Doing good with old rubbish.

It was on her third try that Audrey successfully drew me out of bed this morning. First, she's calm and pats me gently on the face. I always acknowledge her with a cuddle then place her on the floor. Round two is never as nice. She bats me on the head and walks across my chest. I do believe by this time she is wearing army boots. "Five more minutes, monkey." She leaps from the bed to the dresser so she can turn herself around and take a good run for it to land once again on my head. This time she waffs me across the nose. I give up and the day has dawned. Breakfast is served.

                                          "I was hungry."

It was time to load up all our scrap metal and find a place to drop it off. It just so happened that while we were in North Gower yesterday, we drove by a building that had a sign...VILLAGE KITTEN RESCUE and it listed all the items you could drop off there. Metal and steel was on the list. The money from these items would help to feed homeless cats and kittens in the Ottawa and surrounding areas. So............that's where we took it.

A few of these items were found in amongst the old trees.

The owners were friendly and very happy to have the load delivered. It was a win-win situation. One more pile gone from our lot and a few kittens will enjoy a good meal. I'll be passing their name on to others and keep them in mind for the future. Oh yes, I didn't leave without meeting one little black and white guy, 8 weeks old named Max. Adorable. Since they were not supposed to be home when we arrived I didn't bring my camera. Next time.

VILLAGE KITTEN RESCUE
2345 Perkins Dr.
P.O.Box 430
North Gower, Ont.
K0A 2T0

hugs, Deb

A productive long-weekend.

Dianthus

&

Lilies

Pansies

Lilacs

The weekend was so beautiful. Three days of gorgeous, warm sunny weather. Other than celebrating my grandittle Riley's birthday, I spent much of the holiday weekend at home just puttering about. I planted a few flowers at the well and we had another big burn of old brush and branches. I also started to clean up my little cat grave-yard and added some pretty purple asylum. I raked around it again and picked up all the broken branches. It looks much better now but is no-where finished. The grass was cut at the mouse-house and a few fence-posts were repaired. I discovered we have white lilacs. :)
I moved one of my bird-houses to where I can see it from the window. So far, I think we have some nesting blue-jays but I can't see the nest yet. They are staying close to one tree and feeding at the bottom of it. Good sign. They are very vocal these days.

I crack up at this tree stump. When I approach it I am entering into the land of fairy tales.

Annie wants you to know she spent most of the weekend on the dog's bed.

He was outside with us and she knew it. :)

hugs, Deb

Signs of Spring & turning 5

The blue-jays were enjoying some sun-flower seeds this morning.

The mourning doves, nut-hatch, wren and sparrows are back at the feeders. And, of course,the entertaining black crows.

There's no sign of the chickadees or the cardinals lately, but as many of you mentioned, they are probably

somewhere sitting on nests. I look forward to seeing the young ones soon.

We have found a fella that would love all the steel and metal that has piled up at the back of the property. Most of it is from the old coop.

Once it is removed we can prepare the ground for some perennials.

I discovered some rhubarb along our fence.

And the peonies are almost open.

It's exciting waiting to see what will bloom next.

It's been a busy weekend and today we celebrated my grandittle, Riley's, 5th birthday.

With a personalized garden box, thanks to the retired-guy, I started a fairy garden for the birthday girl.

The box was filled with sand and a few tiny plants.

And, of course, some fairies.

The box filled with sand, some jewels for making pathways and a few rocks from the property completed my contribution.

It's something Nana started and Rileycan add to it as she pleases.

Turning 5

She loved her own personalized fairy garden.  She immediately added a blossom from her backyard tree. Then she pulled the pedals off a dandelion and sprinkled them over the fairies. "Look...it's fairy-dust." she said. Since I forgot to get a photo of her with it, I'll have to drop over to see how it is coming along with the help of her delightful imagination. 

It's a long weekend in Canada.

The weather has been fabulous; warm and sunny.

Better enjoy every minute of it.

Have a good one.

Hugs, Deb

Time for tea.

I've always loved my blue & white china next to lilacs.

Today we had some very special cookies bought at our little corner store.

They are called Mawner Wien Tortchen

(Finest chocolate caramel cream-filled wafers.)

