Sharing What We Love To Do
A little bit of home!
We had a glorious Fall this year!! No nasty snowstorms, and Winter didn’t truly arrive until December!
I love seeing the eagles at Redtail Rise! I’m not sure that this is the fellow we rescued … maybe. But we’ll never know for sure.
Trembling Aspen (White Poplar) …
Some birch mixed in …
Trembling Aspen …
Birch …
Our Mountain Ash … one of my favorites year-round!
Sunrise at 7:04 …
At 7:18 … Amazing clouds! …
On the 26th, we had some friends over for a Quad Ride and Birthday Supper!
Brian spotted this badger from about 300 yards away while we were out running the dogs. We hung on to the dogs, and got closer, to about 150 yds from him. It took 2 shots, but Brian got him!! One less vermin to dig HUGE holes in the pastures! The badger holes are terribly treacherous for horses and cows. And the badger eats lots of gophers, which is helpful, but… if the gophers get too depleted, then the raptors (eagles, hawks & falcons) won’t have the gophers to eat and then they won’t come around.
Brian estimated him to be about 30 lbs …
And, he became immortalized on one of our Beers!
What did we do with him? We’ve taken him to a taxidermy friend who is going to mount him for us. At the moment, the hide is still at the tanner’s (apparently, they are quite oily, so need a partial tanning before they can be mounted). So, stay tuned… once he’s mounted, we’ll post some more photos! We’re looking forward to being up-close-and-personal with him without the risk of those teeth and claws!!
Our Japanese Lilac… we’d had this tree for 5 or 6 years before it bloomed; and when it finally did bloom, we had to really dig deep into the memory banks to remember what it was. Once it started blooming, though, wow! And 2021 was incredible year for it! …
The Maydays in 2021 were chock-a-block full of berries — so many more than we’ve ever had before! So, that sent me to look them up and learn a bit more about them. A Mayday Tree is also known as Bird Cherry, Hackberry and Hagberry. I’ve been around them all my life and never knew those names!
I might not have known about all the cherries/berries on Maydays, but the birds sure knew!!! We had lots and lots of birds in the Maydays in August! Here are some of the young robins enjoying them and hanging around near them …
Robins have a bit of a “game scent” to them, and our bird dogs pick up that scent. Aengus was having a grand ol’ time “working” the robins! …
I didn’t plant any sunflower seeds this year, so where did this one come from? Why, the birds! The birds are a bit messy at the feeders at the front of the house, and they “plant” the sunflowers for me! 😄
During this latest “deep-freeze”, it’s been fun to look at last year’s photos! Here are some highlights from last Spring!
Aengus (left) and Katie (right) checking the trees for grouse… with this intent look, I’d say they both spotted one! 😄
Wild Clematis… This is the “mature fruit” or “seedhead” that follows the blossoms … so this particular one was from a 2020 blossom. The Wild Clematis out here blossoms later in May.
A Trembling Aspen / White Poplar, waiting in the deep blue for this year’s leaves! …
Out for a quad ride …
Coyote, sniffin’ around!
Catkins on a Bam Tree (Balsam Poplar / Black Poplar) …
This pond had a little ice and reflection on it at the end of April …
Our Pink Flowering Plum in bloom …
We get lots of little song birds coming back in the Spring. Here’s a female Redpoll (left) and a female House Finch (right) …
Aengus, proudly sitting in “his” spot! …
Aengus (left) and Maggy (right), doin’ their job, keepin’ watch! …
Mayday, in full bloom! …
Robins, lovin’ all the worms! …
The dogs kept going back to a spot in the barn all Spring; we just thought there were mice under the platform in the back corner. Turns out a pair of foxes made their den there! They had a litter of 3, and one day in mid-June they came out to play in front of the barn. Here are 2 of the kits …
Hidin’ from the rain! …
Rainbows over Redtail Rise! …
“I’m in my fav-or-ite chair… I mean bed… no, chair!” …
“But now Aunt Kari is in the kitchen, and she might have some food for me!” …
“Aunt Kari wouldn’t give me anything, so I’ve headed to my other favorite spot! But, I won’t look at the camera!” …
One hour later…
“Uncle Brian is COOK-ING!!!! HE’LL give me something!!!” …
“I gots a spot in the kitchen!!” …
“And I got the heat vent!!!!!” …
“I always get the heat vent in the morning!!”
“Aunt Kari says it’s not very cold this morning, but I still LOVE the heat vent in the morning!!!”
Now what do you suppose she’s guarding? …
Doggie Christmas Presents!!!
She has a long wait!! 😂
Katie did eventually give up on guarding these while they were in the closet. Then they appeared the morning of December 19th, and she sniffed them out and guarded the table where they were piled until she got hers!! 🤣
“It’s -27C with the wind and that’s just too cold to stay outside for long! I’m sooooo forlorn!!!!” …
“Heck, I can watch from here just fine! -27C doesn’t bother me one bit!! …
“I’m just happy to be inside with heat and comfort and Mom and Dad!!” …
“What’s that???? -27C????? Not for me, it ain’t!!!” …
🤣🤣🤣
Well, after not posting any photos for months and months, what better way to spend a bitterly cold day but to catch up on photos and posts!!! I’ll start with Christmas, and make my way through 2021 over the next couple weeks…
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love all the lights and decorations, and good wishes, good will and good cheer! Our house gets transformed!
