AstroGypsies

For me, it is preferable to rain, but ask me again in April and I may have changed my mind! Ha! The rain today is currently pitter-pattering on the metal roof. A wonderful muffled silence comes across the land with that layer of snow, the first, a few days ago was heavy and wet, but what followed was a lovely fluffy layer that carpeted everything for a day or two. The sun came out in all it’s glory, the clouds sailed across the lake making beautiful reflections in the still morning air. Perfect Winter picture postcard…

The cats, well, were not amused at all. The look of horror on Groot’s face when he stepped into the white stuff was priceless, Rocket zoomed off through the snow and Gamora, part snow leopard went over to stalk her birds. Each morning we go to the basement crawlspace to check our mouse traps, 12 deer mice so far, they are awarded to the cats (dead) based on seniority, Rocket usually manages to steal someone’s, after they have lost interest or are distracted, but the other day he went off into the grass, and came back with his own…live one, that turned out to be amazing said the others, strangely, theirs didn’t move they said….sigh…hope that is the end of the mice boom, last few days have been very sad for the three as they wait for Mike to go into the basement, get all excited, then nothing….

I would turn the traveling Mewberries into the basement/crawlspace but I’m not sure if I have cleaned up all the rat and insect poison that I have found there, so safer not to let them wander down. Next year we can perhaps pull up all the plastic currently covering the rock we live on, that is on the ground and replace it before they get the run of that area! Another item on the list!

Our lovely snowplow man came with the first snow, he wanted a trial run as he has not plowed this road before! It was like a grader had gone over it! No more bumps. The 2nd light snow we told him not to bother and we did a test run out with the 5″ or so, not sure if we could make it up the first steep hill but it did not prove to be a problem for Hagrid, the truck, 4 wheel drive and 10,000 lbs. of truck helps as well;) Good to know these things! We spent a day last week shoveling out the back of the truck filled with salt and sand and filling barrels at strategic points (hills) along the kilometer road in case things ever get (when they get, what am I thinking!) icy.

We try to walk out and get the mail now that deer hunting season is over, there are still a few booms as ducks are being blown to bits somewhere but not near the road, we hope? Country life. It is pretty quiet our little corner of the lake with the other two cottages closed for the Winter. A Muskrat has been swimming by the dock. Rocket goes down to sniff where he climbs ashore, and a beaver has been busily crossing the lake to his lodge in the swampy area dragging reeds and small branches with him/her. The otter was sitting on a horizontally growing tree by the lake with a fish in hand and chirped his way across the lake as he swam away quickly, complaining of my presence no doubt in his/her private domain;) I had no idea they made a sound like that! It was nice to see them here still! The Mergansers are busy herding fish around the lake, the bald eagle has taken advantage, as well as the seagulls, as the Mergansers chase the small minnows up towards the surface, there is a smorgasbord for all!

The bird feeders are getting cleaned out quickly with the cold and snow, the greedy Blue Jays wait patiently for their peanuts each morning then scarf them down! The Red-Bellied Woodpecker seemed to go into hiding when it snowed, but reappeared after a few days, hiding in a nice nest hole I can imagine:) The goldfinches also made an appearance as the sun came out. The large family of Hairy Woodpeckers were bickering over the suet perches, the Downy’s sweep in when they are distracted for a crumb or two, as well as the White and Red Breasted Nuthatches.

I have been busy experimenting with suet, making it from scratch. Sunflower seeds, oats and corn thrown into a pot with melted peanut butter and pig fat….they say it is delicious! I am so pleased we have such a wonderful variety of bird life as it seemed so quiet when we first came! If you feed them, they will come! Yeah!

The red canoe had to be bailed/scraped out to avoid sinking! But what a sight after the gray days of November it all seems so clean and bright again! I had some practice with snow flakes and with a few wonderful hints from fellow photographers we’ll see what I can capture next snowfall:)

There truly is beauty everywhere, from the streets of Perth with the holiday décor, the shop windows and homes and out to the snow covered fields. I had Mike stop at a bridge so I could take a picture of the Tay River, flat calm, and the reflection of the red Rainbow Bridge was so lovely. I never seemed to notice these things when the horse barn consumed our days and nights, I loved the work we did, but I can take the time to explore just a little but more now, and if I don’t want to go out, I don’t have to! ha! That will be novel!

Stay safe, stay warm amigos.

Next project I think may have to be miniature donkeys, in the snow, with red ribbons and other surprises! Stay tuned!