My Little Friend

Black-capped Chickadee - hand feeding in the woods

It was a beautiful spring day ~ We headed out for a hike, but not without having our pockets filled with lots of sunflower seeds.  Our little feathered friends follow us everywhere!!  They are so gentle and trusting.  It is priceless watching them close up and makes us appreciate and fall in love with nature even more!

Book Trailer - My Name is Squirt

My Name is Squirt - The BOOK !!

~ A scene from the children's book ~

Hello everyone....I just authored my first

children's picture book!!

"My Name is Squirt"

Based on real characters and actual events that take place on the farm, Squirt is a baby duck who narrates her story of a warm summer day. She explores her enchanted world while enjoying her friends and meeting new ones. She always has time for fun, especially with Skye, who is her best friend. Have you ever seen a baby duck riding piggyback on a Border Collie, hiding in a sneaker, or sleeping with her teddy bear? Now you can!! This picture book is a great addition to any child's collection, and will provide your family with many cherished memories for years to come. Come join us in the magical world of Squirt, Skye and their delightful friends.

**Features full color double page illustrations**

Now Available on AMAZON - Paperback and eBook!!

 For your convenience, you can order here on AMAZON.CA

Or if you prefer AMAZON.COM in one easy step! 

Ebook orders can be placed here 

Coming next....

There will be a 2 in 1 coloring book/story book

for you to enjoy

Meet Squirt and her friends right here?!!? 

Happy Valentine's Day

Love comes in many forms ~ Embrace

Did you know:

Rabbits symbolize love, luck, family, harmony.  They are true earth element animals, which is why they prefer to be on the ground.

Chickadee Cuteness

I cannot get enough of photographing

my favorite little songbird!

After the Storm

Winter sunset in our backyard

Anything For a Nut

There was a little bit of snow and ice on the deck so I decided to have some fun with the squirrels.  I hid a few peanuts in the tunnel and didn't have to wait long for mr. squirrel to show up.  Did you see what he was up to last week?

Weasel With His Winter Coat

This Short-tailed Weasel, identifiable by its black-tipped tail, is also known to some as a Stoat or an Ermine. This little one was spotted around our bird feeders.

In a playful sort of way, he was darting in and out of snow tunnels.  At one point, he even peeked into our kitchen window!! I wonder if this is the same Weasel that was in our garden last fall?  Either way, this cool little creature is always welcome!

Can You See Me Now?

Our pet squirrel, Cupcake ''attempts'' to
camouflage himself with the snowman!

~ HAPPY NEW YEAR ~

May this year of 2016 bring you health,

happiness & good cheer,

love, laughter & and sweet surprises

to you and all your dear ones!
 

Wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Frosty Morning

~ Winter beauty seen up close ~

The chickadees are always up early too!

Meet "Chip", the newest addition to our squirrel family.  She found a little stash of peanuts to eat, which keeps her warm.  Her mother, Cupcake is a daily visitor who also learned quickly how to "sweet talk" her way to the 'peanut jar' !!

Sharp-shinned Hawk

This Sharp-shinned Hawk spent a few days in a nearby spruce tree creating total chaos for our backyard songbirds.  I have to say, the Blue Jays were picked on the most!  It was fascinating to watch these acrobatic fliers navigate through the dense woods at incredible speeds.  We took the bird feeders down for a few days, so the hawks would move on.  After another day or so, our little feathered friends returned once again!

Weasel

Cute? Yes!! But....

These furry little beasts are not the cuddly type.  Weasels have been seen killing prey up to four times their size!  They generally capture animals that are young or old, sick or injured, or less fit to survive.  They have a tiny face and sharp claws and teeth.

This little fella was merely playing in our rock garden.  Do you want to see what a Weasel looks like in winter?

