It's New Year's Eve which means time for reflection on the past year.  2014 was a great year and a year of many firsts.

I saw a Great Grey Owl in action for the first time.  It sat atop a fence post, dived into the tall grass and came back to the fence post with an afternoon snack.  What a great moment that was!

The hiking trails at Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area provided a couple of firsts.  I wandered into a slough area and found two Greater Yellowlegs perched on a log.  That was a fantastic find.  I added them to my birding list.  

During the latter part of August, the garter snakes were gathering, providing me with many opportunities to observe them.  I had previously seen one or two of them but this was a first to see that many gathered together.

My backyard provided a number of firsts.  The garden beds were very productive and 2014 was the first year that I was successful in growing five pumpkins to maturity.  The deer continued to visit through the winter months.  It was the first time that I saw three different bucks come to the food dish; one with a large set of antlers.

Elk Island National Park provided a number of firsts.  I had the opportunity to watch a moose make its way across an open meadow area until it came to within ten feet of my vehicle.  It stopped to drink from a puddle in the ditch while I was snapping portraits.

The beaver at Astotin Lake put on quite the show.  I got to see one take down a tree.  I was so close to it that I could hear the teeth cut through the wood.

I went camping on four separate occasions to the Nordegg area.  During the camp outs, it was the first time that I was caught in a tent in a hailstorm that battered the surroundings with loonie sized hail.  On another trip, it was the first time that I experienced the mild tremor of an earthquake in that area.

The wildlife in this area provide so many firsts.  It may not be the first time that I have seen a particular animal or bird but the situation was a first; like the pileated woodpecker that frequents the backyard but had never landed on my deck rail before.

Nature provides so many opportunities to explore and experience 'firsts'.  We just need to turn off all the devices, take the time to visit the woods,  open our eyes, use all of our senses and tune out the noise of everyday life.  You never know what you will find or what you will experience.  You might get to see the beauty of dew drops on a ladybug or the glistening crystals of hoar frost on a sunny winter morning.  Let the year 2015 be your year of firsts.  Happy New Year!

 
 

I picked up my granddaughters for a couple of sleepover days.  They know that the drive to Gramma's house takes a while so they occupy the drive time by searching for animals along the way.

We didn't see any wildlife on this trip.  On previous occasions we have seen moose, deer, coyotes and a badger.  This time we saw horses and cows.  They did notice the frosty branches on the trees from the fog the evening before.

When I pulled into my driveway, both wondered if the deer were going to be in the yard.  They checked to see if the grain dish was full but came back to say that it needed filling.  After dumping a pail of feed into the dish and topping up the bird feeders we headed inside but not for long.

Both girls have been learning to ice skate.  What fun!  There is small snowbank rink a couple of miles from home and they wanted to go skating after supper.  We packed up the gear and away we went.  After the last time we were there, I picked up a couple of hockey sticks and a puck that they used  between games of 'What time is it Mr. Wolf?" and our favorite 'Going to the Zoo' song.

We didn't have the slider skate trainer.  Both girls are skating on their own and having so much fun!  We spent an hour at the rink and went back to my house for hot chocolate after that.  

While they fished their marshmallows from the drinks, we planned out the next day.  It turned out to be warmer than expected so ended up spending more time than planned in the fresh air.

Last year they took x-country ski lessons at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  It seemed like only yesterday because I strapped their skis on and they took off on the trail like no time had passed.  I thought I would have had to help them get going but they left me behind so I ran to put my skis on and catch up.

We were at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area trails.  They wanted to go farther than the 'green sign' which signaled the spot that we would turn around so we ventured up to a small hill.  Its gradual grade was perfect for them.  I think both went up and down that hill at least 12 times.

They worked up a thirst so we headed back to the parking lot, grabbed our lunch and found a table in the cookhouse.  We lit a fire in the stove and warmed up while eating.  

