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?

More on Africa Plans

You are all going to be really tired hearing about my trip plans over the next year.

Although it was the tour that I saw advertised that got me moving on this, it is now looking like the tour part of it may be dropped in favour of more time in Kruger and Sabi Sands.

It has been a dream for so many years to stay at Nkorho, that I have to do something to make this happen. Traveling along is certainly more expensive than traveling with others, as the price of the room does not double with 2 people and does not triple with 3 – the cost per person goes down as the 2nd or 3rd person is added.

But I will be traveling alone and I will figure out a way to have at least a couple of nights at Nkorho.

I have picked out several places to stay for a couple of nights each in Kruger.  I was planning Kruger for 2 weeks and by taking out the tour part, I can stay another week and arrange some time at Nkorho.

I have a dear friend Penny and her husband Jurek who are helping me plan things and since they know the area well, they are providing me with excellent advice.  They will be in the area at the same time as I am planning my trip there also    so I will get to meet them.

As usual, I am spending so much time planning during my morning that I’m running out of time to watch the cams and write my blog before I have to leave for work.

I did turn on the Elephant Plains cam when I received a tweet about a giraffe this morning and got a couple of pictures of him.

Giraffe and Warthogs at EP

This just in – I will be able to stay at Nkorho.

Chester is fine    another good day and night for him.

This and That

It was 14C this morning when Chester and I went for our walk along the Red River.  The sky to the east was a friendly blue and the sky to the west was threatening.  I didn’t think I saw any birds until I looked at one of the pictures I took and I didn’t see any beavers (even in my pictures).

Sky to the East July 11

Sky to the West July 11

Since the sun is coming up in the East (obviously), the sun shining on the dark clouds to the West brighten it up quite a bit.

A rower was going past my big tree just as I took this picture (the water is still very high) and when I looked at the picture, I saw several Canada Geese along the riverbank too.

Tree, Rower and Geese

July 11 Lilies

Back in the yard, we have the last of the lilies and a bunny in hiding.

July 11 Bunny

On Africam today, we have seen Elephants, Giraffes, Hippo, Baboons, Waterbuck, Nyala, Impala and more  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Back to Normal (whatever that is)

I did not even check the temperature when Chester and I took our walk along the Red River this morning.  Now (around noon) it is 21C with 94% humidity and drizzling.  It was drizzling when we walked too.   It is supposed to get up to 25C by this afternoon.

We couldn’t find any beavers today, but did find one small Wood Duck family.  It was just the mom and 2 almost grown babies.

Wood Ducks

No relaxing for mom as she stands guard.

When heading out for breakfast after my workout at the Y, a large truck in front of me suddenly slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road.  I couldn’t see in front of it, so I slammed on my brakes too.  Just then we could see a Mallard Duck and her tiny babies crossing the road and heading for the river.  That truck would have killed the whole family if the driver hadn’t done that.  The family had to get across the other direction too, but the first car coming towards them also braked quickly and I saw them all scramble up the curb on the river side of the street. 

Yesterday, I was playing with the settings on my camera and found a sketch mode.  Of course I had to try that out and took a couple of pictures of Chester in the yard.

Chester July 8 sketch

Chester July 8 sketch

On Africam today, we have seen Giraffe, Wildebeest, Duiker, Baboons, Zebra, Elephants and much more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

I Found Ducks

It was 19C with the humidity at 83% and a bright sunny sky as Chester and I took our walk along the Red River this morning.  No sign of our beaver, but I did find a couple of Wood Duck families.  I’m guessing that the mother duck was mother to both the clutches – her original older clutch and the newer babies that she was sitting with.  The older ones were very close – just sitting on the next log.

Wood Ducks July 7

Those are the older babies above and just below here is the mom and her newest babies (who are growing quickly).

Wood Ducks July 7

Looking at the second picture, I can see an alligator coming up towards the ducks   right in the center.

