Marching through the last days of winter

It's the middle of March and we're still enjoying winter. We had another pretty major snow storm on the weekend and the day before sighted the first of our spring birds. David's snapshots of a Cedar Waxwing flitting from post to post along the creek. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; here is a recording of the song of a cedar waxwing. The waxwings were back again yesterday. Sunday, March 15th; the real harbingers of spring arrived ~ our red winged blackbirds. David saw them first declaring; "The boys are back!" The males of this species always arrive a few weeks before we see the females. Again from Cornell ~ here's the beautiful song of the Redwinged Blackbird. The birds arrival was cause for celebration on a sunny Sunday. At least it was sunny earlier in the day. Then came the freezing rain and overcast skies, but we'll hold the sunshine in our thoughts till it's back again tomorrow. Little dog and I have been poking our noses into the greenhouse. I survey the left over debris from last years crops and the still frozen ground and look forward to being up to my elbows in the dirt.

Great Gray Owl at our windowsill

Excerpt from "The Owl Pages" One of the World's largest Owls, the Great Gray Owl was first described by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1772. The name "nebulosa" is derived from the Latin "Nebulosus", meaning misty or foggy. The Great Gray Owl has also been called Great Gray Ghost, Phantom of the north, Cinerous Owl, Spectral Owl, Lapland Owl, Spruce Owl, Bearded Owl and Sooty Owl. The Great Gray Owl hunts mainly during early morning and late afternoon, especially during winter, but will also hunt during other daylight hours and at night. They are often seen perched on poles or fenceposts along roads. When hunting, a Great Gray Owl will use a perch to "sit and wait" or it may hunt through the forest a metre or so (a few feet) above the ground. When ground is covered with snow, a Great Gray Owl can hunt by hearing alone and often plunges into the snow to capture small rodents moving underneath as far as 30 centimetres (12 inches). Although a very large Owl, small rodents are their primary prey (80 to 90% of diet) with voles being the most important food in Alaska, Canada and Oregon. These photos of our Great Gray were taken by David a few weeks ago. In broad daylight; this magnificent owl landed on the little tree right outside our kitchen window. We watched for almost an hour as he perched and watched and listened, and hunted for voles under the snow.

January; wild life and wild skies.

January. Our resident moose beds down across the creek and in the evenings wanders back and forth across the meadow as it pleases him. It pleases us too. This morning, he rose and enjoyed a breakfast of willow tips. Life is good here. For us and our wildlife! I must say though that I'm pleased it's not me who has to forage for my breakfast, knee deep in snow.

Happy New Year

William Ellery Channing I will seek elegance rather than luxury, refinement rather than fashion. I will seek to be worthy more than respectable, wealthy and not rich. I will study hard, think quietly, talk gently, and act frankly. I will listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with an open heart. I will bear all things cheerfully, do all things bravely await occasions and hurry never. In a word I will let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common.

Merry Christmas

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!

Winter has settled in.

In the last few days; Winter in all her beauty has blanketed the meadow. Thick, soft magnificent snowflakes this morning, and lots of them! Yesterdays snowfall was heavy and wet so David has been out this morning plowing our road before it's too difficult to move. As you may know we live very remote and look after all our own services. Keeping our roads open in winter is one of the things that is a constant through the next 5 months.

Our four legged winter friends should be returning soon. We're on the lookout!

