First snow-fall

Winter has arrived at Fox Grove.
Well, not really but it sure looks like it.
The snow fell all night and is still falling as I post this.

This chickadee is one from this spring and she looks a bit bewildered right now.

She was soon fed and on her way but only after a fight broke out at the feeder.

They are all pretty anxious to find their food source for the cold months ahead.

They have nothing to worry about...I will keep them fed.

This might be Wilson's second fall/winter.

We really don't know how old he is...perhaps a year, year and a half.

He was found starving at a feed mill last spring.

Watching the birds in the maple.

He's showing off his long tail.

Before the snow fell I was starting to train this years'  birds to eat from my hand.

This will take some time but they will begin to trust.

It's a pretty cool feeling to have their feet on your hand.

These two :)

Annie can get pretty fed up with Wilson at times.

I think she would like to squish him completely but little does she know he actually loves any attention he can get.

He's a real love-bug.

It looks like we are at the end of beautiful Autumn.

All my mums are dying and soon there will not be a flower anywhere.

The old outhouse on our property has been here for 100 years. It has been moved three times and not used for probably 40 years now.

I keep it clean and decorated as it has become quite a conversation piece for visitors.

I have placed an insulated box inside the old outhouse for a needy critter when the cold weather arrives. We had insulation left over from the construction so it is packed in well.

Last year something went in to find warmth and pulled all the paper down to make a nest. Poor thing.

I was determined that would not happen again this year. If it comes back it will think it was at the Ritz.

A warm and cozy box will get it through the hard times.

photo taken in September

I hope everyone is enjoying the end of beautiful autumn.

Have a peaceful Sunday everyone.

be kind,

Deb

                     

Fall at Fox Grove

It sure looks like Fall here.

And no matter how many scare-crows we have

(aren't they scary. :-)

We still have lots of crows. 

We celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.

Any excuse for a party, the fairies think.

I baked a favorite apple cake for the dinner

and we celebrated with our family at my son and daughter-in-laws beautiful country home.

l to r...daughter Allie, son John, retired-guy, all the grandittles, son-in-law Mike, daughter Jess and the hostess with the mostest daughter-in-law Brittany.

and Nana bribed the little ones with goody bags so I could get them to sit still for the camera.

It works every-time.

lol grand-son Bradley likes to goof around.

l to r-Gwynn, Riley, Gus, Tenley and Brad.

And we can't leave Cooper out.

He is always ready to pose for the camera.

2 smug characters.

It was our 'second-helping' weekend

and today we are pretty lazy. 

I hope all my Canadian friends had a Happy Thanksgiving.

be kind, Deb

Welcoming September

Youngest daughter lol

Mark Twain fan

Three birthdays celebrated on Sunday; 64 6 & 5.
It's always fun to have all five grands out with their parents and favorite aunt.
And the weather was fabulous.
Good enough for tractor rides, kicking the ball about and a fairy village invasion.

Tenley in the wood-lot

And where was Wilson while all these shenanigans were going on...

Way up high in the loft minding his p's and q's.

It's very fall-like around Fox Grove these days.

\

And it will soon be time to fatten up our resident birds with cooler weather on it's way.

Chickadees are still a favorite here. :)

It's back to work here on the house and landscaping and
rain is on it's way.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
Be kind,
Deb

As summer winds down.

Our tree toad is back again

and he's as happy as a clam in his birdhouse.

And look at this show-off.

Autumn must be near because even with one good hand I had to bake pumpkin muffins.

And it was worth it.

We spent a night watching our grands last wknd.

They live on a beautiful piece of property about an hour from us.

Gramps, Tenley and Cooper having a (very early) morning walk-about. 

That first mug of coffee, a beautiful morning with grandittle and a silly lovable cat.

Kitty-client Sunny

Sweetest cat ever.

My busy month for cat-sitting is winding down and 

I am so grateful for all the help from the retired-guy

who has never been so busy in his life.

As if he needed more to do. :-b

I received great news after my x-ray this week...no break.

The cast is off and I am just not to use my hand too much and only lift light things such as a beverage. ;)

OK, then.

September should be back to normal now.

And the fall clean-up begins at Fox Grove.

be kind,

Deb

August summed-up.

Where the heck did August go?
If we aren't working on the house we are working on the landscaping. And by landscaping I don't mean green grass and pretty flowers. I mean moving loads of dirt to the back, picking up huge rocks and small stones as there are hundreds here (I fell over one), ploughing, grading and burning brush.
The pretty stuff comes next year, God willing.

I have all but given up on the veggie garden since injuring my hand. I'm just harvesting (with a little help from the grands) and turning a blind eye to weeds. I have yet to get the tomatoes boiled down and made into a sauce starter for freezing. There's nothing more tasty in the middle of our wretched winters. We are enjoying some wonderful meals this week.

This cutie loves nana's sunflowers.

Wilson is learning to walk on a leash.

He may be a slow learner but I have faith.

I want him to have fresh air but we have coyotes, fox, fishers and raccoons here.

I want this guy to have a long and happy life.

He spent much of the day in the new house on the top step of the stairs to the loft watching us work. :)

Or on his chaise lounge in the sun at the patio window.
He's a slacker.

This beauty popped up at the side of our garage. :)

And this beauty has moved in to a bird house that was vacated recently by a house wren and her brood. It's a tree frog. 
I hope he hangs around because he's a laugh to see as you walk by the garden.

Haha... Cute, eh!

Well, August is my busiest month for cat-sitting and I have to say it has been quite a struggle the last two weeks. I don't know what I would have done without help from the retired-guy. He has become a champion of cracking open those cans of stinky goodness and sweeping up around the litter box. Why I even needed him to help open doors with keys, for heaven's sake. But on a good note, the cats had one more person to pamper them and make a fuss.

Monday I find out if I have a fracture on my left hand. If I do it's 6-8 weeks in this contraption. :(
I have absolutely no pain anymore and am not taking any pain-killers. I will be very surprised if they find a fractured bone and hope to be free of this fashion-statement soon. 
Who has time for this, right ladies?

Enjoy your weekend everyone.
be kind,
Deb

Thank you

Thank you to all you lovely people who sent such nice and thoughtful messages my way. I wish I could thank you in person.
I am still waiting for another appt. so I still don't know what I have done to my hand but I'm just going to hope it is healing under my soft cast and I will soon be out of it. This is no way to end a summer. The 'to do' list has left the building and I am just doing what is necessary with help, of course.

It's very boring when you are laid up but I am still trying to photograph with one arm the resident characters that keep us entertained. 
I captured this guy this morning...

then walked through the wood-lot to spy on the fairies.

They were entertaining a newbie that flew in on her ladybug.

They sure love the mud.

I checked the garden to see if the cantaloupe were ready for picking. Not quite.

There were beans to harvest, tomatoes, cukes and lettuce that needed immediate picking.

Maybe later today, I thought.

I am in a sling now to keep my arm elevated and it is ghastly hot in this humid weather.

I think I need tea and cake. :-b

yes I do.

Look at this face...

If looking at Sunny isn't the best medicine I don't know what is.

And he is a doll; a Ragdoll, that is.

He is one of my charges this week

and with a little help he is getting all the care and attention he deserves.

I sit on the floor and hug him and he melts.

His partner in crime is Charlie.

Not a bad job I have, right?

Two gorgeous boys.

Well, that's enough typing for this sore hand

so I will bid you 

"Good day."

be kind, Deb