A Bit Of This & That

 Well I am in disbelief that we are at the end of August already , where the heck did summer go ?! We are still in need of rain here and because of the lack of rain some of  our plants and flowers in the gardens have already finished or are on their way out .

                   
                                                 Whilst others are hanging on .

 Last night was the first quarter moon and it was soo pretty in the sky . I was able to get a shot or two before some  clouds came rolling in .

All our Oriels have left now and pretty much most of our summer birds to, all  the Swallows , Eastern King birds , Chipping Sparrows , Warblers  but our hummers will remain here till the end of September and maybe in to October if it doesn't get to cold by then , they can survive in temps as low as freezing but for now they play and indulge at the feeders and delight me every day with their acrobats .

 I have been able to capture them and stop the speed of their wings in some photos in the past I took  but that is just by luck  , GEESH !  these little birds are fast !

 Miggs has been laying about more other then our walks every day , she has been kept from chasing critters as she is recovering from Bone Spurs in her left front outer toe what we would call her baby toe . Bone spurs, or osteophytes, form when extra bone forms on top of normal bone to repair an injury or with age. In dogs they occur most often in the joints of the legs, including the feet. Bone spurs can symptomatic of generalized osteoarthritis  and older dogs are likely to develop bone spurs because the cartilage that lines their joints is thinning with age and if your dog is  athletic like Miggs was always running , jumping and  playing hard  .   . So she is on meds for pain and antibiotics  so she is well like you see here a bit couch or patio swing bound  for the most part , we take her for walks regularly  and walk about the yard to keep her muscles healthy as the rest of her to but the running and hard playing is over , we are hoping the meds work for if they don't  worst case scenario she will have to have her toe amputated and that is the last thing we and our vet want for her  .

So more walks , less treats as she cant be as active to keep our best friend and fur baby healthy  and not to put any more weight on  as that will to be stressful for her joints , she is happy and that she is still, a very happy girl  despite her  change in her routine with lots more cuddles and kisses and rubdowns for her aching limbs . She is doing very well in not chasing ,  all we have to say to her is no leave it , never mind  , so far so good for a week now on that just hoping the meds do their job and help her as well .

     This weekend is our Labor day long weekend  and Papa took Friday off of work  to make it an extra long weekend for us and then come Tuesday  the school bus's  will be passing the house again as school starts for the kids here .

                      So on that note have a good weekend to you all . Until next time .


                                                     
                   Country Gal


                                  

Change Of Season Is Tapping On Our Door Already

Things are beginning to quiet down around here now that all the birds have had their babies for the season  and some are starting to leave on their long migration journey through our valley and over lake Erie  . Most of our Oriels have left , just the odd straggler here and there  and the Swallows have all taken off to , the hummers wont be leaving till later roughly  about mid to end of September which is just around the corner , my gosh where do the months go and how fast . The Starlings and other black birds are flocking in droves now to as the Turkey Vultures take the sky's in a kettle soaring over the valley searching for their last meals before they take off  . The term kettle refers to Vultures  in flight  and the Canadian  Geese are taking flight more and more now testing their young to be good navigators or followers lol ! 

The orange and yellow colours of fall are already in bloom and some of the leaves on the trees are starting to change  , Goldenrod is gleaming in the fields and ditches and my Marigolds are vibrant and full , Mums are now being sold every where  . Critters are gathering and storing for the coming seasons and the mornings , evenings and nights have been cooling off already.

 This is Alvin and he has been busy stuffing his cheeks and running back and forth to his hidy hole storing it all . 

 I still see the odd Dragonfly about but as the temps are getting cooler they seem to be disappearing . The crickets have been chirping like mad all night . Love listening to them in the late evenings and through the night .

 For the past week we have been serenaded but our first Carolina Wren singing her head off and we have been having great conversations . 

She was foraging for bugs and now has moved farther south of us on the migration path which goes over our lake Erie as I hear her in the distance now . I do so love having new birds drop by . 

 So as the air begins to change already so does the nature as summer birds leave , some bugs begin to disappear and the summer colours begin to fade and  the cooler weather bugs birds and colours take over  , the smell of  campfires and wood stoves are already filling the air in the chillness of the nights and mornings .

