winter wonders April

Another lovely Muskoka day!

I shovelled off the dock, for my feathered friends, and then the raft. It keeps me active!

Here we are, still getting snow. The weather network says "isolated flurries", my butt! Below zero temperatures - I put on a fire in the wood stove.

We've had snow all night, on top of 8" of snow. I shovelled the deck and had to do it again in order to fill up the feeders. I do not really mind. We anticipate visitors this weekend, and it colours my frame of mind! We shall have fun no matter. I look at families who have lost loved ones to accidents or violence, and thank my lucky stars.

Junco, blue jay, chickadees - all are at the feeders crawling over one another to get a seed. The feeder has a perky cap of snow. It tilts at a drunken angle, as squirrels and birds compete for the prize.

The cats are totally pissed off. Sady (the tabby) is highly allergic to everything but pricey hypoallergenic food. When young she would have flu-like symptoms, it was not pretty, and she is fine on the good stuff. Unfortunately, she is an incredible hunter, having treed everyone and everything around (including the fisher) and often catches mice. She throws them up later, if her brother doesn't steal her prize (which we encourage!). Sady once stole the ham out of Brian's sandwich. She smelled it on the table, while he was getting milk from the refrige, flipped off the top slice of bread and threw it onto her food dish, like a fisherman with his prize. We watch her like a hawk!

Oliver, the black cat, eats everything. Once he hauled a bag a 6 (frozen) muffins, stolen from off of the counter, and dragged them onto the floor, where he promptly began devouring one of them. He eats anything and everything, and, as the dauphin, likes to boos the others out of the kitchen and away from the food.

Mitz seems to have gotten over her anorexia and is eating again - but only when her adopted siblings are out hunting. She gets different food and her brother loves sneaking in and eating it up fo her. Mitz is still grabbing morsels with her paw, and dragging them across the floor- and won't eat from the dish. With a one-year old granddaughter on her way to visit I wonder what impact this will have on her!

On a positive note. Nature is still unfolding as it should. The crows, who have built a nest in a near-by tree, are happily feeding on the cracked corn. They are careful to avoid being near the nest when I am outdoors. This photo was taken before the snow covered it all up. I love talking to the crows. They are careful to keep other crows away, I've seen a few fights.

It's a wonderful day in the neighbourhood!♪♫