April 26, 2006

As you may have read in my journals for the winter of 2005 I had a visitation by flying squirrels. I had to encourage them out of the roof during the winter and hoped that they wood find suitable accomodation in the trees. Well, the winter of 2006 reveals that they preferred share my residence. They have built a nest in which there will soon be young ones. The following demonstates their igenuity.

Flying squirrels new house. In the Pentney Arms mini hotel.

And, behind the right door may we present....

Hey, who turned the lights on?

With the flying suqirrels head peaking out I softly pushed the door back and she went back into the nest.

The following is a picture I took of her the previous day as she was on her way to the nest. Note the webs on the side of the body used in flight.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Big day today. Kevin is 40. He's still in Florida. I managed to catch him on the phone at Jodi's house, and sang happy birthday to him in (on speakerphone) in chorus with all the children. I felt somewhat sad that I wasn't there, but his mother is down for a visit so at least we have family representation. I think forty is the age at which one really lets go of the responsibility for their children's behavior. I am hoping it is actually the official age at which the children start taking responsibility for the welfare of their parents. I will check with my Asian friends on this to see if there is an official timeline in their culture. Regardless, I did seem to sleep better last night, the best sleep in the last forty years, so something pivotal sure happened.

It has been raining for the last couple of days, too wet to ride the bike so out came the canoe. No sooner than I had launched off I was loudly chastised by four loons offshore. They were engaged in their afternoon cleaning rituals, which are done while drifting down the lake. Like clockwork they show up every afternoon. Later in the season, when they get used to the canoe I will be able to get closer for better pictures. Of course they dove and disappeared for at least a minute, resurfacing 50 yards away.

I hope to find their nests this year and gets some photos. I have already found a couple of Canada Geese who are nesting here's the photo. Note the male who is on guard trying to look inconspicuous. The mother is laying low in the nest on the rock pile left in the picture.

Here's an interesting photo taken in Perth, Ontario. Try and guess what it is before you look at the next picture which will give you a clue.

Sunday April 23, 2006