    Even though summer is still technically here mother natures Fall is beginning to tap on our door  already  .

                                                          Until next time . 
                                            
                                                          
                                     Country Gal

Miggs

Happy 8th Birthday to our fur baby , best friend , walking buddy , camera buddy and all round best and good dog ever  Misty aka Miggs .

                 We love ya monkey butt !! xoxox 💗

                         Country Gal & Papa 

A Happy

   Anniversary to my loving husband  and best friend  Ken  (AKA)  Papa .  Here's to many more wonderful years and Anniversaries together .
       
                Love you to the moon and back and more then every grain of sand on every beach .

                                                              Our wedding photo !


                                                             Country Gal & Papa .

A Bit Of This & That

Hello

How are you   , I hope you  are enjoying your summer as much as we are . The weather has been wonderful this month for us , still could use some more rain but all in all not bad .

Papa was enjoying one of his telescopes this afternoon looking at the sun with a special  solar filter  lens  at the end of this telescope  , he can see the sun  and the sun spots on the sun and is getting the equipment ready in  hopes to be able to catch the eclipse we will be having tomorrow afternoon  before its over  . Papa and I often view the sky's this time of year especially at night as the constellations and asterism this time of year in our northern hemisphere are amazing   .  My favorite asterism is the Teapot . The Teapot asterism in the  Sagittarius constellation  is easy to spot in a dark sky once you know where it is can be tricky though .  Please don't look up at the sky at all during an eclipse and keep your pets in for the time the eclipse happens as well .

 Wild Morning Glories are out in full force in the ditches and fields . The Golden rod is just beginning to change to  its lovely golden yellow now . I haven't seen our Oriels for a few days and their feeders have been quite , I'm guessing they have taken off for the season already or they have just found somewhere else to feast for now . Our Chickadees have returned already they disappear form here for the beginning of the summers . I cant believe how fast this moth is flying by either  WOW ! 

Well there she is , our Miggs , this is her after our walks every morning a pooped pooch who will be having a Birthday on Wed , she will be 8 years old and is now a senior dog .  Poor old girl 💗
Also Papa and my Anniversary on Tuesday so a few busy days are ahead lol !

                          Well that's it for me for now hope you all have a good week .

                                                      Until next time .
                               Country Gal
                                                       

I'm Still Here

Hello ... Hope you all are enjoying your summer . I am for sure all though I would like more rain as it has been very dry here , seems all the rain clouds just horse shoe around our valley this year  but the temps haven't been to bad the odd day it has been hot and humid but sunny and by the evenings the winds pick up and are cool so that's ok and the odd morning has been chilly  , down to 11C or 52F , despite the lack of rain things have been growing well in the gardens and planters  and I have been watering them every other evening and early morning ..

                        Miggs has been rocking her mid summer doo .. all cool and collected .

 

 The feeders have been pretty quiet for a week as the birds transition into their final nesting for the season then in about a week or two all will be chaos  as they feast like mad before they take off for their migration .  Butterfly's have been flitting about from flower to flower .

Whilst grasshoppers jump and fly around like crazy and Cicadas to , buzzing like mad as are the Crickets chirping up a storm .

I have been busy with  this and that and well .. not much at the same time lol ! funny how that is ! Just enjoying the summer I suppose 😃.

So you see  I am still about and the odd time  I try to catch up on your blogs so I hope  all you out door bloggers are like me and  know when it is nice out you just want to be out there  soaking  it all up .. am I right ?! 

                                                    Until next time . 

                                                                       Country Gal
                                                               

                                         

It Was A Quiet Longweekend

Hey there !

It was our Canadian  Civic holiday long weekend that we just had and all was quiet on the home front for us here . Sat Papa helped his dad build a new shed and we visited for a while . Miggs and their new pup Jade had fun playing . The weather has been fall like over the weekend with a bit of rain here and there , This morning at 6 am is when Miggs and  I get up  was quite chilly only 9C or48F   and still  a bit chilly now  but fresh and low humidity  .

I wasn't able to get photos of the full moon last night as it was a bit to cloudy but this morning I did as the moon was in the south west  as it was setting early this morning .

