Hunting and Chasing...!

The neighbour's cat, Levi was looking for something in our back yard...

What was he chasing?!

It never came out of the flower bed - and he never went in! But I suspect it was a rabbit.

Half an hour later, on my evening walk, I noticed the full moon overhead.

Let me grab a picture... 

Or two...

Never got that perfect shot I was hoping for. But chasing the moon - having a goal - made the walk more interesting!

I wonder if it's like that for Levi, too... Does hunting and chasing make the outdoors more interesting for him as well?

Final Flowers in Bloom

The colours of flowers are muted in our yard, now that September is drawing to a close.

The brightest blooms are still the pink Japanese anemones in our front yard. They have a long blooming season.

Only a few phlox remain.

Last to bloom are the red sedum. They brighten our yard throughout the fall months. Then, in winter, their hardy flowers continue to stick stoically  out of the snow!

New Plant

Can't say I need another plant, but...

I noticed this one on a shelf of end-of-season discounts...

I don't have one like it... A Taro? That's what my photo app tells me. 

I can never resist an orphan plant ... Welcome home!

New Beginnings

On July 1, 2026, torrential rain caused hundreds of basements in Ottawa to flood.

Ours was one of them.

We've come a long way since then. Everything is dry again.

This is what our basement looks like now.

Shelving has been moved into one room, to give builders space to work as they restore the walls and paint them. Then things will be moved back in place.

Our good news: construction will be starting in a few days... 

I can hardly wait to get back to "normal" - though I've almost forgotten what "normal" looks like!

Cooking and Baking Again!

I don't do a lot of cooking - or baking - in summer, when the weather is hot.

But now that it's cooler, I've started cooking and baking again.  

Yay, cooler weather!

I LOVE NATURE!

We were driving down a country road, commenting on the beautiful fields, when he blurted out: I LOVE NATURE!

I was surprised at his passion, given that he's only 6 years old. 

Where had he heard the word "nature"? Had his teacher been talking about nature in school?

He went on to mention the parts of nature that he loved: the clouds, the trees, the birds...

Even the cherry tomatoes that were growing in a pot on the porch.

I was so thankful to hear his comment! So thankful that he shared my joy at being out and about in our beautiful world.

Toronto Breakfast

Last Monday started out well - a beautiful sky!

Then we headed to one of our favourite breakfast restaurants... Mildred's.

We were there when the doors opened!

We shared a blueberry pancake. As usual, the food was elegant and delicious. 

Then on to the "main course"!

I had quiche with salad. I really can't remember what my daughter ordered!

A delicious way to start the day!

Toronto Sunrise

Last weekend I was in Toronto...

One of my favourite memories of my visit was the sunrise last Tuesday - the day I returned home.

The magic started at 6:45 AM....

And just got better and better.

But it didn't last long! 

By 7:05, the "fire" was gone!

Free-Range

A few days ago, Terry and I took our grandkids to an interesting "market garden" farm - where they also have "free range" chickens - and cats!

I'm not sure if these hens lay the eggs that are sold in the shop...

But we enjoyed just hanging out with chickens of all sizes and colour combinations.

My favourite was this black and white striped one with a cute tuft of black feathers on top of its head. I think its beak is white!

This one reminded me of a cartoon rooster I remember from my childhood days.

Jericho looked around for eggs. Last time he found one tucked behind a box. No eggs found this time...

But he did find a cat! (See top photo)

It was fun just to hang out with these "free range" animals... 

... and walk a pumpkin maze in progress.

Living With a Cat

I'm not used to living with a cat - not used to the door quietly moving - and there he is...

But I spent a few days in Toronto last weekend, staying with my daughter and her cat. He showed me the best view of the city...

"Nice, isn't it?!"

He was right!

Later, he joined me in the bathroom...

"Don't mind me - I like watching people brush their teeth..."

Fun and Games

I'm glad I didn't notice the "no photography" sign until I left the pool area...

I haven't attended a swimming lesson for years, so I had no idea how my grandkids were doing now.

(Even they were interested in seeing pictures of themselves in the pool.)

Jericho - whose class was over - entertained me by hiding!

("Grandma, can you see me??") 

Never a dull moment with kids around!

Yellow

Evening walks abound in shades of yellow...

The sky...

Daisies in a neighbour's yard.

All too soon the leaves will be turning yellow, too.

Didn't Know That!

You don't have to go far in Ottawa to come across Canada Geese! Here they are - next to some office buildings.

Rivers and creeks criss-cross throughout the city - and geese are never far away!

I've seen a mama goose sitting on a nest on a cliff above a river - and another in a planter in a shopping centre - with no river in sight...

I find them beautiful - and interesting - but I'm no expert on them.

I was recently listening on a podcast from the UK when the speaker, a bird watcher, mentioned birds she enjoyed watching. Among them were Canada Geese, migrating to the UK for the winter...

I was surprised! Really?!

So I looked it up online: Do some Canada Geese migrate from Canada to the UK for the winter?

The answer was NO - but... apparently more than 150,000 Canada geese live in the UK permanently. They are the offspring of some that were taken to Britain from North America in the 17th century to live in St. James Park in London - as exotic birds.

Unlike in Canada, they can be hunted in duck- hunting season.

They have been known to migrate - to Europe -  if there is a food shortage for them in the UK. But otherwise they don't normally migrate.

Interesting!