More flowers...scenery coming soon

I haven't had many opportunities to get out into the scenic parts of the countryside over the last few weeks, but there's been plenty to shoot in the area around the house. The petals are starting to come off of the spring flowers, and with that comes a new view of things, once again.

For those of you who prefer not to stare at the previous image

Here's a couple of beauty with no beast shots. We have these all over the yard.

Beauty and the beast

When you look closely at something, a flower for example, you can see the much smaller things going in the world around us. A spider, hiding inside a tulip was not what I expected to find when I was out capturing some of the spring colours. It's also interesting that 4 of the legs are stretched out, as though resting. Any biologists out there up to explaining what's going on with that?

With that in mind...

The winter, and probably lots of wind, has meant that we have lots of fallen trees in the woods. There are a few spots that look like tree graveyards, where numerous trunks and roots lay upended, and the subsequent domino effect being felt for quite a distance away.

Nature is quite good at replacing the fallen, and for each tree that is down another few are sprouting up to take its place.

He's still working on clearing the land.

Logan can't get enough of pulling branches, or even small trees, from the bush. With the amount of fallen trees and such in the woods these days he's got his work cut out for him, but I think he's up to the task.

We're not in Kansas anymore!

Actually, we never were in Kansas, but with the winds of the last few days we could have made it there with little effort (if it was to the east and only a few hundred kilometers away).

Anyways, one thing that I've noticed here in Nova Scotia is that when the wind blows it gives it all it's got. There's nothing halfway about it. Yesterday we were expecting pieces of something to go flying by at any minute - not sure what those pieces would be from, but pieces none the less.

There are a few more tree limbs down here and there, and the lawn has been swept clean of any loose leaves, etc., which is kind of a good thing really.

The earth's natural rake - the wind.

Driving in it is another story. The buffeting of the wind on the truck makes for a very interesting trip to anywhere, especially on the open road of the 101 to Windsor (or Halifax, for that matter). Wide open spaces and a good hearty wind make for great kite flying, as long as you want to end up in Kansas.

I've got my eye on you!

Logan and I were out wandering in the field again this morning. Me with my camera, he with his curiosity. A yellow warbler, perhaps the same one as yesterday, flew up from the grass and into the tree tops so that I could take its picture again - what a poser! Shortly after, a number of Blue Jays came up over the tree tops and landed in a tall evergreen. Most were hidden on the other side, but 2 stayed at the top, one surveying the area, the other watching...me!

While it is true that I was standing in the open, wearing a white sweatshirt, and aiming a strange device at it, it's not as if I was close or anything. Once the survey was complete a group of 10 or so flew off into the next field, I suppose for further surveying.

Its interesting to note that this was a group of Blue Jays - or, I suppose, you could call it a flock. I've never seen a flock of Blue Jays before, unless the field at Skydome...er...Rogers Centre counts.

Writers Note: before anyone gets all itchy to respond to the above I'll let you in on something. I know that the Blue Jay that appears to be staring at me can't actually see me because of the placement of the eyes on the side of its head. It just looks like it's staring at me, which is enough for me, and this blog entry. Now, you can go ahead and comment as if nothing happened. : )

About those birds and bees...

With the sun shining and the sky clearing after yesterdays rain we've had quite a bit of activity this morning. Birds are all about - I missed a shot of the woodpecker that was making such a racket on our maple tree this morning because I wasn't fast enough - and the bees are back at work in the trees and whatever flowers are available this early on in the season.

We haven't seen any deer recently. Probably because there's plenty of green available in safer places further into the woods. We do hear the peepers though. It's hard to block them out. If you listen carefully to their call you'll go stark raving mad. Seriously. It's that eardrum piercing a sound.

Could there be anything better than a warm spring day?

How about a nap basking in the late day sun? That's what Logan decided to do after having a good run about the field behind the house while I took advantage of the great light as the day ran out.

We're enjoying a wonderful day today, with the temperature a comfortable 'sit on the porch and have coffee/tea listening to the birds' Celsius. Today it's supposed to go up to 'sweating up a storm doing yardwork' Celsius. Which is fine. We could all use a little sweat after the 'shiver me timbers it's freezing and I need to get close to the fire' Celsius during the winter.

Welcome Back!

Jeannette's term in Toronto is now over, and she was safely returned home last night at midnight on Air Canada flight 622. She is relieved to have survived through the madness of April, and is looking forward to our first spring clean-up and planting in the new house.

Sharon did a wonderful job of creating a streamer filled home for Jeannette's arrival. There was lots of effort and love put into the decorating, and it really made her coming home that much more special.

Stephanie is now on her way back to Ontario as part of the agreement to balance out the population of the country. Her latest location was somewhere around Montreal. She is expected to be in Toronto sometime around 8:00 pm this evening.