Portrait of a bluebird on a branch

The bluebirds we have here I believe are Mountain Bluebirds. And there are lots of them! They are enjoying the grasshoppers and all the insects being disturbed by our late season haying. Every time we look out on the meadow, there are flashes of that brilliant blue; hovering or swooping down or perched on a fence post. The blue never fails to surprise and delight us. It is such a pretty and unlikely colour for a bird.

Early Autumn on the meadow

David and I took some time away from the homestead during September and arrived back to our favourite time of year. Glorious Fall! We had a date with David's neurosurgeon for a long awaited back surgery. (Lumbar laminectomy at two levels; for those up on their medical terminology.) It appears to have been a very successful surgery. Although David is still recuperating he says can feel the difference already. We are so thankful to the good Doc, his most excellent MOA and all the folks at the hosptial... And we were so glad to be back home. Our foray into the medical system has put me quite behind in my emails. For those folks still waiting to hear from me, please know that you will, and as quickly as possible! We didn't mind seeing an end to this particular summer! It was so terribly dry, with two months of extreme fire danger and lots of smoke ~ fare thee well summer of 09! It's still really dry so wild fires continue to be a concern but the nights are colder now and there's a hard frost most mornings. There continues to be a voluntary ban on 'back country use' but it's hunting season and we do hear the occasional gunshot ring out from beyond our little wild life sanctuary. We can only hope that the animals we delight in watching and photographing will take refuge within the parameters of our 50 acres when they sense danger. I imagine there will be a good number of displaced critters after the wildfires this past summer. There are spots on the meadow where fall is not yet evident. More splendor to come. As we begin preparations for winter; the aspens are turning, the rose hips are ripe and all's right with the world.Till next time ~

Early August on the meadow

Kali ~ our dear old pup... she's found a cool spot in the greenhouse behind the geraniums and under my work table. She made herself a little hollow in the dirt where she relaxes while I weed. Our Evening Grosbeaks ~ mama feeding her little one from the seeds we supply. So sweet. The light was not just right in these photographs but not too bad ... This is a busy time of year for birds and humans. Busy is good. Having a long list of great things to accomplish. The outdoor work at the moment is primarily about fire safety and haying soon too. I don’t know if you see this on your news, but British Columbia is having a nasty fire season this year. There are a few fires in the Chilcotin that are of some concern to us, but thankfully none immediately threatening us or any of our neighbours. As forests burn though, we pray for the lives and habitats of our four legged and feathered friends and the plants and trees that perish. We do our daily rain dance and wait for the smoke to clear...

We had a brief encounter with a black bear and her two cubs the other day on our way into town. They are regulars in this neck of the woods and it was good to see them safe and sound. Long may they ramble and bountiful be their berries. Our friends down at the 40 acre meadow see these guys frequently. The mosquitoes are pretty quiet now, thank goodness. I can be outside again without covering my body from head to toe or slathered in some mosquito repelling gunk. Oh happy days! I admit to having no Ghandi-esque qualities when it comes to mosquitoes and other biting insects. I have to pop in one more pic of our beloved pup and then I am back to work . There are too many folks waiting for an email response from me. And, it's a nice day for some indoor work as it's pretty smoky out of doors. Till next time ... thanks for dropping by!

A few moments from a Dog Day

One of the things I love about these sultry summer days is how quickly clothes dry on the line. With a bit of a breeze and the temperature above eighty degrees Fahrenheit; a load is done in about an hour. I bury my face in sheets and towels as I take them off the line ~ just to revel in that crisp fresh smell. There's nothing like it.

Our giant rhubarb is wilting a little in the heat but still she's a magnificent thing.Bounty! The greenhouse is producing beautiful chard and lettuce and onions. I planted some pansies in amongst the greens just to delight myself with their bright faces while I'm weeding or foraging for dinner. Some of those delicious greens on the cutting board ~ alongside my favourite kitchen knife.

And, for the last week or so David and I have been enjoying the antics of a chipmunk family. They seem to be having a jamboree under the lilac bush just outside the kitchen window. They are very entertaining and so darn sweet! Here are a few pics. These are the dog days of summer. The forests are dangerously dry. We keep one eye on the horizon and check the BC Wildfire website when we see smoke or hear the planes nearby. So far, so good in our neck 'o the woods... It is a beautiful and bountiful time of year and life is good.

"Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit." – Henry David Thoreau

Early July on the meadow

Ahhh. Early Summer on the meadow. Our greenhouse with new life. Our old pup with a spring in her step! A robin's blue eggs. A view of our house from in behind the little log cabin. The creek. Hay meadows from the ridge ... these are such beautiful rich green days. We are happy to see the rain again today!

At the whim of the weather

June ~ thunder, lightning and the greening of the meadow. When the skies darken and the storm clouds gather, David and I prepare to shut the power down. The satellite gets disconnected. Our fridge and any electronics are unplugged from the walls. David can continue his work, for the most part. With a battery pack, he can plug in a light and carry on in his workshop ~ the ring room as we call it. My work is much more weather dependent; the computer is on time out till the storm passes. Even with our power down ~ we can still have a fire in the kitchen wood stove. We can make a cup of tea ~ albeit quickly and carefully so as to not spend to many seconds hovering around the sink or the stove when lightning is active. There is so much power in these early summer storms. Friday's storm was wicked. Sustained thunder that shook our wee house right down to the cold room. Lightning that gives one pause. With some trepidation, we watch where it strikes. This is predictable June weather. And the rain is always welcome! Soon it will be time to hay.

More Feathered Friends

Another lovely Sunday morning in May ~ and more feathered friends to capture on camera. A pair of Evening Grosbeaks dropping in to enjoy the sunflower seeds. And a few shots of our Saturday night Hummingbirds. We've identified these hummers as Calliope wearing the purple necklace, and Rufous with the scarlet headdress. There are wonderful resources available online when our field guides fail us. I especially like the work of the folks at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Their All About Birds website and companion blog 'Round Robin' are well worth visiting. Informative, easy to navigate and chock full of good stuff ... all about birds of course.