A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT MY BLOG

Well, here it is Canada Day week-end already.  This summer is certainly slipping away.  Before we know it, it will be the Labor Day Week-End, Thanksgiving, and then good grief it will be Christmas again.  Oh well, at least after Christmas we will all be looking forward to Spring again and the May 24th week-end.  We gotta stay positive eh:))

A FROG'S EYE

 A NEWLY PLANTED BEANFIELD

 BY GOLLY I THINK THERE IS A SHEEP OUT THERE

 CORNS UP ABOUT FOUR FEET NOW

I had to take our hanging birdfeeder down again.  No, not because of the Grackles this time.  It was because of a sly and cunning predator!!  I knew a month or so ago we had a dozen or more frogs in our front yard frog pond and they were quite tame and didn't panic when we walked by.  We also had maybe half a dozen friendly little chipmunks scurrying about as well.  I always made it a point to feed the chipmunks birdseed.  But then, this past couple of weeks or so I'd noticed we were seeing fewer frogs and chipmunks.  It was about a month and a half ago I first saw a nice looking black and white cat hanging around our yard.  It was leery of me but liked hanging around underneath our Rhododendron plant directly in front of our sunroom.  Often times walking by that plant the kitty cat would run out from under the Rhododendron.  I didn't shoo it away because I like cats.  But, a couple of feet in front of the Rhododendron plant and straight up, there hung our birdfeeder.  Grackles and Bluejays would get on the feeder and swoosh out the birdseed with their bills in search of certain seeds.  Those swooshed-out seeds would fall to the ground in front of the Rhododendron and always make a big mess.  However, chipmunks, squirrels, and an assortment of birds would come there to feed on the fallen seeds.  Sitting at the computer a couple days ago I noticed movement in the flowerbed out front near the road.  It was the black and white cat and it came forward across our small patch of grass heading straight for the Rhododendron bush and sure enough, it went in underneath.  Curious to see if I could see where it was under there I stepped over to one of the sunroom windows and looked down.  The only thing I could see in the dark shadows under the bush was a white paw.  While looking at this I saw movement a couple feet away under the hanging birdseed feeder.  It was a chipmunk who had slipped out from under a large bundle of Hosta leaves to have himself an afternoon birdseed snack.  In a flash, the cat ambushed the little fella and ran away across the yard with the chipmunk in its mouth.  I instantly knew why so many frogs and chipmunks had been disappearing.  That was it, no more Mr. Nice Guy from me towards that cat!!!!  Within an hour I had raked up all the fallen birdseed under the feeder, loaded up a number of large rocks in the wheelbarrow and placed them under the Rhododendron shrub.  I also scrounged up some chicken wire and stretched it across in front of the plant anchoring it down with some old plastic milk crates with chunks of concrete in them to hold the chicken wire in place.  I also tossed half a dozen old plastic flower pots under the shrub as well to eliminate any space the cat could use for its nefarious deeds.  And, so far I have not hung the birdfeeder back up yet, nor have I seen the black and white cat back either.  Unfortunately, I have not seen any more chipmunks either.   Pheebs and I had stopped in to see Richard this morning on our travels.  Richard has lots and lots of friendly chipmunks at his place and I was tempted to ask him if I could borrow some of them.  But then I thought better of it.  No point in risking any more chipmunk lives until I know for sure that our cat problem is solved.

 THIS WAS A KILLING GROUND FOR THE CAT

 THE BIRDSEED FEEDER HUNG UNDERNEATH THAT RAIN-PROTECTIVE GARBAGE CAN LID AT THE TOP

My apologies to readers and especially to my last few die-hard readers who have stuck with me here on my blog over the years.  I know I haven't been holding up my blogging end lately and I know I haven't been very communicative with my readers regarding comments, and emails, etc.  And lately again my heart hasn't been in my blog like it was for most of my blogging years and I'm struggling.  I have let too many things weigh me down as of late.  Some things you know about, some things you don't,  On the positive side, I thank all of you who are still here for giving me the inspiration and confidence to keep this blog going for as long as it has these past nearly 18 years.

 THERE IS A BUTTERFLY INSIDE THE DAY LILY

Al's Music Box:))  The Hockey Game by Canada's own Stompin Tom Conners.  Also by Stompin Tom are, Big Joe Mufferaw, Sudbury Saturday Night, Bud The Spud, I've Been Everywhere, Canada Day, Up Canada Way  These are but a few of Stompin Tom's songs:)))))

 A LONG SHAKEY 600mm TELEPHOTO SHOT THROUGH SUBIE'S WINDSHIELD OF THE COUNTRY ROAD AHEAD THIS MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A Canadian went into a Tom Horton’s and noticed there was a “Roll Up The Rim To Win” Contest. So, he rolled up the rim of his coffee and started yelling, “I’ve won a motor home! I’ve won a motorhome!”  The girl at the counter said, “That’s impossible. The biggest prize is a car.”  The person shouted, “No, it’s not a mistake. I’ve won a motorhome!” He handed the Cup to the girl who read............“W I N A B A G E L”

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Whoever said, “Do the job right the first time and you’ll never have to do it again” never shoveled snow off a Canadian driveway.

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An angel asked God what He was doing.

"Making Canadians," He said.

"Awwwww, their so nice," said the angel.

"Oh ya? watch this," said God as he dropped a hockey puck.

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A French guest, staying in a hotel in Edmonton phoned room service for some pepper.  “Black pepper, or white pepper?” asked the concierge.

“Toilette pepper!” replied the Frenchman.

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- Name the two seasons of Canada.  Winter, and July.

- Did you know that Canada has a real hard water problem?  Most of the time, it’s frozen.

- In New Brunswick, I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

- I love hockey, but I want to follow a sport that’s a little less violent. Now I’m into kickboxing.

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A man was strolling along the Beaches area in East Toronto when he spotted a bottle floating in Lake Ontario. The bottle drifted ashore.  He picked up the bottle and opened it, and out popped a Genie.  “Master, Master you have released me from my bondage in this bottle, ask any three wishes and I will grant them to you.”  The man thought for a moment and said, “I would like the following three things to happen this year — The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup, the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series, and The Toronto Raptors to win the NBA title.”  The Genie thought about this for a moment and then without a word hastily retreated back into the bottle.

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Have a great day eh:))