Goings On In The Yard Today .

Hello , Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful weather like I am . It has been very hot and humid mind you but that's ok I don't mind it at all . We have large trees about the property to help keep things cool and shaded and I and Miggs love our  patio porch sitting and watching the goings on in the yard keeping cool in the shade .

                                                                                Ready for take off Mrs Robin .

                        Back again eh?!  I know you guys like to play in the garden and hunt for worms in there to .

Also the Robins love this little bird bath fountain of ours that's in the garden under the shade of our pergola , they just love bathing and splashing about in it .

Mrs Robin was also taking a break from one of her demanding chicks I was able to capture as he waited patiently for her to return with food .

                                                 Oh look a pool party or pond party  lol who going to do the swan dive lol !

That reminds me , I was weeding the pond garden and came upon these three Chestnut trees starting to sprout . I dug them up as we don't want trees in this garden , I have a funny feeling that Mr Squirrel buried them last fall in the garden .

The gardens are doing well and all is blooming so nicely . Last weekend Papa and I went to the garden center and got our annuals to fill some spaces in the gardens and so I can have a few hanging planters made up as well .

              Mrs Oriel was collecting some nesting's from my planter , you go ahead Mrs and take all you need !

             We had a mix of sun and big puffy clouds today and the winds were blowing fresh cool breezes .

                                 But Miggs .. well she had other ideas to enjoy the sun and clouds lol !

                                                                        Yeah no dignity here with her lol !

Meanwhile as Miggs lays about sunning her belly the Squirrel and the birds enjoy a feast from the feeder's , that other bird throw down to them lol !Truly never a dull moment in our yard this time of year , so much to see and enjoy, it is just really so entertaining .

So that's the goings on in the yard this day I am sure each and every day will be pretty much the same and just as funny , fun and fascinating to watch .

                                                                                   Until next time .

                                                                                        Country Gal

First Monarch Of The Season Here & Pond Fun.

YIPPEE !! The Monarchs are slowly arriving from their long journey in Mexico . I am a member of the Facebook group Monarchs Migrating Through Ontario where lots of us watch, count ,photograph, post and keep track of them when and where we see them . Some members even raise Monarchs tag and release them and the head of the Facebook group as well as others even follow the Monarchs to Mexico to where they Migrate to , when they leave here in the fall and keep  track of them and the tags through out their journey  . The tagging system  consists of special tiny  tags that have codes on them and they stay on the Monarchs through out its life  the tags do not interfere with the Monarchs flying and do not harm them in any way and are a great way to see how many of them make it back and forth through out the year . There are first and second generations of Monarchs and the members of this group know just by looking at them or even photos . I am learning a lot about Monarchs from this group and find it all very fascinating . Maybe one day I will raise my own Monarchs, tag and set them free once they have matured and are ready to Migrate   .

I had to be quick with the photo as this first sighting this fellow was flitting about not knowing what part of  Lilac he wanted to stop on and I only had my phone camera in hand my Nikon camera was on the patio table and I had no time to go get it lol !

I also saw a Eastern Swallow tail , the first of that species of butterfly for the season as well .

So looks like I will be doing a lot of butterfly watching and photographing over the past few weeks and of course watching and enjoying our birdies ,gardens and working more on our pond garden . Which we had a little visitor in our pond yesterday a little toad , he was soo cute as he swam happily about his new home . Papa placed a few rocks and shale pieces about so little toady could get out of the water and rest in a shaded area . We will be visiting a place not far from us  , it is a huge Water gardens center so we can  get some more ideas and some water plants for our pond and garden,  so that will be a new  adventure for Papa and I  and sun setting all  up .

On the left and right of the pond we will be making smaller gardens on each side as well then eventually build a small waterfall from the back of the middle of the picket fence and have it cascade down to the pond  and we have plans to have water plants on each side of the water fall we just haven't quite set up the blue prints of how and what we will use as waterfalls , there are so many choices out there .

