Not again!

Winter has been checking in with us this past week. Snow was gone then returned three times. Enough of that persistence! A week without snow isn’t too much to ask, is it? I much prefer a walk outside rather than the treadmill, but that wasn’t always possible last week.

One day, when we could walk the boardwalk, I watched an area where various species of birds like to gather. During a 15 minute period I saw a Grackle, Blue Jays, Crows, a Gull, Mourning Doves, 

Tree Sparrows, 

Black-eyed Juncos, 

and Black-capped Chickadees

Meanwhile, in the stream nearby Black Ducks and Mallards 

fed in the stream. Robins looked for food nearby as well.

On the way home another day, Canada Geese fed in a field near our house. The look of this vegetation is typical of our area this time of year. The snow must go for more than a day before everything starts to turn green.

On Saturday, we attended our granddaughter’s last gymnastics competition for this season. Over the last year, Granddaughter 2 has gained confidence and improved her skills tremendously. It is always a pleasure to watch her perform.

At the competition, I sat next to a man I believe to be a Ukrainian immigrant. His daughter was competing and performed well too. When Russia invaded Ukraine, almost 300,000 Ukrainians came to Canada and a number settled on Prince Edward Island. They left when an aggressor invaded their homeland, in an effort to acquire their land and all its resources. 

I can’t help but wonder how these new islanders feel about the prospect of the same thing happening to this country at the hands of a different aggressor. Do they take the rhetoric seriously? Many people do.

We live in sad times!

Bear with me

It has been an extremely cold winter and the high winds haven’t helped. This coming week, temperatures will be near normal or above which will be a great respite from the bitter cold of the last few months. Despite the cold however, we are drawn to the stark beauty of the boardwalk.

There is an area along the boardwalk which the birds and squirrels love. They forage for seeds there, under the trees alongside the walkway. On days when the wind is calmer the place comes alive with the animals. The last day we were there, three squirrels chased each other around as numerous Bluejays made their presence known. 

One had mastered the chattering sound of a squirrel which it repeated as it flew among the trees.

Sparrows are common there too. Tree Sparrows hop around 

and Song Sparrows, which fill the boardwalk with song in the spring and summer, are quiet this time of year. 

If you stop along the bridge, you can expect Black-capped Chickadees to come around. They have flown around me as I’ve attempted to photograph them. My husband likens them to mosquitos. 

On our recent visit to Cape Egmont, 

we passed an old house with something in an upper window on the side facing the road. I didn’t know what was in that window since we drove by so quickly but we decided to go back that way to see it.

The front of the house doesn’t give any indication of the resident visible on the side. 

Someone added a bear to one of the upstairs window. 

Despite the condition of the house, we smiled when we saw the bear and wondered about the old house. The old place has a new life.

The last few days of February are upon us. Spring is on its way.

Have a great week!

Spring around here

It is warming up with day time temperatures slightly above zero, longer daylight hours and the sun feeling warmer. We have kept our walks to the boardwalk where the signs of spring are more feeling than reality yet. Still that time in nature is precious and treasured amid the reality playing out in the world.

The bay is ice covered still though the ice looks more like sloppy snow now with a few areas of open water. Birds have found these openings on the bay with the American Black Ducks dividing their time between the freely flowing stream through the salt marsh and the bay.

One morning recently, fog shrouded the Confederation Bridge which is usually like a mirage in the distance.

Rafted ice in the Northumberland Strait looks ready to drop to icy depths.

The snow, plentiful along the edges of the pathway after storms, is retreating from the walkway, exposing the path we haven’t seen since last autumn.

Red Squirrels chase each other and chatter as mating season approaches.

Small birds such a Black-capped Chickadees, 

Tree Sparrows, 

Dark-Eyed Juncos 

and Song Sparrows 

join the ubiquitous Blue Jays foraging as they are wont to do. 

Around them the snow melts a bit more every day, a hopeful sign that spring will be more than a day on the calendar. For a few minutes everything is right with the world.