Spring has arrived!

This little chickadee made my day!
How wonderful to have a bath after a long, cold winter.
Spring is finally here!

Preventing Bird Window Strikes

A bird's eye view of the back door at the hospital

A number of birders have visited the hospital to view the Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings that have been feeding there. They have also had opportunity to see our very well fed Coopers Hawks in action. Our hospital has lots of windows providing natural light that is very enjoyable. The grounds are lovely and it is a good environment for patients and staff, but there is an ongoing danger for birds here.

One of the members of the local birding forum sent me this email last week after he watched the hawk pick up a bird in the doorway.

... the glass door there, is a classic bird killer, could hardly be better designed for the purpose. Even with the signs and so on, there's a clear metre or so of beautifully clean glass showing the nice empty quad beyond, with a good view of sky and even some trees. And of course, the walls angle in on both sides, and there's that canopy above - once a bird is in there, the glass is the only escape route.

I'm wondering if you can ask the hospital maintenance people to do something about this - it wouldn't be difficult. All that is needed is something to make that way look less like an opening, so that the birds at least have a chance - they'll dash to one side or the other, back towards the fruit trees. A screen of some kind, some sort of horizontal blinds to break up the view, would work. I imagine it being hung on the quad side, since there may be complications putting it on the door side.

BTW, you know those stickers that are sold for this purpose? The ones that look like little falcon silhouettes? I don't know if they work - about half the things I read say they do, and half are adamant that they don't. Better to obscure the view completely, by diffusing it somehow.


This is the walkway leading up to the sliding doors. The chapel opposite the door also has reflective windows and the branches of the fruit trees that have attracted the birds is to the right. The Coopers Hawks have a nest in the pines to the left of the picture.


This is the walkway between the second floors of the two sections of the hospital. The courtyard is on the left and windows line the corridor. This is another area that is known for bird strikes because of the double set of windows. There are so many windows here! We had a wonderful maintenance man who really cared about the grounds and the birds. He was recently laid off and as of April 1st, the hospital now has an outside contract for care of the grounds. I couldn't find out who got the contract, but it is unlikely that they will be sympathetic or helpful with the bird problem.


My daughter took this picture of me collecting a couple of dead birds outside my office window. Our window feeders do not seem to be a problem as the types of birds that visit them are not dying. I would be willing to buy some of the bird stickers that are supposed to help make windows safer, but the reviews on them are mixed. Any suggestions would be welcome. It would take forever to get the hospital to consider putting up extra blinds, even if someone else paid for them.

Are the stickers a worthwhile investment? Please comment if you have any suggestions.

Air Travel Advisory

Palm Islands, Dubai UAE

The patients I see each day at the hospital are generally elderly and are suffering illnesses we associate with the aging process. Every so often someone is admitted who is much younger than average, perhaps middle-aged or less. I always take second notice when someone is exactly my age.

The most recent patient my age travelled across two continents in a long flight. When she returned home she noticed she had aching legs and afterwards some shortness of breath. But she never sought medical attention until she had a massive stroke that caused a large amount of damage to her brain. She has a huge deficit and is completely dependent. Investigations showed she had numerous blood clots in her legs, lungs and of course the one that moved to her brain.

I am well aware of the risks of developing blood clots in airplanes and always wear support hose during a flight. But many people are not and I was surprised that some of our staff members did not appreciate the connection. Blood clots can quickly develop with immobility. Most of our patients remain on low-molecular heparin after hip and knee surgery until they are up and about regularly on their own. One of our good friends was hospitalized with pneumonia this year. He was discharged home, developed swelling in one leg, but didn't know the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. He was rushed to hospital and ended up in ICU with a pulmonary embolism a couple of days later.

Our medical director, Dr. Anne Crowe, published this case study about another patient in our facility who had a stroke after a relatively short plane journey. Plane travel is common and seating in the economy sections is tighter than ever. This information could save your life or the life of others. The following information is from mdtravelhealth.com.

Risk factors for deep vein thrombosis include

• previous history of deep vein thrombosis
• chronic swelling of the legs or feet
• varicose veins
• pregnancy
• use of estrogen or raloxifene (Evista)
• advanced age
• cancer
• obesity
• stroke
• recent hospitalization or surgery

To prevent the development of blood clots on long plane flights, the following measures are recommended:

• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
• Do not place hand luggage where it may limit leg movement.
• Walk about the cabin at regular intervals.
• Perform isometric compressions of the leg muscles (i.e. contract the leg muscles periodically while sitting).
• Avoid crosssing your legs.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
• For those with any of the above risk factors, wear compression stockings, which can be purchased in most drug stores.

