Early first snow

The air is cold and sparkling but the earth is still warm and this snow won't last.

Backyard hummingbird feeder

Female ruby-throated hummingbird dropping by for a sip of nectar in the spring.

 

Heirloom tomatoes - first harvest

Seedlings from Vicki's Veggies

Black cherry, Auriga, Big Yellow Zebra, Costoluto Genovese, Brad's Atomic, Cuban Small

Summer wind

Found objects

I've been cutting trails into the land, keeping them narrow to minimize disruption. As it leads deeper into the brush, more is revealed.

Deer antler

Red-tailed hawk feather

Birdfeeder

Black capped chickadee approaching.

June Rainbow

Rabbit Nest Orphans

One spring day, after mowing the grass, I'd accidentally uncovered a nest of baby rabbits. Somehow none of them were hurt except for a small nick on the back of one. I covered them up again but unfortunately the mother never came back. After two nights, the still hairless and sightless babies had crawled out of their nest, now starving with deflated tummies and cold to the touch. I actually thought one of them had died until I picked it up and the warmth of my hand revived it a little. I called Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and they advised me to bring them in, which I did.

I got an update two days later and was told they were doing fine. Three weeks later, they were released back into the wild.

Summer wind

Night Frog

Just hanging out on the bedroom window.

Summer Meadow

To think that I almost mowed this all down just to have lawn. A summer meadow for a yard is so much better.

Spring Pond

The first frog songs of the season have arrived.

Rising Grey

It is a beautiful grey late autumn day. It has just finished raining and the sky is still thick with clouds. Their undulations swirl above the earth, downy forms set high in contrast to the scraggly limbs of denuded trees and waterlogged stands of juniper. Branches are trembling with water drops waiting to sprinkle you as you brush by. The field puddles are inches deep. Walk through them in tall rain boots and listen to the splash and the suction as the ground takes hold of your soles. Breathe deep now. The air has a softness and is as fresh as fresh will ever be. If your head needs clearing, this is the place to release those cluttered thoughts. If your spirit needs uplifting, this is the place to rise.

Walk Through First November Snow

First November Snow

Big snow came early this year, just long enough for a morning of beauty and then it was gone.

Mushroom Grove

 

The End of Summer

The first photo is of the beanfield across the road and the rest are from the property.

Sometimes the clouds rise like mountains.

Seemingly overnight there were hundreds of spiders' webs in this one section of the land. They were all heavy with dew and glistening in the sun and I wish I had a way to capture the scope of them.

Natural bouquets all around.

2 Month Old Field

The immediate land around the house and driveway was plowed over and graded about two months ago. From brown to green with no help from me.

Frogpocalypse

At first I thought they were flower petals or leaves scattered on the road until I realized they were all frogs. There were thousands underfoot. Most hopped towards the curb as I approached but many hopped further into the middle of road. Later, as I stood talking with a neighbour in her yard about the frogs, she said it sounded like popcorn each time a car drove by and sure enough it did.

Ducks and ducklings

From Paul and Tina's farm.

Ducks in the duck house discussing important matters with the month old ducklings:

Ducks in a jug. These two females were lying on a batch of eggs and weren't happy about me looming over them so close. Hissed at me the whole time:

Always a bossy one in the squad:

Only a day old and already making leaps: