May 2024 in photos

Farewell to my father – Joseph Pius Cameron, November 19, 1940 – May 8, 2024

The aurora borealis from Wolfville Ridge, looking out across the valley.

Granddog Evie and her people suggested an afternoon at the beach, which is always a good idea.

Glen does not agree.

Baxters Harbour.

The Look-off.

I took a truly ridiculous number of photos of birds this month, but will limit myself to just a few for now.


February 2024 in photos

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!


January 2024 in photos

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.

And a hawk, for variety.

I felt like thrumming, I guess.


my favourite things of the past few weeks

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.


my favourite things of the week

For November 27 to December 3, 2023

*A visit with this handsome young man

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


my favourite things of the week

For November 20 to 26, 2023

*The most vocal cat I’ve ever met

This beautiful black cat popped out of the brush during one of our post-lunch walks out to the dykes and boy, did it (she? I think) have a lot to say. It was really cold that day so I hope she had a safe home to return to.

*Autumn colours persisting

The woods were still pretty yellow for November 22.

*Getting caught in a surprise snow squall

Thinking the overcast skies were harmless clouds, I suggested we push our Wednesday walk further (and further and further) and was rewarded with driving snow and bitter winds the whole way back. Still kind of fun, though.

*Eagles

In the photo above you can see a lump near the top of the middle tree, which we assumed was a large bald eagle because we’ve seen dozens of them this year. Surprise – it was two eagles, and the chittering they did to each other when a smaller bird/possible lunch innocently flew by was amazing to hear.


my favourite things of the week

For November 13 to 19, 2023

*Admiring this ram and his family

*After-lunch walks to get some fresh air

Except the day the manure spreader was out.

*This downy woodpecker

Easily amused, I never tire of watching them sit on their bums to eat, legs stuck straight out.


my favourite things of the week

For October 23 to 29, 2023

*A Maritime garter snake chillin’ on a sewer grate

While chatting with my mother in her driveway last week, two excited boys rode up on bikes to tell us they had found! a! snake! After reassuring them this little guy was not dangerous and was surely more afraid of us than we should be of him and that no, they should not ride over him with their bikes, we returned to the driveway and those little buggers got a stick and pushed the snake into the sewer. Sigh.

*My mother’s hanging basket of nasturtiums, still going strong and feeding pollinators

*A giant crate of lettuce at the farm

Who’s that weirdo taking pictures of lettuce? That weirdo is me. But I mean, come on, look at all those shades of green.

*The leaves starting to turn in the backyard

I’m not sure why our trees are always behind all the others around here, but it’s starting to get pretty out there.


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