Venus Occults Jupiter and Saturn

On April 1 at midnight go outside in your pj's and look south. Venus occults Jupiter and Saturn at this point, gee that is a few minutes from now. I think I will check it out. What is really amazing is that this is the first time this has happened since 0401BC! How these people figure this all out is beyond me, I am glad they do! But I really think it has something to do with April FOOLS like me!! See sky and telescope week at glance in sidebar. Ha, ha, ha, oh those goofy sky guys!.........  :o

Spring abounds

It's great out there and I spent the day outside, we are getting ready to open the nursery and a lot has to happen yet, but we will be open this weekend.
When I got home, Bo and Boots had to be fed and then walked. Boots did not partake. What is going on out on our walks is a plethora of bird songs. Meadowlarks, oh I love Meadowlarks, there used to be so many, but there are still some around and there are several on our walk singing their hearts out.

This was taken with my zoom lens, the camera was on a fire hydrant so it's not perfect, but the song was!
It's a clear elongated song, that makes you stop and look for it's source.

Fresh AiR

The tasks today were filled with the essence and lift of spring. First I had to go photograph a Witch Hazel in bloom at a friends garden. We had put it in I would guess, 4 years ago now and it is starting to really take hold. It's gorgeous and now I want one!

This plant is much prettier in real life, I have to work on that! The red petals transform to orange red tip and are really wonderful! We placed this shrub outside a bathroom window which helps shield the lower window from outside viewing  and yet it makes a nice view while inside looking out. You actually get to see your witch hazel blooming!
This is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' a truly gorgeous Witch Hazel.

It's time to GARDEN

Here are some things that I have done and am doing to help you with your garden tasks. I walk my property pretty much everyday, just to observe and see how big buds are and what is growing that I don't like. I have weeded my garden already, yes I have! This is to nip certain weeds right away, it is amazing what they can get away with.

Talk the Walk and Walk the Walk

Yesterday, I started my collection of recyclables and garbage for The 2nd Annual Mayors'  "Keep the County Clean" Challenge.

This was not my intent when Bo and I left the house, but it was the  broken up computer keyboard glaring at me from the ditch that made me realize that just because I don't have my 'kit' from the County should not stop me from starting to Clean Up. I must have anticipated my intentions as I was wearing my stretch gardening gloves instead of my usual driving gloves.  I decided that since we were only 5 minutes into our walk I would just start piles to be picked up and get them with the car later. Really, last year I was dragging home bags of garbage and recyclables. I do not want to do that again, it was too heavy.
So Bo and continued down the Old Danforth, here is Bo on the summer road that starts just after Purdy Road. He is off leash at this point and revels in the ditches and scents that he can check out on his own.

That is Bo on the right side of the road, barely visible, nose down doing what he loves to do, check out the stink in front of him!!
 This road is part of the original Danforth Road that ran from York (Toronto) to Kingston, Surveyed by Asa Danforth who was hired by The Crown in 1797. What I like about this particular section of the Old Danforth is that if I let my imagination run wild, I can place myself into another time. Although, I am sure that the flora was much different in and around 1797, no European Buckthorn, no dog strangling vine and the trees would have been all native and much larger. Too bad the Crown insisted that the landscape be raped of trees as a prerequisite to settling on the land. Along here, you can see huge erractics that have been rolled down the side of a drumlin that allows the farmer to create a field. The course of the road has not changed, but the sides of the road has, with invasives' and  total disregard by those who seem to think this road is a dump site.

Spring, I LOVE IT!

Everyone is writing about it, walking it and watching it, it's spring out there folks. Yes it is, step right up and enjoy! Buds are swelling and so are the feathers of the boys flying around outside the house and on my feeders. The loud, rambunctious Grackles have arrived and along with the Red Winged Blackbirds they can make quite a racket!
It, in my mind so far, this is a good spring. Forget that warm spell we have had all winter, this is now and it's spring. I like the fact that Toronto is 2 to 3 days ahead of us in the landscape, they are my harbingers of spring. Keeping it cool here means a longer more enjoyable spring only to finalize this season with some of the best lilacs in eastern Ontario. Lanes, roads, side roads and hillsides of lilacs out for a long spell and for that we need it cool please. For now it's the birds that give the clues to where we are in the season. Bo and I saw this swan with a Canada Goose at Keewatin Nature Sanctuary pond with a Canada Goose.  The ice was still on this pond last week.

