Kane

It is a year today that our Kane left us; one of the hardest days of my life.

Kane knew many 'words' and always reacted so sweetly to "I love you, Kanie." He would lick my face; the only time he would do that. I suppose it was the tone of my voice but I like to think he knew the meaning of those words.

"We love you, Kanie, and miss you everyday.
Thank you for being our sweet dog."

"Be a good boy." xo

                                               2000-2015

hugs, Deb

It's like 'Black Friday' at the feeders.

Winter has arrived in our part of the world. At least, if you look outside you would think that. The feeders were brought in this morning to thaw out and be re-filled for the many birds that showed up at the crack of dawn. For some reason,  there was a large amount of mourning doves all around the bottom of one feeder today; close to twenty. And the squirrels were up and out early from their cozy spot inside the old maple tree. Everything looked confused and frantic today. Chickadees, Cardinals, Finch, Juncos, Doves, Blue-jays and Sparrows. And they all looked hungry.

Our friendliest neighbours dropped in last week to say "so long" as they packed up and were heading to Florida for the winter.  smart They will be gone until April and have shut down their many feeders for those months. So.....guess where all their birds will be heading? 

"Over the meadow and through the woods...
To Debbie's mouse-house we go"

                                                                                         (pinterest)
Stay tuned for lots of action as they fly in for a happy meal.

It's all about the Christmas season now since Thanksgiving is far behind us here in Canada. The Christmas lists, cd's and Christmas cards are scattered about on the table. I have more help than I need as I write. =^..^=

 Thoughts of gift-giving consumes me at the moment. And, I must make two new stockings to hang for our newest grandittles, Gus & Tenley, this year, :) :) All fun.

Best get busy.
I have more to do than lie around dreaming of cat-nip-filled mousies under the tree like someone I know.

Annie lying in HER french bread basket.

2014

Stay warm...as toast

                                                                        &
                            "Happy Thanksgiving"
to all my American friends. Hope there's lots of pumpkin pie to go around.




hugs, Deb

Snow is falling...

Snow is falling and the birds are getting anxious, it seems. They know there is a long and cold season ahead.

                                        (taken this morning)

They are eating in groups, and although there is mostly calmness at the feeders, the chickadees do have squabbles. I guess we share the discontent of winter settling in.

I have today off from cat-sitting and am making the best of a lazy day. I may just cuddle up with my own two fabulous felines and watch a good movie. But I will have to wait for Audrey to leave her tent; that little cloud of comfyness. Oh, the good life. :)

The birds and squirrels were well fed over the weekend, too, with an up and coming bird enthusiast having a sleep-over at the mouse-house. :)

This is very serious business. :)

Now she takes food out to her own resident birds at home on their acre lot. She's such a cutie.

We had family in for dinner last night so there is half of an apple cake luring me into the teeny weeny kitchen. Time to put the kettle on.

I'm thinking Christmas and slowly decorating the mouse-house.

While the snow falls and the winds blow, I wish you all a peaceful Sunday.

hugs, Deb

Making the switch from Fall to Christmas.

Outside, that is.
Our nice weather is back so I'm outside doing more cleaning up. Our scarecrow came down and a Christmas tree went up at the old rock at the drive-way. It will be lit with white lights to help you find your way at our gate. Christmas wreaths were hung in our trees as you drive in. Again, it will add some light to this very dark road at night. Our gate lights up, too.

My Chickadees aren't sure what to make of that funny-looking tree.

                                       

(teeny-weeny lights)

I love Christmas. 
I think this year it will be here before we know it. 

I have my mouse-house work done for today thanks to my assistant who gave up on the cat-dancer to give me a helping paw. Or, just keep me company which is fine, too.

Not like someone else I know...

|"Move along, lady with mop......nothing to see here."

"And now I deserve a treat, right?"

Freeze-dried chicken treats for you, Annie.

=^..^=

Christmas decorating shall continue.

hugs, Deb

Planting spring bulbs and tea-time.

It was a beautiful, sunny day today.  Audrey took full advantage of it.

The feeders were frantic with hungry birds; especially the chickadees. 

Sweetest little things.
It's time to help fatten them up for what's coming.

My spring bulbs were planted; mostly along the front fence and where we laid our Kane to rest last year.  We also painted a stone from the property and placed it there.

