See the Garden Grow

We survived Chester’s birthday 

We didn’t find any critters on our walk, but under a cloudy sky I decided to take pictures of the plants that are still emerging.  The lilies that I had been wondering about have now made an appearance, much to the delight of the bunnies – so I hope they will survive.  The plum tree is in full bloom now – so that won’t last long and I got pictures.

Tulip April 30

Lilies April 30

Plum Tree Flowers April 30

Plum Tree Flowers April 30

Plum Tree Flowers April 30

So far on Africam today, we have watched the workers at  Tembe trying to fix the night light cable  (after watching the elephants damage it the day before).  We have seen Elephant, Giraffe,Zebra, Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Impala, Hamerkop, Blacksmith Lapwing and Scrub Hares.  There are lots of pictures of the elephants playing with the cable too.    Click here to see the pictures from May 1st.

313 Days – But Who’s Counting

313 day to go until my trip of a lifetime begins. 

We are having some beautiful early fall days here now.  Temperatures in the mid to upper 20′s C   and lows down around 10C.  The leaves are starting to change and we are seeing yellows and sometimes red leaves now, just before they fall to the ground.

Now that I’ve changed the timing of our walk, the pictures I post will be from the day before.  Since I take pictures after I post the blog. 

I just took 2 yesterday, showing the colours starting to change along the Red River

Red River Sept 26

The white spot in the above picture is a sea gull that was flying by just as I snapped the picture.

Red River Sept 26

Chester is doing good, although he can’t understand why we are not walking as soon as we get up lately.  This morning however, he has gone up to bed again – so maybe he is taking advantage of the later walks. 

On Africam today, we have seen Elephants, Impala, Warthogs, Kudu, Nyala, Zebra, Vervet Monkeys, Baboons, Jackal, Giraffe, Duiker, Reedbuck and more.  Click here to see all of today’s pictures.

Have I mentioned lately that I’ll be going to Africa?

Top 10 Songs

A daily topic today just happened to come on a day when I heard one of my favourites from many years ago.  Actually I love all the songs of Demis Roussos.  He sings many love songs, which are not normally my favourite songs – but his voice and his songs just go together so well.

My favourite of his songs is Good-bye My Love Good-bye.  This was the song played when my friends and I were in Europe many years ago and had taken a Greek ship – the Aphrodite – from Italy to  Greece.  As we left the ship, they played it and it kind of haunted us until we found his record in a store later.  All 3 of us bought it and brought it home.  Of course, records are history now, but I still have this one – just nothing to play it on.

The reason I just heard it was because my Mom just sent me a video of a dog and a dolphin and as the video started, so did one of the songs by Demis Roussos – followed by another and then followed by Good-bye My Love Good-bye.

You can see the video here.  Its really cute and not one that I had ever seen before.

I’m sitting here listening to more of his songs and although I have many other favourite songs, I’m just not thinking of them.  I guess I’m not going to finish my top 10 list today – LOL    Maybe another day.

Chester had another good day and night. 

WalMart just received a shipment of orchids when I just happened to be in there today and they have wonderful prices on these plants when they receive them.  They hadn’t had them for long enough to kill them yet – so I took one home.    Funny thing is that my Mom and I had just been talking about the orchids we got from WalMart over a year ago.

Orchid

Orchid

On Africam today, we have seen Rhinos, Zebras, Jackals, Elephants, Bushbuck, Guinea Fowl, Wildebeest, Spotted Eagle Owl, Warthogs, Giraffes, Nyala, Vervet Monkeys, Kudu and much more.  The elephant breeding herd with several babies was so much fun to watch and many great pictures have been posted of them.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Interview Day

Have I mentioned before that I don’t like interviews?  I think I might have – but here I am getting ready to go to one.    I have enough confidence in myself that I know I can do the actual job – but I’m not sure I will survive the interview.

In 4 hours there will be no turning back. 

