Creature Feature

Animals, it would seem, are the photographic subject we have most of around here. Whether they're our own pets or one of the birds or mammals which look to us for daily feedings, or those which will have nothing to do with us at all, there is no shortage of creatures around here. Hence this creature feature. I hope you enjoy our critters as much as we do.


My beautiful Zephyr. He (along with his brother Skitty) is fifteen and truly hasn't changed much since the day I brought him home at 10 weeks. He's fearful (mostly of that killer vacuum cleaner, unexpected sounds, strangers, a cough, his shadow, his thoughts and just about anything else), gentle, loving and sweet. We won't get into his IQ, but let's just say that his tender heart more than makes up for what might be lacking in that department. This is his kissable nose.






This little cutie is a juvenile white throat sparrow. He was hanging out on the decorative (lichen covered) bird house outside of our kitchen window. It was through that window that I snapped this photo several weeks ago.






Oh yes, I know. You've met him before. Our sweet little red squirrel ex-regular, Rufous. He pretty much believed that he owned the place. He kind of did. We've not seen him for quite a few weeks now but Noivus (a very nervous red squirrel) and Sprout (or Little Red as Frank calls him) have taken his place.






Every now and then, through the summer and early autumn, a couple of families of geese would wander by our dock. Sometimes they'd hop onto the shore and nibble on grass. Other times they just peacefully paddle past our place. The young ones were growing nicely. They've all moved on now because that lake is now frozen over (at least in our bay) and it carries a few inches of snow on top. Winter happened very quickly around here. Much quicker than I was able to get these photos out to you in a timely fashion.






The always-present blue jay, snacking on some seed. They're a handsome but very noisy bird. Last winter, they were quite destructive - picking and eating the finish off of our house, in search of the calcium citrate found in paint. This year, we're ready for them with cooked, crushed egg shells.






Benny semi-recently got a new collar and he's proudly modelling it for you. Doesn't he look fetching? Oops, did I say fetching? He'll be running off in search a stick now.






The sweet, little red-breasted nuthatch has been a regular visitor to our feeders all summer. They are truly a joy to watch. Even with the snow, they've stuck around and have recently been joined by the larger white-breasted nuthatch.






I think I caught this chipmunk in mid-chew. He reminds me of Buddy Hackett in this photo. And you might have to be bordering on old to know who he was.






This is Hunter, my son's beautiful trouble maker. You wouldn't think by looking at those innocent green eyes that he has caused my old guys such stress and angst and frequent emptying of bladders throughout the house - but he has. And yet, despite it all, I love the beast and miss him terribly now that he's moved on to Jeffrey's Dad's place where he is the only feline and gets all of the attention he loves and needs - without causing trouble. It would have been so much easier to see him go if he wasn't also such a sweet cuddler and purr machine. In this image, he was lounging atop the kitchen cupboards. He thinks he's a wild cat - see those furry ear tips? Just like a lynx. If he was here right now,  he would be hiding behind my monitor and attacking my hands as they move around the keyboard. My cats do not miss him, however. They are much more relaxed, not fearing surprise attacks, eating better, not afraid of using the litter box and not peeing inappropriately any more. It was the right move but I still miss you, Hunter.





I believe this was a young phoebe preening itself on our front deck a few months back.






Most nights, we get visits from not one, not two but up to seven flying squirrels. We once believed they were a family - some of them are considerably smaller than the others. Now, I'm coming to realize that the larger, more friendly squirrels are of the Northern variety. The shyer, smaller cuties are Southern flying squirrels which have been making their way up north through the years. They're all quite sociable with one another. This image was taken with a flash and I have re-darkened the eyes in Photoshop.






And last, but not least, my two boys together, lounging on the kitchen island. Zephyr is enjoying his kitty massage. Skitty is happy to preen his brother. Can't you just hear the purring?

That's all for this post. I'll have more photos for you before too much longer.

Loose Ends

Below are a few photos which steer away from my usual flowers, birds, outdoorsy themes. I hope you enjoy them.