I came home from work yesterday to find a Purolator missed delivery notice in my mailbox.  This was addressed to someone that I don’t know – have never even seen a name like hers before or to me, with my last name spelled incorrectly.  I suppose her name may be spelled incorrectly as well – LOL.   It says it is a box, so I am very curious as to what it might be.  I can pick it up this morning, so I will probably do that.  When I used to write for BellaOnline, I used to get books delivered here for review, but deliveries these days are pretty much non existent.  I’ll keep you posted on it 

On Africam today, we have seen Waterbuck, Nyala, Impala, Warthogs, Elephants, Giraffe, Zebra, Cape Buffalo, Bushbuck and much more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Hot and Sunny

It was 16C when Chester and I walked along the Red River this morning under a sunny sky – but with the humidity at 88%, we were both hot and sweaty when we got back home again.  Actually, I’m not sure dogs get sweaty – but he was panting heavily and I was hot and sweaty.    It is supposed to get up to 26C this afternoon.  Yesterday we had a huge thunderstorm in the afternoon and the rain was pelting down, but it only lasted about 20 minutes and then the sun came out again.

Although I heard quite a few birds on our walk today, I did not see anything at all – so all we have are my Mock Orange and Lily flowers to see today.

Mock Orange July 5

Lilies July 5

Lilies July 5

On Africam today, we have seen Giraffe,  Bushbuck, Baboons, Impalas, Hadeda Ibis, Hammerkop, Terrapin and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.

Ducks and Sparrow

It was cloudy and 15C when Chester and I took our walk along the Red River this morning.   It looks and smells like it will rain soon and the forecast says showers this morning, but clearing later today and are actually talking about temperatures in the high 20′s and up to 30C by Thursday – with rain on Canada Day.

We were greeted by a Song Sparrow at the riverbank this morning.

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

A few minutes later, I spied a Wood Duck with her young family close to the shore and trying to keep hidden from us.  She did a pretty good job, but I managed to get some pictures of them anyway.  They aren’t great pictures though.

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducklings

Wood Ducks

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

Flowers and Ducks

I didn’t check the temperature before Chester and I walked along the Red River this morning – but I do know that it was gorgeous out there.  The sun was shining and there was just a bit of a breeze.   The first critters I saw was the Wood Duck Family with the oldest babies.  Then I took a picture of the Beaver Lodge ruins.

Wood Ducks

Beaver Lodge Ruins

I had sure been looking forward to watching the building in progress.  I wonder if he will come back and resume building.

Then it was time for breakfast.    After breakfast, I decided it was time to tackle the flower bed.  The Forget-me-nots, that had taken over the flower bed had all died out and things were looking pretty sad out there.  So, I pulled almost all of them out – seeds were flying everywhere, so I bet I’ll have even more of them next year.

I went to the neighbourhood garden center and bought a bunch of pansies and planted them.

Pansies

Peony is still blooming

Wild Rose June 25

There used to be more wild roses in my yard, but they’ve all disappeared over the years except this one.

Wild Rose June 25

By the time I finished in the yard it was noon with a temperature of  23C.

On Africam today, we have seen Elephants, Rhino, Bushbuck, Baboons, Giraffe, Waterbuck, Nyala and more.  Click here to see today’s pictures so far.

Flowers and Ducks

It was 9C when Chester and I went for our walk this morning and it has already risen to 13C by the time I uploaded my pictures and re-sized them for all to see    and its partly sunny.  AND someone is working on the mystery block across the street that had been abandoned over a year ago after everyone had to move out for renovations about 2 years ago 

I’ll show you my Hawthorne Tree that really needs a serious trim job, but while taking pictures, I’m really looking at it and its a pretty thick branch for my manual saw as well as being a little further up that I originally thought.

Hawthorne Tree

As you can see the branch in front is dead!

Hawthorne Tree

Showing the whole tree, you can see that branch is way up.  Now, I’ve been thinking of taking the whole tree out for awhile now – but each year it has flowers and I just can’t take it down.  It is really crowded in there though – from my Mountain Ash on the left and the tree on the boulevard to the right.

Hawthorne Flowers

The healthy branches still look nice and healthy.

Iris

I have 2 different groups of Iris plants in my yard and this is the tall ones that are now just starting to flower.

Lily of the Valley

Flowers on the riverbank

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducks

The babies are getting more independent and impossible to get all in one picture.  I counted 11 of them.

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

June 1st

It was 10C under a sunny sky and very windy when Chester and I went for our walk along the Red River this morning.  Other than some bunnies that Chester wanted to chase, the only living critter that I saw was one Mallard Hen, sitting on a log.  It was the same log where I got a nice picture of her mate a few days ago and just like him, she wasn’t concerned about us being so close to her.

Mallard Hen June 1

Mallard Hen June 1

Today on Africam we have seen giraffes, zebras, warthogs and, of course more.  Click here to see today’s pictures.