trying to keep him away from the suet...

























On a happy note, I have had a flock of robins in the backyard. Yes, a FLOCK. Not just one or two, but at least 10. They have been feasting on the old apples still clinging to one tree. This is not a great photo, taken two days ago, but it's the best I could get from a distance. Today a number of robins were on the ground, pecking at some fallen apple bits. It is so wonderful to see robins here in February, it gives me hope for an early spring!! A nice thought after last week's storms.

Peace,
Linda

"No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn." ~ Hal Borland

Stormageddon!

We survived the monster storm, the storm of the decade, aka snowpocalypse and stormageddon. Would you believe we got 79 cm. of snow- that's 31 inches!! Yep, it's lookin' quite white around here... This is what it looked like from above. This photo is a NASA image taken from the NB Storm and Weather Centre and shows Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, all "covered in storm."

And this shows the snowfall amounts in the Maritimes. We won! (Perhaps this was one contest we didn't need to win...). I have no idea how they accurately measure snowfall when the wind is blowing with gusts between 90-100km/h but 79 cm. is what we got apparently! I can believe it as our driveway was almost waist deep in places and we have drifts at the back of the house that are over 6 feet!

Here's the view from our livingroom window about mid afternoon....

At times we could hardly see the house across the street.

Can you tell you're looking down the third fairway of the golf course?

Yes, it was a nasty day. Virtually the entire city was shut down. Schools, universities, gov't offices, banks and businesses were all closed, city busses were not running, and later in the day sections of the Trans Canada Highway in the province were closed to all but emergency vehicles because the visibility was so poor, driving was very dangerous. And yes, even Tim's was closed. You KNOW it's bad when Tim's closes.
Today everyone was digging out. I will try to get some good photos around the city tomorrow, or in the  next few days.. as we have another storm on the way for Wednesday night/Thursday! Just what we need - more snow!! Pfffttttt!

Peace,
Linda

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." ~ Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Ice and Snow, Snow and Ice...

Blizzard warning in effect! Whaaaat? The sun is shining brightly this morning and the sky is blue, the current temperature is -21°C (-5°F) with a wind chill of -27°C (-16°F) but a nasty nor'easter is on its way to us with high winds and heavy snow in the forecast - 25-55 cm. That's 10-22 inches! We just got a foot of snow on Thursday night/Friday. Schools were closed two days last week for storms, and I expect they'll be closed again tomorrow. It seems like Mother Nature is making up for a relatively easy January by dumping extra snow on us this month! And let's not talk about another storm that's coming on Thursday...

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the snow. "Snowbaby" I'm not, I don't ski or snowmobile, but I really don't mind the snow. It's the cold and the ice I dislike. Several friends have fallen and broken or cracked bones this winter already; the walking has been treacherous. I enjoy photographing shadows on the snow and the ice formations on the garage windows, the birds at the birdfeeder - you might say I'm enjoying winter "from the inside looking out."
So I'm cooking a roast today, in case we lose power tonight, and hubby has the snowblower and shovels all lined up, ready to roll! Bring it on, Mother Nature! We're ready!

This morning's visitors: L-R white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker

Peace,
Linda

"A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder." ~  Susan Orlean

Merry Christmas!

From my home to yours, a very Merry Christmas! Whether you are a regular visitor here, or just drop by occasionally, know that I truly appreciate your visits and kind comments. I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful day, whether you will have the excitement and squeals of little ones, or a quiet relaxing day, enjoy the peace and joy of the festive season. Let's hope that 2016 brings more peace to these unsettled times in this crazy world we're living in.

Wishing you peace of mind, prosperity through the new year, happiness that multiplies, good health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams and joy to fill your holidays!

Peace and Love,
Linda

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree." ~ Roy L. Smith

A Christmas Beauty

"Oh the weather outside is frightful...."   Well, not really, but that's how the song goes! The backyard has actually been quite beautiful after several recent snowfalls. It's not quite so "postcard perfect" right now but don't these photos just make you want to sing "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...."


















I'm not the biggest fan of the winter season, but  I do love these gentle snowfalls when the snow sticks to the trees and turns the backyard into a winter wonderland. It doesn't take too long for the novelty to wear off though, and that's when I love being able to turn my attention to some indoor beauty.