Chester had another good day, followed by a good night last night.  He loves his meds!  The Phenobarbital is a small pill and to give that to him, I take 2 small pieces of a cheese slice (1/2 inch square each) and put peanut butter on them.  I place the pill in the middle and make a sandwich.   The milk thistle is a capsule and to give that to him, I take a piece of wiener (about an inch), heat it for a few seconds in the microwave and stick the capsule into the middle.  Both of these go on top of his food dish for his meal and both are gobbled up first.

I haven’t seen anything of interest on our walks lately.  Today the rowers on the river were all on our side and any wildlife was nowhere to be seen.  It was 16C this morning when we walked and is going up to 25C this afternoon – so a nice day.

The block across the street has been (or is being) turned into condos, which doesn’t surprise me.  It is close to completion and units should start being sold at any time now.  It has taken a long time to get it to this point and I have no idea if the original owners still have it or if it had been sold and new owners finally got around to working on it again.  It sat there for well over a year with absolutely nothing happening to it, so it will be nice to finally have people living in it again.

Today on Africam, we have seen Elephants, Kudu, Giraffes, Wildebeest, Impalas, Nyalas, Rhinos, and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

I borrowed one of the pictures taken of the Giraffes, since I wasn’t there to see them myself.

Giraffes at Elephant Plains

Chester and other Stuff

Chester was fine for the rest of yesterday and overnight and throughout the morning today.  I have to admit that every time he moves, I’m watching him though.  That will settle down once he’s gone a few days without any more seizures, but we really have to get past the next few days.   Each episode has been a little worse, so Dr. McKay has given me a couple of tips to bring him out of one, if he seems to have problems coming back.

Other than a couple of appointments and getting groceries and things, I will be home with him most of the time until Sunday when I have to go back to work.

Today, I met with my new financial adviser Sarah, to see if she can come up with a plan to make my trip to Africa a reality – along with the normal retirement planning, etc.  I will meet with her again in a couple of weeks to see what she can come up with.

I have to plan for long term medical costs for Chester now too.  He will have to go in for regular blood tests and have the medication twice daily for the rest of his life.

Of course part of the plan depends on what happens after tomorrow, when I have an interview for a one year promotion at the Y.  If I get the job, there will be more money to plan with and if I don’t get the job, things will continue the way they are with me barely making ends meet.   I hate interviews, but I am excited about having a new challenge if I am successful in obtaining the position.

You may remember my orange tree story when I moved and re-potted my orange tree back in May this year.  If interested, you can find it here.  Well, today I found that one (and I think its the only one) orange is still looking healthy and growing on my tree.   It is about the size of my thumbnail – which is still pretty small, but it will be exciting if it actually grows large enough to eat.  Other than watering, I am not touching that tree for some time.

Orange Aug 25

A couple of days ago, Josh and Jamie (my next door neighbours) put up a fence where the old house next door used to be.  They matched it perfectly with my fence (actually did it much better)!  Now Chester can no longer get out of the yard when he is in the after affects of his seizures, but I am still staying outside with him most of the time he is out in the yard now.

the new fence

Chester today

He looks nice and healthy.  As always, the tail is going even when he actually stops moving.

On Africam today, we have seen Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Cape Buffalo, Nyalas, Impalas, Giraffe, Warthogs, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Wildebeest and much more.  This list includes 4 of the big 5 from Africa – just by sitting in my livingroom    Click here to see today’s pictures.

Bug Day

It was 19C with 98% humidity when Chester and I walked along the Red River this morning.  It is only supposed to get up to 26C this afternoon, but with that much humidity, I closed the windows and turned the air conditioner on when we got back home again.    It had rained last night, but I have no idea how much.  There were some puddles in the spots that often have puddles after a rain and I’m just hoping that it was enough so that grass and flowers start to make a comeback.

