Cold and Wet....grumble, grumble!

I thought this morning that I would take the camera, leave the property and start getting out and about more.  Went to two of the local beaches and it was so thick with fog that you couldn't even see the water.  So, that notion was killed.  

It's been overcast, rainy, cold and just plain miserable lately.  We did have a few lovely summer like days a while back but now there is a low pressure system covering the whole island and because there is no wind, there's little chance of it moving off for some time.  I had been working in the garden but it's just too cold to go outside at the moment.  

I did chance a short while outside yesterday afternoon and put the two gate back on the front porch and also planted some onion sets in the ground.  When I watered them in I thought my hands would freeze.  Is this a portent of what the summer holds.  Last year we had such a miserable season that all the annuals were stunted (no sun, or not much) and most peoples vegetables came to nothing worth talking about.

There is lots of bird activity on the go these days.  This lovely Robin was here the other day.  I don't get many robins and I think it's because I have so many trees around that they don't feel safe on the ground.  

 I'm still seeing a few Juncos but not as many as I see through out the winter.  This one decided to sit a top the head of the statue.  He was there for some time.  In contemplation no doubt.

 A white throated sparrow put in an appearance after supper last night.

I was shocked to see these mini daffodils growing in the garden.  There are four or five bunches of them.  I don't remember planting them at all.   Also, as cute as they are if I were going to buy daffodils, I would have gotten the regular sized ones.  I have to say though that I was thrilled.  They are so bright and perky.  They made my day.

I can't end this post without another picture of one of the little darlings that come to my garden.

With any luck, it might warm up a wee bit today and overcast or not, I may get outside to get more things done.

If at First you Don't Succeed.......

I'm giving it another go.  This trying to figure out the changes in blogger is doing me.  So...............this is a cutie in the garden.  There seems to be quite a few of them these days.  I expect to see the young ones once again this year.  They are so cute but absolutely heedless.  They seem to have no fear which could be their undoing.  This one appears to be an adult and likely living in the shed up behind the house.  I see signs of squirrels there all the time. 

Yesterday I saw the first butterfly of the season.  Yelled to himself to run in and get my camera but it had disappeared before I could take a picture.  Later as I was doing a bit of weeding I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and there it was again.  Luckily I had kept the camera outside so quickly got it and luckily the butterfly landed long enough for me to get a shot. 

Well, this post seems to be working out okay.  Maybe I've conquered it!  Looks like the sun is coming through so I'm off to do some gardening.

Once again I've accidentally turned his white underwear pink...oh dear, oh dear!   What ever will he say.   Well, the weather has been wonderful!  Some days have been almost like summer.  There's a strong wind blowing today so the laundry is all out on the line and drying very fast. 

Last week I spent the better part of a morning building a Bug Hotel.  I'm very pleased with it but I still have places to fill in.

Tuesday after supper there was a grouse in the garden.  They blend in so well with their surroundings.  Such lovely birds.


I give up.  I am so fed up with Blogger.  I can't seem to get below this picture to continue to write.
Sorry folks!  And, I can't move the picture to the centre of the page, only left or right.  It's enough to make a person give it all up.

Woe is Me.

2012 has not been a good year so far.....January, himself had a heart attack, then he found out he has diabetes. February, the new part of the house that I had done last year (three rooms), built up ice in the attic. Once the heat got up there, it melted, coming down ceiling, walls and across the floor. The wooden floor in the "sitting" room had to come up and everything had to dry out. So, that done, last week the ceiling was redone, plastered and all that stuff. A couple of days ago the guy came to paint it and I said that he wouldn't be painting anything that day because we had heavy rain the night before and the ceiling was leaking again. He had to cut a hole in the ceiling so the water could drain, now nothing can be done until they find out what's going on. And, it all has to dry out once again. I was close to tears. I have company coming this weekend and a week after that more company coming for a few days.

One good thing, the weather has warmed up and a lot of the snow disappeared yesterday. I put new plastic on the green house doors which I had been anxious to do. Today I'll haul all of the garden ornaments and pots out so I can prepare the soil in the greenhouse for planting. A friend, who is an avid gardener, dropped by early yesterday morning. He said he was so anxious to get out at the garden that he was tempted to go and measure how much snow was left so he could get an idea on when he could dig in the ground. I told him that I knew just how he felt.

The fox sparrows are around now so this is always a sign of spring for me. The birds all seem to be very active. I noticed the other day that the pussy willows are coming out.


Cats:
Malachi.


Stanley.

We had a bad wind and rain storm overnight a while back. We lost the electrical power over night so getting up at my usual hour, before daylight, I had to light a few candles. I thought this one looked rather pretty.

I also liked the look of this in the semi darkness.


And last but not least, some neat finds at a second hand shop.

Cat in Love

Our little female (fixed) cat Freya is smitten with a handsome (unfixed) male cat that comes around. When she knows he's outside she wants to go out and they sit together on the deck. It's so funny. So, this morning he got up on the window ledge outside and she saw him there. The picture says it all....

Mostly Birds

Not much happening these days. Wishing that spring would hurry up. Still snow around and we're in for another load on Tuesday and more on Wednesday. We were in Gander on Friday and I picked up this lovely plate at the second hand store. It's the size of a dinner plate and I would have loved to find a set of them. Unfortunately there was only one but it will come in as a serving plate.


Lying down reading, I came face to face with Frankie lying on my chest.


The cats enjoy an afternoon of napping as well.


Many birds around these days.

One snowy day recently.




Some feathered friends.

March

I foolishly thought that spring was here until we got two snow storms in a row. It had been lovely with mild temperatures and bits of the ground showing up. Then we got this....


I know some of you winter people would be cheering and I agree that it looks pretty....for a while but I don't like it. The sun seems to be giving off considerable warmth now so I'm sure the snow won't hang around for too long. Mind you, there will be more of the white stuff yet to come but I don't expect it to last for very long. I guess I'm just over anxious to get out at the garden once again.

So here we are, a week later, and that scene doesn't exist anymore. The snow is slowly shrinking and it's started to look springlike again.

I've been trying to do some spring cleaning but it's been a slow process because I get waylaid by ie: getting some painting and painting the bedroom ceiling. On the weekend, I made red currant jam and an Irish Soda bread that himself has just about finished off.


Lots of birds taking advantage of the feeders these days.



Mouth stuffed with sunflower seeds.




Frankie wishing the snow would disappear.

Early morning sky.