I am enjoying computer problems! When I took the tower out I discovered it was manufactured on 2006. Could that be the problem? It doesn't want to start up when I put it on sleep. Getting it started seems to take a long reboot.
I'm reading some blogs but I'm not getting at comments. I'm busy with a few things as well as computer shopping.
So I won't be around too much.
I hope to get things back to normal quickly, but that might not happen.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
I FOUND A SURPRISE ON HIAWATHA HOUSE
I follow Mr Pudding on Yorkshire Pudding. Lately Mr Pudding has been reflecting on how much repetition is on his blog. He said that there's a link at the top left hand side of the page and you could easily find old blogs .
Well, I just had to try it. I put in schools since I was a teacher for 37 years and had written about schools. bingo. I found all the posts on schools. First, too many of them started out with"I was a teacher for 37 years"
One post caught my eye. It contained a poem I had written and I'd forgotten all about it. It was a poem meant to go along with the placing of a marker for the school building that had been closed long ago.
Now, I went to the school for nine years and this blog takes it's name from the school.
So here's the poem I'd forgotten about. The names are of the people who lived in the area
Well, I just had to try it. I put in schools since I was a teacher for 37 years and had written about schools. bingo. I found all the posts on schools. First, too many of them started out with"I was a teacher for 37 years"
One post caught my eye. It contained a poem I had written and I'd forgotten all about it. It was a poem meant to go along with the placing of a marker for the school building that had been closed long ago.
Now, I went to the school for nine years and this blog takes it's name from the school.
So here's the poem I'd forgotten about. The names are of the people who lived in the area
Saturday, June 10, 2017
I THINK I FINALLY CAUGHT YA!
Starting early in the year...February, March , people start showing what is in their gardens. They are very ready to show off lilacs,peonies, bleeding hearts, daffodils, tulips...and many more. Now from my perspective, I enjoy the photos of spring flowers. In February , March I still have serious snow and frigid temperatures. It will be a long time until things start to turn green and longer yet until things bloom.
Well, I finally caught up to ya! Yes, I may be last but I still get to post photos and brag...if anybody's listening.
I keep telling people that our plants develop rapidly once we get the long days. The sun rose at 5:14 this morning and sets at 9:55 tonight so that means we get 16 hours an 41 minutes of sunlight. That's a lot of time for plants to make chlorophyll.
My lilac has a purple tinge to it rather than a pale pink.
we had another windstorm so many of the lilac petals have been blown off providing me with some lilac carpeting.
I like irises.
Now the light wasn't difficult here but the photographer failed to notice the situation.
I have some showy peonies.
Well, I finally caught up to ya! Yes, I may be last but I still get to post photos and brag...if anybody's listening.
I keep telling people that our plants develop rapidly once we get the long days. The sun rose at 5:14 this morning and sets at 9:55 tonight so that means we get 16 hours an 41 minutes of sunlight. That's a lot of time for plants to make chlorophyll.
My lilac has a purple tinge to it rather than a pale pink.
we had another windstorm so many of the lilac petals have been blown off providing me with some lilac carpeting.
I like irises.
I have some showy peonies.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
WHAT CAN I SAY?
I admit that the topic well has been a little dry this last while. I've had other things on my mind. I tend to have topics arrive when I'm busy with something else. I make a list. Lately my mind has been taken up with other things and I don't come up with topics.
Well, there are a couple of things on my mind... Trump and terrorism. I don't put the two topics together. However, I'm not sure what to say about either of these topics so it's hard to write about them.
I'll start with Trump. I do not agree with his agenda. I find his personality most unlikeable. Trump is completely unreliable. Now I'd like to comment on these issues and more but I can't. Why? There is no reliable information. Fake news! False news. Now it's not only Trump who plays fast and loose with the truth. The other guys bend things out of proportion. Who ya gonna believe? I like to be able to discuss and have more than reasonable assurance that the information I have is accurate.
So we sit here listening to all the various side shows and meanwhile nothing of substance takes place.
How can one address an issue when accurate information is not available?
Terrorism has rocked our world too many times in the recent past. It's okay for me to sit smugly in a very safe location. There seems to be many ways to react to terrorism. Like the British..keep a stiff upper lip. We'll beat the terrorists. What makes a terrorist? Is anybody responsible for causing people to be terrorists? We have all kinds of people wringing their hands and talking about terrorism. What can they do? It seems like all that is done is talk.
So there are topics that are important. Discussion must take place if improvements are to be made. For the Trump presidency to accomplish anything , people have to begin talking to each other. Playing politics 100% of the time gets nothing done. It doesn't even get you elected all the time. Terrorists build up tremendous hate so that they will kill innocent people. Once the terror is committed the law takes control. Before there is terror some good dialog may help. Keeping separate and yelling at each other does no good.
I wish I knew what to say that would do any good. I'm sure there are many others who wish something could be said to bring about positive change.
Well, there are a couple of things on my mind... Trump and terrorism. I don't put the two topics together. However, I'm not sure what to say about either of these topics so it's hard to write about them.
I'll start with Trump. I do not agree with his agenda. I find his personality most unlikeable. Trump is completely unreliable. Now I'd like to comment on these issues and more but I can't. Why? There is no reliable information. Fake news! False news. Now it's not only Trump who plays fast and loose with the truth. The other guys bend things out of proportion. Who ya gonna believe? I like to be able to discuss and have more than reasonable assurance that the information I have is accurate.
So we sit here listening to all the various side shows and meanwhile nothing of substance takes place.
How can one address an issue when accurate information is not available?