One day in June, Frank and I went to do a little fishing at a nearby town. This is their little General store which was established in 1857. It's been through some changes through the years, I'm sure. How long do you figure it will be until that phone booth is obsolete?





We took the slow route home - following behind a school bus.





Snapped on the move, from the front passenger seat, through the left rear window, across the highway. Isn't that a beautiful heap of mess behind the horse?





My neighbour coaches kidlet soccer. On this day in May, she was pumping up balls in preparation for an upcoming practice.





Another neighbour of mine - Princess Galoshes (aka Lily).





I liked the pattern that the sun and Venetian blinds made on our piano. I can't play but I inherited it from my mother who did. It's been on this earth a fair bit longer than I have. I'm happy that my son, Alex is so musically inclined. It's a lovely instrument and I know that he will continue to appreciate it after I'm long gone.





This is Girl's Night Out - grapefruit, pineapple and lemonade infused with white wine. It's my new summer beverage. Can I pour one for you?





Perhaps a beer is more to your taste?





Can I offer you something to eat? Among other goodies, we have fresh, buttery Brussels sprouts flavoured with garlic, wine, freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.





You might enjoy this selection of cheese.





If you don't mind, I'm sure Skittles wouldn't refuse a nibble of that cheddar.





And whatever he turns his nose up at, I'm sure Benny will be happy to gobble. Just don't let him jump up on you - he's been playing with the hose, again.


That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed the loose ends photos. I should have something new for you very soon.

Oh and one more thing.. today is five years since I've begun blogging. Who knew that sending a few words and photos out into the WWW could be so much fun? There are some incredibly wonderful people out there on the reading and viewing end of thing. I mean all of YOU, of course, and I thank you for a very enjoyable five years.

If A Tree Falls...

A few posts back, I hinted at our witnessing a summer storm which was worse than the one I had illustrated with a few photos at that time. This is the story of that storm. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon at the cottage, and Frank and I had returned from a couple of hours of fishing for walleye.


I had caught this beauty which Frank measured at just about 22 inches. This photo credit belongs to him. We were considering a second go-round at this lovely lake when the wind suddenly began to pick up. It would seem that some dramatic weather was imminent.


Windblown Benny agreed.

Clouds blew in and trees swayed and bowed down with the force of the wind. Lightning, thunder and heavy rain accompanied this show of Nature's force. I picked up my camera to photograph what I could, when Frank, who was watching the show through the kitchen window was heard to utter "Oh, crap!" just seconds after I heard a relatively subtle cracking sound.



A glance outside that window showed one tree shouldering the upper body of a fallen pine. It wasn't uprooted as you might be able to see by the angle, but snapped in two, about three feet above ground level.

We knew that the other tree wouldn't hold its weight for much longer and just as it dawned on us that it could fall on the cottage, it completed its descent. We never heard the crash, bang, shatter or thump. All we heard was a slight scratching sound and then nothing.

When we regained consciousness...

No, I'm kidding of course. We were very lucky as we were spared any further damage. The scratching sound we heard was the very tip of the tree gently brushing against the living room window as it landed on the deck just outside. It fell across the steps, precisely between the rails. It couldn't have been directed to a better spot if we'd tried.

Here's a view the tree through the living room window, where it landed on the deck while the storm raged on.



It was a short-lived disturbance and the skies soon cleared. Something needed to be done about the tree as it blocked our access past the front of the house, though we could still get around it by exiting through the back door.



Frank got to work sawing off the top of the tree.



His nephew and friend dragged it off behind the cottage.



This is a view of the trunk at the break.



The deck needed sweeping and the rest of the tree needed to be turned into next year's firewood. The clothesline and hammock which had been attached to it needed a new home on another trunk.



All of that was done eventually but not before photographing the beautiful colours of the lichen which was growing on its bark.

Needless to say, we were very fortunate. Years earlier, I'm told, a similar storm blew through which dropped another, larger tree. It too, missed the cottage by just a smidge. After this summer's storm, I happened to glance up at the photograph of the smiling faces of Frank's late parents. It would seem that they were still looking out for their family and summer home. For this, I'm very grateful.