            I think this is my best moon shot yet ! Not bad for only a 55-300 mm Telephoto Zoom lens my favorite lens I use all the time . ISO was 200 , Fstop 10 , exposure 1/320 of a second .

Yesterdays clouds were lovely as well all dark and mysterious as thunder rumbled about and rain fell on and off .

Gardens are still doing well some flowers and plants have finished whilst others have just bloomed , Birds are feasting like mad preparing for migration soon , crickets are out in full force as are the grass hoppers , the Canadian Geese are practicing their flight paths now flying low over the house so low I can hear the winds whistle through their feathers , and all are busy doing what they do this time of year lol !

Miggs and I have been enjoying our morning walks every day still and puttering about  so it was a quiet weekend and now it will probably be a quiet week , just how I like it .

                                                         Until next time .
                                    Country Gal

                                                    

A Bit Of This & That

Hello !

We finally got some rain today after weeks of nothing in our neck of the woods and the clouds are rumbling away as I type this to , I can hear my gardens and the grass singing the praises .

Well, we are all back to normal after the big Anniversary party for Papa's mom and dad .  It is a long weekend for us  this weekend as it is our Civic Holiday on Monday  , Papa took today Fri off  as well as  the Civic holiday so an extra long weekend for him   WOOHOO !.

Today Miggs went to the groomer got all cleaned up and shaved as it is now August  , I know eh ! goes by soo fast  and it is the hottest month for us to so she will be cooler  and we did some errands in town .

Over the past week I have been taking it slow and easy as it has been very humid and hot out and I like to putter about anyways .

This is not an uncommon sight for us here in our  country valley village to see as we have plenty of Old Order Mennonites and Amish communities about the area .

 Horse's and buggy ,  A team of  the Haflinger breed . I love this breed , so calm and gentle this breed is .  This was at the corner , steps away from our house on the other side of  field  .   The  gentleman who drove the team here was selling fresh bushels of blueberries from their farm door to door . They often come here and sell fresh produce and baked goods YUMMY !

I being a horse lover I just had to visit with them for a bit and have a nice chat , well ok they snoozed I talked lol !

I didn't stay about them to long as it was a hot  and muggy day and they needed the rest I expect . So I went back to the bottom of our driveway looked up the road  and  then the gentleman came back hopped in his wagon , backed up his team and off they went . I never tire of seeing or taking photos of this that's for sure .

The moon last night was lovely in the sky at about 7 pm .  It was Waxing gibbous Visible: 84% as it approaches August 7th  the Waxing gibbous will be more visible  till it then will be a full moon visible at 100% on Monday August 7th  , hope it isn't cloudy !

The past few mornings as I get my milk for my tea , our cat Harley has been  suddenly quite interested in whats in the fridge , don't know why  but it is cute  ..

           She really is an unusual one I must say . Most days she just keeps to her self and acts as if we don't exist , except at dinner time lol  , very antisocial she can be but then there are days like this , gota laugh that's for sure . Goofy old cat ,

We are still working on the picket fence garden here and there but it is coming along . we still need to put in more top soil  and Papa wants to put a little water fall and pond in it next year . We have lots of shale he wants to build  the water fall  out of  and hasn't decided what type of little pond yet . He got a flood light on a timer  for it  like we have about the rest of our gardens and he moved it from where it is in this pic to near the top of the center pole aiming down on the garden as the light shines down and out on the garden , it  looks nice at night to , so still a bit of  work in progress  for now .

I have been seeing more and more butterfly's now that the milk weeds are all out in full force and they are preparing to migrate already . This is my favorite butterfly , The Black Swallow tail .

Well that's about it for me for now , I had been catching up on reading blogs today as we finally got rain and gives me a chance to do some inside things to . Looks like a good long weekend for us  sunny and a bit of a cool down  and time to putter some more for Papa and I . We just may take Miggs to the dog beach that's just a 6 min drive from us in Port Burwell off the shores of lake Erie , Very clean and fun beaches they have for dogs to .