                                                         Lots of fun planning building and then enjoying .

                                                                            Until next time .

                                                                                 Country Gal

Some Of This & That

WOW ! May is almost over already  I cant believe how fast it flew by .

Papa had a nice Birthday yesterday it was a quiet one just us for the most part his mom & dad popped over for a bit and we chatted and had lemonade on the porch  , they brought their dog Jade with them so Miggs and Jade played for a bit  .

Papa had a nice big cake we like to order from our favorite bakery in town all fresh from scratch ingredient's and it freezes nicely for future deserts and tastes fresh every time .

Papa and I have been busy in the gardens planting the odd annuals and some of my hanging pots and now all the gardening is done just the odd pulling of weeds every now and then . Papa did the picket fence garden with plants and started off his pond with a little water feature . Sorry about the pic the sun was beaming in my eyes and it was taken with my phone lol !

We have lots of baby birds about and have to watch our step in the grass and surrounding area  , they sometimes tend to fall or be pushed out of the nests or fly the coop and just cant get going right away lol !Baby Robin snuggling down in the grass by the hedges where he fell out , he is ok now and a very strong little one as he now can fly high enough to get into the trees . Thankfully Miggs doesn't bother with them .

Grackle baby  , not the cutest looking but still natures baby . He to now can fly and is stronger .

                                                                       The moon at sunset the other evening .

Miggs has been galavanting about the yard from sunrise to sunset every day and our walks have been getting longer again now she has recovered so well finally and is able to run and play again to , so nice to have her back to her old self .

We have had two couples of Grosbeak's visit our feeder every evening and have their supper the ladies eat first then the guys it is soo cute to watch them as they sometimes feed each other and share.

Now that all our yard work and gardens are done now we get to sit back relax and enjoy  it all . I am awaiting the arrival of the Monarch butterfly's  they have been spotted north east of us near lake Ontario , our  lake Erie migration should be with in a few days , we have had lots of moths and smaller butterfly's flit about and soon will be stopping to snack on the butterfly weed , bushes and milk weed once it has bloomed , looking forward to all that .

                                                                                        Until next time

                                                                                             Country Gal

Happy Birthday

                                                             Wishing my hubs AKA Papa a

                                                                                                Country Gal 

We Had A Wonderful Long Weekend

The weekend that just passed was our long weekend the May 2/4 weekend we call it , it really is  called Victoria Day long weekend , any who , Our oldest son David and his fiancé Cindee came down Friday evening and stayed the entire weekend . We had a great time . The weather was fantastic as was the company for Papa and I .

We  were outside  early all day every day and evening’s till 12am and had a few fun games of  cards on the patio porch whilst we had our chiminea fire was going that we have just outside of the porch   .

We did some star gazing and moon watching  one  night with Papas telescopes  . That was fun to, both David and Cindee loved that as do Papa and I  , we love star gazing .

We had  BBQ suppers , played badminton , that was fun and funny as David is quite the joker  lol . We did a bit of yard work , grass cutting and what not .

                                               Papa was showing David the ropes to his grass cutting methods  lol .

                                                                     Above :   Guys being guys with machines lol !

                              Miggs also enjoyed having David & Cindee here as she got lots of belly rubs and cuddles .

Papa dug the hole for our pond  we are working on .   It will soon have a water fall traveling from the back of the white picket fence to the pond and plants all about it as we extend the garden  , lots of fun . 

It will take a while to complete this project like the water fall but we plan on having half  if not most of it done this summer .

Yesterday the kids went home and Papa and I enjoyed the rest of the evening out on the patio porch as it rained on and off  with a nice chiminea fire going till it was bed time . Back to the routine of weekday's  and Papa back to work .

It started out rainy this morning but has since cleared up a bit  so I went about and took some more photos of the freshness after a rain fall .

Our gardens are coming along wonderfully as they all have caught up to the season as it was later starting than usual .

                                  Nothing like fresh cut Lilac from your own back yard . Love the smell of them !