Summer Shorts - Featuring Benny

Summer has a way of passing quickly, and now that ours has begun, I'm finding that my blogging schedule lags a bit. I figure I'll post a few photos (and probably not much else) every few days during this season, and pick up again once summer winds down. Below are the first few pictures. I hope you enjoy them. Please remember to click on each to enlarge.



Frank had wondered how two pieces of doggie treats, which we were keeping to reward Benny for coming when called, just disappeared. There had been three pieces on the table just moments earlier.





Wonder no more.





Benny also tries to steal bubbles containers in hopes that he can make his own bubbles to chase down and kill. Notice how he's crushed the green bottle?





A dog can work up a good thirst gobbling dog biscuits. Here's Benny, patiently waiting for Frank to give him a drink from the watering can.





Did I say "patiently?"





As you can tell, he really does love water. At least he has learned to come when called.

More in a few days.

The Scent of a Puppy

This is Benny.

He's every bit as rascally and devilish cute and innocent as he appears. He loves his morning walks and this past Friday, he was particularly bouncy when he saw his leash appear for the early day stroll. He's generally very trying well-behaved, and it's a fluke due to Frank's patient training that he usually comes when ready called, after romping around off-leash. On this day, we took a bit of a different route along the pathways - one which led around a small peninsula of land which followed the creek. Benny was free to romp around and greet passersby of both the human and canine persuasion.

At one point, we sauntered past a particularly strong and unpleasant smell. "What stinks?" I asked in a nasally voice as my forefinger and thumb quickly pinched my nose.

"I don't know, but I sure as heck hope that Benny hasn't found it" muttered Frank as his eyes scanned the area for a flash of scampering JRT.

We could see him up ahead, greeting a group with very young children - young enough to toddle alongside their strollers. There was something in the way that they all recoiled eased away from him that told us we were in trouble.

"Benny, come!"

Nothing.

"Benny, get over here, NOW!"

Zilch

"BENNY!"

Once it was his own idea, along came a skittering little terrier, followed seconds later by the beast odor from Hell!

"Oh, Benny, not again. You rolled in another dead fish!"

This was only the third or fourth time this spring that Benny scored a rotting carcass and rolled in it to his heart's delight.


This is how he looked immediately after his romp with Eau de Poisson Décomposé. He couldn't figure out what the commotion was about.

Neither one of us could stand the odor long enough to continue our walk, so we turned around and headed back home to give Mr. Stinky a bath.


He was not too happy but he took the consequences like a man.

Immediately after his shampoo and rinse, Benny needed to roll in something - anything, to escape the feeling of cleanliness.


He chose the living room sofa to restore some of the daily smells that his bath removed.

I'm sure there'll be more urgent baths in his future and we'll just have to deal with more Smelly Dog from time to time.

Along with all of the licks, cuddles and genuine puppy fun... this is Benny!

The People on the Bus

Last month I wrote about a bus ride that I took, during which an initially grumpy little girl and I exchanged funny faces and gestures, and became fast friends by the time her stop arrived. Despite the fun and the endearing connection that we made, the incident left me feeling sad because of the lack of interest her mother showed her. Last week I took that same bus ride at the precise time as the previous trip, and I half-hoped I'd see the little girl again. I didn't.

As I settled into my seat, someone rang the bell indicating their intention to disembark at the next bus stop. As a woman and her young son passed my seat, I could hear the boy enthusiastically singing "The Wheels of the Bus" It brought me back to a time when my own son was around four, and my cousin's ex husband taught him his version of the song. My son was the only kid at school who knew the verse "The muggers on the bus say 'give me all your money' all day long."