At the back door…
Redtail Rise Christmas was a wee bit early this year… on December 18th and 19th… all the same traditions, just earlier!
Aengus is ready! …
All ready for Christmas Breakfast …
Some photos from around the house:
“Snowman World” in the Dining Room …
Doorway to the Office …
Living Room …
Bathroom …
Upstairs Guest Bedroom …
Our Bedroom …
Front Entry …
A few years ago, Brian made this “Guitar Shelf” from a friend’s old guitar – it was a bit warped and couldn’t be played anymore – it’s become a fabulous shelf for some of our glasses… and it gets “the Christmas treatment” too! …
Our amaryllis bloomed just in time for Christmas! In the photo on the left… the sun had peaked through the loft window and shone down to the Dining Room in just the right place – it lit up the amaryllis perfectly!
And why do you suppose the two photos are here? You’ll have to wait for a future post to see why I took these two! …
With the “Mall Santas” closed last year because of covid, a new tradition started at Redtail Rise…. Grandpa Santa Photos!!!!!
Brooke with Jude…
Charlie makes her approach…
And… Uh-oh! …
Mom makes it all better! …
Billi & Jay & Charlie …
And what happened last year when Charlie visited Grandpa Santa??? …
🤣🤣🤣
She was amazing really… once Brian was out of the Santa Suit, Charlie happily sat on his lap! But, she sure doesn’t like being up close and personal with Santa right now! Maybe next year …
Carol from Medicine River Wildlife Centre called us — “our” baldy was flying back and forth in their aviary, had put on several pounds and was ready to be released! YAY!! And, she wanted to release him at our place! How lucky are we??!!
“Ok, I’ll come out!”
“Nope, NOT ready!”
After he made several attempts to leave his crate, Carol encouraged him! …
“And, I’m… out!”
“I’ll even take a step!”
“But only this far!”
“Ok Carol, I’m goin’!”
“But only a few feet!”
“Ok! How ’bout … this far?”
“I’ll go some more!”
“Far enough!”
“Off to the north pasture I go!”
We thought “our” baldy was off & on his own because we didn’t see him later Wednesday afternoon while we were running the dogs.
Wednesday evening, Billi saw him on the ground north of our place ~ 1 km (just a wee bit north and west of where we found him).
And, about noon on Thursday, Carol called us — they had a call about him and sure enough he was still on the ground about where Billi had seen him. We went to check on him so we could report back to Carol. He didn’t want to fly hardly at all.
And little Miss Charlie got to join us out to check on him!
Medicine River Wildlife Centre volunteers were back out to pick him up on Thursday afternoon.
And, about supper time Carol let us know that he’s back on treatment and had eaten a slab of salmon!
Update from Carol Tuesday mid-day (May 11th): “He’s finally picked up and gaining weight again. I believe he has an infection that we got under control but not 100% and it began to come back. He’s on two antibiotics now and improving.”
Update: “Our Baldy” was released back into the wild on July 8th. Although we were invited, we were not able to be at Medicine River Wildlife Centre for his release. However, the big female hanging around Redtail Rise had a partner to fly with shortly after “Our Baldy” was released. We like to think he made it back to his mate, and back “home”!
Nothing says Easter (and Spring) like tulips and pussy willows!
The table is all set! …
Charlie and Billi …
A pretty happy camper! …
Kyle and Brooke …
And one more, with a B-I-G smile!! 😃
What an experience!! … we were able to help rescue a bald eagle!!
While we were out running the dogs on Friday (April 9th), we saw a bald eagle on the ground across the fence in our neighbors’ trees… we were only about 20 ft away, and he didn’t fly away – highly unusual and Brian immediately knew he was not well! We called Medicine River Wildlife Centre and they came to get him! While we were waiting for rescuers Carol & Grant, I was able to take some photos! Very exciting to be so close to a baldy!!
Quite the talons! …
The rescuers arrived… Grant got close and “our” baldy had one last blast of energy to fly a bit aways, but, ultimately, he was caught!
Then he got a quad ride back to the house…
And, yes, a male (his smaller size convinced Carol & Grant), at least 5 years old (fully white head and tail, indicating maturity). Carol treated him with some meds and fluids. Then they took him to their Wildlife Centre, and are working to nurse him back to health. Given his very weakened state, Carol felt he had a 50-50 chance of making it!
One last photo … “our” baldy, “White Walker Style”😃 …
Update Sunday Evening (April 11th) from Carol at Medicine River: “Our” Baldy is hanging in so far! He’s eaten 5 little trout on his own and he’s being treated for infection and internal bleeding, along with tube feeding. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for him!
Update Friday, April 16th Mid-Day from Carol: “He’s now eating completely on his own and has gained over 1 pound. Looking good.”
We’re thrilled that “our” baldy is heading in the right direction! Thank you to Carol and all who help her and the animals at Medicine River Wildlife Centre!!