We have some of this colour in this photo I took just after the rains and we have off white , light purple , and white with pink centers to the flowers and a deep burgundy all soo lovely when in full bloom and the smell that comes from them all , amazing .

We have a row of about 10 that are at least 14 years old in the back by our picket fence garden and soon to be pond and they are a mix of colours.

All my perennials that we planted last year are doing well , here is the new off spring of Forget me knots , they have cute tiny flowers .

Oh and Papa built me this suit feeder holder . See it is made like this to keep the bully birds of summer off as they can not feast on it at all as they can not hang on upside down unlike the Chickadees, Nuthatch and Woodpeckers .  I have summer suit in it , summer suet for those who may not know is a suet specially formulated to help the nesting  birds  I mentioned as they need that little bit extra and it go bad or melt in the hotter weather .

                  The other evening as the sun was setting I saw the clouds  in the distance just suspended in the sky as they floated , these are my favorite type of clouds as they look 3D  in the sky  and some look like  mountain's in the background .

               

            Well that was a full winded post now wasn't it ? !  All in all it has been a fantastic few days and looking forward to more .

We will be celebrating Papa’s birthday Friday as he is taking that day off  , so another long weekend for him and I to it’s  so nice to have him home an extra day on any long weekend lol !

                                                                                              Until next time

                                                                                               Country Gal

Giving The Old Girl A Helping Hand

 

Noo not me yet lol ! soon though I can imagine  haha !  or should that title say a helping paw  !

For our girl Miggs .

Papa whipped up this little stair case in his work shop  for our Miggs last night after work and supper and he sanded and shaped all the edges nicely , it looks great ,   all  so she can get up and down to her swing . Now the swing used to swing but Papa fixed that to by anchoring the sides and the back to the frame as it was to difficult and scary for her as her legs , hips shoulders and balance aren't always that great especially on damp days  to climb up on . The straps underneath the swing seat were all frayed and tearing so he shaped  and notched a piece of ply  wood which has some give to it so it isn't rock hard under the cushions  when sat apron and it fits snug   . I showed these photos  of him fixing the seat of the swing in a past post .  This swing was my mums and it is 25 years old and Miggs has always loved laying , snoozing and sitting on it and watching the yard from it . I have put out her softer beds on the patio for her even mats but NOPE the only thing she prefers to all that  is this swing , so be it I say .

She was thrilled she was able to get up and down on her swing so easily now .

Here's a step by step , pun intended haha ! of Miggs using her new stair case.

                                                                                              Slow and steady !

                                                                                              Getting there lol !

                                                                                                Feww,  made it !

    Going down is easier lol . So far she has loved being able to use  her stairs and get up on her swing all by her self  and we are all happy that she can now do this  on her own . Awesome wood working as always Papa !

     Miggs has her days were her legs are good if it is warm and sunny and the air pressure is up but once the weather gets damp and or cold or stormy like and the air pressure drops , well she has problems with her legs as both back  legs have now been operated on and she has arthritis in them as well as   her hips and her shoulders . I hear ya Miggs , Papa and myself   hobble about in the same type of weather , but making our girl happy is what makes us happy .

     Miggs is going for her summer groom tomorrow , gona the usual , the works , bath  and getting the thick shaggy coat all shaved  down , cleaned up and her nails done , we call it the doggy day spa and when we mention those words she gets exited and wants to go ASAP ! Miggs loves getting bathed and groomed , we have stayed there before and I was in a little disbelief  as to how much she really liked it and how good she was for our groomer  but yup she loves it and she is a very good girl for our groomer and the groomer loves it when she comes in .

So that's Miggs update and story for now  , right now she is snoozing in the kitchen as the weather today is foggy rainy , humid , damp overcast and the odd pop of sunshine , a mixed bag  if you will of weather  , so she is resting her bones after our early morning walk .

                                                                                    Until next time .

                                                                                     Country Gal