This blog is about my garden and the outdoors. I am new to photography but I am trying to show some of the pretty things that grow here in Michigan. I love the wild things who visit me and I dont mind if they eat a bit here and there. I like it more if they let me take their picture. As time goes on I think I will try to show you around the beautiful area that I live in as well as my garden. I try to use my own pictures as much as possible but will also use pictures from the web. If I inadvertently use your photo or work without permission please email me and I will remove it or give credit if you prefer. I will give credit when I know who the owner is. I would ask that anyone using my pictures do the same.
... I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.......Psalm23:6
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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Poodles again.................

I did get a few pictures of the girls today. So in lieu of garden pictures, here are some pretty girls.
Here we have Bella in front and Brea behind. Still for a change to take a picture.
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Sweet Bella, she is such a good little girl, quiet. She seldom barks. Unlike another couple I could mention. When she wants to play though, she will annoy the heck out of Bodi, she will take her toys and run off with them. So she has her moments. She loves to snuggle.
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Brea, she is the smallest of the four. Well she was. She has put on some weight. They all need to get out and get some exercise. She has a cute face, delicate looking. She is the naughty poodle, mischief, defiant, noisy. She is adorable.
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Here is Boots, enjoying some sun in the garden. She came in, even she does not like the cold.
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Then there is Bodicea, she enjoys cooler weather for much the same reason I do.......us plus size models get warm in the house. Bodi is the one everyone has always loved, she is the cuddly one and Tristens favourite.
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It looks like they will all be needing hair cuts once it begins to warm up. Looks like someone dropped a treat
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Bijou is the white poodle. She has recovered from her surgery and is doing well. She likes her new dog food and so all is well in the poodle world for now. We do have to get them in for teeth cleaning but that has to wait for now. They do like the heating pad though, when its cold outside.
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Bijou is a pretty poodle. Then again, I have never known an ugly one. She is also the pest, the pain in the butt, the instigator. She barks a lot. Gets the others going.
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I had the gate open and Bijou and Brea were out in the garden with me. Bodi and Bella would not come out, they said it was too cold.
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Brea enjoys running outside and exploring the bushes. I think she smells rabbits, but the rabbits would be bigger than she is. At least the ones I have seen are.
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This is Brea being defiant again. "Come on in" says I. "Don't have to" says Brea
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Boots says I'm coming in.........
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Thursday, March 26, 2015

snow..................

Its a mess out there. We had several days up in the 40s but it quickly went back down. Gerry raked the back yard. We now have a pile of wet soggy leaves sitting in the middle of the yard. We need to get them to the side of the road but its so cold out there. It has also been raining. Now its snowing again. A lot of the snow has gone but there are still piles of it. Nasty dirty snow with all the rotting bird seeds and food and dog poop. Just waiting for the ice to melt so it can get cleaned up. I hate looking at it.
Talking of poop...........you should have seen the rabbit poop.
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Thing is they did not eat any of my plants. Hehe I bet they ate Buds next door. They like me.....I feed them. Good fertilizer I hope.
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So going to pick up Tristen the other day I saw this.
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I had heard a woodpecker busy for a few days but never saw him. Well look at this hole. I will have to look next time I hear him because its just over the road and down a short way
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Nice work........well, if you look very close you will see that there are things growing and they wont like the new coating of snow
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Not a lot to see right now. I keep looking for the snow drops but so far no show.........so all you get today is rabbit poop and a hole in a tree.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Daffodil.......William Wordsworth




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I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

~William Wordsworth
One of my favourite poets, and a poem I just have to post in the Spring, because it would not be Spring without it.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

It lives...........................

I went out into the garden the last two days. I had to see what I could see. I swept the back path and now have a large pile of leaves. It is still very cold because its so windy. The temperature only in the 30s today, but it was sunny. Tomorrow may be a bit warmer. I really wanted to get working, it was just too bitter cold. I did find a few things growing though. First off I was so happy to see that at least two of my fish are hanging in.
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I took the chicken wire off the top yesterday but have not seen the fish since then.
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However the pump is working. If it would just warm up a bit I could start to get some of the leaves out of there. I tried today but my fingers froze. The Ivy is doing well though and every day I can do just a little bit more. Meanwhile the Mourning Doves are courting. The two of them were sunning on the garden arch. I bet this is the female preening
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They will be nesting soon because they were doing naughty things in the tree yesterday.
There are shoots coming through the dirt, woo hoo..........
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So good to see the garden coming alive. A miracle every year. The Holly is looking nice even so, there is no other colour out there at the moment.
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watching the trees beginning to think about it
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Tomorrow I want to get out and clip back the grape vines before the sap starts to run. It makes a mess if I wait. The birds have made great use of it this winter. No one nests in it though. I have had several nests around the garden though so I wonder who will try this year?.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Is it Spring?.........

Can it be true? it was quite warm today. I would have worked outside but would have needed a boat. The ice is coming off the roof and leaving puddles and chunks. We still have to take care of that area this Spring. We need some sort of cover for the deck. An awning or a porch roof. Not sure yet. We also have to put in the window where the old door is. So much needs to get done. When we have that all sorted out the next project should be the fence........but maybe the porch at the side. If we do that we can put in two new windows. Its a question of money as always. What we can and can not do.
Meanwhile.........my next job is cleaning up this mess.
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Its a terrible mess of old bird seed and poop. It is after all the poop deck all Winter.
Well I must get to it as soon as all the ice comes down. The house just shuddered as a whole bunch came down. Scary to think someone could be under it. Have to do something about that sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile The Cardinal was in full throttle this morning. Singing his heart out he was. A couple of Crows were chasing a Hawk. Busy time this Springtime, they all have the fever too.
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The Cardinal boy was trying to impress someone. A yellow finch showed up and sat up there with him but he was rejected and the finch flew away before I could get a picture.
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The regulars have yet to be bitten by the mating bug, the Nuthatch is the girl and she was not impressed neither was the Junco girl.
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I just can not wait to get cleaned up, clean those feeders and scrub the deck off. Shovel the pathways and make their feeding grounds healthy again. Right now I am not enjoying seeing the mess but the Squirrels are not fussy apparently and there is a lot of seed left so waste not want not I guess.
This morning the moon was still up as it began to get light.
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Well maybe my next pictures will show a cleaned up snowless back garden??????? Lets hope. They say the snow should be gone by the weekend. Its Spring Its Spring woo hooooooooo but yet, we do get some good winter storms in March so I must make the most of it.


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Fast Food Crow.............

I threw out an empty box of mac and cheese. I had put in some bacon grease. When I cook bacon I save the fat and put it out for the birds. They love it. I also have a big bag of dog food. Beneful......has veggies in it. The Crows love that too. My dogs had to change their food and I didn't want to waste it. I know it's not the healthiest of food for birds but......when you are hungry and just want to get by........its good stuff. I mean to say, they eat carrion.
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He was sure enjoying his treat
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Along with a side of dog food.
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Anyway, this is a quick post I just wanted to show the big boy enjoying his food.
I am linking up with Ivy and Elephants.