Coming downstairs in the morning and seeing this beauty blooming on my windowsill just puts a big smile on my face. I have amaryllis in several different colors, but this new one is my current favourite. It's name is "Flamenco Queen" and it was a new purchase this fall. You pay more for a larger bulb, but it is SO worth it.

It was already sprouted when I bought it in mid November. I potted it up and after about a week, it just took off! The first stalk, seen here, had five blossoms. We are now enjoying the second stalk with four blossoms and there is a third shoot, about 15" tall right now, so more blossoms still to come. Definitely worth the few extra dollars I paid for the larger bulb. As you can see the petals are a deep red on white, mottled on the upper petals and spotted on the lower, with a bright green centre. How perfect for Christmas!!

What a joy to look at such delicate beauty each day. The blooms are large and the current stalk is so tall I had to tie it up for support. Right now it is 32.5" from the top of the bulb to the tip of the blooms! I wonder if the third stalk will be even taller?!

Another amaryllis (a pure red, I think) is budded and growing quickly, I think it will bloom before the third stalk on Flamenco Queen. The bud is just starting to break open, so I think the timing will be just about perfect for a big red blossom on Christmas Day! I bet Santa will love it!

I am linking up with Judith's Mosaic Monday here.   Do drop by and see all the lovely seasonal mosaics.

Peace,
Linda

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Let It Snow, Let It Snow..... Make It Stop!

I didn't get any visitors at my new suet balls yesterday as it snowed all day long - would you believe we got another FOOT of snow?! I didn't see one bird all day.... Hubby was away for a few days so I had to man the shovel... I hadn't realized how much snow had come down, so when I went out to clear in front of the garage door before Mark got home from work, I quickly realized he wouldn't even get in the driveway. Neither driveway had been plowed yet and there was a good FOOT of snow down! Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it...
Today was a little milder, around -10C. This morning I saw a woodpecker and several chickadees trying the new suet. Hopefully they will "spread the word" so more feathered friends will come and nibble....

Hubby using snowblower this afternoon

So here are a few pics to give you an idea what it looks like around here. Just "record shots", nothing beautiful or artistic. We haven't had many sunny blue sky days... but this at least shows just how much snow we have. It's crazy! Driving is hazardous because the banks are so high it's difficult to see at intersections. You have to pull out so far into the intersection just to see if anything is coming, you risk being hit...

View from the  street. You can just barely see the top of the hydrant which we keep dug out.

The lamppost is nearly buried....

Looking up the sidewalk

Yep, we're not going to be mowing the lawn any time soon.....

Peace,
Linda

My favourite thing about winter? When it's over!

Colddd Little Chickies...

Backyard, view from bedroom window

It seems I've been blogging in fits and starts lately. I've been too busy trying to just keep warm! Man, I'm getting mighty tired of this cold weather. I know spring is only 24 days away, but it seems like it's a long way off when you look at our backyard and the bitterly cold temps. Last night and this morning were brutal - with wind chill it felt like between -35C and -40C here in the Maritimes. For those of you who are only familiar with Fahrenheit, that's between -31F and -40F. Yep, minus forty is where they are equal. Now that's COLD!!! I could not believe it when my doorbell rang about 7:30 last night, and when I opened the front door, there stood two young female Mormon missionaries, in dresses and tights!!! Yes, they were wearing winter coats, boots, scarves and mitts, but their dresses looked like summer dresses- very thin, certainly not February clothing!! Needless to say I invited them in and we chatted long enough for them to warm up. Two little frozen chickies....
Speaking of frozen chickies, I've been thinking of the birds and wondering how they are managing to stay alive in these sub zero temperatures, wearing only feathers. They must be anxious for spring too. I know they fluff up their feathers, and burrow down in their nests, but still, I cannot imagine being out in this cold 24/7. I have a feeder and a suet cake out for them, but today I decided to make up some "birdie treats". Following a recipe given by Linda at Crafty Gardener, I had all ingredients on hand so it didn't take long. Linda calls it "All Season Suet" because you can use it year round - it will not melt. apparently. I don't think I'd bother with it in the summer, but figured it might be appreciated by my local birdies on these cold days. Hopefully it'll make them happy and give them some much needed energy for warmth.

Here's the easy recipe:
1 cup lard (no substitutions - do not use shortning or margarine)
1 cup crunchy peanut butter  (Since I had some on hand, I also added a few extra peanuts, unsalted of course, and finely chopped.)
2 cups quick cooking oats (oatmeal)
2 cups corn meal
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup white sugar

 Stir the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Over low heat, or in microwave, melt together the lard and peanut butter, stir to mix well. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well.