Six Word Memoir Meme

Each morning is a new gift

I was tagged a few weeks ago to participate in the six word meme but had a mental block when trying to think of something to share about myself. I have already written that mornings are my best time of day. Breakfast is my favourite meal and sleeping in makes me feel sluggish. When I know the day will have a stressful or unpleasant event, I mentally tell myself, "by this time tomorrow morning it will be over." I anticipate each new day as if it were a gift to be opened.

The Geriatric Assessment Unit I work on admits many older people suffering from depression. There are a number of causes for this condition but we frequently see people who simply have nothing to look forward to each day. They no longer have a job or a role within their family unit. They may live in social isolation or struggle with failing physical capabilities. Sometimes our patients perk up significantly after admission because they participate in a daily routine of mealtimes and group activities. They may start helping a less capable roommate and gain a sense of purpose from doing so.

Beth of Beth's Stories wrote a post last month called Fighting the Blues. Sydney Smith's Letter to Georgiana Morpeth, written in 1820, contained 20 tips to overcome melancholy. I printed it off and appreciate the common sense in this piece of advice. I have cut and pasted the list from the British Medical Journal.

Dear Lady Georgiana,

Nobody has suffered more from low spirits than I have done—so I feel for you. Here are my prescriptions.

1st. Live as well as you dare.

2nd. Go into the shower-bath with a small quantity of water at a temperature low enough to give you a slight sensation of cold, 75° or 80°.

3rd. Amusing books.

4th. Short views of human life—not further than dinner or tea.

5th. Be as busy as you can.

6th. See as much as you can of those friends who respect and like you.

7th. And of those acquaintances who amuse you.

8th. Make no secret of low spirits to your friends, but talk of them freely—they are always worse for dignified concealment.

9th. Attend to the effects tea and coffee produce upon you.

10th. Compare your lot with that of other people.

11th. Don't expect too much from human life—a sorry business at the best.

12th. Avoid poetry, dramatic representations (except comedy), music, serious novels, melancholy, sentimental people, and every thing likely to excite feeling or emotion, not ending in active benevolence.

13th. Do good, and endeavour to please everybody of every degree.

14th. Be as much as you can in the open air without fatigue.

15th. Make the room where you commonly sit gay and pleasant.

16th. Struggle by little and little against idleness.

17th. Don't be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.

18th. Keep good blazing fires.

19th. Be firm and constant in the exercise of rational religion.

20th. Believe me, dear Lady Georgiana,

Very truly yours,—Sydney Smith

Photo taken from my front door as I left for work at the end of March.
The snow has melted considerably in the past week.

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

We attended the 43rd annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival this weekend. I remember attending around 1969 when our family still lived in Toronto little knowing I would move to this area. It has been a few years since we have visited the town on this special day. Tens of thousands of people crowd the main street of the town of 12,ooo. Maple bush tours are available and the local arena also hosts a craft show.

Elmira's Main Street

This year I noticed the Old Order Mennonite presence was pretty well absent in the town. My husband likes to buy a sausage on a bun, but it was easier to find Middle-Eastern souvlaki for sale. But the traditional offerings of pancakes, apple fritters and cheese curds were still readily available. I heard one visitor comment that this wasn't a syrup festival but a food festival.

My husband's friend buys syrup

We drove a short distance out of town and many Old Order Mennonites had set up tables at the end of their lanes or at intersections to sell their own maple products. We stopped and bought some syrup and maple butter cones from these young men who have a sugar bush and shack next to my husband's workplace. Their horse, harnessed to the buggy, waited patiently at the side of the road.

Patient horse

The first weekend in April can bring snow, rain, sleet or sun. This year the weather was beautiful and that was good news for the many volunteers who set up this outdoor festival. Much of the money raised goes to various charities and non-profit organizations. The syrup run is excellent this year as a good snow cover remains and the nights have been cool. For many farmers this is the first crop of the season.

I like fresh cheese curds a lot!

Eileen of Cicero Sings contacted me on Facebook to tell me that in the west, birch syrup is being produced. There are no sugar maples in western Canada and some inventive people have discovered that the sap of the white birch can be reduced to a unique sweetener. I have never heard of it and imagine it is more expensive than maple syrup.



Apple fritters are my favourite treat. I didn't wait in the lineups for any this weekend though. Most everything at the festival is available year round at our excellent local markets. We have ordered a case of maple syrup from a local farmer and get it in 14 oz. tins that are convenient to use and share. I imagine that early settlers in the area used only maple syrup and honey as sweeteners, liquid gold to be rationed to last until the next spring run.

Friday Flowers : