Nelson Street West

We have had 3 or 4 actually warm days this spring, and one day nearly two weeks ago I did get out for a ride down Nelson St. West, one of my common rides.  Now I've just realized that Blogger has uploaded my pictures in reverse order though, so I'm just going to live with that and we'll start half-way through the ride and work backwards!

This house I've always admired through the leaves is now up for sale, and this time of year is the best for getting a picture.  It's one of those old farmhouse style homes that I've written about previously, but frame construction rather than red brick.  Look at that tiny verandah and railing on the left of the upper story - classic Victorian architecture.

One of the homes I always take notice of has a front yard decorated with various bits and bobs.  I like this plant at the foot of an old stump.

This spring she has added this bright pink ribbon to the fence,

and this pair of plasticized skates to her exterior decor.

You know how I like trees; they're one of the main things I can watch turn green every year (apart from watching the grass grow).  But trees are all so different.  This is a Silver Maple at the end of my street, its buds swelling and bud scales littering the road.

A Locust tree and a White Birch with its catkins. 

And this is the Norway Maple in our own backyard; it's actually showing a little green before any other tree.  I'll be bringing you lots more tree pictures as spring unfolds.  And I hope to get outside over the next couple of days which are forecast to be much warmer than today (we actually have a few white flakes blowing around) so maybe I'll get some more photos.

Fox!

This morning we watched a fox out in the middle of the golf course.  Probably the best look at a fox we've ever had.  It was a long way away, but I used my Nikon with the 200 mm zoom, and was later able to crop the pictures dramatically, giving a good view of the fox.  Looked healthy too.

Can you spot it, right in the middle of the picture but looking away from us and crouched down, possibly eating something? It stayed there for several minutes.

Mrs. F.G. had actually spotted another fox along the edge of the trees, which I just glimpsed as it disappeared in the ravine.  This is a second one, suggesting to us that there's a pair with a den nearby.

It started walking west, perhaps seeking meadow voles in the long grass and weeds.

For a moment it glanced to the south, giving me my best picture.

Then it just sat down again.  We were enjoying watching it and it appeared to be enjoying the sun (even though it's really cold out there!)

But then it turned to go, just glancing back once.

It headed down for the ravine, not apparently disturbed by anything.

And it only stopped once behind the maple tree, before disappearing down toward the ravine.

Foxes are among the most adaptable of creatures, living in the urban environment quite comfortably, though their diet may shift towards junk food!  Here the golf course back onto countryside fields and two woodlots.  Through Meaford runs the steep slope of the ancient glacial Lake Nipissing shoreline, and the relatively wild valley of the Bighead River comes right into town.  So it's not surprising to see foxes living here successfully.  I just hope we see them more often!

The Front Garden

We have a small circle of garden around our White Birch trees in the front yard where Mrs. F.G. has planted Hyacinths and Daffodils.  They're both in bloom right now, and other things are coming along - even though we're in the midst of a two-day cold snap with a high of only 2°C today!  And maybe a few flakes of the white stuff tomorrow.

It's looking quite pretty at the moment.

The most luxuriant of the blue Hyacinths were brought in for a small kitchen bouquet for me.

The Daffodils were a day or two later to bloom, but they seem to be the spring flower of choice around the neighbourhood.

At least two of our small Hostas are coming up nicely in our tiny front scree garden, but I'm afraid we may have lost some over the winter.  I'm sure we used to have eight here.

And out back our Forsythia has been in bloom for a week or more.  It's always nice to watch for the first few flowers of spring!

The Roving Photographer

Some time ago I introduced an old friend who would occasionally contribute as a roving photographer.  He owns a property down in the valley which is rapidly growing back into forest, except for the paths he keeps mowed and now two small orchards.  Recently they have built an improved small barn for his tractor.  He and I have walked this property many times, and his photos this time tell the story of a walk through the property so I can follow along, having been there.

It starts off overlooking a small but steep ravine where a small stream drains down.

That stream emerges into a small wetland where it spreads into different channels.  This will be 6 feet deep in cattails later in the season.

After that his walk takes us out into a flat clearing where his sons have now planted 30 apple trees, forming a second orchard.  It will be interesting to see how this grows.

Beyond this a mowed trail takes us down toward the river, past some of his planted pines, beside his neighbour's open field.

The boys created an open clearing among the rapidly regrowing White Ash where they camped with their Scout mates a few times.

Returning we cross a small channel of the Beaver River which may well dry up in later summer.  The white box is a water supply for watering the new apple trees if it gets dry in late summer.  Tender loving care in the first year or two makes a huge difference.

Crossing the new small orchard, we climb a small ridge where there was a fox den for a time.

And emerge onto the area where the old orchard is.  Along the sloping edge the boys have planted some extra trees for wildlife.

And reach the old orchard.  My sidekick's walk was in the early morning, so the sun isn't over the pine trees yet.

There's a tractor trail south from here back toward the barn.

But it dips down through a low wet area where Sidekick and I have tromped around several times trying to find a dry way through for the tractor.

