Let's walk about with Simon...

The sun shone bright this morning

and although the temperature went very low last night it was nice and warm in the funny little greenhouse.
It's time now to transfer the sunflowers into the pots that I can plant along the front fence. I want lots of sunflowers this year but expect that I may lose a few to our resident squirrels.

Here's Red

enjoying some seeds right outside the door.

After breakfast Simon followed me everywhere. 
I find myself talking to him like he's a little human.
geesh!

                                          "Howdy"

He enjoyed a second breakfast at the perennials while his little friend chowed down at the feeder.

There does not seem to be any activity in my newest bird houses yet. They both are attached to 8 ft. poles.
I placed them right near the little forest at the back where birds love to hang out
I hope a little bird, any bird, finds one charming enough to move in and start a family.
I'm not fussy.
I'll take anything.
Goodness, aren't they cute enough?

Here you see where we will have a small garden this summer. Small in comparison to some I've seen but big enough to keep a few families in veggies this summer. The robins spend much of the morning here digging for worms.

Lots of watering needed  in the greenhouse with the help of my very handy rain barrel.

Oh, it looks like I have other help, too.
Do you see him in between the two dark pots? That's Simon being as nosey as all get out.
Yes, he walked right in and had a look-see today. Little weirdo!

Hope your day is a sunny one.

hugs, Deb

Golf and entertaining kitty.

                                                      I finally learned to golf this week.
                                                       And I was taught by the best. :)

 

But I lost to the future Brooke Henderson.

Which didn't surprise me one bit.

 ;-)

It's been a busy week at the mouse-house and we've had enough rain to make everything healthy and green.

On rainy days, our indoor cats can get bored with no sun-puddles to nap in.

Let's make the day more fun for them.

Cat-tip-for-the-Day=^..^= Making the indoors fun

We all want our cats to be safe and healthy so the majority of cat-owners keep their cats inside. These are referred to as 'indoor cats'. That is a wise thing to do these days with heavy traffic and many dangers for cats outside the home. If you have chosen to keep your cat inside it is important to make their indoor life worth-while. Cats get bored. I've heard people say that cats don't need too much attention because they sleep most of the time. I don't agree with that observation. Cats sleep too much because there is absolutely nothing else for them to do. We, as owners, should provide a happy and fun environment for our felines.
We are all trying to save money these days. Cat trees are a big hit for cats but you need not purchase such an expensive play-toy. Add a large shelf to the wall near a window and place a comfy basket or box on top. The cat should have room to walk on the shelf and then enter the basket. If you are handy, build a window seat that can screw into the window-sill and finish it with a soft cover. Cat's will spend hours looking out windows into the trees watching the goings on of squirrels and birds. They love that.  If you don't have a window-seat the back of a comfy chair placed close to the window will do.
If you have a fire-place and burn wood, take a block of wood and cut it down the center. Lie it face down on the floor (flat side down) and your cat will use this as a scratching post. It has to stay flat and not wobble around. If they are not attracted to it right away, rub some cat-nip on it. Praise your cat when she scratches her nails on it.
Place empty boxes around for the cat to discover. There is no end to the fun this will provide.
Get down on the floor and play with your cat. Even if you just pull a string or a feather on a rope you will attract kitties attention. They love for you to interact with them. No less than a dog does.

That's just a few ideas to keep kitty content on the cheap.

My perennial garden is coming to life and I love to see what has popped up over-night Not too much colour as yet but very soon it will be beautiful.
And it's time to plant the sunflowers that have been growing in the greenhouse along the front fence.

At the moment I am on the search for the letter "I".

"AUDREY!"  =^..^=

Welcoming friends and flowers to the mouse-house.

It's been fun to walk around the property to see what is springing to life now.

Forget me not.

So, so pretty.

and after the rain... purple Iris

The lilacs are about to bloom

and all our trees have leaves now.

The perennials are up and ready to show their colours.

I have added a new bird-house (a beautiful Mother's Day gift from my daughter) in hopes of welcoming a little family here.

But, so far, our bird-house checker-upper has no tenants to report.

But she sure does love her job. :)

(Gwynn)

The rain held off for two of my favorite ladies to visit the mouse-house.

Donna & Deborah, both well-known artists in the area, drove out to have a walk-about and catch up over a hot cup of tea and cake.

Donna, on the far right, was one of my first cat-sitting clients where I used to live and has become a good friend over the years.

Do you remember photos of Otis, Rosie & Lola?

Sadly, we lost Rosie & Otis over the years and now Miss Lola is the queen of her home.

My visitors toured the funny little greenhouse

 

and Simon followed us everywhere.

He was such a little weirdo today; popping up from behind rocks to entertain his fans.

While we sat at the old pump he had a snack and listened to us chat.

He was showing off his 'pack 'em in' skills.

Where does he put it all?

Then he ran in and out of his house to show the ladies where he spends his leisure time.

 

Hope you are enjoying spring weather where you are; whether rain or shine.

Every day brings more surprises.

hugs, Deb

A definite likeness.

A friend sent me this picture today taken at the Mississauga Flea Market in the 1970's. That's right; one million years ago.

I guess I didn't want my picture taken.
Which reminded me of someone I hold near and dear to my heart.

"Oh, God help me, there are similarities."
 :-b

hugs, Deb

Enjoying our warmest day today.

We are heading into the warmest day so far this year. It is expected to reach +26C today and sunny. No wind; no mosquitoes. :)
The buds have appeared on all the trees, including our lilacs, and much of what spring will give us has popped through the ground. It's such a wonderful time of year.

This will be a quiet day spent at the mouse-house so I plan to putter about outside today.
I filled up the rain barrel which will provide water for my seedlings for a week or so.
This has been such a worth-while addition to the funny little greenhouse. It has saved me many steps and wrestling with the garden hose.

Teeny babies popping through.

I wanted to show you the little bird feeder that I bid on in an on-line auction to help homeless cats in the Ottawa/Lanark area. (Where we used to live)

I hung it up close to the mouse-house today.

Dickie's Cause for Paws is a wonderful cat rescue.

I think the new feeder looks pretty sweet for my resident birds and I'm sure the squirrels will love it, too. lol

Now it's time to clean up the bird-baths.

There's always lots to do on a beautiful spring day.

And while I'm busy tidying up the property someone is keeping her fox friend and feather wand busy in the mouse-house.

*Attack*

"Hey, where did he go?"

=^..^=

hugs, Deb

Always room for one more.

I'm making room for my Lemon Symphony

in the funny little greenhouse.

It's still too cold here at night to have plants outside so this will be happy to be tucked in with my veggie seedlings 'til it's planting time in our area.

That would be the last weekend of May

and not a minute sooner.

Herbs are just popping through.

They are slow but well worth the wait.

Things are coming along although some much quicker than others.

Thinning seedlings.

The largest tomato seedlings were left in the original pots while the weaker ones (smaller) went to a new pot. I just couldn't snip them off at the soil and throw them in the compost so I potted them up as extras.

I'm a bit too nurturing for that.

Sunflowers will be planted in two weeks along our fence.

It's soon time to divide them up.

Osteospermum

or

Lemon Symphony

from the Daisy family. :)

It's good that I have a dirt floor as it can get awfully messy in here.

The little red radio is solar-powered and plays classical music for my

seedlings. I think they love it. :) 

Time

to close up the greenhouse for the night

&

tuck in the ladies.

"Audrey...no dirty looks, please."

=^..^= =^..^=

hugs,

Deb