I usually feed the birds until mid-spring. I love to see the American Goldfinches in their yellow summer plumage and the returning Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
But this year the raccoon has discovered the feeder and delicately balances on the windowsill and swings from the feeder. Not sure how long that feeder is going to last this year. I'll keep you posted.
Last Saturday night was Earth Hour when you were asked to turn off all non-essential lights in your home.
Lights were turned off on the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and the Pyramids in Egypt. We turned ours out too.
The only light we had came from candles. Oh yeah, there was also the light from the TV. It seemed essential to watch the Montreal Canadiens play the Buffalo Sabres and see if they'd be closer to a playoff berth. (They lost but we're not giving up hope yet.)
Today is our monthly artist trading card meeting over at the Dunvegan Recreation Hall just down the road from me. Carol and Elisabeth are coming over from Montreal for lunch in a few minutes and then we head to the hall to trade. Here's what I did for this month's trade. Fun, eh?
The other day Richard and I were invited over to dinner at friends who have three doggies.
Their youngest pup is Chowder, a Lab mix who has huge paws and bounces off the walls.
Cookie is also a pup who is very sweet and has the most gorgeous green eyes.
Mack is the old guy, holding court and bossing the other two around.
They all sit for treats and answer commands.
Meanwhile a few kilometres down the road, Richard's Barney and Skanoo are just exhausted at the thought of listening to commands and doing anything for a treat.
I can't believe it but it was 2 years ago today that I started keeping a blog. (Thanks to Carmi who suggested I start one.) I am thrilled to see that folks are enjoying my blog. Please leave me a comment...even if it's "anonymous." I'd love to hear from you (especially if you've never commented before). Also please let me know what part of the world you're visiting from. Don't be shy!
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Every day the snow recedes and more and more of the earthy, damp ground appears. Pretty soon the trilliums will be blooming in the woods. But for now, it's fun to watch the winter disappear a little bit more day-by-day.
A group of us got together yesterday to see our round robin art journals. It was 14 months ago that we started with 14 participants each adding to a book every month and passing it on to the next in the circle. Unfortunately, we all couldn't get together because some of the folks involved were in New York State and Oregon but a bunch of us shared our journals and ate cake. 
I brought along this cake covered with mini-chocolate Hershey kisses that I found at a grocery store in the U.S. on one of my last trips there. Kind of looks like a hedgehog, eh?
My last day as fill-in mail delivery person and we were greeted by a hot air balloon waaaay in the distance.
Peggi and I both liked the ingenuity of this reflector used as a flag on this mailbox. It's now facing the right way for the folks at home to see when their mail has arrived.
This one is held together with duct tape and string. Love it. Click here to see more fun mailboxes which I photographed on the route last summer.
After I returned my official vest along with my car sign and flashing light (sniff, sniff), I came home to see my daffodils about 1" out of the ground, welcoming me home.
Spring as seen from the road. Lots of low lying places are still icy.
But everywhere you look, things are starting to open up...
...and the skies (and water) are now filled with Canadian geese. Welcome spring!
Day three was a busy day delivering mail because it's also the day the local papers come out.
But we still had time for our lunchtime snack and with all the maple tapping and sap boiling, we decided on a maple donut and coffee.
On the route, there are a lot of critters looking at us from the distance. Here's a deer, pausing to check us out.
This barn cat was running down the field and stopped when he saw us delivering the mail.
I just love this winding stream which we cross over on a one way bridge. Look closely because as I clicked this photo, a muskrat swam across to the other side.
Lots of doggies around. This collie stood its ground, guarding the house.
This dog is waiting to chase a car as it drives by. Luckily we were going the other way.
This dog just woke up from a nap so seemed too tired to pay much attention to us at all.
And guess what? I won a free coffee with my "roll up the rim to win" cup today. So tomorrow's coffee is on Tim's!
Day two from the road. Here's Peggi, my "ergonomic" helper.
Remember that sap they were collecting in yesterday's post? Here is a sugar shack where the sap is being boiled into syrup. The ratio is 40 to 1 so it takes a lot of sap to get that delicious maple syrup.
Some of the more interesting architecture on route: The old MacCrimmon Hall which in its day must have seen dances and meetings but is pretty dormant now.
A lovely old log house that sits right at the road.
The old Skye Schoolhouse is still in fine shape but school hasn't been taught here in years.
And check it out. This road has but one inhabitant. Imagine having your own road?
Yesterday was my first day on the road delivering the mail for Canada Post. I'm filling in this week for our regular delivery gal who is on spring break. Don't you just love my official vest? One of our first stops on the route was to make a package delivery to Tim Horton's. How lucky is that to have a Timmy's on my route? Double double anyone?
Everywhere we went, maple trees were being tapped. The weather was perfect for it too. Days about 5C and nights around -5C.
Trees being tapped and mail being delivered. Nice combo. Speaking of combos, maybe tomorrow's stop at Timmy's will be for a coffee and a maple donut!
Richard and I went to a restaurant in Ottawa for a quick bite on the weekend.
Richard pointed to the art and said, "Are those tires?"
Sure enough, on closer inspection the art was indeed made up of painted, woven tires.
Kind of strange...
I asked the waitress and apparently the place was a former car dealership transformed into a restaurant.
As long as they changed the oil for the fries!
This simple sign in Embrun, Ontario (about 40 minutes east of Ottawa), drew my friend Peggi and me into its doors.
Don't you just love this vintage chef sign advertising fresh quiche?
Those quiche really do look tempting.
The shelves of bread were bordered with fine lace.
What bakery would be complete with out the requisite fruit pies?
Or a powdered sugar-covered strudel?
I had to have one of these custard-filled coronets...
...and one of the millefeuilles too.
Even a Swiss baker is ready for St. Patrick's Day.
We were happy we stopped, particularly after we saw these happy face cookies.