Signs of a Mild Winter

Every winter When the great sun has turned his face away,

The earth goes down into a vale of grief,
And fasts, and weeps, and shrouds herself in sables,
Leaving her wedding-garlands to decay -
Then leaps in spring to his returning kisses.
~Charles Kingsley

It has often been said that when the hornet nests are close to the ground we will experience a mild winter. If this holds true these photos indicate that the upcoming winter will be a very mild one. This is one of the largest nests I've seen in a very long while. There were no hornets home the day it was discovered as it was quite late in the fall.

Wild Geese

“Wild geese fly south, creaking like anguished hinges; along the riverbank the candles of the sumacs burn dull red. It's the first week of October. Season of woolen garments taken out of mothballs; of nocturnal mists and dew and slippery front steps, and late-blooming slugs; of snapdragons having one last fling; of those frilly ornamental pink-and-purple cabbages that never used to exist, but are all over everywhere now.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

These wild geese are not flying south quite yet. We saw them spending a relaxing afternoon bobbing about on Whetstone Lake in Farmington, Nova Scotia. We counted about 17 altogether.

Water Water Everywhere

Listen to the water, listen to the water, rolling down the river. Listen to the water, listen to the water, rolling down the river. 

Okay, so now that song is stuck in my head for the rest of the day. These pictures are not of a river, but some flooding we experienced after last week's big rainstorm. If you don't think water has much pressure behind it, think again. The culvert is now bent upward. An odd looking sight.

October Mayflowers

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.  ~Proverb

We haven't had winter yet, so you might want to rethink that old proverb. This solitary mayflower was found on the 18th of October. I totally love finding these little surprises in nature. It lets me know that absolutely anything is possible even those things that are not probable.

Cranberries on the Vine

Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.
~~Kent Nerburn

These cranberries were not found in a bog, but were growing alongside the ditch in a Christmas tree lot in the Forties Settlement. Having always thought that cranberries grew in bogs, it had only been the past ten years or so that I discovered the difference.

On Dragonfly Wings

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky.~Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Silent Noon

This lady dragonfly was resting on a fir tree one morning in late September. Wings glistening in the early morning dew, she did not fly away but rested there as if preserving what bit of life she had left in her for another day.

September Raspberres

There is something in the red of a raspberry pie that looks as good to a man as the red in a sheep looks to a wolf. (E. W. Howe)

I discovered these ripe raspberries on the last day of September. What a pleasant surprise. Just when we think that summer is over, we are gifted with these small reminders.

Late September raspberries are just as delicious as July raspberries!

Deer, Oh Deer

A wounded deer leaps the highest. ~~Emily Dickinson 

Last week, a deer came to eat apples under the neighbours wild apple tree just across from our house. It continued to eat for quite a time while I snapped some photos.

With curiousity, it stretched it's neck out to get a good look at me. I supposed it wondered what I was doing.

This is another reason why  like living way out here in Dalhousie.

Morning Glory

A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.  ~Walt Whitman

A morning glory after the rain 

 

Grasshopper

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. ~~Henry David Thoreau

Look who we found hopping around the truck. He/she seemed quite unconcerned and jumped onto B's hat big as you please.

Here Comes the Sun

Here comes the sun, do do do do Here comes the sun, and I say It's all right  ~~ George Harrison 

Some shots I took of the rising sun a few mornings ago. Love the gorgeous colours.

 

 

There are many reasons to get up early in the morning this is one of them.

Up Close and Personal

“Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life,The middle tree and highest there that grew,  Sat like a cormorant.”~ John Milton

I've never been this close to a cormorant, nor do I expect I ever will again. This was obviously a young one by the way it behaved. It was sitting on the guard rail in Maplewood Friday afternoon. It allowed me to get in quite a few good shots before it flew away. Oddly enough, as it flew off, we saw a crane, wings spread wide, also leaving the scene. Unfortunately,I was too slow for that shot.

Dusk in the City

There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk.~~Jean-Paul Sartre

Last weekend we ventured away from Dalhousie and found ourselves in the city of Moncton. Same sun, same moon, as twilight assended, but from a totally different viewpoint.

Oak Leaf

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.” James Allen

Now this is a big oak leaf! I placed a maple leaf on top of it to show the difference in size.

RCMP Musical Ride

A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves – strong, powerful, beautiful – and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.~~Pam Brown

Friday and Saturday the RCMP Musical ride came to Bridgewater on their tour of the province. We had a great time. The weather even cooperated for the day.

Update of the Update

A small bird will drop frozen dead

From a bough

Without ever having felt sorry for itself.~~D.H. LAWRENCE

 

I know I said I wouldn't be able to get anymore photos of the cedar waxwings babies, but luckily I was able to make it back to the nest today.

They have turned into handsome birds, soon ready to fend for themselves.

Cedar Waxwing Update

“You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.”~~Chinese Proverb 

This will be the last update on the cedar waxwings. The first photo was taken on Friday.

 

This next picture I snapped today. As you can see they are growing quickly and we won't get back again before they leave the nest.

The Dream Bird

Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away. ~~Walter Benjamin

We caught this Momma sitting on a nest of four unhatched eggs in the Christmas tree lot.  

Cedar Waxwings

"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes." - Charles Lindbergh

We found these little darlings in a fir tree, five baby cedar waxwings just waiting for Momma's return.

“A slander is like a hornet; if you cannot kill it dead with the first blow, better not strike at it” ~ Josh Billings
We found this nest in a Christmas tree lot today. It isn't a big nest but there was plenty of traffic as you can see.

A Bird in the Hand

A bird in hand is a certainty. But a bird in the bush may sing.~~ Bret Harte

This little guy was fitting about the grass early this morning, just learning to stretch his wings, just learning to fly.

Open Garden

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.”

 H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Over the Canada Day weekend writer, columnist, gardener, friend, Jodi Delong opened her garden up to the public. We jumped at the chance to go.

 Couldn't have asked for better weather. The day was simply glorious.

There were plenty of Hostas in Jodi's garden. They are my new favourite. We just planted some this year in front of our house.

 

Nothing completes a garden more than a birdhouse or two. 

 

I took so many wonderful photos I couldn't possible post them all.

 

The open garden event lasted for three days.  Thanks Jodi for allowing us to wander through your lovely garden.

The Look Off

There is nothing insignificant in the world. It all depends on the point of view. ~~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

We took off on Canada Day to attend an open house in Scott's Bay. Along the way we stopped at the Look Off to admire the view. 

Such a beautiful view of the Annapolis Valley from where we stood. You can see the farm land below.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. The day was gorgeous. I'll post some photos of the garden we visited next time. What a great way to spend Canada Day!