And finally back to the new barn, a huge step up from the old nearly falling down garage.  They included a loft with windows because his wife does furniture refinishing.  I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this walk, though I might not have dragged myself up so early to do it!

Getting Those Vaccinations!

 Friday afternoon we headed to Collingwood to get our Covid vaccinations.  I must admit that we're not among those for whom this has been a smooth process!  It was a nightmare trying to sort out the online and phone routes to do this and finally get an appointment.  Meanwhile numerous neighbours and others who we knew seemed to get theirs more easily.  And we did think that there should have been some allowance for high risk patients like myself, but age seems to be the only criterion.

Never-the-less, we did finally get appointments and headed for Collingwood, passing beneath the slopes of Blue Mountain.  Here the slopes of 'The Peaks' are still showing patches of snow, the clouds low over the mountain.

Our appointments were at a drive-in clinic in a large parking lot.  So we waited in line with the others, got our paperwork checked and drove through the tent, rolled down our windows and felt that pinprick in your arm.  Out to park for 15 minutes (they timed you), and back home.  So all in all this part of it was relatively efficient.

We had received a detailed email and screening form a few days before, so we were all prepared, and we did receive a 'receipt' after by email, telling us exactly which vaccine was administered.  Mrs. F.G. being a former nurse, who gave many vaccinations in her career at the university, filled me in on all my questions.  Among other things I learned the difference between 'reactions' (serious allergic reactions) and 'side-effects' (like a sore arm or tiredness for a day or two).  We have had neither.

I've also learned a lot about vaccinations in general over my life with Mrs. F.G. Working in a university clinic she gave a great many travel vaccinations, certain of which numerous countries in the world require.  The idea of a vaccination passport is nothing new, you require proof to enter these countries. You also need certain vaccinations for various professions in Ontario.  For several years Mrs. F.G. was in charge of the rabies vaccination program for the Ontario Veterinary College, the students had no choice if they wanted to be in the program.

Here in Ontario students entering both kindergarten and high school require 9 different vaccinations in order to attend school.  I remember getting most of these - measles, mumps, polio, chicken pox, whooping cough and diptheria are the ones I remember.  Given my age I may also have received a smallpox vaccine; smallpox is now considered eradicated in North America.  You can apply for an exemption on either medical or religious grounds, but in the latter case you must first attend a vaccination education program.  Very few exemptions are allowed, the risk to the rest of us is too great.

I'm getting used to the highway between here and Collingwood, and though the vast majority of this stretch of Georgian Bay is given over to out-of-sight private cottages, there's a very short stretch of shoreline at Craigleith that/s right beside the highway.

By this time it was raining, a fine mist, and it was certainly quite chilly.  We felt for those staff out in the parking lot running the vaccination clinic.  But we had picked up a hot chocolate and donut (a rare treat), and it was very good.

I had a House Finch come and visit, right below my window.  This is an iphone picture, slightly cropped.  Not clear enough for me.  But I got a photo on my big camera too, so I'll get around to posting it soon.

I've started reading the Harry Potter books!  There's been a bit of a Covid crisis here in Grey Bruce, the result of a big bush party + Easer weekend.  The regional public health office declared a 48 hour stay-at-home order and our library has even closed its drop-off/pick-up service.  Yesterday I finished the last book I had checked out and asked Mrs. F.G. to bring up an old mystery book for me from the basement where my vast collection of books sits.  She did, but she also brought up the first book in the Harry Potter series and suggested I try it.  I've read the first 20 pages and I'm hooked!

Maybe a little bit of fantasy will take my mind off the poor management of the Covid crisis here in Ontario just now!  We're now being compared to Italy or New York city at their worst a year ago.  And don't let me get started on the politics of it!

The garden

I thought I'd better share an update on our garden with you before it gets too far along.  It's almost more interesting to watch the new plants emerging than to simply see the flowers once they're in bloom.  That's especially true for us this year, since this is the first year of having this garden, and many of the plants were newly planted just last fall - especially a lot of Day Lilies and Peonies.

But a couple of flowers are already in bloom, and they're both very pretty.  This is Scilla, a new flower for me so I looked it up.  It's variously known as Scilla, Squills, Bluets, or Bluebells, and there are many varieties, but they're all a beautiful splash of blue in early spring, and they spread very easily, almost invasively.

There's a beautiful royal blue Dwarf Iris out too.  Those out front in full sun bloomed too weeks ago, but this one in the shade is only blooming now.

It was a working day in the garden and the shed door was open.  Our occasional garden helper was there to help Mrs. F.G. with the heavier tasks, and I got down off the deck to supervise.  I was anxious to see all the new plants coming up.

These are just two new Peonies of five.  We're waiting to see what the blooms look like, having had lots of Peonies in the past.

These are three Allium; they sure come up fast in the spring.

A new Rose bush, ...

and our Magnolia.  It should be in bloom shortly.  We're in the middle of some cooler wetter days now, so it'll be awhile before I'm out on the deck again, but I really look forward to seeing the results of this backyard transformation.  This afternoon I'm recording a presentation on 'Spring Wildflowers in the Beaver Valley'.  Looking forward to it.  I'll be posting a link when it's ready in early May.