Where to Start

It has been awhile, I won't bore you with why other than not much seemed to be happening and/or I wasn't motivated to write.

Late march had us travelling to Vancouver Island and Calgary visiting family and friends. Pat's sister tells us it had been 7 years since we were there, it was time.
It was wonderful visiting and enjoying the green that the island offered.  Saskatchewan is pretty brown and ugly at the end of March.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so critical of the brown, last year at that time we still had large snow drifts.

We had Carmen's dog Teddy with us for most of April.  Once he settled in, he was a happy man.

He was introduced to the thrill of running while Pat rode.  That fat tire bike goes just about anywhere, so man, dog and bike were everywhere.  After the morning ride Teddy spent the rest of the day lounging on the grass resting for the evening walk.

We have a pair of Eastern Phoebes that return each year.  One day last week we watched the female trying to start her nest on a very small corner of a post.
Pat increased the floor space for her and we had the pleasure of watching her construct her nest taking that day and part of the next.
It is under the overhang as you go out the front door.  It is where we come and go so I hope that will not be a problem.
We might have to consider using the veranda entrance for awhile.

The process started with mud and small fine flexible twigs.  Then we started to see the introduction of grass and some moss, still using mud to hold it together.  It is hard to describe but as she added bits she would vibrate her head and beak working each addition into the structure.  As it came close to completion she would use her body wiggling and fluttering a bit to get it to conform to the shape she wanted.
It has turned cold again and we do not see any evidence of eggs.  We wonder if the cold has delayed the laying or is our coming and going keeping her off the nest.
She is still around, we here the almost constant "phoebeee" that is their call.
Should we be wondering what 5 or 6 phoebes all "phoebeeeing at the same time will be like? 

It is a planting day today so I will devote a post to that shortly.
We have tried a different way of preparing a couple of planting areas.It is called hugelkultur. If you are interested they describe it and show you how to do it on a variety of websites.
I will also have a finished bathroom to show you in a future post.

The crocus flowers are seed heads now but for those who didn't get to see a hillside sea of crocuses here they are.  It is glorious.

City Mouse 56 Years, Country Mouse 1 Year

April 21st marks our one year anniversary.  It has been busy year and as with most years at this time in our lives it has zoomed by.
I love living in the country. We are living within nature, much more aware and apart of it.  We live  surrounded by fields and trees.  Sunrise and sunset are a part of everyday life as is the flora and fauna. I step out the door and walk into the forest and the fields.

It is safe to say we are settling in.  A trip to Saskatoon every 4-6 weeks gives us enough contact with family and friends that we are not missing them so much.
The internet and telephone take care of contact between visits.

Having gone on about the beauty of the country, I must say it has become a truly ugly day.  Rain, wind driving the rain and about 5˚C.  We were out for a short walk this morning, we knew the rain was coming and I wanted to get a crocus picture for you.

Take note of the hairs on the crocus. They are bent almost completely backwards in the wind that is roaring down the ravine.  The crocuses are about 4" high at best.  If the sun would shine I know they wouldn't be so afraid to stick their heads a little higher above ground.
Earlier in the week I was out for a walk and picked a few pussy willows as well.  Now I did not have pruners with me so chose smaller branches but they to seem to be stunted and are also waiting for some sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Pat spent a number of hours last fall moving soil and changing where the runoff from the snowbanks will go.  It was a happy day when they started to melt and the water went behind the garage and then down into the ravine.  Last year it went across the driveway in front of the garage.
We still have runoff and road issues but that is another day's problem and post.  In this picture you can see the little river coming from behind the garage and gurgling it's way down the hill.

We had all our children, grandchildren and their dogs visiting over Easter weekend.  We built snow forts, slid down big snowbanks, flew kites and admired the very early crocuses all in the same weekend.
Pat's mom, a couple of his siblings and their families joined us for Easter dinner.It was just warm enough that we ate on the veranda.  A wonderful day.

One last photo, a Nana's prerogative.