John Lennon

I moved into this house a year and a half ago and I still have boxes that require to be sorted and unpacked. I was attempting this act of 'cleanliness is next to goddess' look this week when I was sorting boxes from the move earlier this week in the basement. I also I have confess I hate basements, so being down there for periods of time can make me suffer from damp, dark blindness. I persisted though with my task. What I found thrilled me. Two pieces of paper that I have not seen since high school. In the late 60s', early seventies I was a hippie, does that mean I am not anymore. Not by a long shot, still am too!,  as much as I can be in my time of life (what year is this?). In our high school library they had a small book that was only ever taken out by moi. It was little book by John Lennon and it was a brilliant collection of his drawings and poetry. I loved that book and my last year at the school I considered taking the book home with me because I had been the only one who ever checked the book out of the library. I did not take it, instead I copied a funny poem from it, actually typed it out. I remember at the time I found this hilarious, must of been the hippie in me! So here it is from December 8, 1972 from John Lennon's little book.

Now after the morning News it's ...... AN EQUINOX

On Sunday March 20th is the night when daylight and night are equal, it's an Equinox! The sun is at the equator and it is heading our way! There is a bonus with the Equinox, so get your binoculars out and get ready to look up again.  As twilight begins the moon appears with in a large crescent form, but wait until twilight fades to night and that is when you want to start looking up.

                                                           Nasa Image, thanks Nasa!
                                    

Northumberland County 2nd Annual Mayors' KEEP THE COUNTY CLEAN CHALLENGE

This is about the clean up of litter that gathers in ditches, roadsides, nature trails, any park or public space in Northumberland County. Last spring was my first spring in Grafton and I go out walking every day here, not by choice. I have a dog and I have to walk him everyday at least twice a day otherwise he is out of balance!!
Last spring was my first spring here in Grafton (I was born in Haldimand and happy to come back) and what amazed me on these walks was the amount of litter that is tossed on the ground.

blah, blah, blah will change

My last post is news based, this will change here shortly. The nursery will be opening up soon, due to very warm weather, we have lots to do before we open the doors.
Also, it has taken me a year and a half to figure out the use of space in this new home.

Women who change the World

Have you ever traveled through the fragrance of an orange blossom grove early in the evening, I have. It is one of the most intoxicating smells on this earth and the early evening with it's moisture laden air is the perfect conveyor for this intoxicating fragrance. You are transported somewhere foreign, exotic and although it took me a while to figure out that wonderful fragrance was coming from off the Florida highway, yet I could not see one orange grove but I sure could smell it's gorgeous bountiful fragrance.
Before you read on, this is not always a pretty story, so be warned.

Maple Syrup & Sprucewood Cookies!

This weekend was the Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival, I went with my Mom and sister because this is the weekend when there has always been an Antique Show on and we have always gone to that.  We started off by having lunch at The Grafton Inn and after stuffing ourselves there, we stuffed ourselves into the car to head to Warkworth.
The Antique Show is a small show held in the public school, it's great because you get to look at the kids art hanging on walls of the halls as you wander from the gymnasium to the main halls where the booths are set up. There are always interesting items to see at this show and the same dealers are there ready to talk and help. The Antique Show is the kind that you could find something very special, I saw lots that I liked but nothing I had to have this year. Darn!
After viewing the Antiques we drove down the main street of Warkworth, it was busy and they had the little farm animals in a pen for the children to pet and see. Warkworth is beautiful and is set in a valley surrounded by some of the most awesome drumlins in the county. We spent many weekends going to Warkworth as kids, I am happy to see it full of life.