It almost looks like cookie dough, doesn't it? It did smell good (like peanut butter cookies) and I almost wanted to take a little taste... but I resisted....

 Form into balls or if you have a square plastic container from a purchased suet cake, you could use it as a mold.

 I formed mine into balls and hung out the first two in the plastic mesh from a bag of onions. I put the others in the freezer, wrapped in saran and then in a freezer bag. It was late afternoon when I finally hung them out, I don't think they've been "discovered" yet. I'll be watching tomorrow morning to see if the woodpeckers, chickadees, etc. give them a try. Maybe I'll get some "action shots".....

Do you give your birds any special treats to help them through the winter?

Peace,
Linda

"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest." ~ J.G. Holland

Dear Winter, GO AWAY!

Dear Winter,

GO. AWAY.   Please, just Go Away.

No longer your fan,
Linda

Well, that probably won't help but it makes me feel slightly better. (Only slightly)  As my blogging friend Pam said on her "disgusted with winter" post today, "Winter, We are SO done with you."
We weathered yesterday's storm, and now have yet another foot or so of fresh snow on top of the winter's accumulation. The snowbanks are so high, you can't see some buildings or houses from the street. It's ridiculous. The sun is shining today, but tomorrow, we're to get a little more snow then rain. And there's rumor of yet another possible storm on Monday/Tuesday. I don't even want to talk about this anymore. But for the sake of some of my regular followers in the warmer climes of Florida (Hi Sandi, Mary, Diane, Jeanna and Lucy), California (Hi Jan), Australia and New Zealand, I thought they might like to see some photos. Hope these cool you down!!  haha

Here's what things looked like yesterday afternoon in the midst of the storm (nonstop snow for almost 24 hours)

 

The view from the front of our house is straight down #3 fairway of the golf course. Hmm... I don't think there'll be any golfers there for a few days yet, what do you think?

The little house across the street. They have a hot tub on their deck.. don't think they'll be in it for a while yet either...

My poor Rhododendron is tired of winter too. We stake and wrap it for the winter for a little protection and windbreak, but there is so much snow burying the lower branches now, I'm afraid it's not going to be in very good shape when we unwrap it. 

At least today, we are plowed out and the sky is blue rather than grey- you can see how high the snow is piled.

You can see my studio on the right end of the house. That's where I'm spending some time as much time as possible these days. I'll soon be showing you what I'm working on currently...

 Ollie is keeping me company- he likes to snooze on the ironing board while I'm sewing. He's up high enough to see what I'm doing (he thinks he's supervising...) and he loves the warmth after I've used the iron. Sometimes Often I have to push him aside to get a little pressing space. Sheesh!

Since Spring is only one week away now, I'm celebrating tomorrow by heading to the beach. Wanna come along?

Peace,
Linda

My favourite thing about winter?  When it's over.

More Mystery...

There certainly are some mysteries going on around here. (I'm wondering if we have leprechauns sneaking around a little early for St. Patty's Day...?) Last week, the little TV in my studio lost it's sound. Just out of the blue. One day it worked fine. The next day there was no sound. Just like that, for no apparent reason. Dead. Hubby and son both tinkered and tried everything they could think of, to no avail. Then the very next day, my laptop crashed. It worked fine one day, the next day when I turned it on, this terrible grinding sound... and.. nothing. Seems the hard drive died a swift and painful death. Just like that. Gone.
Laura was home on the weekend, and went through all her kitchen stuff from her Halifax apartment, to organize and pack some things up. Yup, you guessed it - the leprechauns got to her stuff too- all her pots and pans are missing. Now I ask you, where do pots and pans trot off to???  Do they melt? Vaporize? Evaporate into thin air? How can they just disappear when everything else is there, in one spot? I don't get it...
Ollie isn't telling anything, if he knows. He's good at keeping secrets. He's lounging on the back of the couch, keeping a close watch on the weather... (or maybe he's on leprechaun watch?) We have a nasty storm moving in; just what we need - more snow. We're to get about a foot apparently, mixed with ice pellets at times, and high winds overnight. It started a short while ago with fine snow but it's starting to snow a little harder now. I'm going to hunker down in my studio and do some sewing, and ponder the biggest mystery of all- why won't winter just GO AWAY?!!


