About last week

At some point this month I had to do some Christmas shopping so I started this past week, though reluctantly. Time is running out however. I don’t enjoy shopping. My husband and I find it difficult to shop for the grandchildren these days as their taste and preferences are evolving as they grow. Our daughter accompanied me one day which was a huge help. It was nice to have that time with her too. Her father joined us for lunch which was lovely.

We didn’t get to the boardwalk as often this week as a result but the scene there certainly changed in that time. Early last week, a seaweed dam at the mouth of the salt marsh had resulted in flooding of the marsh which had then frozen.

On Sunday last week, as we walked away from the parking lot, ducks were flying overhead to the north. With no open water in the salt marsh, the ducks had headed out to look for some.

That day, I captured a photo of a Dark-Eyed Junco which was feeding along the boardwalk.

The Bluejays are always entertaining of course. A flock of the pretty avians will appear quickly along the bridge if one offers peanuts, one of their favourite snacks. 

The Chickadees require the shells removed from the nuts and wait patiently for them.

The vessel, Federal Ohio, came into port when Blacky left the previous week. 

From the photo of what looked like a Coast Guard boat further in the bay, you can see how much ice was in the harbour.

Gulls were a highlight another day. 

They played in the bay opposite the stream. 

We heard honking overhead and I found the Canada Geese quickly enough to take a photo.

The mild temperatures later in the week melted much of the snow and ice in the area. The dam of seaweed at the mouth of the marsh gave way and the ducks returned. 

When it turned cold again, they ice skated in the marsh to get to areas where the water was still flowing.

A Downy Woodpecker drilled into trees near the marsh 

and a Mourning Dove perched high above the scene watched everything with interest.

On a more serious note:

In conclusion this week, I have news of a scam which targeted seniors on Prince Edward Island. Two people visiting the island phoned various islanders, addressing those who answered the phone with “Hey, grandma,” or “Hey, grandpa.”

I answered the phone one day. It looked like a local number so I said, “Hello.” When a male voice said, “Hey, Grandma,” I hung up without saying anything further.

Apparently the caller scammed several islanders out of money, saying he was the person’s grandson and needed money for bail. One senior however, arranged a meeting to pass over money, called the police and the scammer was arrested at the appointed place.

There are so many similar and worse scams going on these days that one has to be alert and suspicious of everything, especially unsolicited phone calls, emails and the rest. 

Nature is an important reprieve from the worries of the world.

I wish you a scam-free week.