The Birds are back...............

For today at least, the birds came back. We got a lot of snow the last couple of days. Not terribly cold but apparently they were very hungry. I had made a mix of coconut oil, peanut butter and bird seeds. That seems to go down well.


The Chickadees are never far away, but today all the little ones came in. I filled up twice to be sure no one was left out. Nuthatch came, Mr and Mrs


Only the lady Cardinal

Woodpecker, well yellow bellied sap sucker anyway

The finches.





Then this guy showed up. Everyone hid

Then the Bluejays came back


It was time to let the poodles out while the Hawk hung around. Bodi cooled off in the snow bank





One more month before its time for hair cuts.
Meanwhile time to review gardening books and catalogues, time for planning. I will also begin to buy daffodils and tulips for the house so they can go in the garden for next year. I think the Hyacinth is the one that makes the house smell so good.

Design your garden for the birds and Bees....................

It is a time of looking through seed catalogues and choosing the plants for this year. Lets keep in mind that the wild things need our help. The bees and the birds need help. How about planning your garden with a purpose?I think this year I need to reassess my plan. I thought I was planting enough to attract the birds and bees to my garden as well as butterfly. I didn't see hardly a one as far as butterflies go. I have milkweed by the side of the road. I think I will move some into my garden this year. Maybe the snow and salt from the road does something to it because I have not seen any Monarchs on it. So...........I have a garden by the side of the road on the other side, we live on a corner. That became an eyesore last year. That will get stripped and I think I will sow wildflowers there after some tilling and weeding out.

I also thought about a Knockout rose. That should give lots of colour all year. It wont get tall and weedy looking either. So Thats the plan for that part this year. Lots of colour, maybe that will draw them in?

I also think I will try one in a large container. Anyway, this year I can't spend a lot of money so it will be a lot of transplanting. Seeing to the quality of the soil and investing in some planters to give height to some of the areas. The roses I planted last year did well, so maybe this year I can put another rose in that spot. I don't see a lot of bee activity on roses though.
I have a lot of Bee Balm but its getting thin now. I need to reseed and replace some of that with some new plants. Those are very popular with the bees. I dread all the digging and transplanting but it will be worth it. In Spring I tend to have the enthusiasm until it gets hot.

Another flower that faded away was my Daisies. Now the Black Eyed Susans seemed to do well last year. Some of the white daisies in planters did OK. The ones in the garden did not. I must need to get the soil back in shape. I wish I had help. No one else has any interest whatsoever in the garden. The Echinacea didn't last and I had several colours so I have to believe not enough sun for them.So I will replant in a different spot.

The Foxgloves did well last year and I put in a new one. I do hope they come up again. Several plants got moved forwards to get more sun and maybe with that and some good fertilizer they may thrive. I don't want to loose everything. I think I will put in more shrubs in places I pull stuff out, flowering shrubs just make life easier. Especially if I put them in tubs that give height as well. So garage/yard sales this year will be a quest for containers to use in the garden. The pine trees will get cropped and that will bring in more light, so containers under there will add interest. I will bring one of my old farm ploughs around to fill in some space as well. Old crates and things like that can hold plants, just fill with that coconut matting to stop the soil eroding. Got so many ideas
I just can't wait for Spring.

January 2017 ...........

It has been awhile since my last post. Not a lot to tell. The garden sleeps. The birds have apparently been happy with what nature provides, they have not been around very often this winter. The Squirrels on the other hand. There were 8 out there today. Black and grey.


They even have the nerve to build their house in my tree.

Laura was here the other day and counted 7 nests (called Dreys) surrounding my back yard.

I hate to scare them away they need to eat too but, phew!!! they sure eat a lot. I didn't get a picture today of any black ones but this morning there were at least 6 black ones. They really don't fight with the greys any more than between each other. They must also inter breed I think. At least I think I have seen some being extra chummy.
Well the birds have been staying away pretty much. When they do come I fill up so they have plenty. Today the Titmouses (haha) were here. They are one of my favourites. I love the big bright eyes.



