2nd week in Edmonton

The first week was beautiful; sunny and warm. The second week it turned cold, grey and rainy, which matched my health. I developed a persistent cough that kept me up at night and tired and frustrated through the day. I usually get sick when I come for these visits but can lay the blame firmly on the grand children as one, or all, of them are usually experiencing a "bug" of some kind. They are all fabulously healthy this time so no idea where I caught it.

Life goes on ....lemon muffins and lemon curd.

Mike and I went and got free compost

and free mulch, even though Amazon hasn't delivered his raised bed yet.

The "walk" to a park actually had Avery on a scooter and Maya on roller blades.

This park

was on a bit of a hill overlooking the river valley that contains the commercial area of the town.

River had daily facials.. yogurt,

brownie.....

Most of the seeds we planted last week have germinated. Lots of salad greens in their future.

A break in the rain and we went for another walk. This is a huge off-leash park where Iggy enjoyed some fun running with the big dogs.

Its about a 15 min walk to the stocked lake

Mike plans to bring the kids fishing.

When I was on the Recreation Committee in Paris I found it very frustrating that the council had allowed developers to buy their way out of providing green space in each development. Here there is a park in each little neighbourhood with a large green space, trees and play equipment. Our walk to the fishing lake involved stopping at 3!

Guest photographers:

Nic and Dave's new system to drip irrigate the raised beds. (photo by Nicola)

Rick and his daughter, Jen, took Spellbound out and successfully flew the Spinnaker, in preparation for racing season that starts next week. (photo by Rick)

Annual spring Edmonton visit

 Aimee, Mike, Avery, Maya and River moved last year from Edmonton to St. Albert (very close) and had just moved in when I visited last December (there was much painting!). This is my first spring visit to this new house and new community and Mike is anxious to show me around.

The community is entirely linked with bike paths. They join the various neighbourhoods and parkland. I used Aimee's bike for the ride to the library downtown.

Past a reminder of the areas economic heritage

and over the river to downtown.

Mushy bananas necessitate banana/cocoa/chocolate chip muffins. A Nana tradition.

Lovely spring weather means a start to vegetable gardening. Salad greens up on the deck. Mike has ordered a raised bed for the rest. He has already planted 4 fruit trees and 4 raspberry plants.

River hanging out on the deck

and providing a badminton obstacle.

After dinner trips to the park involve River on the swing (she loves to "fly"), sand angels, burying feet in the sand, mad games of chase and

three on the slide.

After a fascinating night of Northern Lights, the air quality dropped, due to smoke from forest fires and we had to stay inside for a couple of days.

The wind changed direction, the air cleared and Mike and I biked to a nearby lake.

Ducks, swallows

and the first Muskrat of the season.

Guest photographers:

Cigi sporting her cat jacket (a gift from Rasta in thanks for her gentle pets this winter) Photo by Chris or Jason.

Andromeda Galaxy. Photo by Rick.

A busy day in Pakenham

 Nicola and I have driven to Pakenham for a quick visit with Mark and Emma. An abysmal weather forecast was replaced by a lovely sunny drive through emerging spring scenery on Friday. Saturday started with pancakes and fruit (great way to start a day) and then we were off....

First a walk up the road, 5 of us (Mark's friend Mike was also visiting) and 2 dogs

Not much leaf canopy yet and the spring wildflowers were popping.

Wild Columbine is not yet in flower.

Beaver dam and lodge at the first pond

Second pond. The walk entailed a couple of good hills and about 6,000 steps. Good exercise start.

We all piled into one car and drove to Nature's Apprentice organic farm where Emma volunteers during the summer.

He grows and sells mostly salad greens, that's what growing in the poli-tunnels and outside. Later, tomatoes will grow up the ropes.

One of Emma's jobs is washing the salad greens. They go in the black tub full of water and a shop vac. creates bubbles to wash them. They then go into the spinners to get rid of the water and Emma packages them in plastic bags for sale or the farm share.

He also keeps chickens.

Then we visited the woman who will be my roommate on the Thailand trip and admired her country property and barn. Lunch and an urban hike in Almonte rounded out the day trip. A hot tub was very welcome. (Ceramic fox in their garden)

Pottery birdhouse made by Emma.

It is now Sunday and a grey, rainy day so Nic and I are

are hanging out with the dogs in the Solarium while

watching the birds and

Mark and Mike in the shop, working on

a mantle for my fireplace.

 

And now for something completely different:

Rick's most recent photo of the Orion Nebula.

Spring garden and launch

 I want to try and keep the fitness level I achieved in Crete, walking up those stairs, so I want to walk up and down the bank to the lake more often.

To that end....2 new chairs for the bottom deck.

Rick put them together for me and now there is no reason not to have breakfast on the lakeside deck.

Veggies and flowers are peaking out of the soil in the "nursery bed"

and the cold frame. At the front, some chard that wintered over and I am already using in my smoothies.

At the front of the house

I am happy with my

spring garden.

Though the grass is growing like crazy and I have cut it twice already.

While sitting on the front porch I noticed this sparrow with a pronounced white ruff. He seemed a bit different from the other ones. I always have a huge flock nesting in the cedar hedge and partaking of the bird feeders.

Heather and Don gave me the Peterson a long time ago and the Sibley used to be Dads. It is what I have seen the staff at the banding station use. Sibley noted that a Eurasian Tree Sparrow has a white ruff but also has a smaller black bib that the House Sparrow and a dark patch on the cheek. I guess he is just a common or garden House Sparrow

I also have Goldfinches and these. I never know if they are Purple Finches or House Finches. Back to the Sibley. This is a House Finch as it has the brown stripes on its sides and belly. I do also have Purple Finches that don't have the striping.

At this point I have Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees, White Capped Sparrows, Grackles, Red Winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Robins, Mourning Doves and this lousy picture is of the first Grosbeak (on April 28). The first Hummingbird, a little female, came to the feeder today, May 2.

Sparrows have claimed 2 of the bird houses but these Tree Swallows are checking out this one.

I have repeatedly pulled nesting material off my porch light. It is just too close to my front door which would not be conducive to raising a family (for me or the bird). But Dan, next door doesn't use his front door and a Robin has taken up residence.

The Chipmunk is living under the generator again this year and there is constant Squirrel drama around the feeders (Grey, Black and Red Squirrels)

Wednesday was launch day for Spellbound. The lift picked her up of the cradle,

carried her to the water

and dropped her in.

With the help of a crane the mast was raised and she was headed for her slip for the summer. Rick is planning to race her this year so there are some rigging adjustments and some additional hardware to be installed. He will have lots of chores to do before the practice race at the end of the month.

Welcoming Committee.