Did you know:

• Minks and Ferrets are cousins of the Weasel

• The weasel's coat is brown in summer and white in winter.  Just the tip of the tail stays black

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse

 Sept 27, 2015 - Double feature: Supermoon Lunar Eclipse

Photos I caputured during this very cool and rare event

   

 

 

Red-breasted Nuthatch

This very active little bird is the only North American nuthatch that has an eyestripe and rusty underparts.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch gets a special view of everything, by looking at the world upside down. They are able to descend head downwards on branches and tree trunks.  This is how they search for food.

.... Or, if you are lucky and patient enough, like I was, they will come to your hand!!!!

 See video here:

Nuthatch eating from my hand!!

Little Red-Spotted Newt

The Red-Spotted Newt is also known as the Red Eft; a specific type of salamander.  They have three stages of life: (1) the aquatic larva or tadpole, (2) the red eft or terrestrial juvenile stage, and (3) the aquatic adult.  This little guy is a juvenile and is just about two inches long.

After two or three years, the eft finds a pond and transforms into an aquatic adult. The skin turns olive green, but they retain the black-rimmed spots.

This little newt is navigating through some freshly turned up dirt from the timberjack skidder blade.

They can live 12 to 15 years in the wild, and may grow to five inches in length.  Newts can coexist with fish, which also makes them common aquarium pets.

Sea Glass

The beautiful sea glass I collected!!

Sea Glass is found on saltwater shores.  It is recycled by the sea, worn by waves, tumbled naturally by the currents, wave activity and other elements found in the ocean water such as rocks, sand, salt, and other beach debris.  Sea glass is a product of both man and nature.  Jars, bottles, and glass were carelessly discarded and tumbled by the ocean to form these colorful gems of the shore.  The frost and pitting of genuine sea glass is how you tell it was made by nature.  Another name for sea glass is mermaid tears.

Sea glass is used to make jewelry, create art, or simply put in a jar for display.  The very rare colors are orange, red, and yellow.  I was excited to find all three in the same day.

 

I also found this natural heart shaped rock!!

Bizzzzy Bumblebees

There is no denying that Bumblebees are the most effective pollinators in the world.  This worker is completely covered in pollen.  She is also drinking nectar from a thistle.  The male was just landing when I took this photo.  See his wings?  They are beating at about 130-240 beats per second!

Bees are too important to be ignored!!  Did you know that two-thirds of the world's crops rely on these amazing little creatures!  Without bees and other pollinators, there would be no fruit or vegetables.

Bumblebees live in colonies and are very social. The queen bee lays hundreds of eggs.  The male does not collect pollen or maintain the hive at all.  This is the job of the worker bees.  The male's main function is to fertilize the queen bee. 

Bumblebees scent mark flowers.  They do this to leave a message to the other bees that the nectar is gone.  This reduces time spent probing flowers without nectar.

How high can a bee count??
Answer: To a BUZZillion :-))

Iceberg

Pinnacle shaped Iceberg

This beauty was one of the many icebergs we saw this year!!  We were very fortunate to see this one up close and personal.  Dressed for the elements, we hiked a little distance from the main road to the ocean, and, WOW, was it worth it!! There were pieces of ice breaking off of this natural wonder and crashing against the rocks beside us.  We were safely able to pick up one of those chunks of ice, and yes, it was certainly an awesome feeling to hold a piece of history!!

An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf.  It could be more than 15,000 years old, floating freely in open water!! Some of them can be the height of a 15-storey building and weigh up to 100,000 tonnes and more.  Nine tenths of the iceberg's mass is below water.  Yep, that's right, we are only seeing one-tenth of them.

Like beer?  Try this if you have the chance!
Guaranteed, you will have another!

Or...

You might want to try a bottle of Iceberg Vodka? It is the only vodka in the world made from icebergs!!

Good "Morning Dew" You

Daisies symbolize new beginnings

Did you know:

• The daisy's leaves are edible and can be used in salads and are high in vitamin C.
•  Daisies make up almost 10% of all flowering plants on Earth.