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Saturday, February 9, 2013

What a Difference a Week Makes

Yes, everything was bucolic and serene (except for the cold) last week.  The snow was gone, the grass was, well, yellow and the sky was blue.  But that was before "Nemo" (what I've been told is the name of the blizzard we're currently experiencing).  I didn't realize that we were in the habit of naming blizzards, but there you have it.

Taken Tuesday Morning...yes, a bit of snow, but bright and clear

Taken Saturday Morning (yes, today!) Hint: its not fog!
 
Our car is nothing but ghostly shadow at the end of our drive; sometimes we can see it and others, we can't see past our front tree line.  The wind is howling around the house and the furnace seems to be on a mission to impoverish us in one storm.  Besides that, everything is fairly hunky dory, as the saying goes.  We had a lovely visit from a big black dog yesterday.  He was a bit shy and liked to bark a bit if we got too close, but I don't think he was menacing in anyway.  Despite the profile I believe him to be a Standard Poodle or a cross of a Poodle and Newfoundlander (his snout is too long to be a pure Newfie)

Sorry it's blurry, but the light was very low and I had to zoom in quite a bit.  I called to him, to see if he'd come, but he only barked at me and then Ron went out to visit, but the fellow seemed to like to stay about 3 feet away or so, just out of arms reach.  He spent 20 minutes or so in our yard, alternately barking, if Ron got too close, or following, when Ron walked away. Where is Cesar Milan when you need him?  The snow and cold didn't seem to bother him at all, as he laid down in the driveway for a bit of a rest before heading home.  He did have a collar and we think he belongs down at the mushroom farm, but it didn't stop me from worrying about him.



A couple days before the big black dog came visiting we had a fox in our yard.  He was hunting for yummy things under the snow pack.  I took some video, but the files are quite large and I have to upload them to YouTube before I can attach them here...ah the technical challenges.  It's taken 20 some minutes to upload one of the videos...that being said, it's in high definition! (Ooooo, impressive!)  He seemed quite content to hang out in the back yard for a bit of the early morning and then wandered off in to the farmer's field out back.  Ron was sad that he didn't eat the squirrel, but I think Rasputin has more lives than a cat.


The storm seems to have interrupted our work out schedule.  There's no going anywhere today, if you value your life at least.  That's everything from Lower Freetown, PE for now.  Until next time, stay warm (for those of you out East), stay dry (for those of you out West) and for those of you down South...pffffttth!  (You know we still love you...but don't brag about the weather, it makes us green with jealousy!

PS Please don't bring up the whole "Anne of Green Gables" controversy, I'm totally insensed about it, but I think that's why they did it...is nothing sacred any more.  And to Senator Duffy...(the other big PEI controversy) you're a wanker.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Oh Deere, It Makes Snow Sense!

Hullo!  Here I am again, putting in another entry on the story of our life here in Prince Edward Island.  The weather has been very odd, it even warmed up to 10 degrees Celsius on Thursday, which created a boggy soupy mess.  But with trouble comes triumph.  The wind that blew the warm weather in also dried up the puddles and ice and everything here is pretty clear.  It's very strange to see the grass at this time of year (a first for us) and despite it being a chilly-13.4 (-21 with wind chill, don't you wish you were here?), it's a beautiful day with deep azure skies and lemony sunshine.

Yup, it's really that blue!

Look Ma' no snow!

 Last weekend, having survived the deep freeze that set upon us, we had what I like to call a "Mutual of Omaha" moment.  (I think they used to sponsor those wildlife shows way back in the 1970's.)  We've had two hawks flying about, looking for a snack and scaring our little birds.  Last weekend the smaller hawk caught one of our blue jays, which was very sad, but also interesting in a "Circle of Life" kind of way.  (Yes, cue Elton John, again!)  I have pictures (not gory):

"Nothing to see here." He seems to be saying.

We think it's a "Broad Winged Hawk" which would be very unusual for this time of year.
 
I think he felt quite exposed because not long after these photos he took his meal into the cover of the fir trees and spent a few hours tucking in to his well earned lunch.

We completed another cake, but I've declared that I'm off the professional cake band wagon.  It's just too stressful trying to work full time and make these creations on the side.  (I'm still doing cakes for friends on a cake by cake basis...see what I did there!  Punny!) Can you handle more photos?


The hay bales turned out really well, along with the "40", Ron did a nice job making the treads on the tires and detailing the wheel rims.  The tractor itself?  Not bad, more wibbly than I'd like, but as Ron says "It IS made out of cake."  The paint detail on the windows turned out quite nicely, too.

As you can all see, I've shamelessly added my book to the blog.  This is on the advice of my marketing specialist.  I get many random hits from strangers looking for things like textured wallpaper, road warriors and renovation information.  Perhaps the odd one might be interested in my book as well.  Granted, it isn't written in the whimsical fashion that I do this blog, but I think you'd know we're one and the same, at least as far as writing goes.  Janette has requested that I post my face here, so I'm being accommodating and posting a horrible picture of me. (No make up or anything and taken with my computer camera...so be prepared!) In my defense, I've just come back from working out, which explains the pig tails.  And yes, that is a Vancity shirt...my lips seem to be missing again.

 
Well, that's all there is from our little island, at least for now.  Ron and the squirrel continue to knock heads, I continue to think about writing, without really getting around to it and the world turns on it's axis.  Be well!