Terrorism has rocked our world too many times in the recent past. It's okay for me to sit smugly in a very safe location. There seems to be many ways to react to terrorism. Like the British..keep a stiff upper lip. We'll beat the terrorists. What makes a terrorist? Is anybody responsible for causing people to be terrorists? We have all kinds of people wringing their hands and talking about terrorism. What can they do? It seems like all that is done is talk.
So there are topics that are important. Discussion must take place if improvements are to be made. For the Trump presidency to accomplish anything , people have to begin talking to each other. Playing politics 100% of the time gets nothing done. It doesn't even get you elected all the time. Terrorists build up tremendous hate so that they will kill innocent people. Once the terror is committed the law takes control. Before there is terror some good dialog may help. Keeping separate and yelling at each other does no good.
I wish I knew what to say that would do any good. I'm sure there are many others who wish something could be said to bring about positive change.
Monday, June 5, 2017
THE CHICKADEES LOST THE WAR
I've had a small nest box in my backyard for years. I think this may be the third or fourth rendition of the box. It's a small box suited to small birds. The entrance is high up in the box and is a small diameter to let in only little birds.
Over the years I've had many residents that have raised families. It's fascinating to first watch for nest competition , nest building, egg incubation, young birds and then leaving the nest. I've had Red breasted nuthatches, Tree swallows, Black-capped chickadees, Boreal chickadees and House sparrows. Several nests were abandoned.
Now bout a week ago I noticed a small gray bird quickly enter and leave the box. It was so fast I couldn't identify the bird. I have no idea how long the birds were at the nest before I saw them. After a few days I could see that they were Boreal chickadees. Great! I get a bird family this summer.
Well, not so fast Red. Today house sparrows showed up. Actually quite a few House sparrows were at the nest. Then I noted House sparrows carrying nest material to the box. So the Boreal chickadees had to abandon their new nest.
It's sad to see bird's nests be destroyed . but I realize it is the order of the day in the wild. However, I will harass those dirty rotten House sparrows so that they will wish they'd never met me.
A great photo of a boreal chickadee by Angela Maclean
Over the years I've had many residents that have raised families. It's fascinating to first watch for nest competition , nest building, egg incubation, young birds and then leaving the nest. I've had Red breasted nuthatches, Tree swallows, Black-capped chickadees, Boreal chickadees and House sparrows. Several nests were abandoned.
Now bout a week ago I noticed a small gray bird quickly enter and leave the box. It was so fast I couldn't identify the bird. I have no idea how long the birds were at the nest before I saw them. After a few days I could see that they were Boreal chickadees. Great! I get a bird family this summer.
Well, not so fast Red. Today house sparrows showed up. Actually quite a few House sparrows were at the nest. Then I noted House sparrows carrying nest material to the box. So the Boreal chickadees had to abandon their new nest.
It's sad to see bird's nests be destroyed . but I realize it is the order of the day in the wild. However, I will harass those dirty rotten House sparrows so that they will wish they'd never met me.
A great photo of a boreal chickadee by Angela Maclean
Thursday, June 1, 2017
BUSY BEAVERS
Last summer I enjoyed a large beaver pond. I usually road my bike by this pond and visited with many others who had the same idea I had. There were always many things going on at the pond. There were quite a few duck species and Canada geese. The Red-wing blackbirds thought this was a good place for them. There were sparrows, swallows, woodpeckers, warblers and chickadees. The Great blue heron was a special treat.
The beavers had worked hard on their dam and cut down many trees to store for winter food.
The first time I went back this spring to check on the pond, I was most disappointed. the pond was no more and the stream ran in it's original banks.
Well, the beavers didn't move very far. they found another place about 500m further down with luscious young poplar trees which were right beside the bank.
They have also been working to control the water in the stream. They have built at least three small dams that I can see. They are going to get into trouble with one of their dams as it's under a footbridge.
The beavers had worked hard on their dam and cut down many trees to store for winter food.
The first time I went back this spring to check on the pond, I was most disappointed. the pond was no more and the stream ran in it's original banks.
Well, the beavers didn't move very far. they found another place about 500m further down with luscious young poplar trees which were right beside the bank.
They have also been working to control the water in the stream. They have built at least three small dams that I can see. They are going to get into trouble with one of their dams as it's under a footbridge.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
WIND STORM
A week ago we had a wind storm and some rain with it. The wind blew all day but the highest winds were from 4:00PM to 6:00 PM. We had gusts up to 100kph which for this location is a very strong wind.
Needless to say there was damage. There was little damage to structures but trees suffered a lot of damage. Some trees blew down in the residential areas. The dumb trees chose power lines to fall on. As a result, there were some power outages.
Out in the bush the story was different. Quite a few trees went down. Trees with some defects in the trunk broke off above the ground. Some trees were completely uprooted. It's amazing how large the root balls can be. The spruce seemed to suffer more damage but many poplars blew down as well.
This is the worst wind storm I've seen since I moved here in 1969. There was a windstorm in 1978 that took the tops off many spruce trees.
The city has worked hard to clean things up. First, they made sure that the roads were cleared. Then they cleaned off paved paths and then shale and gravel paths. Later on they will come back and haul away the debris.
Needless to say there was damage. There was little damage to structures but trees suffered a lot of damage. Some trees blew down in the residential areas. The dumb trees chose power lines to fall on. As a result, there were some power outages.
Out in the bush the story was different. Quite a few trees went down. Trees with some defects in the trunk broke off above the ground. Some trees were completely uprooted. It's amazing how large the root balls can be. The spruce seemed to suffer more damage but many poplars blew down as well.
This is the worst wind storm I've seen since I moved here in 1969. There was a windstorm in 1978 that took the tops off many spruce trees.
The city has worked hard to clean things up. First, they made sure that the roads were cleared. Then they cleaned off paved paths and then shale and gravel paths. Later on they will come back and haul away the debris.
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