They didn't want to leave yet so we put the skis back on and headed back to the hill for another hour.  The temperature was dropping and we skied back to the parking lot.  We decided to see if the park had started making ice at the rink beside the cookhouse.

The area was plowed and a layer of water was put down but it was not ready for skating.  Instead, the girls played on the snowbanks; climbing to the top and sliding down in whatever way worked.  On the way back to my vehicle, we trudged through some deep fluffy snow.  Their little dino-shoes that they got for Christmas were in a bag so the younger of the girls was determined to 'stomp' through the deep snow.  

She did more than stomp, she ran through it.  I'm sure that people wondered what was making the big footprints in the snow.  Sasquatch perhaps?

I thought that 3.5 hours of fresh air fun would have been enough for them.  I needed a coffee and while I was sitting down enjoying it, they brought up the fact that we had not gone skating yet so off to the rink for another hour in the evening.

It's so great to see them enjoy the outdoor activities with such enthusiasm.  They are dressed for the weather and embrace winter and the fresh air.  Participating in skiing, skating and snowshoeing during the winter months will make the season enjoyable and a lot more fun. 

 

December 26 will go down as a memorable outdoor day.  While the Boxing Day shoppers jostled each other for bargains, there were at least two of us that ventured to the trails instead of the mall.

We left home before noon and drove to Elk Island National Park.  It snowed overnight and gave us about 3 inches of fluffiness to walk through on the Amisk Wuche trail.  We were the first ones out that morning.  It was calm and quiet.  In other words it was perfect.

We both had our camera gear along and were hoping for the sun to break through the clouds so we could snap some photos of the frost covered trees along the trail.  The sky did clear and the beauty was amazing.  The branches on the trees were covered in thick hoar frost from the night before.  The sunlight made the frosty crystals sparkle all around us.

There were not many birds out and the only animals on the trail were a mouse and a squirrel but the beauty and the peacefulness was just what we needed.

We had to take advantage of the warm temperature, the sunshine and the fresh snow so after leaving Elk Island we grabbed the cross country skis and headed to the trails at Cooking Lake - Blackfoot recreation area.  

The web reports on the trail conditions said poor but they were wrong.  There was enough snow overnight for some great skiing.  We came across only one icy patch that was a bit treacherous.

We got back to the house in mid-afternoon.  After a few hours of being outside in the fresh air, it was time for some rest on the couch with a good book.  Oh how I love winter!

It was a white Christmas after all.  The snow began falling just before noon and continued throughout the day.  This made for a slow drive back home but I arrived to find a couple of inches on my deck.  At this time, there's 3 inches of snow and it's still falling.  This means only one thing.  I am going skiing tomorrow.  In anticipation, I dug the skis out before driving into the garage.

The deer came for a Christmas feast while I was away.  They emptied their dish as well as all the bird feeders.  They did leave the peanut bell untouched.  I filled their grain dish when I got home as an extra treat just because it is Christmas.

I hope that all those who love the outdoors will have the opportunity to get out and snowshoe, ski, sled, walk, skate or do whatever else you love doing in the fresh air tomorrow.  It will be a great day for it.  It makes me shudder to think of all the pushing and shoving, all of the noise and crowded parking lots that will be happening on Boxing Day.  You won't find me there.  I'll be on the trails, in the forest, listening to the sweet sound of my skis moving across the snow.

Perfect ending to a great day.  Merry Christmas!

Well, it's Christmas Eve.  I was hoping to get to the rink this evening but the wind started gusting on the drive home from work.  The rink is out in the open and I didn't think the time there would have been enjoyable so instead I chose to light up the Christmas tree, pour a glass of wine and watch a Wild Canada dvd.  

The thought was there at least.  The glass of wine was still sitting untouched on the table and the dvd played through without me seeing more than 5 minutes of it.  I'm blaming the plush, snowflake blanket.  Each time I curl up under it, my eyelids close.

