"Happy Birthday Canada"

I have always been proud to be Canadian.
As a child I remember being told to be thankful and appreciate the fact that I was lucky to be born in this great country; very lucky.
And I always reminded my children how fortunate they were, too. 

Now, I will pass that 'reminder' to my grandittles as they grow up and benefit from living in this beautiful & diverse corner of the world.

It may be a rainy day to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday but, no doubt,  everyone will be out in full force.

                  "Happy Birthday, Canada"

My Kane was a handsome and patriotic pup back in 2009. 

 hugs, Deb

A purr-fect addition to the cluttered country cottage china cupboard.

Yesterday the sun shone between rainfalls and Annie enjoyed listening to the crows and their babies outside the dining-corner window.
Today there is no sun; just constant rain.
I really fear for our gardens this summer.
So there is no listening to birds at the windows; just a lot of this today...

                                                  Audrey being Audrey 

 

My cluttered country cottage china cabinet 

 got a dusting and a new addition today.

 

 

 

These purr-fect dinner napkins

(another fabulous bd gift from my daughter)

 Black & white cats AND blue and white.

How could they suit me better?

=^..^=

=^..^=

=^..^=

"Grey cats for a starter, lady."

Oops!

I guess I'll be on the prowl.

Here's to 'sunny days' ahead.

hugs, Deb

Around and about the mouse-house

Our weather has been crazy these last few days. If we do see the sun for awhile we can be sure that more rain is only hours away.

 

I'll put a birdhouse anywhere.

We really need more sun-shine.

 Our gardens are a bit water-logged.

And the critters have had enough, too.

 

 But they sure are enjoying all the treats.

Goodness, more birthday celebration at my daughter's home last Sunday.

Thank you everyone for making this BIG birthday so special, xo

Notice all 5 grandittles are looking so innocently at the camera. What??

Love them so much

:)

hugs, Deb

Bird drama and what's in a name.

The rain fell on Friday morning; not heavy but just enough to make all the watering I did on Thursday a waste of time.
Well, maybe not a complete waste.
Standing at the back garden I noticed a hawk soaring in a thermal above the tree-swallow house. Ahhhhh! Both swallows took off after it to protect their nest.  I was in panic-mode like an old mother hen just watching them try to chase it off.  They swooped around it and came up behind staying close together. They circled the property over and over. I stood frozen; heart pounding and basically freaking-out. Sorry...no video. :-b It would have been ugly.

It was a long two minutes but the hawk did leave and both swallows returned quickly to the nest. It was quite a dramatic scene.  Now I will be on watch for it's return as the babies will be ready to leave at some point soon and that's when it gets dangerous.

Oh...and David. yikes!
I may have to carry him home over the stone wall next time.
He's a worry. The hawk's a worry.
I hope my 'ol heart can take it.

                        What's in a name  
  I had decided to give this little property a proper name and
 honoring my grandparents was to be considered in the decision.Walking around the wood-lot, I thought of the ancestors, the fifty or so large maple trees, the spring flowers, the small grove of apple trees that once grew here and the many critters that I have seen roam the land. I made a decision...

                                Fox Grove

                                         (source) 

                                honoring John & Mary  Fox 

The name feels right even though we have yet to have a fox visit the mouse-house in two years.  I do have some Fox cousins that I would love to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea with. Maybe that can be arranged. :)

Time to find some barn board and get creative. 

But first, I have to weed. :-(

 

Annie is doing well and enjoys her warm evenings at the window listening to the crickets.
Apparently it helps her to sleep.
And we all know how much cats need help with that. =^..^= 

 

Those peachy paws. 

*love*

 
hugs, Deb

Oh, how sweet the sound.

Sometimes nature will repay us tenfold for any help they receive.

As I worked away at the blasted weeds that seem to appear overnight I spotted something white at the base of the bird-house that, fortunately for us, has been occupied by a beautiful tree swallow and her mate all spring. 

It was a tiny white feather, fragile and soft, that drew me over within hearing-range of the bird house.

As I stooped down to pick it up I heard the baby tree swallows for the first time. They were frantically calling for dinner while mama and papa  swooped about catching many of the millions of mosquitoes that pester us to death here. 

(another reason I will miss them when they leave)

Surprisingly, hearing the babies almost brought me to tears. I felt so privileged after witnessing this family arrive, build the nest and then care so well for each other.

I had read that the nest would be built with many white feathers but never expected to receive the gift of one and the opportunity to hear up close the cry of the babies. It will remain forever a favorite memory of mine here at the mouse-house.

 

 and then

.

.

.

 This morning I saw this...

Oh my goodness...is that cute or what!

 

 

 Mama to the rescue. 

She arrived with a beak full of bugs. :)

Gotta love summer

and 

it's just beginning. :)

hugs, Deb

David & Bee Meadow Farm Fundraiser 2017

This guy...

David, our neighbour cat who pops over to say "hi" and probably do bad things when I'm not looking. Really...just look at that face. The sound of my voice has him fall over and roll. He likes to sit just outside our garage door so we'll talk to him.

 

 Then I tell him to get on his way but there is no telling what trouble he gets into on his way home. We don't encourage his visits while critters are nesting but we still love him.

Lots goes on in the day here where I find myself running for my camera only to miss the unexpected moment. 
It's mostly critters or birds doing funny things or Simon appearing out of no-where and doing something chip-munky-cute.

Like today, for instance...A crow came up to the feeder  and grabbed himself a stale piece of multi-grain bread. He walked off with it but dropped it on the ground a few times as if he really wasn't sure he wanted to eat it. It was stale, mind you, rock hard, but never in a million years did I expect to see what he did next. He picked it up for the fifth time, walked over to the bird-bath, dropped the bread into the water two or three times and then happily devoured it with gusto. 
I have a whole new appreciation for the black bandits.

                   BEE MEADOW FARM

My greeter cat that I posted yesterday was won in a silent auction for Bee Meadow Farm fundraiser.
If you haven't heard of this amazing farm owned by Natalie and Gordon from Knatolee's World  http://knatolee.blogspot.ca
you really should pop over and meet these two fabulous care-givers of over 100 rescued farm animals along with a few (17) cats and 4 dogs. Their farm is a haven for these lost (and now found) souls that are mostly brought in from the Cornwall Humane Society.

We had a wonderful time at the fundraiser. Here are a few photos from the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jam pups

 Here's a photo borrowed from Natalie's fb page.

 drop over for a visit.

There's lots more photos to enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/BeeMeadowFarm/

hugs, Deb