Victoria Island: Where warming means danger - thestar.com

This is an excellent report from the North West Territories. In a side bar of the article read 'Climate Group Cash To Dry Up'. This is huge problem for us in Canada. I grew with a country that was small, but was Research and Development based. (Although, I have to mention that it was the Conservatives who killed the Avro Arrow). Now we are growing in numbers, but our R&D in this country is suffering, in fact it is being smothered to death. At a time when the world needs as much Atmospheric data as it can collect from around the world, we are limiting our resources, knowledge and science studies. This bothers me more than I can express here. The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science has not received any new funding since the Conservative Government was elected in 2006. We have to get our act together and get them out of office, quick before we all drown in our ignorance and melted ice caps. If anyone out there reads this blog, write your local MP. I suggest you google their name, then hit their website and find 'contact'. Then do just that, email them, let them know how important this is to the future generations of this country and you want the funding restored. I have to confess, I am one of those who 'picks my battles' and writes. I have to 'pick' my battles, otherwise I would be writing them all the time, right now I am down to about once a month. The lame excuses I get back are terrifying, these people are in charge of our state of affairs and as mother, a grandmother and a woman, I want to take these politicians to the woodshed. I never had to do that with any of my own, as I do not believe in spanking!
Victoria Island: Where warming means danger - thestar.com

The Little Foxes

Last night when Bo and I left for our walk, Boots the cat came outside with us. He usually does and many times he will come with Bo and me on our walk. Last night he choose to stay by the garage and when we got back home he decided to stay out. Normally I try to get him to come in as I know there are coyotes and foxes that come around at night, but I thought he could stay out a bit longer last night. I have not heard the coyotes since last fall, it's still cold out at night, but things are heating up around here.
An hour later it was dark out and I decided it was time for Boots to come in. I opened the side door and Boots came running to me from the garage. Just as he got to the door he stopped and looked down the driveway, I looked too, but there was nothing there.

The benefits of Tobacco

Am I crazy, well, yes.  This is not about smoking tobacco, there are benefits to tobacco and it is not about smoking those cigarettes.
It's about this plants ability to absorb toxins from soil and water. It was first reported by Science Daily in August 2007 that tobacco plants inserted with a gene for TNT (transforming bacterial enzyme) showed that the gene modified plant significantly reduced the toxicity of the TNT contaminated soil. This is good news for World War II sites, military training areas and explosive manufacturing sites.
Now in 2010, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reports

Bloody Ivory : Elephants CITES 2010

This is a link to what is happening with the poaching of elephants for their ivory in Africa. We can help and we can stop this by not buying anything ivory or supporting those that do. Right now thousands of elephants are being slaughtered in Africa for the ivory trade, it's an international crime.
You can sign the AVAAZ.org online petition that will be presented to the UN convention before its too late.
click AVAAZ.org for the petition.
Below are more links on this crime:
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

Bloody Ivory : Elephants CITES 2010

Crows

Something positive.....
Now is the time to start watching the crows in your neighbourhood. They are staking out their 'home turf' and if you are lucky enough to have some tall pines or other very tall trees close by keep an eye on them.
The other day Bo and I were out walking and a small group of crows followed us on our walk.  They were noisy, loud and would gather just ahead of us. There was some squabbling between them and I think this is about sorting out who is who and where they are in the group. Another group of crows tried to join in with this group but they were having none of it and pushed them out. It seemed this job was delegated to 3 of the 5 crows following us. After half an hour Bo and I neared the pond and all 5 crows were with us again cawing at us. Then a Red Tailed Hawk appeared, this set the crows off on another mission to rid this Raptor from their area. All of a sudden another Red Tailed Hawk appeared and the two hawks were soaring higher and higher, it seemed as if they were trying to check each other out while getting rid of the crows with their altitude. I was thinking how beautiful the sky was with the hawks, how right the light was, I could see their markings without my binoculars, it was an awe moment. It was then I was thinking  how silly the crows were because they were still trying to get the hawks but their altitude was no where near the hawks. The hawks suddenly split, one east and one west and the crows were alone circling in the air. One finally caught on and headed east after one hawk, the rest decided that was enough and followed Bo and I the rest of the walk home.
The crows are keeping an eye on the neighbourhood, they have been here longer than me and want to know what I am up to because they are going to start the nest building process soon. I have seen this before and it is an amazing thing to watch. Once they start building the nest, they are quiet, they have a secret and it's the location of their nest. If you see a crow in the next month with a large twig or gathering large twigs watch where it goes with it, try to stay still. Apparently they will build several nests called preliminary nests, practice is what I call it. Also, both male and female will build the nest and the yearlings will help. As they will help when the nestlings arrive. When I lived in Port Hope crows nested right next door, every year I watched them build the nest, but the nest was in such a cluster of pine branches that I never saw the actual nest, it was hidden so well in a well thought out pine branch. The last year I was there this site was a 'preliminary' site and they laid their eggs somewhere else.
I really enjoyed watching them breaking branches from the trees to build the nest. I have lot's of photo's of this process, not one of the nest though, just the thicket of the pine branch. Here is a photo of a
one crow taking a branch to the nest site.

