Moonstruck

I'm not a great fan of practical jokes. But I really did get a chuckle when on December 14th, mother nature played a trick on me.

I have never been a good sleeper. Usually awake several times during the night, and check my iPad clock. If it's after 4:00 AM and I'm wide awake, I deem it close enough to morning and make a bee line for the coffee machine.

So on the aforementioned date, I was very surprised to wake up and find it was already light outside. I thought for sure I'd slept in as I'm usually awake well before dawn. Put on my housecoat and headed for the kitchen. Hey!!! Wait a minute!!! The sky's lighting was coming from the North/West instead of the South/East! Turned out to be a very bright super moon reflecting on our snow cover. One could easily read a newspaper by it. The kitchen clock said it was only 2:15 AM. I went back to bed. Good one, Mother Nature! 

Not the sun, but a very bright full moon on Dec. 14th.

I'm still feeding the ravens. I think there are three of them. One loner and the pair I call Click and Clack. But I've quit putting out food unless they first fly in and call from a nearby tree. Otherwise, there are half a dozen bluejays here that will abscond with all the grub first. The jays already take more than their fair share of sunflower seeds in my feeders.

The loner and possible bachelor raven.

Eureka!! A fresh mouse as well as hot dog pieces.

One of several jays who makes short work of the groceries.

I get a lot of pleasure in watching the wildlife during winter months. Beautiful birds and fluffy rabbits and a red squirrel aerialist who makes human acrobats look clumsy by comparison. Here are some snaps I took this month.

Amazed that their delicate ears never freeze in our bitter winters.

A popular drinking spot.

Red and white go so well together.

Napping doves on a misty morning.

There are at least a dozen goldfinches here this winter.

A male junco catching some rays.

The fiery-tempered little Reddy munching a sumac bob.

An American Tree Sparrow saying, "Hi".

View from my living room's south window.

Not wildlife, but a neighbour's barn cat visiting at dusk.

In the floral section of my local grocery store, this very healthy looking goldfish plant took my fancy. The east kitchen window really needed a hanging plant.

Also in the domestic department, I'm still adding repair patches to the heritage quilt my sister made. Here is a block with a weather theme. I added a compass surrounded by wind-swept leaves and dandelion seed fluffs.

One of the many blocks on our heritage quilt.

Here in the Northern hemisphere our daylight is now slowly increasing. And as old man 2024 departs, we'll raise a toast to usher in baby 2025. Happy New Year dear gentlefolk!!! Cheers to another year of adventures and friendships.

Click And Clack

Click and Clack are the nicknames of car mechanic brothers, Tom and Ray Magliozzi. For decades, they hosted a phone in advice show on NPR called "Car Talk". I still enjoy listening to their lighthearted re-runs on podcasts today. 

That show is where I got the names for the pair of ravens that check my laneway for treats each morning. Usually a boiled egg or a chopped up hot dog.

Since the ravens look so much alike, I can't tell which is which. Except that their behaviours are very different! If they both fly in together one stands back to let the other eat first. Often, a single raven will approach, check out the offering then fly up to a high perch and call for it's friend. The friend then arrives and gobbles down the treat or flies away with it. What's up with that??!! I can only think that one is very keen on racking up brownie points. 

Ravens Click and Clack on my driveway take-away.

 

 

*  *  *  *  *

Garden hoses have been put away, winter tires are on my car and the de-icer is back in my metal bird bath. I'm ready for winter. I've even knit a pair of wrist warmers to cover the gap between my house coat's cuffs and fingers. The yarn is 45% alpaca, 25% wool and 30% polyamide. They feel so comfy! 

 

*  *  *  *  *

Couldn't resist rescuing this cute little self-seeded pansy from my driveway. Can't recall seeing violas used as house plants before. It will be interesting to see how it likes being inside. 

My cactus is getting in the party mood.

 

It seems the fall colours were extra gorgeous this year. And outside my kitchen window the staghorn sumacs did not disappoint.

 

Yesterday Ellie Mae came in with a small mark on her lip. I wonder if a mouse fought back. At any rate, she seems to be hungry for treats but not for her regular canned and kibble cat food. Hunting must be good!

 

A Kitchen Emergency

It's my favourite time of the year. Never was a fan of heat and humidity. 

