Poems by Heart

It is spring again. The Earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Springtime - when everything awakens after a long winter's sleep. A couple of weeks back, I took advantage of the warm weather by heading out to walk whenever I could. All sorts of creatures had the same idea.


One day, early last summer, I ran into a man who was allowing his pair of pet snakes to sun themselves on the rocks.






Well, I encountered him again this year, and he had one of his Ball Pythons with him.






Kids kept stopping by to get a closer look.






Some opted to try him on for size.






This little cutie was proudly showing off his new friend to his dad.





On to other, less slithery creatures...



The ducks are enjoying the new growths of spring.






It looks as if this guy just quit smoking.






This mallard is sailing free over Lock 19.






Robins have been back in the area for quite a while now, but this is the first one who has held still long enough for me to photograph it. Thanks, little one.






A starling has found a nice little glass house in which to build her nest.






A rather small snapping turtle was keeping her eye on things while hanging out near the water's edge. I wondered if she was laying eggs or just having a relaxing moment.






It was a treat to see this little mink pop up on the rocks with its catch. She watched me for a few seconds then disappeared back into the water with her meal.






My neighbour's cat often hangs around my place. He thinks my door is an extension of his own place and just steps right in when he gets the opportunity. Make yourself at home, Oliver.

That's it for today. More photos coming up whenever I get around to them - which is not so often, these days. Thanks for sticking by.

Wings and Wing Nut

If there was an Internet connection up at the cottage, I might not want to come home until close to winter. When Frank's out fishing for hours, I could entertain myself by reading about hard-working ranchers in Alberta from The Bag Lady, the colourful characters in Suldog's Boston and the exotic foods and interesting folks in Kappa No He's Japan. I could spend some time on Russel's Iowa farm or on the bustling city streets of Jo's Vancouver. If I wanted to find a few new blogs to read, I'd click over to Australia to read David's Post of the Day. And I could probably read Frank's wonderful posts before he ever hit the publish button.

But there's no computer there and truthfully, when we're at the cottage, I don't miss it one bit. In fact, if all has gone according to plan, that's where we are right now, and you're reading a scheduled post. So if I haven't been to your blog in a while, or I've not responded to your recent comments on mine, it's only because I'm enjoying the country air, fishing, hiking, building fires, roasting marshmallows, soaking up the scenery and hopefully taking lots of photos.

Below are a few pictures and a short video that I've shot over the past week. The winged creatures were all photographed around local parks. Wing nut Benny was goofing around in my back yard.

I'll be back to catch up with everyone next week. Until then, please try clicking on some of the blogs mentioned above. Most of these folks post frequently, and all of them are very entertaining.



This tiny fly caught my eye because its colour kept changing in the sunlight. Originally its iridescent body gave off a light purple shine but by the time I was able to focus on it with my macro setting, it had a definite green hue. Both colours made it stand out among the petals of this golden rod. (Please click to enlarge)





The same brilliant yellow blooms that contrasted with the fly, now worked to camouflage this bee. (Please click to enlarge)





But you can distinguish it's furry, yellow body quite easily against this purple aster. (Please click to enlarge)





This little moth, resting on a thistle, appears to be weathered and worn. (Please click to enlarge)





I like the way clouds appear in water. This small sparrow sits on the concrete barrier between land and lake. The lake water is behind him, but its body is reflected in a small rain puddle. (Please click to enlarge)





Late in the day, the setting sun painted the clouds a golden orange. A duck bathes in the warm glow of its reflection in the pond. (Please click to enlarge)





This summer, we discovered that Benny loves bubbles. They appeal to the manic (about 99.7%) portion of his brain. He will tirelessly run after, jump and bite every bubble within his reach, and keep searching for those that might have landed somewhere long after the last bubble has been blown.





As you can see, he gets a fair bit of height into those jumps.





Here's a look at his goofy face while on a bubble mission. (Please click to enlarge)





And last, but not least, Wing Nut Benny also enjoys a good game of Flip the Bucket. Please be sure to watch the video of this crazy dog below.

Summer Leftovers

The air has changed. Nights are cooler, days are shorter and the wind brings scents of autumn.