I am content now with his resting place. He is near us and deserves to have many beautiful flowers surround him come spring. He will soon be gone a year and I miss him everyday. He was our good dog; our Kanie.
And time goes on. Are you getting excited about Christmas?
I am. I can't wait to see all the grands opening gifts and stockings and playing together. I like to spoil my own kid, too. And let's not even talk about the food. :)))

I opened a box of shortbread today and brought out a pretty tea-cup from the cupboard. It is one of my favorite as it was sent to me awhile back by a follower because it reminded her of the mouse-house. :) How sweet is that.

Tea tastes so good in it.

Isn't it pretty.

I don't think I could ever get through a day without tea. Not since I was 8 years old. haha!

My grandmother got me started as we (me and my cousins) sat around her old wood stove as children. Then I had tea every night with my mom after our dinners at home.

Just one cup with lots of milk.

Nice memories.

The homes in our area are already lighting up with a few Christmas lights.

It looks so pretty.

It may be early but that's ok with me.

hugs, Deb

Lambs on parade.

The sun is just coming up and it is -3C this morning.

This tree houses many of our resident grey and black squirrels.

The start of the Christmas season is the time for me to bring out my little lambs and dig through boxes for Christmas lights. I will soon string a few lights in the trees and around the perimeter of the mouse-house.  I now have a front gate that will be lit up this year, too. Not just for the beauty of it all but to help us find our driveway easier on those cold, blustery nights. 

The lambs have arrived.

The start of the Christmas season has begun here.

Thank you for all your comments and advice on my neighbours' unaltered cats. I can see that, not only will it be difficult to get through to her about the importance of spaying and neutering her cats, but I already feel that she has cats there for one reason and one reason only. They work to keep the mice under control and that is it. They are working cats and not pets at all to her; she can only touch them when they eat. But, she also doesn't allow anyone to try to befriend them as she wants them leery of humans and wild-life.
She has shelter for them in her barns and hopes they will go in before dark but she leaves it totally up to them. If she loses one in the night she feels bad but takes it with a grain of salt. There's no fretting; it is what it is. She feels the same way about her chickens.

On our last visit, she mentioned that she found homes for all the kittens that were born there last year. Most of the neighbours took one or two. She was very proud of that. :(
My statistics on homeless cats in our local shelters fell on deaf ears.

For now, I will pray for their safety and their ability to know when and how to remove themselves from harms' way. And, I hope that some of my words will linger and perhaps change her way of thinking about their existence and numbers. I think if she would form a stronger bond with a few she might think more about their health and safety.
I hope so. And, I won't give up.

hugs, Deb

'The old ways' with barn cats.

I walked by my neighbour's farm to get to the post box yesterday. I looked up the drive-way and there she was waving and calling me over. We had a chat about chickens and cats and her front yard wild flowers. I mentioned I had ten pumpkins to give her for her chickens. "Ooooooh, they'll love that.", she said. Six of her cats waited by the back steps for the lunch she was about to offer them. "I don't give them dry food, she said. Nothin' in it. I give them real food." She said she had just boiled some eggs for them and the dog and  mixed that with last night's chicken skin and gravy along with bread and a bit of milk. Boy, that brought back memories of my grandmother. The cats were ready and anxious for that meal.

Lucy's cats are cared for like most barn cats I come across. They are fed well, are expected to keep the mice down but are not fixed. :( That's why there are twelve running around and they all resemble each other in some way. Most are grey, some with stripes and some with full steel-coloured coats like Audrey. 

I boldly asked her if she had ever considered fixing her barn cats and her reply was upsetting but not anything I hadn't heard before. "Too many things can happen to them in the country. And the road is so close." No, no...much too expensive and for what?" She quickly jumped to another subject and left my concern for the cats to be my problem. 

She sent me home with a bag full of beautiful tomatoes, ready for eating, from her vegetable garden. She had a great crop just like we did. "Now, be sure you eat them and come back for tea next time", she said, waving as she headed to one of her barns.

I came home troubled as you can well expect. I know it's not my business and how the heck do you change the mind of an eighty year old woman, anyway. Still, I feel I should continue to talk about it; fit it into the conversation somehow. Maybe it will get her thinking and that is the first step, isn't it?

                                         "You are nosy."

"And where's my treats today?"

We are out of your freeze-dried chicken treats, love. You'll have a few less calories today.

                                           "I hate my life...

                                                      =^..^=

hugs, Deb