A long gun claimed life of OPP officer - thestar.com

Here is  Antonia writing about what I was just writing about and this girl has the facts!
A long gun claimed life of OPP officer - thestar.com

The News Today

The news today is so sad, it's driving me to distraction. For some reason the idea of 8 rare Siberian Tigers starving to death, along with countless other zoo animals in a China Zoo, just makes me weep for these confined innocents. I quickly left that article only to find another. This time the article was about Kenya opposing a 'one time' ivory sale as poaching soars. To read about the useless death of these elephants is more than I can bear. So I picked up the local paper, The NorthumberlandToday.com, which is a SunMedia paper, whom I am not fond of and now our local paper is filled with cr-p from all across the country instead of local news and editorials. It trashed all of our local papers and clumped them all together with their tabloid junk and it's hard get a decent editorial about local news.
The paper I picked up to read is thrown at the end of my driveway, which is thrown at the end of every driveway every Thursday whether you want it or not. Apparently there are a lot of people who do not WANT this paper as on my walks I find it in ditches all over my routes. I think they should be charged with polluting and littering, there is a $5,000 fine for that here in Northumberland. Back to the 'local paper' - it had an editorial from a female MP from Saskatchewan who wants the Long Gun Registry sacked. Eeeeeegads, have we gone mad? She states that it cost up millions or billions and that it is an infringement on the rights of law abiding Long Gun owners. I don't think so, guns are a problem and this registry helps the police track guns, the use of guns and helps them solve crimes. The gun registry is used daily by police to aid in crime reduction, solving crimes and track guns. The police want to keep the registry! We are a gun crazy world, kill anything world. Farley Mowat once said a long time ago, in the 70's if I remember correctly, that 'soon there will no wild animal on the planet living that is larger than a bread box'. I would love it if he were wrong. By the news today, I am desperately afraid he may be right.

Adobe Oven

I want one of these in my backyard! I am outside as much as possible and to think that I could be cooking outside would, well this could maybe anti up the productivity in that department. Last summer I ate well, very well from my kitchen garden in the backyard, but that was it, I ate while I was in the garden! The thought of going inside to prepare the food and possibly cook it, that takes all the fun of it out of the experience. So everything was consumed pretty much raw and went directly from the vine to my mouth! What has happened to me since I moved to a village. Have I lost all sense of social decorum? It appears so.

Eggplants in Containers

This morning in the paper there was an article about growing Eggplants in containers. Great article, I had done this several years ago and can attest to it's productivity. The reason I did it though was because the foliage of Eggplant is well, it makes me weak. I love it. These lobed leaves are something  from ancient Rome or the Cradle of Civilization. Then to top it of you get these lovely purple fruit, bonus!! Here is photo I took of my newly planted Eggplants, these I had planted @ Mom's. Remember they like the heat and sun, just make sure you water them late in the day or early evening so they can soak up all the water before the next morning.

Annuals......

The other night I attended a meeting with speakers who were speaking about their garden. They announced quite proudly that they grow 'only perennials, no annuals'. The way they spoke it was like they were dissing annuals. Well, I beg to differ. I love annuals with perennials and think that they have a lot to offer the perennial garden. In fact, many people who I respect, who are great gardeners, designers and just the expert woman who likes to get down and dirty in the garden would agree with me.
I think if you restrict yourself to growing 'just perennials' you are limiting yourself, closing the door on opportunities of visual delight and a bounty of fragrance. Also annuals bring a host of pollinators to your garden which is a benefit for any farmer or crop grower.

For The BiRdS - Again!