When they decided to open, I admired the tree and thought about how all the decorations on it reflect the things that I love in nature.  Birds, snowshoes, skis/poles, skates and deer adorn the branches.  Rustic snowflakes, birch stars/trees and berry garlands/picks can be found on it as well.  I've been collecting those decorations for many years and finally have enough for the entire tree.

The only thing missing this Christmas is snow.  The season started off with a bang.  There were two snowfalls that dumped almost 12 inches of snow each but there were also days that the temperature got to +12C which melted most of it.  

The groomers are struggling to keep some of the x-country ski trails open.  There is not enough snow for snowshoeing and the hiking trails are quite icy and require cleats on the boots.

I checked the weather history to compare last year to this one.  On December 22, 2013 it was -32.6C overnight.  I remember going for a snowshoe outing that day and coming back to my vehicle pretty frosty.  On December 24, 2013 it was -3.1C overnight.  From the sound of things it is not going to be as cold or as warm as last year. 

Whatever the the temperature happens to be, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and has the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the season.

I'm happy to say that the water has stopped flowing into my yard.  When the pump finally finished sucking the water from the basement next door, the flow of water slowed to a minor trickle, then a few drops and finally the sound of silence coming from the sump pit.  I was able to remove my contraption of pipe in the backyard so I no longer have an obstacle course to step over to get to my garage.

The industrial ice melt is working on the driveway.  Good thing because it was and still is a treacherous area to be walking.  I have ice cleats on the bottom of my boots to walk across it.

The yard is an icy mess that will remain until spring.  The deer are staying away from the hanging feeders because they slip and slide on the ice each time they try to come near them.  The ice did not deter them from finding the tray feeder that held the pileated woodpecker's peanut bell and a suet cake.  Both bird treats were gone in the morning and I'm thinking that one of those deer probably had an upset stomach after consuming all that fatty food.

With the water situation finally under control, I'll finally be able to get out to the trails and the local rink more often.  No more being house bound having to watch to make sure the pipes didn't freeze up causing a back up into the basement.

I'm sad to say that I still have not taken out the new skis that I bought last spring.  My ski boots have been sitting in the back closet for a couple of months now, collecting dust.  The snow conditions are not the best but they are good enough for me to try out the skis.  

On my upcoming days off, my granddaughters will be over for a few days.  They are beginners but their skating skills are phenomenal and we will definitely be visiting the rink.  I picked up a couple of hockey sticks for them so I'm sure we'll have lots of fun.  I might just pick one up for myself as well.  That will wait until all the Christmas shopping craziness is finished.  I have no intention of being close to a store for another week or so.



 

After some investigative work this afternoon, the source of the stream flowing into my sump pit has been solved.  It's been a few days since I was able to see my entire yard in the daylight.  I was moving the deer food dish to another spot in the yard and noticed 'ice banks' at the very back.  I followed the flow of water that was creating them.  It led me to the vacant mobile home next door.

Water was dripping from the top of the foundation.  It had filled the window wells and had totally saturated the ground.  We could hear water running inside.  So what happened you

Water flow from the basement.

ask?  When the lady next door moved out, she had the gas and power shut down but not the water and there was a burst pipe or toilet inside the home.  Nobody was checking on the property so the water was running for days.  The basement was filled to the ceiling with water.  She could have used her basement as an aquarium.  So much water was lost that according to the calculations based on my water bill, her bill should be around $3700 or more.  She's getting a big bill and I have a big mess on my side of the fence.  Her water was making its way into my yard and trickling into the sump pit.  

I have a big mess but believe that mine will be easier to deal with than hers.  Once she found out what happened, she had someone come with a pump and discharge hose to empty the basement.  That was a lesson learned the hard way.

On a more positive note, my favorite pileated woodpecker showed up this afternoon.  He visited the feeding station that has the peanut bell.  That is one of his favorite treats.  The other favorite is the homemade mix that I made with crunchy peanut butter, cornmeal, oatmeal and some dried fruit.  He was not sharing that with any other bird.