My raspberries are nicely ripening now and for the last week, I have been going out with a bowl to collect berries to add to my bowl of cereal every day.  A couple of days ago I noticed a bee (or something) on one of the berries as I was going to pick it.  He didn’t move, so I just left that berry and moved on to another one.  To my surprise he was still there on the same berry yesterday, so I came back inside and took my camera out.  There was also another one on another berry and one more hanging onto the bottom of a leaf.  They were not bothered by my being there and I even moved the berries and leaves to get a better view for pictures and they just stayed where they were.

the first bug

the first bug (again)

the 2nd bug

the 2nd bug (again)

the 3rd bug

They look like bees to me, but I don’t know what they are doing hanging onto my raspberries instead of digging into flowers.  Are they taking the juice from the berries?  I have my bird expert Barry and my plant/flower expert Sue (both from Africam) to help with those ID’s.  Now I need a bug expert.

My berries are plentiful as always, but this year I’ve found that many of them are miniature – I guess due to the very hot weather and very little moisture.  The ones that did get to the usual size are nice and juicy and delicious, but the smaller ones are not as tasty.  I notice these guys are hanging onto nice juicy ones. 

On Africam today we have seen Zebras, Impalas, Warthogs, Elephants, Kudu, Vervet Monkeys, Hyaena, Reedbuck, plenty of birds and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

To make viewing all the cameras at Africam at the same time, they have now launched a multi-view camera page.  Here you can watch all 3, or just start 1 or 2, but still just have the one page instead of different tabs or different windows to watch.  When you land on the page, you decide which cam(s) to start by clicking on the start button in the middle of each cam.  Click here to see it and check it out.

Believe it or Not.

Believe it or not, but my living room finally has all the pieces of furniture in their new spots!  There are a couple of things not finished yet – like finding new homes or spots for all the stuff that managed to accumulate in the room – but a couple of hours sitting down and going through each thing and deciding which is trash, which is for freecycle and which I should keep (hopefully not much in this category).  The amount of stuff that is still here after all the de-cluttering I have done over the last few years is astonishing!

I haven’t found anything along the Red River to take pictures of during my walks with Chester the last 2 days, so we’re back to pictures around the house – like the mystery block after its exterior face-lift and some late flowers.

Mystery Block

They did a great job on the outside of the block, but have no idea what has been going on inside.

I had been surprised that my day lilies hadn’t bloomed this year.  They don’t normally bloom, but with the old house next door gone and the new one up, they were getting sun for the first time ever.  Everywhere we walk, I see day lilies blooming and suddenly these ones sent up flower stalks.  They aren’t open yet – but they are going to flower. 

Day Lilies - July 24

Of course, I will take pictures, once they actually flower too.  Speaking of lilies, I have a couple of tall late blooming lilies that are getting ready to flower soon too.

Lilies July 24

Maltese Cross Jul 24

The Maltese Cross looks like it will be going to seed soon.  I have to collect the seeds this year and send them off to a friend.

On Africam today, we have seen rhinos, elephants, zebras, warthogs, giraffes and much more.  Click here to see all of today’s pictures.

Chester and the Kestrel

Not that  Chester and the Kestrel ever got together, but I have something to tell you about Chester and I saw the bird that may be a Kestrel again.

Chester woke me up this morning at 5:45 when he had a seizure.  It only lasted a minute or 2, but it has been several years since I have had a dog who had fits and it was very upsetting.  I knew what to do and just kept him from injuring himself and talked to him during it as well as when he was finished.  It was obvious that he had no idea what went on and he seemed surprised to find me petting him when he came out of it.  Luckily he was not on the bed when it started, because he would have fallen off, so it was a simple matter of just staying with him once he ended up against the wall.

He had an incident last week (on Friday) that I now realize (or at least I assume) was a minor mini fit.  He staggered for about the same length of time.  It just reminded of a someone drunk – a step or 2 to the right and then back to the left.  That time I took him outside, helped him down the stairs and just watched him.  After a couple of minutes he was fine.  It wasn’t until he had this fit today that I thought more about it.

