Snow - What a Surprise!

First Snow 11/11

Front Yard

We woke up to snow yesterday morning; not really surprising, I guess, for this time of year, but still unwelcome nevertheless.  The weather had been so mild that, as is often the case, we were lulled into a false sense that it would not end... for the time being, at least.  I have to admit it is quite beautiful, though. This morning there is hoar frost on all the trees and bird feeders and deck railing which are sparkling in the morning sunshine and are quite dazzling!

Frost on bird feeder sparkling in the sunshine

Two days ago my feet were happily crunching the thick layer of fallen leaves on the lake trails. The duck pond (slough) was frozen over (it being very shallow) and the dog and 2 cats that had accompanied me on my walk  wandered out on it. Strangely enough, there was also a cloud of about 4 dozen mosquitoes hovering at the end of the pond which is surrounded by tall weeds. Mosquitoes in November??? That lead me to the mistaken conclusion that maybe our warm weather was going to continue for a time....

Yesterday late afternoon, our dog Spirit and one cat,(Lexy) went for a walk with me to the lake. As we were getting close, I could hear the loud sounds of many geese taking off. Through the trees, I saw wave after wave of geese leaving the lake in a southerly direction. Once we got through the trees, I was amazed by the sight on the lake. Hundreds upon hundreds of ducks and geese were floating on the surface. I had never seen so many all in the same place before. I know that Buffalo Lake is on the water fowl migratory route and it was breath taking to see.

Some of the flocks were a little spooked by our sudden presence and the took off in groups to land further away from shore. There were flocks flying low over the water in all directions. I reminded me of an airport where you see planes landing and taking off only a hundred times more activity. Quite an amazing sight to behold! And me without my camera!
The leaves on the trail home were covered with a thin layer of snow. Here and there you could see evidence of rabbit activity, their cute little footprints in the snow. I had just being saying to my husband 2 days before that I hadn't seen very many rabbits on my walks this summer. (They probably saw the dog with me first!) But the tracks proved that they are still here.

Time to get the winter tires put on the car... no more procrastinating!  :)

No more morning coffee on the balcony for a few months...

Autumn Birds

We shut the greenhouse down on Oct. 31 this year (2011). The tomato plants were not growing anymore, and we had picked most of the tomatoes anyway. The hours of sunlight is minimal right now and the greenhouse requires so much heat all night long. The temperatures have been about -6C or so, really not that bad, but during the day the temps now are only between +5 and +9 C. (Although on Sunday it was about +16C! in Red Deer during the afternoon- lovely!)

We composted the plants and harvested the rest of the tomatoes.  We have sooooo many tomatoes and have been giving them away to everybody! We had already made a batch of 'chow chow' ( pickled green tomatoes) and a batch of tomato salsa, which turned out superbly, if I do say so myself. :)  Two days ago Chris made a second batch of tomato salsa, plus we have been eating tomatoes every day, either sandwiches or in a tomato salad, which is the easiest thing to prepare... just slice tomatoes and add a bit of olive oil, vinegar and salt- you're done! Or sometimes we add a store bought vinegarette dressing.  I guess next year I won't start so many seedlings. Had about 26 plants, LOL! But I did give a few away to people.

Maybe next year I will have a competition, greenhouse tomatoes VS deck pots. :)

Now to the birds....

The wax wings have been visiting us. I think they might be bohemians which are a bit bigger then Cedars and a bit darker colored. I stepped out on the deck a few days agoand could hear there whirring sound. They are pretty 'flighty' though and hard to photograph because they disappear so suddenly ( just as you are getting your camera ready... )

Bohemian Wax Wings

The berries on the Mountain ash and the chokecherry trees attract a lot of birds. We actually saw 2 robins on the weekend. I wonder if they are going to stay all winter like one poor guy did 2 years in a row, LOL! Or maybe they are just migrating through.

The geese have been passing over in huge flocks. Again, you have to be ready with your camera if you want a photo. By the time you hear them overhead and run inside to grab the camera, they are quite a distance away. I am amazed by how fast the can fly. I love to watch the big "V" of geese in flight and see them change positions, how the front bird suddenly drops back from the 'pole position' and someone else automatically  flies into that first position.  Apparently that's the most difficult position to fly because they are getting all the wind on them. The flight positions further back are easier.  I always wish them a 'bon voyage' (safe journey) as they fly by and an 'auf wiedersehen' (see you again). I miss them when November sets in and the lake is empty of birds.  The arctic birds are passing through, too. Saw some trumpeter swans on the lake last week, but only from a distance.

Pine Grosbeak

Yesterday I saw an unusual bird in the ornamental cherry tree next to the deck. I looked in my Alberta bird book and it looked similar to a Pine Grosbeak but not quite. I sent photos to my friend Charlie Bird  who knows more about nature that anyone else I know. He asked a few of his knowledgeable friends and they think it was an unusually colored female or possibly young juvenile male Pine Grosbeak.

My wonderful Husband built us a new bird feeder. Our old one in the front yard was pretty beat up. It was here long before we were! Chris took the old one apart and used the pieces as a template to build a new one out of 3/4 inch plywood. The base is 9 3'4 " X 19 1/2" . The end pieces are 9 3/4 " wide by 10 1/4 " high at the point. The plexiglass sides are 6 1/2 " by 20".  The hole in the top (roof) is 4 inches wide and the door flap covering the hole is  7"X 7".  Chris stained in with one coat of med brown stain and it looks great!  :D

New bird feeder all set to go!

 Back to gardening :  I still have some deck pots next to the front door which are struggling along. Sigh! I know, I know, it's time to face reality.... It's November! 

Bird patrol