Dance

My dance of life and living continues...

The men came yesterday and sealed up the area around the chimney so when hard rain comes, it can no longer leak down the yellow bricks onto the wooden beams indoors. Well, it was a very hard rain! Shouldn't have leaked. Probably won't rain like that for  many years to come, I hope!

A delivery was made yesterday. The package contained specialty cheeses, jellies and crackers. Just in time - I was out of cheeses, and jellies! It was a gift from dear friends who live far, far over the ocean. The box also contained a note telling me that it was #1 of TWO! I am anticipating a second delivery soon.

Another delivery also arrived. It contained some smaller fleece slacks as my older warm ones are way too large for me now. (I just ordered some smaller underwear too, FYI!)

I had to call my neighbor to bring me more Victor mouse traps. I'm not emptying them and reusing. I went through all four so far. The refillable bait station hasn't been touched and the sticky glue traps are empty. Guess that tells me something. When he came I had to have him open my new jelly jars because my strength for this mundane chore has left.

A blogger I follow showed pictures of some of her porcelain birds. That prompted me to research one of several mantel pieces that have been here for a long time. (Of course they are all ducks!) My mom loved ducks.

I have this pair here

My cheery young neighbor delivered my clean laundry this morning. She picks it up every other Thursday and delivers on Friday. I'll bet she wonders why there are so many pillow cases needing to be done. Well, I drool when I sleep - doesn't everyone? The scary part of her laundry responsibility for me is that her driveway is very steep and curvy. It sure will be a challenge for her throughout the winter. As she will accept no fees nor supplies for her caring service, I'm thinking very hard about a special holiday gift suited for such generosity.

There are quite a few Canada Geese on the lake now. I hope they are just passing through. 

OH! First SNOW today! I took these just before the sun came out!

PLEASE tap images for larger view

Time to change his autumn leaves to winter scarf!

Sunshine Cake

Spring! THE DUCK HAS RETURNED. Every year this single duck returns and stays for a while then leaves.

Last year almost to the day, I baked this cake. It seems as if I forget about how delicious it is until I see my first daffodil! Yes! Today one daffodil opened and it was cause for celebration after awful pouring rains and winds throughout last night into this morning.

please click on image to view larger

For  complete recipe & better pictures click on link of April 17, 2018.
 Sunshine Cake Link

'Tis the Season.....

With a flurry of wings all sorts of birds and waterfowl are mating, and causing quite a ruckus - on the lake and in the woodland. I woke up to their songs that were throughout the thickets behind the cabin. 

I sat on the front porch this morning trying to get a good picture of a little duck that has been hanging out at my end of the lake - all week - all alone. It dunks its head sometimes, but mostly just paddles around by itself, never joining in with the buffleheads or the mallards. It is a very fluffy and small critter but, unfortunately never came close enough to the shore for me to get a good picture. This is the best of 31 shots! Awful. Just take my word for it that it is very busy and healthy acting and tiny.

After I came indoors wouldn't you know that a PAIR of pileated woodpeckers landed on our "woodpecker tree" that is on the beachfront close to the water. Well, again, I wasn't able to get a sharp photo but it was exciting anyway. They had better not peck on the cabin!

Maybe I should stick to taking flower pictures.

Duck Dinner?

When The Mister looked out of the kitchen window late this afternoon he saw the resident eagle. After he looked through his binoculars he asked me to shoot the event.

It seems that a duck or even a goose, we can't tell, got stuck in the ice and the eagle found his meal of the day. If not, it means that the eagle took it down on purpose. I wonder.....are eagles opportunists?

Now is the time I would have liked to have a really good camera with a telephoto lens that could capture this natural happening on the lake. The eagle was VERY far out in the middle and I only sat on my front porch to acquire the images.

Tomorrow there will be other scavengers but we'll keep an eye out for the eagle to return. 

if you click on the images they will be shown larger but not sharper

Quack!

A friend made me aware that if you turn a map of North America and South America sideways, it kinda looks like a duck. Well...  I just went from there.   I know, I know.....

Well I DO think he's kinda cute!

Don't forget to click on the image to read the countries.