Some of the birds have changed their tunes to reflect the shift in seasons. I can hear the voices and laughter of the children who attend the nearby school. The bell rings and all is quiet.

I haven't seen a Monarch butterfly in a few weeks. The park paths are strewn with fallen leaves, berries, acorns and apples. Trees are showing subtle signs of changing colour. Deep greens are yellowing, and brilliant shades of scarlet demand my awareness that autumn has begun.

This summer has passed all too quickly, and like every year, I'm unwilling to relinquish it to the next season - the one that bridges it to winter. With that in mind, I have a few leftover photos from the past couple of months. Some have been warmed over and re-spiced with Photoshop.

Dig in and enjoy.



Looking up through the branches of Frank's magnolia tree. Summer had just begun. (please click to enlarge)



A very pregnant feline enjoying a piece of cheese. This was about a week or two after Frank wrote about her here. (please click to enlarge)



Mourning doves look so pretty in the morning sunlight. (please click to enlarge)



This duck was waddling along the dock as I approached but decided he needed to return to the pond. (please click to enlarge)



It was a very damp summer - a good season for mushrooms. This one was growing from the bark of a tree. (please click to enlarge)



Bunnies were everywhere. (please click to enlarge)



While visiting my sister in Port Dover one day, we took a boat tour around Lake Erie and through a creek, passing this colourful tugboat along the way. (please click to enlarge)




A partly consumed mug of beer sits beside the grill, and catches the sunlight while Frank cooks dinner. (please click to enlarge)




Kerri over at A Little Piece of Me is a wonderful photographer who had a great idea about what to do with her photos that didn't turn out quite right. She created a second blog called Kreations by Kerri where she displays her Photoshop-enhanced images. I thought I'd try my hand at a couple of my own and might just continue displaying some of them from time to time. These leaves growing out over the water's edge captured the sunlight nicely, but were otherwise unremarkable. I applied an airbrush filter to get this effect. Thanks for the idea, Kerri! (please click to enlarge)



An ocean ripple effect added a bit of a shimmer to this image of Benny and a bench bathed in the light of the setting sun. (please click to enlarge)



Thi sunset takes on a gritty appearance by applying "film grain." (please click to enlarge)

It Has Sprung

Spring has finally sprung around here. Today's temperature reached a sunny 16C (61F) and snow piles have almost entirely disappeared. It's been lovely for walking and snapping photos.

Just a quick update about the repairs that were necessitated by mamma raccoon. The roof has been repaired by an outside contractor. It rained heavily the following day and I heard nary a drop. The interior work has been on hold while the insurance company's contractor got their act together and presented an estimate. They're booked to come in next Monday to start doing the rest of the job which includes repairing my ceiling and wall, painting both and cleaning the carpet. The insurance company has agreed to pay all of my bills in full. That includes the interior and exterior work, the bill from the animal removal service, a bill from my neighbour Lloyd for his emergency repairs, the replacement cost of lamps, shades and venetian blinds, and a fair compensation for a water-damaged night table. Lombard Canada, Ltd. was cooperative, helpful, supportive and reliable in every way that I had hoped, and I highly recommend them.

I've heard the raccoon kits under the deck as recent as yesterday. My cat Skittles, Frank's dog Benny and my neighbour Caroline's dog Raven can all smell them. They head over to that corner of the deck to sniff around as soon as they are outside. I'm concerned that one of them might try to corner them sometime when they venture out, particularly Benny who seems to be hardwired to chase. I'll be happy when the kits are old enough to leave their nest behind so that we can seal up their point of access. Aside from my concerns, I'm happy to know they're still around, and hope that all four babies are still thriving.

Please enjoy some random shots taken over the past week. Please remember to click on them to enlarge.

Other birds are just as representative of the season, but get shortchanged by the popularity of the robin as the first sign of spring.

This mourning dove was busy gathering nesting materials.




This little guy watched me closely and suspiciously until I lowered my camera and moved on.



A walk along a nearby shallow creek offered this view.



Frank almost always finds something when he's out walking. This time, much to Benny's delight, it was a frisbee.



