Tag: backyard

Fluffball Visitor

August 19, 2017
Rainwater

We had a visitor on Saturday. Dylan’s aunts puppy was staying with his family. They were all out for most of the day, so Angela brought her over to  our place. There were a lot of birds around. I think this was a cardinal fledgling.

Sophie trying to chew (and succeeding) on Gillian’s leg.

We are not sure what the cross is for Sophie. It was very fluffy, I kept wanting to take the clippers to her. Chloe wasn’t that impressed with her.

It seems the suet can sit around all week and then in one day they demolish whats left.

The local woodpecker taking his turn.

Testing Giant Jenga

July 15, 2017
Rainwater

We finished making our giant Jenga. Claudia and I tested it out tonight, in the end I lost but didn’t lose any toes.

A video of Claudia successfully making her move.

Susan said she could hear the crash from inside.

Racoons, Possums, and Skunks

July 14, 2017
Rainwater

We had them all in our backyard this past week. The racoons and possum use the fences as their highway. Angela saw four raccoons and a possum on the fence together. One morning when I was heading to work, I saw the raccoon posse over on the next street.

On Monday night, Chloe got hit by a skunk in the backyard, it wasn’t a direct ht, so that was good. We are getting better at it, we had everyone concocting the mixture, and we contained Chloe to the back deck. I changed my clothes, put gloves on and scrubbed her down outside. The girls rounded up the air freshers for inside the house and none of us smelled like skunk the next day.

On Thursday morning, I let Chloe out and there was the possum on the back fence, once it cleared our yard it just froze on the fence and didn’t move. This was the best I could get for a picture.

 

Backyard Activity

July 2, 2017
Rainwater

A fledgling in the tree.

Gillian brought home some potted roses that she got at work in celebration of Canada 150.

The fledgling getting fed.

Our local Cardinal.

Claudia’s avocado plant that she is growing from a seed.

Happy Canada 150!

July 1, 2017
Rainwater

Happy Canada Day! Due to all of the recent rain, the Japanese Canadian Community Picnic was cancelled earlier in the week. The Caledon Place grounds were unsuitable for the picnic as most parts were under water. We came up with a backup plan and decided to hold the picnic at our place. Here is Angela hanging up the Canada Flag to start the day.

Lunch time, everyone brought what they had planned to bring to the picnic.

The forecast was cloudy with sunny periods and a risk of thunderstorms. Mark brought his tarp, and while we enjoyed the sunny periods while we ate lunch, soon after the rain came. Of course rather than put the tarp on earlier, we waited for the rain to start. It then became a group effort as we scrambled to set it up. It turned out rather well…

…until we discovered that the last time Mark used it was to hold 15 yards of garden soil, needless to say it did give us the smell of being in Caledon or on the farm.

With the limited space, we couldn’t do the races or shoe kick, but we did play some Bingo.

The first winner of the day was Jeff.

Gillian was the Bingo caller and she did a great job.

Mark was the official Bingo checker once a winning card was called. Auntie Margie won the second game.

The prize table, thanks to Auntie Margie who came with a bag full of prizes.

The tarp did a great job of keeping us dry.

The Bingo checker handing his beer off so he could verify Susan’s card.

Susan with her prize.

Claudia had a winning card.

Carolyn had a good Bingo.

Darin also had a good Bingo.

Jeff and Belinda were able to join us this year, they had to depart after Bingo. We were happy they could make it this year.

The final game had the grand prize of a giant Toblerone and then Dad kicked in a $5 bill to go with it.

It was Lori who filled her card first. It was the second win of the day for her.

Mark giving it the thumb up.

After dinner we did a group photo.

It was a good day all around, it wouldn’t be the same without some rain, at least this year we didn’t have to contend with the wind.

On the court behind us, there was a fireworks show.

Happy Father’s Day!

June 18, 2017
Rainwater
1 Comment

Enjoyed a relaxing day today. Susan and the girls made me a Father’s Day cake.

It had me and Chloe taking pictures of the birds in the backyard.

I was able to get out early in the backyard before the rain came this morning and the humidity later in the day. The pair of cardinals were out and about early this morning.

This one looks like an Angry Bird.

His mate.

Chloe has been working hard to keep the squirrels out of the yard.

A house finch fledgling being fed.

Backyard Visitors

June 11, 2017
Rainwater

It was a hot weekend, Claudia was at her year-end camp with Rangers at Rockwood Conservation Area. When Susan and I dropped her off Friday evening, the campsites were packed.  Claudia is finished Rangers for the year, she is going back for her final year in the fall. We figured we have been driving the girls to Guiding events for the past 18 years. I had the camera out this morning before it got too hot. A couple of butterflies were hanging around the yard.

A female House Finch in the trees.

The bees were hanging out on the lilac bush.

Backyard Bird Traffic

May 22, 2017
Rainwater

The backyard was busy with birds this weekend.

My third suet feeder, the first two were stolen by the raccoons last year, unless they have tools and posable thumbs, they aren’t getting this one.

Cardinals and finches.

A woodpecker dropped by.

The cardinal’s mate.

And off he goes.

A new bird

May 15, 2017
Rainwater

There was a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) on the feeder this afternoon when I got home from work. He hung around long enough for me to get my camera out.

At dinner time there was a Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) at the feeder. It’s the first time I have seen one in the backyard.

Rain, rain and more rain

May 1, 2017
Rainwater

It has been a couple of wet days. Seemed like it rained all day today. I took Angela out to Hamilton today to pick up the keys to her house they are renting for second year. When we got home the birds were all over the feeder. One of the female cardinals.

You can see the rain drops if you look closely.

A goldfinch with a sunflower seed.