And a Northern Hawk Owl ~ the first time we've seen this owl on the meadow. 
This description of an adult Northern Hawk Owl is from allaboutbirds.org
•Medium-sized owl.
•Long tapered tail.
•Short pointed wings.
•Face white, with black border.
•Crown and forehead dark with many white spots.
•Underparts white with heavy brown bars. 
The weekend ~ a sunny Saturday.
David and I went for a wander around the property yesterday with cameras in hand. The wildlife has been wandering about as well. We see our resident coyotes pretty regularly ~ they come out onto the open of the meadow to hunt for mice and voles. In the last few days we've spotted tracks of lynx, rabbits, moose and fox. David laid his glove next to the lynx tracks that were inside our front gate. Impressive paws on this cat. David has large hands too :~)
The lynx photo is not our pic ... but this is the Canadian Lynx which is native to our area... a pretty beastie. We have taken a few photos but nothing as clear as this image ~ they are illusive and hard to capture on camera.
Winter is moving in very gently this year. It's so beautiful right now! That sparkly dusting of snow in the sunshine. I like it better than the first sight of spring flowers.
This little building is a bit of a sentimental treasure on the meadow. We had to fall a dead tree right next to it and managed to miss the old loo by a hair. She's all that's left of the old homestead on the point.
Our own homestead is sturdier and warmer than that I'm happy to say. In this photo you can see our house in the center of the pic and our greenhouse to the left. That's Vince in the doorway of the house ~ solar panels overhead.
We feel so fortunate ~ and we are! No floods here, no hunger. We do what we can, one day at a time and stay ever thankful.
Bring on the snow!
David and I made another quick trip off the meadow recently. We had a follow up appointment in Vancouver with the Doctor who did the surgery on David's back earlier this fall. The doc was well pleased, and we are too.
The bonus for us in having to go the big city is that our grandson Aiden lives there with his mom and dad. We always get in as much of a visit as possible ~ and they always make time for us; bless their hearts. Charlie couriered us around all afternoon and Jill cooked up a lovely dinner for the five of us between getting home from work at the bank and heading out to play Dodge Ball ~ she's quite something that girl and she's an awesome Mom.
It's been some time now since Charlie (our son) completed his Touch Wood Rings apprenticeship with David. Charlie is now creating his own custom hand made Wooden Rings (For The Love of Wood). He is doing beautiful work and he's really been enjoying experimenting with different woods and design ideas.
Here are a few pics of our dear grandson (Jill and Charlie's boy) who just turned three years old.
Aiden and Grandma (that'll be me)
Then, with the timing of David's appointment in Vancouver we were able to attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Keremeos the next day. Charles (David's father) is a World War II Veteran who lost his two brothers in the war... It was wonderful to be able to spend this day with them. I want to share a link to Mum's blog called 'Day by Day' and her post from last year where she (Hildred) eloquently described Remembrance Day in a Small Town. In Mum's Remembrance Day posting this year she says of the day; "It is a solemn and reverent ceremony, one which remembers with sadness and gratitude, and in no way glorifies or romances the deadly adventures of War. Veterans are heartened by the people of the small towns of Canada who remember those who made it possible for them to live their tomorrows." Here is a photo of Mum and Dad after the ceremony as we all began to gather with family and friends. 
We had a quick visit with my sister and brother in law too; Laura and Gordon Willson. Laura and Gord are the owners of Debbie's Diner in Penticton. Gord is an experienced chef and a wonderful cook, and Laura is a great hostess! If you ever visit Penticton and are looking for an excellent all day breakfast; check out Debbie's Diner!
All in all, we had some great visits with family and friends on our quick trip off the meadow. It's so good to have Vince here ~ he looks after the place while we're away which gives us tremendous peace of mind. David and I got home late after a long drive on glare ice ~ Vince was here to greet us with the home fires burning and fresh coffee on the wood stove. So cozy :~) Oh, Life is good. 
The fall colours are gone now and we prepare for winter; gathering firewood, tarping equipment and hay stacks, generally battening down the hatches.
We had a bit of snow on the meadow (about 6 inches) but it came and went. We expect to see winter settle in for real fairly soon.
This past week we enjoyed a rare treat. A family of swans settled in on our creek for a few days. A pair of swans with their four signets.
And not rare, but a treat none the less; one of our resident coyotes hunting for voles on the hay meadow.
Life is good as we look forward to another winter wonderland on the meadow.
