Open House 24/7

I added a little something to the retired-guys 'to do' list this week. He's been helping me with my new-found-hobby and building and hanging bird houses around the property. We are keeping them close to the mouse-house so we can enjoy the activity they may bring.

Here's the latest one with a cathedral roof. We found the perfect old maple that would make a fine spot for a new feathered family. As soon as the varnish dried, I headed out after the snow-squall (yep, still having them) and added one more house 'For Rent'.

Notice, before hanging, the perch has been removed. I read that the birds do not need it and if not removed it becomes a place for predators to hang on as they do their dirty deed.

Well, we can't have that now.  

So far, there was one little starling drop by for a tour of the popular blue house.

She stayed awhile and looked at the home from many angles. I expect she may be back with her hubby to make the final decision.

It's an 'Open House' 

24/7.

The sun is out

and the creatures are stirring.

Wishing you a lovely day.

hugs, Deb

Treats for all.

I love my pets and will often bring home special treats for them just because. Or, I'll break up a little something from the fridge that they enjoy and they love that, too.
Today, I hung up a special treat for my resident birds to share. A MacIntosh apple, covered with peanut butter and rolled in wild bird seed replaced the plain, 'ol apple they are used to..  Oh yum!

The sun was out today and the Chickadees were putting on quite the display. I was able to get very close to them athough they do flutter about.

They are so perfect.

I hope all the bird enjoys the treat today. And, I'm hoping coyotes don't eat apples. ;-)

Here are my three sun-worshipers.

Bold as the day is long.

hugs, Deb

It's Audrey time...My lion on wheels

Without a word of a lie...I called this little whirl-wind a 'lion on wheels' the other day. Then, soon after, while shopping for children's books, I found one. So, it now belongs to Audrey. She likes it.

 She actually played with it while I ate breakfast and gladly joined in. I would send it to her...she would bat it back. Such fun, I thought, until she heard a crow.

Bat that silly toy the heck outtahere and up to the fridge top we go.

What a great view she has as she plots her next move. "Give that silly toy to the grandittles", she thinks. I have bigger fish to fry."

She is really on the look-out this morning as we spotted a coyote passing by our feeders last night. It wandered off into the bush but not before Audrey's tail puffed up like a cat-tail  plant(hot-dog on a stick look) and eventually her eyes grew into saucers. Never a dull moment here for the audacious one.

We are having company again today. Better give the mouse-house a once-over.

Happy Sunday,
Deb

Oh, Joy!

(Out the mouse-house window)

  

I'm getting tired of writing this line...

"Oh joy, it snowed all day." 

We are only a week away from Easter and it looks like January out there again.

My poor resident birds are beginning to look a bit tired.

This must be so confusing for them to have spring weather one day and a snow-storm the next.

We are finding it very tedious. I went for my walk yesterday morning and got caught in a snow-squall. Lovely.

It's was a good day to work inside and watch a movie.

Tea in a funny pottery mug lifted the spirits.

Well, for a few minutes, maybe.

First, I filled the feeders to bring some joy to our Chickadees.  

They were glad when I told them tomorrow brings some sun.

I'll just asked them not to hold me to that forecast.

If you are playing in your gardens or watching the tulips grow, count yourself lucky.

hugs, Deb

It's slim pickin's here.

"Well, hello everyone. I hear some of you have missed me. So....what's wrong with the rest of ya?"

I'm spending the day on the table (she has given up ;-) instead of in the garage since the bird window is lame. Not one measly (and tasty, I bet) bird has dropped by all the time I've sat here. It's obviously a waste of time and you know how we felines hate wasting time.
I tried many different perches but ...nothing!

The Bird Lady, Sue, who visited told Deb to put the feeder a little farther from the garage. I'm still waiting.

So, I'll spend the day right here.

"Oh, oh...I hear a rumble."  

"Hey....I'm hungry over here. Got any beef...or bird,  hee hee?"

=^..^=

Birds galore and visitors, too.

The feeders have been very active lately and I am busy painting bird-houses to add to the trees.

Our friends Iain and Susan from http://proseccoandpolkadots.blogspot.ca/dropped by for a visit yesterday. Iain is an avid 'birder' and was able to tell me lots of interesting tid-bits on my birds.