 These wafers are made in Austria.

They are amazingly delicious.

My tea-cup and saucer are called Silverdale and made in Hanley, England.

I keep it in my step-back cupboard along with all my other blue & white.

The background is a place-mat from a set of 4 given to me for Mother's Day by my daughter, Allie.

I love them.

I think it's time to put the tea things away before somebody turns around.

She'll think it's been set just for her.

Doesn't everything belong to the cat? 

I'm joining Rose Chintz Cottage at http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.ca/for Tea-time Tuesday.

and Friends sharing tea with Bernideen at http://blog.bernideens.com/

hugs, Deb

The old stone wall

This morning, while on my daily walk, I was surprised by the scream of a bird as I happened by it's nest. It was a Kildeer and she sat protectively on her eggs right in the gravel only inches from my foot. I damn near had a heart-attack until I realized what the screech was from. I've always known they nest like this but still can't figure out how any of them survive what with the wild-life and the elements. It's a mystery.

(source)

Come along and I'll show you some of our stone wall on the property.

 But first, here's the latest visitor to our lot. This dog lives next door and decided to come-a-callin'. Not sure of it's name, yet, but I'm sure we'll be seeing more of this gorgeous canine.

There are many things I love about this little piece of my ancestor's land and right at the top of this list is the stone wall.

It goes right across the back of our lot, up the left side and corners the front.

I can picture my great-grandparents piling these rocks as they cleared the land for the house and barn.

That would have been around 150 years ago.

My great grand-parents, my grand-parents and my mom have called this land 'home'.

There is lots of work to do including planting a garden at the cat gravesite.

In some spots the rocks have fallen and are covered in debri and years of dried leaves.

Some time, when all the clean-up is done, I want to tidy up the old stone wall. and put the rocks back where they belong.

For some, that wouldn't sound like much fun but I look forward to it. There are many child-hood memories of spending hours playing on these old rocks that I hope will come flooding back to me.

Sadly, we say "Farewell" to the great B.B. King.

The mouse-house will be rockin' with your music today.

Rest in Peace.

hugs, Deb

Cleaning up & missing the 'cuties'

Seedlings are taking off in different stages around the mouse-house.

It's time to plant the tomatoes and soon the sun-flowers will be ready.

The burn ban was finally lifted in the Ottawa area so we had a huge fire at the back of the property yesterday.

Two big piles of old wood and brush were burned. Any wood that still looked good and could be used for future fence posts was saved.

Two more left to burn and one growing pile of metal to dispose of.

Soon, it should not look like Hillbilly Heaven out here. *grin*

Country dog doing his bit.

While the fire burns he rips sticks apart.

Where have my Chickadees gone?

I'm used to seeing 30 or so flitting from tree to tree.

Yesterday there were none. :(

I fear the Cooper Hawk was hanging around while we were away. I haven't seen it since returning. Also, I'm not sure if friendly Dave may have been over to the feeders last week.

Could that be enough to send them away?

I'm hoping they return as the feeders have provided food for them since last Fall.

I miss them.

This is a Mother's Day card from my youngest.

Suitable for framing. :)

I hope you are enjoying some beautiful Spring weather. It is sunny again today so I think I'll take a walk around and try to capture our stone fence to show you.

Have a great day.

hugs, Deb

E is for Easy livin'.

BEST EVER comfy cushion.

I was just about to teach Audrey the E letter but she very rudely closed her peepers and fell asleep again so today's word is EASY; EASY LIVIN'.

All you cat-owners (is there really such a thing?) are probably much like me.  I'm always concerned about the health and comfort of my little felines and will gladly give up a spot on the couch or wait 'til the little darling wakes up from yet another sleep on my bed before making it for the day. And I can never pass up the latest BEST EVER comfy cushion for my three princesses when visiting the local pet store for the 2nd (or is it 3rd?) time this week.

Oh yes, he's never forgotten either. He's just now working in the MOD DAWG. EASY life, I tell ya.

And when it's time to watch TV there's nothing better than an Easy Chair, right Annie?

                                              "It's an ESS but call it what you will."

It just occurred to me that I don't have an EASY chair. Why doesn't that surprise me?

hugs, Deb