Some Local Beauties

      I thought I would share with you a few of the local beauties in my life, all seen around here recently. I beg to assure you that the list is not exhaustive!

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

     This common bird, is uncommonly beautiful.

     Rarely a day goes by without a Blue Jay, but they are never less welcome for their familiarity.

     Everyone should be so lucky!

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

     How many have I seen? Probably many thousands, and they are gorgeous and captivating every time.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

     Perky and cheerful, bold and brazen, this little sprite enlivens every walk we ever take, never hesitating to accost us to see what we have brought for it to eat.

     We are unabashedly in love with chickadees.

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

     This delicate, beautiful bird takes its name from its mournful call. I confess that it does evoke a sort of sadness, yet it is at the same time a comforting and appealing sound.

     More often than not we get a picture of a bird on a perch, (a branch or a wire), and sometimes feeding on the ground. It seems to me that the picture below, which Miriam took a few days ago on The Mill Race Trail is exceptionally captivating, and quite different from the stereotypical image we are accustomed to.

Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

     There are many no doubt who might not combine the words "beauty" and "Muskrat" in the same sentence, but they obviously have not opened their eyes wide.

     Muskrat numbers have rebounded since they are no longer extensively persecuted for their fur, and we frequently encounter these altogether delightful creatures.

     Someone possessed of more talent than I should write a Wind in the Willows type of story with a Muskrat as the principal character. I am sure it would meet with great success, both literary and commercial!

Lily 

     As Lily grows up she continues to provide so much fun for us all, and we are happy to surround her with love and care.

     She will tell you about our latest outing together in her own words.

     Good morning everyone. This is Lily. As you can see in the picture above we went for a fabulous walk on a snowy day in Ontario. 

     It was very special in several ways. We went to the Dom Cardillo Trail in Idlewood Park in Kitchener, a place we had not visited before, and my dad came along, and, best of all, my dog, Clementine.

     Clementine was born to run, and she is very fast, but when my mom calls her to come back, she does so right away, because she loves to be with people too.

     When you have a slippery snow suit it's easy to make your own toboggan run - and I did. David was always there to give me a little shove to get started.

     Being outdoors on a snowy day is so much fun.

     As always, sooner or later it's time to go back home, and when it is, sometimes a girl's got to show she's independent.

     Until the next time, hugs and kisses from Lily.

Miriam

     Beautiful, smart, witty, intelligent, kind, considerate, generous, impish, tolerant.....what more is there to say? How could I do without her?

Heather

     I was drawn to Heather from the moment I first met her, as a dedicated young biologist with impeccable credentials, when she came to help us at our bird banding operation at SpruceHaven. Little could I have imagined then that she would become such an integral part of my life, and that Lily would grow up with us, almost week by week.

     We love you, Heather.

  

Victoria 

     Intelligent, witty, a keen observer, a great companion, fun to be with.

  

     Since we are dealing with beauty, I can hardly leave you without a performance of consummate beauty, with style, class and sheer brilliance. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdXoER96is 

     Miriam and I are very fond of The Trout Quintet and sought a new (to us) version to listen to as we quietly enjoyed each other's company on New Year's Eve.

     How wonderful it is to see these young titans of the music world in their very early days, and to witness their sheer exuberance. When did you ever even see Zubin Mehta PLAY an instrument?!

     To see Jaqueline du Pré, and to contemplate that she would die tragically from the ravages of MS not many years later, adds a special poignancy to this performance. What a force she was, what epic qualities she brought to her playing.

     And, of course, Franz Schubert died before his 32nd birthday, and who knows what he might have gone on to compose?

     The back story is entertaining and interesting, but the actual performance is magnificent. We are privileged to watch, hear and absorb versatility of this 

calibre. I doubt that you will ever find much better.