 He showed me two downy wood-peckers that were obviously courting one another just out-side my window. The male put on quite a show fluttering his wings and dancing around.
Susan loves Chickadees, and although she attracted many to her, she was hoping to have one land on her hand. No luck this time.

We enjoyed having visitors at the mouse-house and the cats were all out to meet them.

They knew Susan, who was my walking buddy, but were very interested in bothering...er...meeting Iain.
Sierra was sure to show off her flying skills as she flew over Iain's shoulder onto her favorite spot. Thankfully, Iain, too, is owned by cats and didn't run for the hills. :))

A mouse-house-warming gift from our visitors.

(love)

We are finally having Spring weather. The snow is rapidly melting and hopefully soon we'll see buds on the trees. We do have lots of mud if you need any. It's a mess out here.

hugs, Deb

A favorite toy

Sierra with her favorite Spring toy.

A bear dressed as a duck. It doesn't get any better than that.

                                                                             =^..^=

A not-so-Spring-like weekend.

Our weather has been nothing short of a nightmare for anyone excited to welcome in Spring. It snowed all day on Saturday with a few intervals of rain. It's been cold, damp & windy.

Sunday morning started out at -15C but we did have lots of sun.

Sierra

It was a good weekend to get some cooking done in my teeny kitchen. I have an addition to show you that I think will make working in this small space a little easier.   We have installed IKEA cupboards, which we really like, but I could not get used to digging in a cupboard for my pots and pans. I am used to having an island at the old house where pots were in close reach so adding a small pot rack was the answer. Plus it freed up a valuable cupboard.

My daughter and her partner were over for dinner on Sunday. Roast beef with all the trimmings for the guys (including Kane) and veggie lasagna, cole-slaw & steamy-hot rolls for the non-meat eaters.

Chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing for dessert.

And tea. Always tea.

The cooks in their kitchen.

Still waiting on a kitchen counter.

Our first dinner guests at the mouse-house.

So, we hope for more spring-like weather this coming week.

We need more sun to thaw the earth and keep the kitties warm.

We need to hear the Spring birds arrive and see the first of the crocuses appear.

We need longer days.

There is so much beauty to look forward to and we are all more than ready to welcome it.

"Where are you, Spring?"

"We long to see you again."

hugs, Deb

Saturday morn.

There is no doubt that birds become familiar with you the longer you maintain feeders for them. After filling the wooden box with berries and seeds, this little Chickadee flew up to only inches from me to have a closer look-see. I was able to move around and hold my camera up without her being disturbed.

She's a little chubby, don't you think? It could be a male but I'm in the habit of calling them 'she'. I am truly 'smitten' with these birds.

7 a.m.

There is a dusting of snow on everything this morning. I can look out the kitchen window and see that by the fresh blanket atop the bench at the Maple. We are in for another snowy day.

Sierra loves to have her breakfast on the window-sill each morning. We have a deal; half the sill is mine and half is hers. She watches bird-tv while she dines and then heads down to the garage  window for a snooze on the cat-tree. She has very precise habits; like most cats.

I switched up my critters for Spring. Bunnies, chicks and my sweet lambs will entertain the little ones when they visit. They look so sweet here and remind me that Spring weather will come.

hugs, Deb

My favorite coffee mug on this first day of Spring.

Mary at http://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.ca/ asked us this morning to show off our favorite coffee mug so I though I'd play along. This is a pottery mug that I paid full price for (no thrifting here) because it was love at first sight. I always have my freshly-ground coffee with a little milk in this each morning.

Have you met Mary? If you love beautiful photography (and I mean Beautiful), gorgeous decorating and lots of  fancy, feathered friends you must pop over to visit her blog. 

I love the leaf design on this mug.

It's a dull day today but the snow is melting and that's fine with me. The only down-side for us is that all the mess from the construction will soon be visible once again. There is a pile of rocks, a pile of dirt and the old logs from the chicken coop need to be moved to the back of the property. I guess I'll have to be patient until the second phase of our building is complete.

Today is the first day of Spring. I'm hoping the snow will be gone soon.

 Yesterday the sun shone and the kitties enjoyed a nap in a sun-puddle.

We are using an old farm-house table for now. Lots of wear and tear but I like the history it holds. 

Annie showing off her funny airplane ears.

I'm off to the feeders then heading out for a walk. I think I see the sun peaking out. :)

"Happy Spring."

hugs, Deb