The deer came into the yard as I was trying to deal with some of the ice build up.  They are getting used to me being outside; so much so that they don't run until I get to within 25 feet of them.  What an experience it is to try and get as close as possible!



 

The blue jays were busy this morning.  They found the remnants of a peanut bell that the pileated woodpecker was working on.  Their calls drew me to the window.

As I watched the action, they swooped down from the treetops and landed on the table.  Their beaks loosened chunks of peanuts that were as large as their heads.  It was comical to watch them fly with their prize find.

I counted four of them taking turns at the feeder.  One would land at the feeding station, grab some grub and fly away.  The minute it would take off, the next one waiting patiently on the stand would fly down to feed.  

I wasn't the only one watching the birds this morning.  A furry intruder was lurking on the fence.  That smiling stray cat that visited a couple weeks ago was back and his eye on my feathered friends.

 

Well, the water is still flowing.  I came home to about 2 inches of ice build up on my driveway from the catch tank overflowing while I was at work.  Tomorrow calls for a trip to the hardware store to pick up supplies to try and divert the sump water without having to pump.  I hope that works.

The deer appear to be wondering what is going on in the yard.  The gushing water from the outlet scares them off when the pump kicks in.  They are slipping and sliding on the ice build up in the backyard.  The food dish was untouched yesterday but today I saw a couple does and 4 fawns come in for a snack.

They took turns eating from the dish and when there were too many snouts in it at the same time, they ones left out proceeded to eat the grain that the others were spilling over the edge onto the snow.

I had the pileated woodpecker on the deck railing again.  The poor guy is so confused since I moved the feeding station.  He was making such a mess with the suet on my deck boards that I needed to move the station onto the snow.  

The grosbeaks continue to visit.  I love hearing them call from the treetops.  They are getting so used to me being in the yard that I can walk within 2 feet of the tray feeder and they will not fly away.  Love it!

The sky has been cloudless the past two evenings and I've had the opportunity to spend more time than usual outside after dark.  I was not aware that there was a meteor shower going on until I actually witnessed it.  Beautiful.  That's all I can say.  

The news reports usually let everyone know when things like this are going to happen and I try to stay up to watch but it is either cloudy or I fall asleep.  This time I got to see it because I've been outside pumping out a water tank so it does not flood my driveway.

I called the county utility company this afternoon to ensure that all the water was not coming from a broken water line.  Thank goodness that was not the case!  I was envisioning a backhoe on my driveway and a very huge bill before Christmas.  It turned out to be ground water that is running like a little spring into the sump pit.  The temperature is getting colder so I'm hoping that it will slow the water flow.  There's always something exciting happening out here.

I moved a bird feeding station off my deck and confused the pileated woodpecker.  It flew in and landed on the deck railing.  It's head moved left and right as if searching for the peanut bell that it was devouring.  I guess it was too much work to find the spot that I moved it to so it went with a sure thing; the old snag filled with tasty grubs.

Seven deer came into the yard yesterday.  The aggressive doe was not thrilled with so many snouts in the food dish so

she would rear up on her back legs and try to scare the others away.  Most times it did not work.

My granddaughters are so used to seeing the deer in the yard now that they don't run to the window anymore.  This weekend I heard "Gramma, the deers are here again."

The yard is looking pretty bare.  What is left of the fluffy white blanket is now hard and ice covered.  We couldn't pull the skis out and the last couple days softened up the outdoor rinks but today was perfect for ice skating.

We went out early enough in the morning and late enough in the evening for some fun in the

fresh air.  My granddaughters were with me.  One was on skates for only the second time and the other tried for the first time today.  What fun watching the two of them!  

I didn't take my skates for the morning visit but did take them in the evening.  Neither of the girls needed me to hold onto them.  The younger of the two that tried for the first time today, was bombing around from end to end of the rink and even trying 'twirls'.  She kept telling me how much she loved ice skating.

