What a productive outdoor day! I dug out the lawnmower at noon to mow down my dandelion patch. With all the rain, it was in full bloom when the sun came out. The grass was three times taller than it usually is when I mow. This resulted in having to rake when the mowing was done.
It was a beautiful day to be outside. I had to catch up on the yard chores that have been neglected. I dislike a messy yard so it felt pretty good when the grass was mowed, the flower and vegetable beds were weeded, the perimeter of the yard was trimmed and the remaining shrubs were planted. I even had time to lay out the shavings underneath my strawberry plants.
A small shower came over when I was almost done. It lasted long enough for me to have a short afternoon siesta.
While I was in the yard I was thrilled to see two oriole pairs playing tag in the tree tops. The gold finches visited as well. I haven't seen the hummingbirds but I know they are visiting. I've had to fill the feeder a couple of times.
The rain over the past three days has convinced me to create a rain garden to handle the excess water when the rain barrels overflow. I've been researching plants that will enjoy that type of garden. My choice of plants, shrubs and ornamental grasses for nature-scaping was right on. Everything is thriving in their given areas. The front yard will be complete next week when the bridge arrives and gets placed over the dry creek bed.
What am I going to do when the entire yard is complete?
When I got home from work, I dumped out the rain gauge. There was another 30mm of water in it. That totaled 60mm over 3 days. The rain stopped for awhile and the sun tried to peek through
this afternoon. I hope it shows itself tomorrow. My lawn is so tall that I will have to go over it at least a couple of times to get it mowed to the proper height. The dandelions are twice as tall as the grass. I need a bear to keep them trimmed!
The weeds are taking over the garden beds and the strawberry patch. I need to spread out some shavings under the berry plants to keep the weeds down and the berries clean. There are three bags of pine shavings sitting in the garage, waiting for me. It is going to take an entire day to get the yard back to normal.
The flowers that were planted in containers are growing over the edges. There's nothing like rain to get them going.
I'm looking forward to next week. I ordered a bridge for the dry creek bed that I created. The bridge was being custom made and it's being picked up next week. It will be the finishing touch to my nature-scaped front yard.
I took stock of all the ornamental grasses and shrubs that I planted last year. Some were slow to come up but every one of them survived the winter. Awesome!
We took the cameras out this evening. Elk Island National Park did not disappoint us. The Amisk Wuche trail is greening up nicely. Birds sang in the tree tops and we were fortunate to see a variety of species; a pair of Baltimore Orioles, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, robins, ducks, geese, coots, grebes, teals, and many that we could not identify.
As we turned into the Astotin Lake area, a pair of Canada Geese watched over their seven goslings. The little ones grazed in the green grass and then cuddled together for a quick nap. What fun it was to watch them!
A visit to the usual beaver pond proved to be a bust so we went back to a pond where a beaver was sighted on our way to the Amisk Wuche trail. There was no sign of it. Just when we decided that we were not going to see the beaver, it crossed the highway in front of us; leaving a wet trail on the pavement. The park staff may need to put up a beaver crossing sign.
It was a beautiful evening to be outside. The sun shone. The birds sang and there were signs of new life everywhere.
In 24 hours there has been 30mm of rain. Water is standing in the ditches. The ducks and geese are celebrating the rainfall. So am I.
The leaf buds have totally opened. Ferns have popped out of the ground and are reaching for the sky. The varying shades of green provide some beautiful scenery to view and some tasty nutrients for the wildlife. Since the rain began, the midges that were giving me grief a couple of days ago, have moved on. No more midges but the mosquitoes are hatching.
I took a walk around the backyard this morning, taking in the sights and fresh smell. Water droplets clung to the undersides of branches, glistened on the flower petals and created intricate designs on solid surfaces. Mother Nature's art was amazing.
The ground is close to being completely saturated. Water is beginning to puddle on my driveway but that is okay. My rubber boots are getting a work out.
I worked in the yard for most of the day. It is supposed to rain tonight and I wanted all my plants in their rightful beds. The sun was so hot this afternoon that I had to remove the hotcaps from my raised gardens. The cucumber plants loved it underneath the caps so much that they have already sprouted their second leaves.
The first perennials are blooming in one of the front flowerbeds. I took stock of what's growing and what's not. There are only two ornamental grasses that have not sprouted yet. Everything else is greening up nicely.
I have a log bridge ordered. It will fit perfectly over the dry creek bed in the front of the house. I can't wait to pick it up. Until then, the old table top will make do as a make-shift bridge.
Rather than heading to the trails tonight, I opted to stay at home and light a bonfire. Can't get enough of my favorite aromatherapy. I could sit by a campfire and smell woodsmoke everyday.
The neighbor's cat decided that he had to join me. It must have been the sizzling smokies that I was roasting that lured him to hang out around the fire pit. Soon after he finished his snack, I found him drinking from the bird bath. What bird is going to come and splash in there now that the cat found the water?
Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. I haven't had a weekend off since the end of March. I'm taking advantage of this one by picking up my little sleepover pals tomorrow. I think a picnic and a fun day at the playground is in order.
The morning was calm and beautiful. I opened the back door and heard the shorebirds calling from the lake. I was determined to take the camera out to the trails today. It's been a long while since I've been out for a hike. Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area was the destination of choice.
The young leaves are finally beginning to break out. The sun shone through them making them look like twinkle lights in the forest. Beautiful. The green up is taking longer this year. In 2013 at this time, the leaves were out.
Waterfowl were swimming on all the ponds. I watched the mallards and green winged teals. A sandpiper ran along the shore of a slough. The creek that usually flows into Neon Lake is dammed up. The beavers had been very busy. A snowshoe hare rustled beneath the branches of some dogwood. Chickadees and sparrows flitted from tree to tree. The forest was a busy place this morning.
