New neighbours

New neighbours on Wiltshire Street, met first by Eric Glon (photographer and friend).  A pair of flickers in a hole in one of the flowering plums, four trees up the street.  At first we thought the peeker was a young one about to fly.  Then Colin said, "maybe it's the mother".  Bird books consulted and now we see that, for the past four days, the father has been coming to feed the mother.  And this morning Eric saw the mother fly.  Next we hope to see the young being fed.  Stay tuned.

Some days later.  It turns out that after Eric saw the one bird fly we never saw any more flickers in the hole at all.  I guess it was a young one being fed after all.

february snow - backyard birds and flowers

Spring thought it was here, but more white stuff came ...

… not much drinking (or bathing) today

Back-yard witch hazel in full bloom ...

… a chickadee - our most constant diner

With sun on the witch hazel, another of Meo's bird photos … find it?

… and a junko - hardy fellow

Front-yard witch hazel - I love it!

New Years in Montreal and Ottawa

Two wonderful weeks with our Montreal and Ottawa families - from Boxing Day night (and Lily's birthday) in Montreal to Teagan's birthday and New Years in Ottawa, to Twelfth Night and a few more snowy days in Montreal

OTTAWA

three cousins at 'Rat-a-Tat-Cat" and many other games ... 

… on the speed-skating oval at Brewer Park, just open and a bit bumpy ...

… but skate-able ...

… and good for visiting

"Geocache" found, just 'up the hill', but frozen solid in the crotch of the tree.
Maybe, come spring ...

MONTREAL

Alice joining her mum on guitar

Rachel and girls made a backyard ice-house - see the 2-foot sticks to judge when to stop digging on the inside (1-foot thick walls).  One evening, with rugs on the floor and lit by ice-lanterns, six of us packed in (Rachel, Alice, Lily, Gabriela, Doco, Meo) for campfire songs - "sur la route de Berthier", "my logger lover"…  Seen below, on a trial run, Doco reminds me of Pooh Bear in Rabbit's hole - but he did make it out with no 'shrinking pause' required! 

Doco on the inward journey ...

… and the outward ...

… phew!

What with snow and freezing rain, much of our visit was snuggled up with books or games, with an occasional outing to Rue Laurier ...

Doco and Alice and 'Asterix'

chocolate chaude at "le lapin presse", for Alice and Meo

January 10th and, alas, first day back at school for Lily and Alice,
and back to Vancouver for Doco and Meo