SNAKE IN THE GRASS & GOOSE BUMPS

Like all over the world, our weather has been unusual, in this case unusually hot --- 105F on the ground for several days...

That heat and late May meant that many springtime sights were right on time. Trilliums, dandelions, and lilac are in full bloom. The strong lilac fragrance reminds me of the $1 jug of perfume I would buy as an 8-yr. old for my mom! Hummingbirds are swooping around anything red, including the cars. And Great Lakes cargo ships are offloading salt, then onloading grain in Owen Sound harbour.

But there are still lots of late bloomers. Apple and hawthorn trees are the last to hold onto their flowers. Some tulips are still hanging in ---- they seem to be the ones with the richest colour? And back in the harbour the biggest ship ever to anchor here has been high and dry for months --- what will fill that giant? When?

Now for some drama at the pond. This garter snake must have been hungry to swim out to grab a yummy young frog. Over-reaching would you say --- that's a big mouthful! There was a tense standoff for several minutes before the snake made a lunge. You can relax, frog lovers, the amphibian jumped away like LeBron James flopping. The snake reconsiderd...

It's also the season when the real (wild) geese fly by heading a few hundred more miles north. At 6am they're forming up, just paddling. By 7 the leader says let's flap, using the cold water up-currents to give extra lift. By evening they're at full strength and so close to the house you can hear the downstroke of their wings.

We'll be flying this week too. But not north, so in what direction???

PEAK BEAK

Spring has sprung bigtime. Tulips and daffodils have had their glory and the next round of showoffs glow in the morning sun. Can you match these pictures with their common names:

Haskap         dandelion       apple       cherry       phlox      service berry (hint: with 2 native birds!)

We're also springing into the annual startup chores. Lots of ash chips to spread on the beds. Bailing the little pond. Safely(?!) servicing the mower and straightening the blade. Doing the hula like DWTS before the hoop swims with the floating oxygenators.

Also returning for another season are the frogs, salamanders, and another batch of "feeder" fish. Who are they feeding in  this pond??

But the real highlight of May is the absolutely magnificent parade of returning and/or migrating birds. Peak beak is here!! Last Sunday's snow didn't bother any of them. The gold finches have quality AND quantity. A red-headed woodpecker that's actually called a red-bellied! Brilliant orange orioles light up the green branches. Ruby hummingbirds stake out their turf at the sugar water. Rarities like the American Redstart and scarlet tanager (book photo) are here but too fast to pose. And the bird that made this place famous last year --- the Summer Tanager --- is back for an encore! In the meantime, all this chirping has drawn the attention of predators like this redtailed hawk that swoops down on the ground feeders. Watch out juncos!!

But it's a holiday weekend in Canada and time for some R&R. Boaty McBoatfaces cruise by. Ontario's official triliums show up on time at the campgrounds. And the BBQ's are smokin'. Guess where MY beak is peeking?

FOOLED BY MOTHER NATURE

A sunny spring start to the week. The bra on the car shaped up nicely on all the curves in the warmth of the rays. So we took a quick trip to our Toronto Beach 'hood to get re-energized with some city buzz. Two major themes on our block --- sky-high house prices and peak magnolia season! There's always something new, such as the reconfiguring of nearby iconic Kew Park. We're among the majority that aren't convinced it's an improvement, more like more commercial space. Sigh.

 But The Beach still overflows with dogs, babies, and local pride. Guess who grafittied about the trees??

Back at Kemble Work Camp, The Gardener presides over bloomin' colours. With a side of asparagus!

The Other Guy clears the underbrush to make open space and access trails. Note before, during, and after...

Around the feeder the birds are still in a frenzy. Is this a mirror image of grosbeaks? And in the gloom of dusk, a hungry raccoon squirms under the mesh to vacuum up the day's leftovers. Bon appetito!

But this morning Mother Nature pulled the rug (and gazebo!) our from under Spring with cold wind and wet snow. Mid-May? No way!!