                                                       Until next time , Have a good weekend .
                                                            
                                            Country Gal

                                                               

Our Surprise Party Was A Hit

Papa myself and his sister Tanya have been planning a big Surprise 50th wedding Anniversary party for their parents for three weeks . There was a lot of preparation for this pardo and lots of hush hush going on to , even my niece and nephew were in on it  who were down for the week at mom and dads visiting  Nanny and Gramps   . See Papa's sister Tanya lives 2 hours away as do lots of our family and friends  so there was a lot of texting and phone calls going on between Tanya , Papa and myself  as the planning was on the way .  Papa took Friday off so we could set up a tent and start in on the decorations  . We sent out invitations via email to family and friends weeks ago to this party  , It was for a  Surprise 50th Anniversary  BBQ potluck and all were more then pleased to bring something and food we had ... soo much of it . People brought their own booze and chairs as well . Papa and I got a slab of cake made up from our favorite bakery in town . Tanya arrived here Friday evening after work with all kinds of props and fun things for the party and stayed  here so we could have the evening and then Saturday morning to get it all done by 1pm when the guests arrived , then by 2pm when mom and dad were called over for well ..  just to chat and see something .  Well this party was a huge hit and the best thing was his mom and dad had no clue even though they just live down the road from us lol ! which is funny cause dad saw the tent on Friday just after we set it up and we said it was for a friends b day   FEW !!  got away with that one lol !

                                                                   Friday set up !!

                  Saturday morning , transformation from plain tent to all decked out ! Our neighbors Mr & Mrs H were so helpful to and brought over an extra BBQ , chairs just incase a  plug in fridge type cooler  and Mrs H made up bouquets of flowers from their gardens  in vases for us to .

     This is just the out side of the tent  ,  we  Papa , myself, Tanya and yes even my niece and nephew   decorated the inside as well as our patio porch mostly  Saturday morning  .

Table to the left . A basket for cards and or donation  ,  on easel , made by Papa and Tanya with a lovely letter to their mom and dad on it  a photo frame with a photo  that got put in it that Papa took of every one together at this party with mom and dad in the front  , hanging on tent a sign of all things 1967 that was popular and in  , on table below a news paper of  the day in 1967 and to the right of that a plaque from our Mayor, Papa and I got . Oh and we also were playing all the music from 1967 to .

         Here we go  everyone to  the side of the yard  out of sight waiting for them to arrive  the cars were parked hidden next door at Mr & Mrs H's house  , you cant see the driveway as it is hidden by our cedar hedges  hehe !! . Papa told a little white lie  he said he needed them to see something lol !

                                 So they got here walked to the back of they yard and                                                                 
                                                        SURPRISE !!!!We all yelled !!

                                                         Happy 50th Anniversary !!!!!!

             I think it worked don't you ?!  High five's all round my niece  yells !

It was a perfect day , with good people , good food lots of laughs and fun and the weather was  amazing  for us all to and yes some dogs  where amongst all this , Miggs and 2 more dogs  , Jade mom and dads dog and Tucker Mr & Mrs H's pup  lol ! We also invited a few other close neighbors who are good  friends of all ours  as well .

  We also had a photo booth set up with silly props and a frame in the shed as all enjoyed it and joined in the wacky fun lol ! We all signed the black bristol  board there on the table to the left above with gold marker  before we brought the food  out .

 Some ate inside the tent and some ate out side the tent but we all came in here for the cards they opened and speeches that were made and more laughs  .

                     Then it was time for cake and  the mimosas , champagne and orange juice YUM !  !

                                                          

                                                        POP !! goes the cork !!!! HURRAY !!

                            Handing out the mimosa's  and then the sit down gathering toast .

 CHEERS !!! to  50 years of togetherness  and to all who made this wonderful day possible for them  they said with family and friends . The party went into the evening just after dark .

                      Then the end of a great day as all went home  happy, full of food ,  laughter and lots of memories  . We are sending pics via email to every one and are making up an album for mom and dad of the day .  Papa and I took hundreds of photos that day  .

FEW !!! we were beat by the end of it all  but it was a successful party and day  and we even got offers to do other parties lol ! really guys we just winged it mostly lol !

Anywho all in all it was an amazing day and mom and dad are still talking about how much fun they had and how surprised they were , totally taken by it all !

Now all is said and done we are all cleaned up , took a few days though  and now are back to the old routine .
                                                  WOW ! August already ?! 

                                                             Until next time .

                               Country Gal