The fresh air tuckered them right out.  Both fell asleep immediately.  When we were still at the rink, the eldest one noticed all the stars in the sky.  It was and is still cloudless with millions of twinkling stars.  I stood on the deck for about 10 minutes and in that time saw not one, not two but three falling stars.  Whenever there is a meteor shower mentioned in the news, I purposely watch and never see any.  Tonight, I was not planning on seeing any and was blessed with seeing three.  Amazing!

I can't believe what is happening.  In the last 5 days, almost all of the snow in my backyard has melted.  The sump pump is running more than it did all summer long.  Every 3 hours I have to go out and pump out the catch tank or the water overflows onto my driveway.  There is a nice skating rink on it right now.

Last year at this time there were huge snowbanks on either side of the driveway.  I had gone skiing and snowshoeing a few times.  This week I bought my annual trail pass and by the time I could get out to the trails, the snow was gone.  There are 2 icy lines where the tracks were set and the area between the tracks is a nice shade of brown.  The snow is gone.

Yes, I'm whining.  Christmas is almost here and it looks like a spring melt.  I want to ski and snowshoe and skate on the outdoor rink on my days off at Christmas.  At this rate, none of my favorite activities will be available.  I might have to hitch a ride to the North Pole with Santa.

I picked up my granddaughters for a sleepover today.  We checked out the closest outdoor rink on the way to my house.  If we head out first thing in the morning, the ice will probably be good for them as they are just learning how to skate.  Their skates are not that sharp so the edges won't be cutting too deeply into the ice.  From the looks of the surface though, I'll only be able to go onto it with boots.  

Dec 12, 2013

 

I didn't make it to the trails this weekend.  I opted to do Christmas shopping before the stores fill their walls with people.  Thank goodness for on line shopping because I got most of it done that way.  There were some items that I could not order so headed off to town.  This is the earliest that I've done my shopping.  It means that while everyone else is fighting the crowds, the trails will be quiet and I'll be out there enjoying nature.  That is a well executed plan.

During the time that I did spend at home, I noticed some new visitors to the feeder on the deck.  I haven't had sparrows in the yard for years but six of them flew in for a little snack.  They shared the seed dish with the chickadees for about thirty minutes and then flew away.  They have not returned.  It must have been a pit stop on whatever route they were taking.

I picked up more grain at the feed store.  The guys that work there know what I need when I walk in the door.  I've gone through quite a few bags already but it's no different than someone buying cat or dog food.  My pets happen to be wild.

I've noticed that there are about three different groups of deer coming in.  There is a mixture of does, bucks and fawns.  What a treat to watch how they interact.  That is the perfect entertainment for me.

The moon is almost full and the sky is clear.  The stars are twinkling and the moonlight is making the snow crystals sparkle like diamonds.

The deer have been coming into the yard.  Their silhouettes stand out against the white blanket that is covering the lawn.  

I've seen the buck with the huge antlers only once.  The one with 'first year' antlers has been the regular.  I have a feeling that he was one of the little ones that visited regularly last year.

I was going to head out for a moonlight ski but decided on an early morning ski instead.  I can finally dust off the new skis!

I just glanced out the window.  It is a beautiful moonlit, starry night.  If I went outside, there would be no need for a flashlight.  

The temperature went above 0C today.  The deck was wet from melting snow.  What a difference a few days make.  Just a short time ago, it was close to -30C.

I filled the bird feeders before I left home today.  They were emptied by 5 deer that came for a snack.  While I was gone, they returned because the feeders were empty again when I got home.

All 5 white tails started at the grain dish and made their way to all the feeders.  The does were able to tip the hanging feeders to eat the sunflower seeds.  The fawns cleaned up the seeds that fell to the ground.  They have a system worked out.

I heard some hollow tapping outside the kitchen window.  When I investigated, I saw the pileated woodpecker on a power pole.  I don't know what it was looking for.  Maybe it was just making some woodpecker music for the neighborhood.