Thursday, April 27, 2017

Helloooooo!

Just a quickie to let you know I am having some computer issues. For some reason I can't access my photos through my blog. I hate the time I am wasting trying to figure out a solution!

I'd draw you a picture but don't seem to have the ability to do that either!

For the record...I took a reader's advice and got a floppy disk reader and am able to open 4 of my mom's old floppies....so thank you very much for that tip jp!!  That still leaves a bunch that can't be opened by my computer. I get a message that says "the disk you inserted was not readable by this computer." And then an error box appears that offers 3 options: initialize...ignore...eject. So..is that a problem with the disks?

This all postdates my photo issue - no connection there. Grrrrr...! So you're missing all of my spring wildflower, birds and animal photos...aren't you just so disappointed?!!!

Hopefully I can get things working again soon. I'm not the best person to be trying to sort out computer issues, I am definitely not a techie. But I will persevere!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Post 1201

I am quite slow getting started on my second group of 1200 posts!

There seems to be so much going on! As if getting immersed in genealogy once again wasn't enough, I've set up my mother's 1992 Macintosh Class II computer on my dining room table as she stored most of her research on good ol' floppy disks! As of now I don't have a printer for the computer but I am able to open the disks and read. That may be enough.

My mother was also a writer and many of her stories (and my dad's - he wrote a column for a local weekly newspaper) are also on disks. I am just so impressed that with the click of a button her 25 year old computer came back to life!

Buy a MAC people :)

I have been looking on Ebay for a compatible printer but am leery to purchase something that old without being able to try it first to make sure it works.

One of my brothers is interested in compiling our mother's stories in to a book so perhaps between the 2 of us we can find a decent printer. That doesn't use ribbons!!! Laser would be better.

It would be super nice if I could just transfer everything to my computer but don't know if that is possible. More research to be done.

Today I am sending off my DNA sample to be analyzed - that's very exciting! My nephew had his done and he sent his results to me. American Indian shows up for him but only .2%. IF my assumptions are correct I should have a higher percentage of American Indian DNA.  I wish I had something of my gramma's that contained her DNA.

Of course I am in the forest at every opportunity and still playing volleyball 4 x weekly. That ends April 28th when slo-pitch starts!! I bought a ball glove on Saturday :)

Over the Easter weekend I had guests on Friday and Saturday, then on Sunday went to my brother and sister-in-law's home to eat the Christmas turkey we couldn't have on Christmas as my sister-in-law was sick! It was aged perfectly :) Also present were my nephew, his wife and their 10 year old son. It was a great visit!

Hope y'all had a wonderful Easter if you celebrate it; I did my very best to inhale as much chocolate as possible!

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Shin-rin Yoku - POST #1200!!

I couldn't think of a better topic for POST #1200 than to take you with me for a little "forest bathing", or as the Japanese call it "Shin-rin Yoku!

It was a nice mild and sunny day yesterday - the sort of day that makes you feel glad to be alive. So I put on my hiking boots and headed to Kilally Meadows. We've had a ton of rain in the past few days so I knew that could affect my hike.

Fortunately only the land closest to the river was under water. I only had to retrace my steps to higher dry ground once. There were a lot of trees and tree limbs down as on the previous Thursday it was VERY windy.

Okay...here we go...
as I park near the baseball diamonds I always check on the osprey nest way out in centre field first.
They're here, they're here!!

Last year I didn't see the osprey couple back on their nest until April 27! I am going to take this as a sign of nothing but good weather to come...Welcome Back! They have flown a long way - from southern U.S., Mexico or Central America. As I watched the Mister flew off towards the river looking for some fresh fish!

I looked for signs of life as I walked and I wasn't disappointed.

Right across the path from this giant hole was another hole - I guess hibernation season is over and everyone is out enjoying the sunshine! Yippee!!

There is nothing so luscious  as buds getting ready to blossom...


