December 30, 2010
Whoever said “don’t get on the computer first thing in the morning” was smart! Or not. It is so easy to spend time searching, downloading updates for various software. Time passes so swiftly.
I’ve gone from watching the sun rise, seeing the frost sparkle on the deck … to watching birds, squirrels and neighbourhood cats frolicking in the yard .. I try to get the squirrels and other cats out!
Look at the time and see hours have sped by! This was going to be another recycling morning .. but the brilliant sun in a clear blue sky beckons me outside .. so there I go. Camera, ipod, hat, scarf, gloves and the full bag of flatted oats for my little pals.
🙂
Brrr .. my walk started off in bitter cold weather. Almost turned back several times, as the cold wind was chilling. Kept going…. gradually I warmed up enough to go for a long walk. Busy day at the Sanctuary today. Passed a couple out walking … noticed some icy patches on the pathway and frost on the weeds and grasses along the way.
Listening to the soft breeze making its way amongst the long graceful stems of the marsh grasses, seeing their gently swaying motions, like a graceful naturalistic impromptu ballet of the plant kind. Stopping several times just to listen to these peaceful sounds. Very soothing. My feet make crunchy noises as I make my way along the frozen ground. At one area along the path, intermingling footsteps and pawprints are frozen , like a brief time capsule, showing the imprinted evidence of a busy pathway.
Finally, to the observatory and, wearing my tougher, non-slip walking shoes, I walk confidently along the frost covered walkway. I see someone has been there before me and has left some flatted oats on the bench for the ducks, so they have had an earlier feast.
I throw some oats on the water .. and finally, Mr & Mrs and another female swim along and fly up and over onto the boardwalk. Mr is very bossy and shoves Mrs & her pal out of the way. I toss more and more oats around, enough for everyone. The frosty boards cause little duckies to slip and slide and they just finally lie down and jab at the seeds. They don’t even bother with a quantity of the seeds, so they must just be husks. Or they are saving them for later.
A walking group comes along .. turns out there is a ladies group and a mens group. Today is the mens group and some have brought their wives. They are picking up others along the way, so ask if I am so and so’s wife .. shaking my head, no, I’m a solitary walker. Photos were taken and I try to keep to the side. Today’s visit is the first time to Swan Lake for a number of the group and they were suitably impressed!
Quiet for a time .. then along come 2 gentlemen, earnestly discussing wordly affairs. Even though they are looking out at the water and the birds, I doubt that these surroundings have made any sort of impression on them today.
As I’m leaving, I see a couple of moms with their energetic kids, out for a walk along the trails. I think maybe they are trying to walk the chocolate out of the kiddies systems. I ask if they will be walking out on the boardwalk and mom # 1 shakes her head ”definitely not” … most likely realizes the kiddies have way too much energy for the docile ducks. I would have given them some oats for the birds. oh well, save them for my return trip.
On my way to the shops, make some purchases. Walking in the sun. Along the trestle, I stop, seeing a bedraggled gray squirrel, awkwardly straddling some branches of a hawthorn tree .. as it ravenously munches away on the berries. In another tree I see a jolly red robin dining out also! Took some photos and continued on my way.
Not many people out walking at this midday and traffic seems a little light. Perhaps many people took time off work to enjoy this weather.
On my way back, stop at the observatory and see many Canada Geese fand seagulls floating by .. first time I’ve seen them so close and wonder why. The answer is supplied by a happy couple sitting on the bench. They’ve been feeding them bread and, like kiddies, the geese want more. Sadly, they have run out of bread. I offer the couple some of my seed supply and in vain, the hubby tries to get a goose to eat the oats from his hand. No go.
Seeing the multigrain loaf of bread in my shopping bag, he asks for a slice for the geese. I remind him that the Sanctuary prefers oats to bread as bread has empty calories. I open up the loaf and hand over a slice. His wife offered to give me $5 for the bread, but I decline and give them the balance of the oats.
They laughed and said that a seagull actually sat on a duck and the duck was submerged in the water. I really wasn’t amused. Promise myself to never ever feed bread to the birds in this area. Seagulls don’t like oats.
As I walk away, I see Mr & Mrs in the side marshes … looking a little desolate. Tomorrow I’ll bring over some oats for them. Not bread. Oats.
Quick lunch and I actually take my car out for a drive. I’ve rarely driven in the past few months, having decided to enjoy and talk long long walks. So it really feels like a treat to get behind the wheel and head out to the highway.
Returning home, I head to Bordens to pick up a 20 kg bag of flatted oats. Those ducks won’t go hungry this winter. Only $13 for this gigantic bag, much more economical than buying bulk.
This afternoon I’ve noticed a number of incredibly beautiful bright, shiny, vintage automobiles driving around. It wasn’t practical to take photos each time I saw one. There were 2 red vehicles, a bright green and an orange. Bet the owners just couldn’t let their cas sit in the garage on such a bright shiny day like today.
Tomorrow is the last day of 2010. The threshold of a new year beckons. Brand new. New beginnings. Love this.
Watched a bit of tv this morning. a gentleman was talking about weight loss. About having fewer high calory drinks daily, resulting in a 30 plus weight loss over the year. I wonder if he was referring to wine? Surely not!!! 🙂
Yea!!! Received delivery of 10 more bales of hay. Glad I ordered these as the supply is rapidly diminishing! Using one of my travelling tarps, I drag the bales, one by one, into the back yard. Tomorrow I’ll spread them around the yard. That makes a total of 21 bales…. just enough. Found out there is more leaf mulch .. at a park which is too far away for me to economically make a number of trips. Well .. I’m sufficiently supplied with mulch and hay. Now I’ll just order a truckload of aged manure and my yard will be all set. Oh, happy day.
🙂