I put the hummingbird feeder out with the hope that those little beauties will be arriving soon. Most of my bedding plants are potted and the lawn is greening up nicely. The garden beds that I planted and covered with their 'greenhouse' covers are sprouting. The mosquitoes have not shown up yet. I can do without them.
We could do with a nice spring rain that would give the plants and trees a little boost. It would freshen things up and fill my empty barrels.
One coyote on a trail at the Wilderness Center. One moose eating willow twigs along the roadside. One white tail deer watching me from an open field. One hawk sitting on top of a light post. Low fog covering the water on the lake. This is what I saw on the way to work this morning.
I haven't had time to venture out to the trails but there is no shortage of wildlife sightings on the way to or from work. The drive might be 20-25 minutes long but it is relaxing and scenic. In fact, when I see the city skyline in the distance, I feel my hands tighten around the steering wheel and I see my knuckles turning white. I could never live in the city again.
I still have one cubic yard of black dirt to spread in the yard and bedding plants to put out. Those chores will have to wait for another few days when I actually have more than a half hour to spend outside. Until then, I'll enjoy the sunrises, the sunsets and all the scenery in between on my travels to and from work.
It was a beautiful day to work in the yard. Three cubic yards of black garden soil was delivered. I moved two of them into flower beds and planters. The remaining dirt will fill two more raised garden beds.
I planted some vegetables and some bedding plants. The forecast is for rain overnight and I wanted everything put in before that happened. The neighbor's cat decided that she was going to guard the garden. I hope she keeps the deer away!
While I worked in the backyard, the birds entertained me. A rose-breasted grosbeak showed up at the feeder. The red winged blackbirds called from the treetops. Chickadees landed beside me as I planted the flower beds.
Before I had my new home built, a kitten was born under the old home. When I moved away during the construction phase, the cat took up residence underneath my garden shed.
'Spike' is a good mouser. He heads out daily to the forest behind my yard and comes back with a treasure most times. I haven't been able to get close to him. Today was different.
Spike and I have history. When I lived in the old house, Spike was just a small kitten. He would fall over the edge of a retaining wall in the crawl space under the house. I would hear him whining and climb below to rescue him. After having this happen a number of times, I brought him upstairs and he lived in my bathroom for months until it was warm outside and he could join his mother.
Today, Spike watched me from the corner of the yard. He would move closer but each time that I tried to approach, he would run; that is until I brought out a piece of chicken. It brought him closer. Eventually, he took chicken from my hand and allowed me to pet his head. I have a feeling that we'll be friends by the end of the summer.
Warm temperatures and I don't get along. I managed to get some shrubs planted in the backyard while it was still cool outside. When the sun was at its highest, I was hibernating inside with a good book until it began cooling off again.
While I was outside during the day, I noticed that the tree swallows had taken up residence in the old tree trunk in my backyard. The red wing blackbirds fed at the sunflower seed feeders.
I planted some Virginia creeper vines against a fence. While I was digging the holes, I noticed that the birds had hidden sunflower seeds in a crack in the fence post. Silly birds.
I just came inside from putting my bedding plants into the garage. The overnight temperatures are still too cold to have the plants outside. While I was out there, the frogs serenaded me from the forest behind the yard. The shorebirds were calling from the lake across the road.
I looked up to the cloudless evening sky and saw an almost full moon peeking through the tree branches. It's going to be a beautiful night.
It was calm, clear and the sun was shining this morning. I was off work today so opted for coffee on the back deck. The only sound I heard was being made by the red wing blackbirds.
I was not out there very long when the deer wandered into the yard. They went straight for the grain tub. I stood up to watch and they didn't mind. Shortly after the deer left, a horse from the farm behind my yard, walked along the fence line. I brought some carrots and watched him munch 4 of them.
The day was beautiful. I dug up the raised garden and flower beds. The strawberry patch was turning green but more so from the dandelions than the strawberry plants themselves.
I drove into town to visit the greenhouse and came home with some bedding plants, saskatoon bushes and virginia creeper vines. Three cubic yards of dirt is being delivered on Wednesday. Let the planting begin.
It was chilly out at 6am this morning. I stepped onto the back deck and heard the chickadees singing their songs. The sun was beginning to rise. A light fog hovered at the tree tops. Mist rose off the many bodies of water on the way to work. The ducks swam through the misty peaceful scene.
A young moose hid in the willow thicket at the edge of the largest pond. It did not appear to want its photo taken this morning. Before I could ready my camera, it moved into the thicker shrubs.
I've had numerous animal sightings over the past three days, having to leave for work early. Moose, deer, porcupines, hawks, waterfowl, squirrels and muskrats are just a few of those observed. They appeared to love the early morning as much as I do.
On the way to work this morning I was blessed to see a young moose feeding in the willows. Its long snout maneuvered the young willow branches easily. As I snapped my photos, it continued munching; paying no mind to me. Beauty in action.
I saw many more of my favorite creatures on the drive home. Two porcupines waddled through the ditch. Two deer grazed in an open field. One moose nibbled some tender branches on the edge of a forest. Two muskrats sat on a log while eating the tender grasses in the pond.
What a great way to begin and end the day!
I had to stop at the pond on the way to work this morning. The goose families were out foraging in the green grass. It won't be long before the goslings lose their down to feathers. They are growing so fast!
As I slowed and came to a stop, the adult geese began 'herding' their young ones toward the water. It is so much fun watching them try to get all the goslings to line up and follow the lead adult. Once they are in the water, one adult takes the lead and the other the end. All the babes swim beak to tail in the middle.