One of many trees that have fallen across the path since I was here just a few days ago. I couldn't get under it or over it so had to go around it.

Some fresh deer tracks...I am sooooo looking forward to seeing the many white-tailed deer that thrive in this environmentally remarkable area...

The flooding was more extensive than I thought! The Thames usually flows quietly but not today - it was loud and full of energy.

The path here isn't usually so close to the river!

Uh oh - I've got to get to higher ground - the trail is submerged.

This is usually a nice dry meadow - today it's a good-sized pond.


See my path? It continues on the other side of this new tributary! I'll have to turn back and find another way to get to the trail. We call this "bushwhacking!"

I have completed one loop so will check on the osprey from another angle. There's mama!


Now we're moving into another part of the forest.


Just as I realized I was in prime "deer country" I looked up from the path and encountered...
DEER! There were two females to begin with. They knew I was there, though I was in behind some branches...




Gradually they wandered from an open area into the midst of some trees. I followed behind, slowly and quietly.

After a few minutes I could hear them running and just a few feet in front of me 2 groups of 3 deer and 1 group of 2 leaped and ran out of the trees. They continued to leap 6' into the air as they ran to another wooded area. I didn't have a chance to record a video but my heart soared with them as they ran so gracefully. No babies out in the open yet.


 Tiny violets are blossoming...

The bridge needs a bridge to get to it!

I could hear a woodpecker close by and managed to get a couple of photos...

...of a beautiful red-bellied woodpecker.

As I headed back to the parking lot I took one last photo of Mrs. Osprey. It'll be a long time until I see the babies. They incubate for 36-42 days and the nestling period lasts from 50 - 55 days. There are 1 to 4 eggs in a clutch and they have just the one brood. They hatch over a number of days giving the first born the advantage when it comes to feeding. Taking the mid-range of those figures plus the fact that they arrived in the past few days (I checked the nest less than a week ago) so I'll put their arrival date as April 5th...that would make the nestlings "mature" around July 4th - Independence Day!!! How apt!

I hope the sub is shining on you today, wherever you are!! And here's to another 1200 posts!

Friday, April 7, 2017

Foto Friday

When I went to bed last night I made the mistake of looking out my windows - woops! There was a layer of white stuff on everything! Yuck! It's all gone now but it made me wonder what the weather was like one year ago.

These photos cover this week, one year ago. There was a tiny bit of snow on the trout lilies...

and weenies and burgers on my brother's BBQ!

My sister and brother-in-law were visiting from PEI!

There I am...

 In addition to the trout lilies blooming the blood root was up.

The trails at Kilally were dry and the sky was blue...

Lots of limbs were down...

blossoms were unfolding...

moss was glowing...

and an odd looking landscape was revealing itself.

Although it is nippy and very windy here today the snow is gone and the temperatures are supposed to rise to 20c by Monday. That will bring the spring flowers on and will take me to the forest!

Here's what I saw a week ago in the forest:

I love skunk cabbage when it first appears...

It is so gloriously green...

and when you look straight down at it it looks like giant green roses.



Ivy and other ground cover is springing back to life...

 and my first glimpse of forest wildflowers is the lovely bright coltsfoot! I was so happy to see it!


...and the pussy willow trees were a welcome sight...



...wild garlic everywhere! So fragrant!


I checked the osprey nest but nothing to see there yet...it won't be long. You may remember that last May I went to the forest for 30 days in a row and recorded what I saw. I plan to do that again this year as volleyball ends at the end of April so I can go back to my forest wanderings.

I have seen (mostly heard) lots of birds but no much animal life yet. I can't wait to see the white-tailed deer and their new flock of young ones. Last year I was lucky enough to see the buck a few times.

Today is BLOG POST 1199!! I'll have to come up with something really great for Post 1200! Something wise and pithy (love that word)! Wait and see... (I really have no idea yet!) Maybe something from the forest!!

Have a good weekend everyone!