6th Annual Winter Picnic

 This year we had our annual picnic in the woods on April 6th.

The snow bridge is still intact over the little creek, which is running from the melt.

 It was 4C and sunny...actually a nice temperature for a hot cuppa tea.

 Everything tastes better outside, right?

 We had to snowshoe in this year there's still so much snow.
And we got to try out the new table which isn't perfectly flat...but who cares!

 This year's fare was kosher salami sandwiches on dark rye.

And a little salsa and chips too!

Masked bandits

As they come out of hibernation, raccoons are very hungry and end up at the nearest bird feeder. Mine! There were FIVE of the little darlings when I looked out. By the time I opened the window to take the photo, I only managed to snap two and a half of them. The fled but were back an hour later!

Harbingers of spring?

 It's supposedly spring but yesterday it snowed and March 30th just isn't looking a lot like March 30th! But I heard a pair of cardinals singing so that's a good sign.

And look what the wind blew in. A red-breasted nuthatch. I haven't seen one in many years. Was delighted to be able to snap a photo of him. Sweet little bird.

Snowy owl

While relaxing a few moments before friends were coming for dinner, the phone rang and my friend Peggi said, "Alert!" Apparently she had seen a snowy owl on her way to eat out and on their way back it was still there. 
I called my friends who were coming to dinner (they hadn't left yet) and said, "Give me ten minutes," and off Richard and I ran down the road to find the owl. We were lucky that he was still there and Richard got this great shot of him. Spring is in the air and they will be moving back north now so it was a lucky find.

Keeping it Local

The other night I had in mind to make a stick to the ribs supper and attempted rack of lamb. Came out great. I also served a side of my own sugar snap peas from last July's harvest and my own potatoes, carrots and wild garlic from the cold room. All delicious!

More peas in the freezer so I made a soup, which I put through the food processor and then strained. And then I added last night's leftover pea pods. Yum!

What the storm blew in...

 We had another dump of storm and the birds gathered near the feeder.

 I was incredibly surprised to see two cedar waxwings. 

I hope they found some wild berries to chow down on.

 The downy woodpecker boy was pretty happy when I refilled my suet holder.

 Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal hung around the better part of the day...

 ...but he's a very shy lad and I couldn't snap a photo of him.

 Mrs. Cardinal, however, let me get plenty of photos of her.

 The flat feeder that Richard made for me is a real hit with the non-feeder feeding birds.

The blue jays had taken a break when I took this one. Usually there are four or five of them fighting over the peanuts.

And this little red squirrel was covered in snow as he chowed down 

on some sunflower seeds. OK, now I"m ready for spring!

Winter Still Hanging On

 Okay, it's starting to look like spring, sort of. The trees are thinking spring and breaking out in bud.

 Richard attempted to cross the Mighty Mogelon but actually fell in
when that ledge he's standing on gave way.

 After a change of clothing, we headed back out in 0C degrees and very sunny skies. Toward the back of the property, we came across a feeding frenzy under the apple tree and tons of bunny prints.

 You can see where we were is a little dip of land. Just behind Richard the property dips back up. Bunnies seem to like it here...in the dip.

 We also cam across a very healthy butternut tree with no black ooze so hopefully disease free. This one was large enough that I couldn't get my arms around it in a full bear hug.

 On our way back through the small wooded area that Dad planted in 1978. The pines and spruce are huge here and with no undergrowth, very easy to walk amongst.

Selfie!

Wild Turkeys in Flight

I was babysitting a friends cat all week and there were so many footprints around the house it looked like snowmobile tracks. Yesterday I was lucky and saw four of these big guys, lumbering in the deep snow. I must've startled them when I got out of the car and they lifted in the air for a brief time. Very cool critters. Click on pic to enlarge.

Buttercream Basics at The Quirky Carrot

On Wednesday, March 12, I'll be giving a class on how to use buttercream icing. 
Here are some of the things that will be highlighted in the class:

Buttercream Basics*

*Everything you wanted to know about buttercream, but were afraid to ask!

We’ll touch on a bunch of things including:

-          Crumb coating and basic smooth icing of a cake;

-          Adding food colouring to icing;

-          Filling and using a decorating bag;

-          Piping and tips: Making lines, designs and writing on a cake;

-          Borders: Shells and rosettes

-          Roses, rose buds and leaves

-          Larger tips for cupcakes

First there’ll be a demonstration on how do all these different techniques and then everyone will get their hands dirty and decorate their own cake to take home. Cake, icing and recipes included.

The classes will be held in Alexandria, Ontario at The Quirky Carrot. 
To register for the class click here.

Patterned Wallpaper

 As a graphic artist I've always loved patterns. And colour combinations.

 Ten or more years ago, my brother told me he had lined up at a movie theatre and in the trash of a designer's shop were three discarded wallpaper books. He grabbed them and put them in his car for me. I was tickled! One of the best gifts ever.

At the time I was making collages and artist trading cards so the books came in handy.

 But I've changed direction and the books just sat in my cupboard, untouched.

 I decided to chop them all out and put them in lots on my Etsy shop. 

My favourite of the papers is a collection by Scalamandré called The Grand Tour, a series of designs based on artworks from various countries.

Animal design inspired by the art in the private portfolio of Akbar, the 16th century emperor of the Mughal Dynasty. Love it.

Chinoise Exotique" is a wonderful example of Indochine design developed for export to the European market in the early 1700s .

 My absolute favourite! The mosaics inspired from a wall decoration found in an excavation on Mikonos Island off the coast of Greece. Lovely!

A new interpretation of a classical Scalamandre pattern originally adapted from an 18th century French toile.

I expect that a scrapbooker or collager will buy one of these packets of paper. They are works of art in themselves! To see my shop click here: CinnamonGirlStuff

Dear Mum

 I had a very cool Mum. Yesterday would have been her 89th birthday.
That's her on the left in the shades with her sister Sylvia in Saint John, NB in the '50s.

Mom rode an Indian motorcycle and was one of the first women radio operators in WWII.

She died in 1997 and I miss her every day!

Go Canada Go!

So proud of our Canadian men and women's hockey teams for taking home the gold in Socchi, Russia at the Winter Olympics! Way to go, Canada!

National Cupcake Day for SPCA

 Monday is National Cupcake Day for SPCAs & Humane Societies to raise funds for homeless animals. Here are my donations to be sold by Gordon Campbell at the courthouse in Cornwall (Ontario) located at 29 Second Street W. -- in the lawyer's lounge and at duty counsel office, during the day -- until supplies run out. 

 If you're in the neighbourhood, please drop by and show your support.

Amazing Sunday Meal

 On Sunday we were invited to a meal along with 20 or so other folks.

 Grilled asparagus and homemade chocolate and red pepper bread.

 Squash soup made with last summer's squash.

 Warm baby spinach with feta.

 Arctic char flown in from Iqaluit, cooked on the wood cookstove.

 Roasted potatoes...

 Check out that char!

 Roasted colour carrots.

 Setting up the plates before send off...

The final plate. Gorgeous.

 Richard and Alissia in a deep conversation.

Great conversation and of course, a cat was on my lap. Now how'd that happen?