Afterward, he wanted to go for our walk right away – so we went out and took our walk along the Red River as usual.  It was a beautiful 16C and the coolness felt wonderful.  Although he was looking for rabbits as usual, he did walk differently than he usually does.  Instead of the usual back and forth walking, he walked straight ahead and kept the leash tight the whole walk.  Pulling him back did not stop that at all and I was not going to use this particular walk to try to enforce any training, so I let him.  Normally when I stop for pictures, he gives a couple of pulls after I stop and then he stops and looks at me and waits for me to move on before moving, but today, he just kept pulling.  He never did stop pulling when I was taking pictures of the Kestrel.

After the walk, he ate his breakfast and is now sleeping beside me.

I phoned the vet, but the one we have been seeing lately is in surgery all day and decided to wait and watch what happens.  I wrote down the details of both incidents and will keep track of any further ones.

I took just one picture along the river.  The beavers have been working on their lodge over night and have cleared the bark off a fallen tree that is on top of it.  Since we were there earlier than normal, I thought I might see them – but no such luck.

Beaver Lodge July 21

The first couple of pictures of the Kestrel were taken somewhat towards the sun, so I had to lighten the bird enough to see more than just a dark shadow.  Then I took one from the other side, which is much clearer.

Kestrel July 21

Kestrel July 21

Kestrel July 21

Its amazing what a change of direction makes in a picture.  I saw 4 of them flying around a couple of minutes earlier and then saw this one as I was almost home.

On Africam today, we have seen Rhino, Elephants, Waterbuck, Zebras, Kudus, Nyala, Warthogs and more including some great pics of the Black Eagle Chick.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Thunderstorm?

With luck, we will have a thunderstorm this morning or afternoon and the temperature will drop some.  The temperature only dropped to 24C last night and with the high humidity it feels like 34C (93F) at 7am.  Right now, they are only predicting 30C (feels like around 40C, which is 104F),because of the expected rain.

Not much to see out on the river this morning – still lots of ducks, but I only took one picture of a young Mallard and a trio of rowers on the other side of the river.  I did get a better look (but no picture) of the Kestrel from the other day.  There are a few of them several blocks away from home, so I’m assuming that a pair nested and have some young ones out on their own.  I saw one dive towards a squirrel that Chester was actually stalking.  Since the squirrel is about the same size as the bird, that would have been an interesting encounter.

A Kestral is the smallest of the Falcons.  This bird still looks to be bigger than what I remember of them from many years ago.  I used to see them at Grand Marais when my parents had a cottage there, but I was smaller way back then.

young Mallard Duck July 20

Rowers July 20

On Africam today, we have seen Elephants, Warthogs, Zebras, Baboons and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Bathing Ducks

I did not even check the temperature this morning when Chester and I went on our walk.  I didn’t even check it when we got home and now around noon it is 27C with a predicted high of 33C and possible thunderstorms to follow.  It was very pleasant for our morning walk, so I am guessing it was about 20C under a sunny sky with just a slight breeze.  We saw a Mallard Duck family having their morning bath and a sparrow that I think is a Savannah Sparrow – but these little guys are so hard to know for sure.

I didn’t get any more done on my livingroom yesterday and I’ve heard that the Assiniboine Park Zoo now has a butterfly garden, so I expect one of my next weekend days will be spent there.  They also have a new bird flight show that I will have to take in.  I’ll make sure I have my camera batteries all charged up for those 2 new features. 

Mallards Bathing July 16

Mallards Bathing July 16

Mallards Bathing July 16

The ducks seems to be enjoying themselves and paid no attention to Chester and I standing there watching them.

Savannah Sparros July 16

I’m not 100% sure of any of my sparrow IDs, but I think that might be what this guy is.

After my exercise class today, followed by the big breakfast at The Red Top, I came home to water my flowers.  I felt like a bad flower mom when I saw how wilted the poor little things were.  I seldom come or go from the front door and hadn’t realized how dry everything was.  My impatience are what I see when I go out to get the mail and for some reason they were looking very good.  But everything is watered now and hopefully they will recover from my neglect.

Today on Africam, we have seen Rhinos, Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Nyala, Waterbuck and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.