Since birds are under attack so often, yes attack. Crows were blamed for the spread of West Nile virus, buildings and windows are constantly 'popping up' and smacking our winged friends. I have decided today will be about making your property 'bird friendly'. There are many things you can do for the birds. You can plant flowering trees and shrubs that either have nectar or berries for the birds. Look under my 'pages' sidebar for a list of things to plant for birds in Northumberland. Different species of birds will nest at different heights, so it is important to have varying woody plants in your landscape.
Hazel Bird, who was totally dedicated to birds and all forms of wildlife had a bluebird line that she started in the 1960's. She noticed a sharp decline in the bluebird population in Northumberland and started bulding bluebird houses because of this decline. At the peak of her programme there were over 400 boxes in Northumberland Forest. She was awarded the prestigious Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society Conservation Award. Now, because the bluebird population has been re-established thanks to Hazel, it is no longer needed here.
So one person can make a difference......

Scarborough highrise a death trap for birds - thestar.com

When I saw those towers going up, I knew this would be a problem. We are on Lake Ontario, birds migrate across the lake, they are exhausted by time they cross and then they fly into a huge building because it looks like sky.

Scarborough highrise a death trap for birds - thestar.com

It probably was the Mosquitoes NOT the Birds

A study just released from John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health states that it was probably mosquitoes and not birds who spread West Nile virus.

Goofing Off

I am playing around with the header on my blog and having fun with it. Let me know what you think if you like it or not.
Also, last night after submitting my observations on the night sky for the 'Globe at Night' project (Sky & Telescope) I decided to look at the map to see my recorded observations. I noticed that someone in the area of Yarker is also doing this. I wondered is this Terrence Dickinson one writer of night skies who grabbed my imagination on the Milky Way years ago? He lives in that neighbourhood. Maybe I will drop him a line and ask. After that observation I decided to check out all of Canada, it seems that there 20, yes I said 20 of us from Quebec to British Columbia who are submitting their observations. I always belong to the minority group of people. ONLY 20 and not one in any eastern Province. I will have to check the map again tonight and maybe, just maybe because last night was Saturday night they were all out on the town!! I will let you know what I find. I just can not believe that their are only 20 Canadians interested in doing this survey for Globe at Night.

Northumberland Land Trust

The motto of Northumberland Land Trust states "Preserving Northumberland County - One Acre at a Time".  Their mandate is to 'establish, maintain and manage protected areas' and their Mission is to 'Preserve the natural, historical and cultural heritage of Northumberland County'. It was founded in 2004  and their press release at the time states 'The Northumberland Land Trust, a new community based organization has been established to work for the conservation of the natural areas, watersheds, forests and wildlife of Northumberland County.  The Land Trust is a non-government, charitable organization and it plans to partner with other agencies, community groups and landowners with similar aims.
It was the Willow Beach Field Naturalists who in 2001 began to understand that we need an organization such as a Trust to protect these important areas in Northumberland and the Northumberland Land Trust was created. 

Orion it's stars & The Backyard Birds!

Globe at Night is happening now, it started March 3rd and continues until March 16. You don't have to do it every night, so don't get tied up in knots about it. Me the nut-bar, I am doing it every night. You can observe the stars at night from your location and record what you see or don't see. This is all in aid of recording light pollution in our skies. Within an hour of posting your observations you can view your record on the map. It gets you outside and looking up;-)
I just checked my posts for The Great Backyard Bird Count and what you submit is shown by lists (birders luv lists) and also a map. I looked at the lists and my records were much the same as everyone else's, except the morning I had over 100 gold finches at my feeders all at once, talk about a party. The cat flew in the door! It was interesting and wonderful see on the map how many people in Ontario that actually did participate in this count. Check it out even if you did not participate, it's fun and interesting, in a birders sort of way........

Healthy Lawns

Today I wrote about healthy lawns, look for it in the pages section in my side bar.

10:30-11:30 p.m.: Create incentives for students to go green - thestar.com

Even if our Federal Government does not see the value in Green, it's good to know that the up and coming University students do.
10:30-11:30 p.m.: Create incentives for students to go green - thestar.com

Hume: Privatizing not the answer - thestar.com

I love reading what Chistopher has to say and feel that this is something worth reading.