Here's a view of the willow tree that appeared in the last foggy image, two posts ago.



The setting sun always warms the lake with its golden light.



An out of focus shot of a duck taking off, rendered this image a suitable Photoshop experiment.

All Fogged Up

Late yesterday, a fog rolled in, and lingered until after dark. I love how it cloaks familiar scenes and mysteriously transforms how everything looks and sounds. It gives new perspective - something I've seriously needed these last few days.

House repairs have been a source of frustration for me since the raccoon incident (parts one, two and three). In the days following the chaos, the insurance company's contractor has been out to start repairs to the interior. This involved cutting a rectangular hole out of approximately one third of my bedroom ceiling and a similar, though smaller opening at the top of my wall. Once they had access to the interior of the attic, Manuel and his crew filled a dozen large bags with broken stucco ceiling, drywall and soggy insulation. A makeshift plastic wrap funnel was designed to transport any further rain water or melting snow down through the hole in my ceiling and into a bucket on the floor. Plastic was taped beneath the hole, allowing for the funnel to pass through it. Then three enormous pieces of equipment were placed beneath the work, and left there to run for as many days. One was a dehumidifier. Its hose was taped to my carpet, following a path to the bathroom so that it could drain into the sink. The other two machines were over-sized fans - one of which was aimed at the wall, and the other at the ceiling, in an attempt to dry them out for further repair. This would have been more logical if the roof had already been repaired, or at least patched, and if we weren't going to encounter more rain or snow in the following weeks. But that was not to be.

The interior crew - Manuel and the boys were bright, kind and humorous people who helped put my mind at ease despite the lengthy repair time that was becoming evident to me. I have no qualms about their expertise and their consideration for our comfort as they work. I'll be happy to have them back to complete the job when that time comes.

The roofers were not as inspiring. A day or two after Manuel and his people were here, two men arrived to look at, and temporarily patch up the hole in the roof. The weather had been clear and dry up to that point so the fan-blown ceiling and wall had not been challenged. After about fifteen minutes of hammering, the men left, assuring me that this temporary patch would hold out the rain. It didn't. Yesterday morning I awoke to a drip, drip, dripping sound as the raindrops hit the plastic above me. I made another call to the contractor and he said that he'd have a crew out during the day to take a look at what needed to be done to keep me dry. True to his word, three men arrived, hammered some more and left. It rained again last night. My roof continued to leak, filling a bucket with about 2 cm (a half inch) of water and causing rivulets of rain to stream down my wall - a cool effect if it wasn't so damaging.

As it stands at the moment, I'm waiting for callbacks from a couple of other local roofers to determine what the problem is, and to acquire an estimate for the repair. I'll be happy when I know my roof can survive the next rainfall or snow melt and I can clear my head from this fog of house repairs.

As for the raccoon family, I've not heard any chattering since the day after their relocation, but an adult (presumably the mom) has been around at night, munching on seeds that had fallen from my bird feeder. When she consumed all visible seed, she climbed the tree, gave the feeder a good whack and sent more munchies tumbling down to the ground, where she feasted some more.

She was totally unconcerned when I opened the door to snap this picture.

Here are some photos that I took late yesterday, while walking around in the fog. Please remember to click on each of them to enlarge.

The day appeared dreary and the path bleak, yet the fog helped to soften the darkness.

I passed very few people out in the park yesterday evening. Paths were mostly empty.

This is one of my favourite sites along the pathway. The tree's bent limb stood out nicely against the dark fog.



Crows perched upon a nearby tree, were dark silhouettes to the background fog.



There are two lovely willows that grow alongside the lake in our park. This is one of them as taken from across the pathway and up on a hill.



A tree leans out over the water to touch the fog.



Winding my way along the path, I startled a pair of ducks who were resting in the snow. As I snapped this photo, one had just taken flight while the other flapped his wing in preparation.



They landed here on a small rocky peninsula that juts out from the shore.



The female met her reflection in the water below as she decided to follow her already-departed partner.



This was the view from the pathway just beyond where the ducks were sitting.



This is the other willow. Its limbs are as wispy as the fog.