Shortly into the trip, a woman and four very young children climbed the steps into the bus and paid their fares. The youngest was in a stroller but the other three cautiously made their way down the aisle of the bus, as it angled its way outward from the sidewalk and back into the flow of traffic. This sudden acceleration caused the bus to lurch slightly, and one of the little ones stumbled backwards when he turned around to make sure that his Mom was still nearby. He was an easy catch as he staggered into my outstretched arm. I helped him to steady himself, and the woman glanced over to me and smiled her "thank you."

The three older children took their places on a long, side-facing seat at the front of the bus. They immediately scrambled up onto their knees so that they could look out the window. Their mother took the next seat which faced front where she could keep an eye on them, and a firm grasp on the stroller holding her youngest child.

Throughout the trip, the children chattered to each other and to their Mom. Each of their questions and comments were met with a thoughtful response from their mother. Her pride showed in her eyes as she caught my smile while watching them. The kids were oblivious to my presence, even when I snapped a couple of photos with Mom's permission.


The interaction between parent and offspring was heartwarming. The four pre-schoolers were well-behaved, curious and bright. Mom was warm, available and proud. I felt grateful for the reminder that most parents do their best, and love unconditionally. This young family may not have known it, but they made my day.

Like last time, this bus trip was the start of my journey eastward to visit Frank for a couple of days. As usual, the photos below are from walks around his place. Please remember to click on them to enlarge.


The day before I arrived, this lovely historic town suffered a bad fire. Two of these 100 year old buildings were completely gutted, a feeling which I'm sure was shared by store owners and customers alike as their town is preparing for its 150 year anniversary this summer. We wandered through a few of the quaint shops directly across the street, which were open for business as usual, but the sadness and sense of loss among onlookers and passersby was palpable. By Thursday afternoon, the building was fully demolished. Click here for a view of this same street, just a few doors down, as it appeared to me in December.



Further east along this same main street, there's a cozy little tea house which recently opened for business. One full wall is dedicated to dozens of varieties and flavours of loose tea, which you can purchase in several sized packages. Their entrance way displays this unusual table and chair set, made from the wood of coffee bean plants.



As you can see by the above photo, they offer much more than tea. Along with appealing lunch items, they also have delicious homemade sweets such as tasty pecan butter tarts and dunk-worthy biscotti. As I was leaving with a package of tarts for that night's dessert, this "Daily Special" sign caught my eye. I hadn't had lunch yet, and the opening line seemed particularly friendly. I read it as "Homemade soup, Baby!" in a George Costanza kind of voice. It took a moment for me to realize that the use of "baby" was referring to the salad greens, and not their customers.



Heading out of the downtown area, a set of steep steps leads back to the wooded paths along the creek. The area is beautiful in any season, but the changes are quite startling as the spring foliage emerges and the rich green colours return.



Frank picked a bunch of these delicious fiddleheads the week before. By the time I took this photo, most of them had unfurled into the lovely ferns that will last through the summer. We boiled them until almost cooked, then sautéed them in butter, minced garlic and freshly-ground pepper. Once drained, you can also toss them in a dusting of Parmesan cheese which will cling to the unopened fronds. This springtime treat goes great with almost any dish.



This view of the creek urged me to stop and snap a photo. The trees have sprouted leaves, but are nowhere near as lush as they'll be in a week or two.



As I glanced out over the creek, this tree caught my eye. If you click to enlarge it, you'll see something red and white hanging from its branches, just a little left of center.



Zooming in, I could see that it was a wayward fishing float. I wonder if an avid angler will rescue it before it becomes completely hidden behind the growing foliage. I'm looking at you, Frank!



A walk in the woods is incomplete without the silly antics of a goofy JRT. Benny dares us to just try and take his stick. Don't even bother - you can't win. The puppy runs like the wind.



Back at Frank's place, he suggested that I take this shot as the late-day sun shone on this bare-boned chair. In a few weeks, it will be warm enough to grab a cushion and sit out there most any evening, while that night's dinner sizzles on the barbeque. He'd probably pop open a beer and I might pour a glass of wine as we both toast our appreciation to the return of warmer weather.

For amusing tales about walking with Benny, check out the most recent post (April 29) over at Frank's blog.