Cuteness overload

The Blue Jays come. It's funny but one flys over and then you hear the word go out. Then the flock comes in for a good feed.


I had a Nuthatch show up today as well.


This guy seemed to be wondering what the heck the blue thing was

Well tomorrow I am hoping to go out and look for some good pictures out in the county. Laura is not working and we fancied a drive out to see what we can find. Maybe I can find something to post here. WHo knows, It's supposed to rain in the afternoon but we sometimes get some good pictures when it rains. So stay posted I will see what I can find.

Frosty winds may blow....................

1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Yes it is pretty bleak out there right now. This was one of my favourite hymns as a kid. We sang hymns every day in school. I was raised and lived in England until I came to the States in 1971. So Winter carols and Christmas carols were a part of our existence. I love the old hymns. Our schools did not ban religion as they do here in the States. So it was that we began each day with assembly and we sang a couple of hymns. It was lovely around Christmas time. Kids really get into singing the favourite carols.

We used to also enjoy the Salvation Army who would do the rounds at this time of year. They would gather by the lamp post at the top of our road on Bidwell Hill. They would have a small band and several singers. People would stand at their doors with coats on and listen and the braver ones would walk up the road and listen to them. We also enjoyed Carole singers come and sing at the front door. I think our parents would give them a few coins if we had any. Sometimes a treat if not.

I really don't think people are the same anymore. They do not seem to enjoy these things. It's all School plays and the hustle and bustle of shopping. They are missing so many blessings. I suppose what you have never known!!!. A lot of people no longer celebrate Christmas, they now celebrate any number of alternate holidays and somehow the joy of the season has been "Hallmarked" and spoiled. Sure, as a Christian I celebrate Christmas but do not at all resent others having their own holiday to celebrate but it has all lost it's intent and meaning as far as I can see. I know from my perspective, I know Christ was not even born at this time of year, there was no snow as he was born in Bethlehem. We have incorporated so many pagan rituals and it probably took the "wise men" years to travel to find Him. He was "a young child" when they arrived on the scene. For most Christian holidays I cant get past the fake stuff that has been brought in to commercialize it. Christmas for me has always been different though. It still has the awe for me. I think of it as family time. These past years we have through necessity cut back on gift giving. So Thanksgiving is our bigger family time. After that I do decorate for Christmas and begin my baking and treat making. That will become my gift giving from now on. Things I make myself.

It is still for the kids, but like most things now, it seems to promote greed. We have always given too much, so too much became expected. I am guilty. I really don't care about getting but I love giving. This year no one will be here. So no Christmas dinner. It's not worth it for just us two and I did it all at Thanksgiving so will enjoy the rest. Maybe I should start on next years gifts haha. I have ideas already.

Decorating outside.............

We have finally got snow. It makes things look so much better. I was not really ready for it but now it's here, well, it is pretty.
When we brought all the Christmas stuff from storage, I had Gerry bring up everything he could find. In doing so I found all my Fall stuff, a bit late as was the Spring stuff and the summer flowers. Yes I found all that was lost. Hmmmmm.
So, down came my summery decorations, not having decorated for Fall. Gerry could not find the stuff. So now we have it. (smile)



I did get him to put up the lights on the front porch. I also had him drag up some old outside ornaments. He would never do it before and we are the only one in our ally that does not decorate. I love the outside lights.

Apart from the lights, that I would have liked to do more, I put this out for the birds.



I sold my small sled but still have the big one. Next year I must paint it or something to preserve the wood.
Wreaths are one of the things I love most.
The birds are cold, I had to shoo this little one away because it was sitting there. I put out more food and it came back and ate

The little ones come in a small flock and stick together. I am thinking of taking down the grapevines next year, but the thing with that is the little birds like it for shelter in the winter. So what to do about that.



I feel bad for the little ones and my Crows have not showed up yet this year. I do hear them around so maybe when they are hungry enough they will remember.