This and That, Woods and Shore

 

Our current high pressure ridge brings day after day of blue skies and warm sunshine. I know it won't last long and I'm enjoying it immensely while I can. Trees are leafing out at a tremendous rate - that bright acid green that is so beautiful in springtime. 

On a recent hike around Matheson Lake my eldest daughter slowed on a certain part of the trail saying that in previous years she had seen Fairyslippers (also known as Venus' Slippers) (calypso bulbosa) growing along the mossy bank. We were rewarded by finding several of these showy little flowers, along with other wildflowers, including a Western Trillium.

 Perhaps most magnificent were the woodland clearings carpeted with Fawn Lilies. How beautiful they are. 

We noticed this bird on our walk on Sunday by the shore and commented on its manic behaviour. It moved so quickly and jerkily that it was difficult to photograph. When I got home and looked in my bird book I read, "This fairly large shorebird often runs frantically in many directions while pursuing small prey." Yes, we thought, that describes it to a "t", so we're almost sure that it's a Greater Yellowlegs. 

Another group of smaller shorebirds, Long-billed Dowitchers, we think, were much less frantic, but bobbed their heads up and down as they fed. The trusty bird book called this a "sewing-machine" motion, again, very apt.

(note: I'm no bird expert and am always open to suggestions and corrections if I'm wrong.)

A little rowboat made a pretty picture with the water rippling around it.

Ikea Canada has published an e-book called Scrapsbook. It contains ideas for using bits and pieces of leftover food scraps in innovative ways. You can download the book for free and it's interesting to read. Many of the ideas are things I already do, but I was intrigued by a couple of recipes. One is seen above, with leftover meat, vegetables, and herbs/stems rolled into a thin phyllo pastry roll which is then coiled and baked. They were fun to make, and very tasty. I used some ground turkey patties, butternut squash, spinach stems, onion, and a variety of herbs in mine. 

My recent reading stack. The 13 Clocks is a fanciful tale, a spoof on a fairytale and very easy to read. After beginning The Girl From the Channel Islands I debated stopping because I wasn't taken by the author's writing style. However, I'm glad I kept on for the story picked up and became very compelling. It's based on true events during WWII. Who Speaks for the Damned was an excellent mystery and I will be looking for more C. S. Harris books. A Deception at Thornecrest is another Amory Ames mystery, very lighthearted and fun to read. The last book in the stack, The Other Bennet Sister, has not yet been opened. 

Since our weather is so wonderful I'll be spending the day in the garden. A little bit of weeding, some transplanting and clipping, and possibly seeding a few more vegetables. Enjoy your day!