As always, June was a whirlwind. End-of-school-year insanity is behind us now, but there was still more than enough going on for someone who likes her days super boring and uneventful.
Aside from two birthdays, June’s big event was an extra-long weekend in PEI visiting granddog Evie and her people. She’s a beach girl, too. Must be genetic.
Evie took us to Panmure Island, where I got the obligatory lighthouse shot.
The next day, she took us to a mysterious bridge out in the middle of nowhere where we watched a heron fishing for his lunch.
The day after that, Evie took us to Beach Point Beach because it takes more than a bit of mistiness to put us off a good beach walk. (A bee sting is what it takes, actually. Poor Foster.)
I was sick at the end of March and not up to posting anything, so today’s recap will be two months for the price of one.
This was Simon in March, taking a short breather from destroying houseplants and pots.
March 7 was an incredibly grey day, making this flock of cedar waxwings in our beech tree hard to make out. Boy, were they noisy.
The robins are nesting under the deck again this year, meaning lots of photo opportunities when they come out to find food.
The old man sunbathing. Still a heartthrob.
A young goldfinch, I think, keeping an eye on things from the deck.
The goldfinches love love LOVE picking at the seeds in whatever this tree is beside the deck. They descend upon it en masse and will easily spend an hour hopping from branch to branch looking for goodies.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
I’ve been re-photographing all my completed mittens and hats for sale and it is…not my favourite thing. Who knew that accurately photographing the finished product would be the hardest part of the whole process?
Heading into February, I expected a fairly quiet and mellow month. I knew there’d be drop-off and pick-up trips to the airport and that I’d be dog-sitting Evie for a week in addition to all the usual duties (grocery shopping, doctor appointment, parental care), but nothing too draining. What I hadn’t anticipated was an emergency root canal after two weeks of steadily worsening pain while (thanks to an error at their vet’s office) cat-sitting two of the world’s most energetic, curious and affectionate kittens.
This is grandcat Simon and this was my view any time I tried to write. Simon loves chewing pens, plants, upholstery, cardboard boxes, kitchen utensils, drapes and human fingers.
Simon is unfamiliar with the concept of personal space. He’s lucky he’s so cute.
This is grandcat Nadja. Like Simon, she likes to be paws-on and “help” write, walk, care for houseplants, knit, cook, do dishes, read a book, and, as in this photo, empty the kitchen garbage can.
They are beautiful cats and smart enough to break out poses like this just when you’re ready to strangle them.
Sadly, cousins Simon, Nadja and Evie do not make good playmates.
Evie just needs everyone to understand that this is her house and what she says goes.
I have never met a dog who enjoys the snow so much. She’d stay out there romping for hours if only she could find someone to stay with her.
But it was really cold during her week here and the stupid wimpy humans always pack in it too soon.
Uncle Glen is also frustrating for her. He looks like a dog and smells like a dog, but behaves like a Canadian pensioner on the beach in Florida, refusing to do anything but lounge in the sun all day. “Toys do not tempt him, Evie,” I said. “You’re wasting your time trying to get him to play.”
If you can’t beat him, join him.
And finally…
My lovely ram friend wanted to do a bit of modelling, but it was really cold that day and my mouth was hurting so I just took a few photos from the car and promised I’d do better next time. Sorry, buddy!
I love January. It’s cold and cloudy most of the time (the best weather) and quiet and peaceful because everyone else is too depressed to make many demands. I love wearing layers and cuddling under a blanket to read or knit and spending hours at my desk reflecting on the previous year (and all the targets I missed) and planning the year ahead (and all the goals I’m sure to fail to reach). Happy times.
A pair of eagles against a rare blue sky.
A mid-afternoon look across Wellington Dyke.
My snow-shovelling partner.
Trees in the backyard at the tail end of a snowstorm on January 29.
One of my mourning dove friends.
Eagles eagles everywhere.
Looking across the fields toward Blomidon.
Always a sucker for hay bales.
A slushy Minas Basin.
If you put a brightly coloured tractor in your field, I will take a picture of it.
Yet more eagles. Seriously, they are everywhere this year.
December is a lot. The cooking, the baking, the shopping, the wrapping, the cleaning, the cards, the finishing of handmade projects, the four million little things to prepare and remember. I get a little more organised with every passing year, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be organised enough to not feel overwhelmed for a couple weeks in the middle there. We had a lovely week with everyone home, though, and all the work was worth it, of course.
*My favourite people
*My favourite granddog
At her great-grandparents’, tuckered out by late Christmas afternoon and using Santa as a pillow. He’s been around so long there are probably pictures of little me doing the same thing.
*One of my favourite grandcats
This is Nadja, waiting impatiently for me to make a fresh cup of green tea she can share. Her brother, Simon, never stops moving and is harder to get a picture of.
*My favourite birthday present: Shaun the Sheep
Charlotte, genius crochet toymaker, designed him herself, which is no mean feat. Makers understand just how much skill goes into crafting something like this.
*Gecko!
Charlotte looked in on a friend’s geckos while she was away for the holiday and you better believe I was getting in on that. There were three geckos, but this one was the most outgoing. I could have watched him (?) eat mealworms all day.
I knitted a blanket for his upcoming first birthday and I think he liked it – if dragging it along while blowing raspberries means he likes it, which I’m pretty sure it does. It’s been a while since I spoke toddler, though.
*A visit with my crow friends
My walking companion is too polite to say so, but I bet he is heartily sick of my need to stop and chat with the crows during every outing. They’re just so smart, and they’re my neighbours, after all. Seems rude to walk on by without a word.
*Big, moody skies
This time of year brings the drama and I love it.
*’Embroidery Woman’ (1817) by Georg Friedrich Kersting
The weather last week was dull and grey, which was great for my overall mood and conducive to brisk after-lunch walks, but not so great for photos. I took only one the whole time.
*A blue jay wanting me to share my morning oatmeal
Luckily, I found a few more photos from last week’s trip to PEI that I don’t want to forget.
*Porcupine!
I’ve seen a bazillion dead porcupines, of course, but never a live one. This guy was ambling down the side of the road and was not interested in modelling.
p.s. Did you know a baby porcupine is called a porcupette? I mean, come on.
*Evie plotting how to join the oyster fisherman on his boat
*Sunset
The sky was beautiful, but we were late for supper and there was no time to stop so Foster took this one from our moving car as we raced back to Anna’s.
*The world’s sassiest dog
This is Miss Evie listening patiently to our explanation about why eating discarded tissues found in the woods is not a good idea. Unsurprisingly, she rejected our advice.