I've been busy clipping back weed trees. Particularly Black Locust and Manitoba Maples. I sleep so much better at night if I've had a good dose of outside work. Not just muscles but lungs and heart benefit as well. Of course, I keep a folding lawn chair, water and snacks handy for many, many breaks.

Self seeding and glorious morning glories.

Was surprised to see this iris blooming now ...

... since it has already bloomed in the Spring.

 

 

This is the time of year that mice find their way into the house with a view to a winter's digs with central heating.

I have mouse traps set in the basement and in the storage room (where Ellie Mae cannot patrol).  A couple of days ago, I placed a trap-killed mouse out on the lawn. Usually, bluejays make off with them almost immediately but this time, they didn't notice it in the grass. Imagine my surprise when a turkey vulture swooped in and nabbed it. I didn't think they would come so close to the house.

 

It looks like one vulture is describing the 'one that got away'.

Flickers are still here and probing through the lawn.

A rose-breasted grosbeak having a soak.

A robin also having a soak, but in my resin bath.

 

*   *   *   *   *

One evening this summer I had an unexpected bit of excitement. 

It was just before bedtime when I decided to wash the dishes. Don't own or even want a dishwasher. The old hand washing method is my preference. I half fill one side of the double sink with warm soapy water and the other side with cold water for rinsing. Then the cleaned dishes are stacked on the drain board tray to air dry. 

So I finished up, released the basket drain plugs on both basins and walked away. That's strange, I thought, I feel like I'm walking across a lake!! And I heard water splashing under my slippers. Turned on the ceiling light and there was indeed a lake of water streaming across the kitchen floor! Immediately switched from feeling sleepy and ready for bed to full emergency response mode. I grabbed up towels and sopped and wrung like a super woman! After the floor had been dealt with, I checked under the sink. Both of the ancient sink drains had corroded and dropped away, spilling buckets of dish water onto the floor.

The old kitchen sink drain decided to collapse mid job. 

The next day, within an hour of my call, the plumber arrived and replaced the sink baskets and installed new drain pipes. It took him only about twenty minutes. I was very impressed with his efficiency. Being an older man, no doubt he has performed this operation many, many times. 

*   *   *   *   *

I'm still enjoying my new found hobby of knitting. So relaxing and satisfying. After finishing seven pairs of winter and two pairs of summer socks, I'm now eyeing new projects. 

My sister gave me a book on winter knitting. In it, some wrist warmers took my fancy. I'll enjoy learning how to knit cable designs.

 

Intended to knit this yarn in the winter ...

... but jumped the gun and finished these socks already!

My current project. The 100% Merino wool is lovely and soft.

One of Ellie Mae's favourite shady hangouts.

No wonder she is not particularly hungry these days.

A Very Cute Family

Earlier this month, I was surprised and delighted to spot a little family of skunks doing a kind of congo line shuffle across my back yard.  

With five babies to feed, no wonder the mother was so hungry and the reason I previously saw her foraging for grubs well into daylight hours. At first, the youngsters kept very close to each other and to their mom in her search for food. But within a few days, the five young skunks were all over the place, no longer sticking with the group.

Like their mom, they seldom looked up from foraging and digging in the grass.

  

And at dusk one evening I looked out the window to see a mother raccoon with three kits in tow. No doubt they were headed for the nearby ditch to search for frogs and other edibles.

 

Masks on but hardly disguised.

Keeping close to Mom while exploring along the way.

 

 

More backyard pictures taken this month:

 

A Gray Catbird wading in for a dip.

A male Baltimore Oriole having a turn.

Panting on a hot July day.

A Robin sun bathing to help dislodge mites.

Caterpillars destined for Robin babies ...

... also honeysuckle bush berries ...

... and grasshoppers ...

... and good old, regular fare earthworms.

A hummingbird clearwing moth nectaring on phlox.

 

This year I went a bit overboard with my sweet pea planting. I filled seven large containers with them. Lots of feeding and watering and staking and support twine involved. So blossoms I had, aplenty! Sweet scented in a nice variety of colours. My assortment of flower vases is getting quite a workout.

 

The first picture was meant to show the bouquets on my window sill. I didn't notice the hummingbird until after I downloaded the snaps. The orange tabby cat ornament in the corner spotted it though.

 

Finally, I sometimes see a young tabby who, I think, drops in to say 'Hi' to Ellie Mae. He looks healthy and well fed. Since my grounds are quite jungle-like, I can understand his liking to visit.