Hume: Privatizing not the answer - thestar.com

It's All About Water again

We have to protect our freshwater and it seems that our governments are not quite up to the job or they just don't get it. They are not doing enough and we need to take action on this right now or our children and grand children will suffer the consequences of our ignorance. This shames me because I was of a generation that was going to change the world. Instead we became a SUV driving, selfish 'me generation' instead of environmental friends I had hoped for.
What I don't get is, we have the largest resources of fresh water in the world

Ontario Headwaters Institute - Preserving Ontario's Headwaters

The OHI is a registered charity 'working to preserve the province's headwaters through education & community engagement'. This is a subject near and dear to me, you can read my post on 'Water - it's future & our Future' from my February 19th post on the subject.
The OHI is hosting seven Community Workshops on Preserving Ontario's Headwaters, it's free but registration is required in advance, just so they have enough chairs & coffee!
The seminar location that is closest to us here in Northumberland is taking place on Thursday March 25 at the Peterborough Public Library from 1 to 3 pm. It is being sponsored by Peterborough Green-up and the Otonabee Conservation Area.
This is important to us here in Northumberland because we do have so many aquifers, streams and wetlands flowing here in Northumberland. We are south of Peterborough and the water does flow south to our Great Lake Ontario from the north. If you drink water, cook with water or give water to your children, livestock, pets or friends you may be interested in this seminar.
Click Preserving Ontario's Headwaters to go to time and dates of the seminar.
Click Ontario Headwaters Institute to go to the home page of the OHI website.
The photo below is of the Ganaraska River at Sylvan Glen just north of Port Hope.
Cheers!

Vancouver Olympic Medal Bouquets

Those beautiful bouquets that were handed out to the medal winners at the Vancouver Winter Olympics were stunning and modern, no roses there, just a wonderful tight plethora of green. I found out from a friend just how truly wonderful these bouquets were, turns out they also had a hand in giving a hand to women in British Columbia who need a helping hand. I am copying here part of an article written by Amanda Ryder for Canadian Florist. Be sure to click on the video link at the end of the story.

Globe at Night

Tonight is the start of 'Globe at Night' 2 week campaign that records the brightness or darkness of our skies around the Globe.
Click: Sky & Telescope for article
and click Globe at Night to get started.
Go out with your kids tonight and have fun learning about our night skies, constellations & planets and turn off those outside lights unless you actually need them!!

Russian Space Objects for sale @ Waddington's

My brother just called and the auction I mentioned in a earlier post is getting lots of attention in the media. Today Sean fielded calls from The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Ottawa Citizen, CBC, Global TV, CTV news, Breakfast television (what is that?), NBC, Discovery Channel and NASA. Some Scientist from NASA was so excited about the items for sale and was eager to share that these items had never been seen in the west before. He also was able to fill in the blanks for Sean concerning some items. This would have helped Sean a month ago when he was writing the catalogue and then he would not have had to ask his sister to help him research and with some descriptions. Oh well, then his sister would have never learned about the Russian Space programme!! He is exhausted, he spent most of the day on the phone talking to someone about the Russian objects. Some one even told him it is in all the Russian newspapers and told him how his name would be translated so he could look up the articles online and see it for himself. What a hoot. So tomorrow he is in for Breakfast television interviews, then other television interviews all day. He is nervous, hates being in front of the tv camera (he has done Antiques Roadshow) and is not looking forward to it. Just ride it out Sean, it will be over at the end of the month.
So go to Waddington's online and check this stuff out.

Getting Ready for Spring

Now that I have my seeds in hand it is time to start some of them and I am looking forward to this process.
Yesterday I took a walk around the yard to look at the trees and shrubs on my property. Now is the perfect time to look at your woody plants to decide on shape and other pruning methods you wish to employ later. Most woody plants were put in last year by me, but some were here when I bought the property. You have to excuse my prejudices against the use of some trees and shrubs. One prejudice of mine is the Colorado Blue Spruce and I have one.

'The Belt of Venus' & 'Globe At Night'

The wonderful phenomenon named The Belt of Venus occurs at the end of the day, when the earth casts it's shadow on the horizon.
Read about it in Sky & Telescope: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/stargazing/84903812.html
Also,  in Sky & Telescope is another great article about the loss of dark skies and the growth of light pollution. The say it is one of the easiest problems to address on a local level. I wish I could do more without being rude to my neighbours who all (including the Church across the street) leave their lights on all night. What a waste of energy and they all could save money by either putting in motion lights or just turning out those lights.
If you like to participate in recording the brightness of your night sky read Get Ready for "Globe at Night'.
I am up for this!