Remembrance Day 2008, Charles Roy Bailey

In August of 1914 when 'The Empire at War' was just last weeks news in Canada, (my Great Uncle) Charles Roy Bailey at 21 years of age, left his home, his family and his job in Winnipeg to join the 1st Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He was attached to the Canadian Army Medical Corps and spent the entire length of the First World War in active service overseas including 4 months of post-war mopping up before finally returning to Canada in March of 1919. Charley was awarded the 1914 Star on April 25th 1918. Here is an excerpt from the first of Charley's letters home from overseas. From Salisbury Plain, England. Oct 23rd, 1914 "Dear Mother Arrived here after 21 days aboard ship. We had fine weather all the way over and a great voyage. The trip did not make me sick, funny it did not effect, as there was so many that were seasick. This place is sure pretty. We landed in Devonport and marched to Plymouth, where we got the train to Salisbury. As you see by my address, I have transferred to a Hospital corps, from Hamilton Ontario. By the time you get this I will have seen London as we get a few days off. Gee it is a funny country, hedges, roads and little villages. The Canadian soldiers are getting a great welcome here. When we were waiting for our trains at Plymouth, there were thousands there cheering us. One old lady came over and talked to me. When I left she threw her arms around me, kissed me and said " God Bless you my little man." They were so glad to see us that they were giving us fruit, cigarettes and everything. The girls come up to you and beg for a button or a badge for a souvenir, some of the boys landed in camp with all the buttons off their coat. But of course I am too bashful so naturally I had all my buttons on." And poignantly, an excerpt from the letter he wrote to his Mother 90 years ago today. November 11th 1918 "Dear Mother Just received your letter and VV’s note. We are settled again and things are coming on as well as can be expected. Well Mother what do you think of the news. By Jove the boys are sure in great spirits lately. Things are surely looking good. But now that when we have got them where they once had us, I would certainly like to see them get what they gave us in 1914. The Bosh is a squealer when he is beat but darn little he ever thinks of justice when he is winning. Anyway things are fine and the fellows are in as good spirit as the day we first landed in France. Since I started this letter Mother I hear that the Armistice has been signed. Gee Mother can you realize it. Just imagine back home and into civilian clothes again. Really you know I can’t believe it. It is just too good to be true. Well Mother cold weather is setting in again, but we are all so tickled with the war news that we don’t give a darn if it was forty below zero. The French towns we passed on our way up were all flags and the people were nearly crazy with delight. Oh Lord but it did look good. Never mind Mother we shall all be together before long as I think I am on the first list to go home. Of course I don’t know for sure but that’s the general opinion of the fellows. ... Well Mother I must close forgive me for not writing just lately as we have been on the move. Remembrance to Dad and the kid. I’ll close Mother with Love Chas " Yes, Dear Uncle Charley; Remembrance indeed.

November on the Meadow

Inevitably, summer turned to fall; fall to early winter. It seems that every season on the meadow is a busy one. We got a lot accomplished these last few months but updating our blog was apparently not on the list ;) We wake up to frosty mornings now; a frozen creek and the occasional snow fall. Our autumn was spectacular. Sunny and warm and full of colour. The changing skies are a constant source of inspiration.

Our greenhouse is at the tail end of it's year; but we are still enjoying some fresh and oh-so-delicious greens (kale and chard). This years lambs have grown up and out; they are all healthy and happy. The ewes have been bred again and all's right with the world ~ or so 'Mister' our Ram would have us believe. Visitors of the feathered variety appear regularly on the meadow. No pictures yet this season but lots of coyotes around and we saw the tracks of our lone wolf again the other day. Life is good ~ and we, like so many around the world, bask in the promise of hope and change that emanates from the American people and Obama's recent victory.

Simply some late summer snapshots

Cloud mountain over the meadow.

The big rock at the top of the road; The Homestone on a late summer afternoon.

Two of our ram lambs. Aren't they pretty boys?!

And a beaver pond just down the road.

Summer projects and summer skies

Haying the meadows provides winter feed and bedding for the sheep. And winter feed for our neighbours' livestock. It's good stuff :) and the fields are in lovely shape this year. We use our pine (killed by the pine beetle) for firewood of course, and for all sorts of things around the property ~ log fencing particularly. This is one way we tie up the carbon ~ by selectively logging the smaller standing dead pine for fencing, building corrals and outbuildings. Summer project number 127 (or there abouts) is a mile of log fence around the perimeter.

Vincent and his fence! And ohhh, those summer skies.