Peace,
Linda

"Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen." ~Willa Sibert Cather

Another cold morning...

It's another very cold morning here and the frost is heavy on the window of our garage side door. Much as I hate the cold weather, I do enjoy the frost patterns.... hope you'll enjoy these too...  Happy Winter! Brrrrr....

Peace,
Linda

"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it." ~ John Burroughs, Winter Sunshine

Red, White and Blue....

Today I thought I'd give you a slightly different look at the ole "red, white and blue" theme. No, I haven't moved stateside,  I'm still right here in wintery white Canada. But red, white and blue is what I'm looking at these days. The white is on the outside - and it's piling up - snowing yet again tonight as another nasty storm system moves in. The red and blue are on the inside - I have a red amaryllis blooming, and my Blue Mystique Phalaenopsis orchid is still showing off, with all buds now open. So, take a moment to enjoy the beauty. Red, white and blue. A great combo, at any time of year....

This red amaryllis is a new one this year. After the bulb I purchased in November showed no signs of life after more than a month, I returned  and exchanged it for one already potted and growing. There were two stalks, the first stalk with five blooms is done and this is the second stalk- 4 blooms currently with  two more buds still to open. It is more of an orangey red and is called "Sovereign".




















Outside, the snow is accumulating. These photos were taken several days ago,when we had a brighter day - the last two days have been very grey - yep, another storm system moving in... We're supposed to get up to 25 cm. overnight- that's about 10 inches for those of you not familiar with the metric system. I can't remember a December with this much snow, not in a long time... Makes you wonder what things are going to look like in another month, if it continues like this...






My Blue Mystique orchid is still blooming. I've had it for about 6 weeks now, I think, and today was the first day that a few withering petals have dropped. This is my first ever orchid, so I am amazed that the blooms are this long lasting. Would that all blooms lasted so well! I loved the rich deep blue of the first "infused" blooms but now am enjoying the "two-tone" effect as the natural purple color has appeared with the last opening buds.

Peace,
Linda

"Colors speak all languages." ~ Joseph Addison

Boxing Day Lazy

Well, it's all over but the groaning... yep - turkey overload! lol It's been a very lazy day here, I think the most energetic thing I've done, other than make supper (leftover turkey of course) was to have a few long chats on the phone with good friends and a faraway cousin. I have my nose right into a very good book and that's where you'll find me for the next few days if I'm lucky. I'm usually pretty exhausted by the time Dec. 25th rolls around so there's not much on my agenda for the next few days, except lots of R and R (with good book in hand.) I came across a new word not long ago that pretty much sums up how I'm feeling: exhaustipated - that's  "too tired to give a sh*t".

Looking across the street this afternoon

We are still getting snow!! Can you believe it?! I think it has snowed or "precipitated" in some form every day now for well over a week. The snow is piling up like crazy- the banks where areas have been plowed are as high as they usually are by winter's end. If this is an indication of what we're in for all winter, we are in big trouble. You're all going to have to come here with big shovels in hand to dig us out!! I haven't left the house today, except to stand at the back door onto our deck to snap a few quick shots. I will get out tomorrow with camera in hand, so you can see what I mean... And we have yet another storm system moving in for the weekend..  joy oh joy. Well at least maybe I'll get this book finished! We did see some sun yesterday for awhile (see photo above), I'm wondering how long before we'll see it again...

Backyard late this afternoon

Oliver has been his usual entertaining self this Christmas- he is just like a child- he gets SO excited! He pushes the limits on being naughty too... snooping in gifts, pulling off bows and chewing on the ribbon and  the odd corner of a wrapped gift here and there... He located his hidden catnip ball with no trouble at all.. He has a VERY good "sniffer"... I tried to tell him Santa Paws would not come to kitties who snoop and find their gifts but he paid no attention... I think after all the excitement yesterday, he too has enjoyed the quiet restful day today.. he's been napping (and snoring!) most of the day. Just call us "Boxing Day Lazy".

It's been great to have the kids home - Ollie loves all the extra love and attention!! Laura has gone back today, as she returns to work tomorrow. Mark is home for a while yet. Merry Christmas from our "three" kids!

And "my" two girls..  Laura with cousin Mallory

Peace,
Linda

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." ~Agnes M. Pharo