Early morning vista

Camera Critters #79

My little Oliver, ensuring the bulbs and lily of the valley I planted in my new garden remain so. (Well, 2 sq.' of chicken wire helps! And putting up the squirrel/bird feeders, too!)

I used to arrive very early to my class room, being a morning person. One of the first into my school. It was quiet; no one to disturb you. You could get things done, and get to the photocopier, it not having broken down yet, overheated as they tend to get during the day!

I love the early mornings more so now I am retired; when the lake is like glass. Bundling up in the cold morning, I'm glad to gaze over the lake. The fog dances in the lagoon with the temperature inversion.

Rain tomorrow, but today all is bright and beautiful.

I had to do another post, to laud the day. The new header photo was taken this morning!

The jays have nearly cleaned out the 6' crab apple tree. Each day they visit and steal a few more, to the delight, entertainment and/or frustration of the cats.

In the video below:
The sun peeks up over the eastern shore. Birds honk in the distance. Sady cat takes sips of water from the frigid lake. Oliver looks for prey in the bushes. The mice and moles are hurriedly looking for food. The cycle of the seasons revolves again with the Autumn Solstice.


Bird feeders are up. Oliver leaped 5' in the air to chase the chickadee sitting in the bucket. They twitter and tweet and dance away in their glee. Their scalloped flight pattern so unpredictable; they are fortunately hard to catch.

The squirrels have figured out the bucket. I really must label them, as the squirrels get confused with the bird feeder, nyger seed (finch) feeder, and the squirrel/blue jay peanut bucket. A little direction wouldn't hurt them.

Niger seed is also known by a variety of different names including nyger, ramtil, inga and black seed. Nyger seed comes from a plant called Guizotia abyssinica which is an annual herb grown in Africa and India not only for its seed but its edible oil too.

The 'coons ruined my bird feeder last year. Perhaps they will be kind this year. Not!

Not so nocturnal, either. They are hungry and preparing for winter. They do not truly 'hibernate', but nap somewhere between December and March in really cold weather. Otherwise they visit daily.


Oliver likes to help me tour the property.

He came upon a stick as I videotaped, caution is the word as it looks like a snake!

A wander through our bog reveals only one cranberry left that I can see! The 'coons and critters have eaten their fill. Good on them.

Oliver came along and checked out the moss for the aroma of critters. The bog is overflowing with water, despite the neighbour trying to fill it in over the past few years with leaves and debris. (At least she isn't burning her wet leaves as before!) It is truly on her property.
This long rock, on which Ollie reigns supreme Dauphin, called the Whale's Back, is only partly ours. But I inspect it and photograph it all the time!