Friday, May 28, 2021

rhubarb . . .

 

  


I made some 'rhubarb vanilla bean jelly' and it is absolutely delicious!!  Sadly, the vanilla seeds are not showing very well in this photo - if I had a third hand I would have held a jar up to the window for light so you could see the seeds.    I used this recipe and can tell you it is foolproof - ask me how I know.    It would be so tasty on vanilla ice cream and is actually quite tasty on a spoon.  ^^

Today we got our second jab for Covid.  My arm is sore just like it was with the first jab - it's a small price to pay for the protection.

We've been watching 'Mare of Easttown' and it is fabulous!!  Another one that I'm enjoying is 'Whitstable Pearl'.


you learn a lot by being silent




Friday, May 21, 2021

by the river . . .

  Finally we were able to stay overnight at the cabin - we have been making day trips but it was wonderful to actually spend the night.  The evenings and early mornings are the best time of the day there.  One evening we watched an Osprey fishing.  It was perched atop a neighbour's dead spruce tree and would suddenly make a dive and there'd be a big splash!!  Once it stayed a long time in the water which had us concerned but all was well - perhaps it was enjoying it's catch.  ^^

There have been dozens of pelicans on the river - usually there are just a few.  This year it is so dry that the river they usually inhabit is a mere trickle so I guess they migrated to our river.  The river is low and the big rocks are showing - the pelicans seem to enjoy standing on them.  


 Blue Heron is enjoying our shoreline again - it is so gorgeous although it sounds prehistoric when it 'speaks'.  It is quite shy. 


 


The chipmunks are back - one has a long tail and the other a shortened tail.  I'm sure there is an interesting story behind the shortened tail but they're not sharing it.


The birds haven't been as plentiful as usual but then there is nothing 'usual' about this year - seems like everything is screwed up.  The Goldfinches, Evening Grosbeaks and Purple Finches have been around along with the less colourful birds.  Blue Jay remembered to ask for peanuts, Crow knew to look for treats and a Baltimore Oriole visited - he is so beautiful!  Hummingbirds, male and female, have returned and put on a wonderful show!


 

 Although I've been absent from posting I have been reading blog posts.  I have not done much needlework but have read a lot of books.  In April we decided to move (again). We were not enjoying the current place and my fella was especially unhappy there - with good reason.  So, we moved back to a small community that we lived in a few years ago whilst we waited for the condo to be completed - it was apartment style with an outside door to the patio and an inside door to the central hall that led to the shared garage, etc.  Our new place is also a condo but each is like a separate house so we have our own garage, our own front and back doors that open to the outdoors.  It's nice for my fella to have his own garage so he can putter about if he wishes.  We also have a covered patio which is a treat.  This one has a very  nice layout that is comfortable and a superb kitchen. 

This is our first long weekend of the summer.  It is quite cool and wet.  I daresay no one is complaining about the rain although warmer temps. would be nice.  It is extremely dry in our province with several forest/bush/grass fires burning.  The rain is a blessing.  We talked to one lady this morning who was ecstatic about the rain - they raise cattle and were still feeding them but with this rain they'd be able to release them to the pasture to feed.  

This Buddha quote made me stop and think and I'm still thinking about it. . .

what you think, you become

what you feel, you attract

what you imagine, you create.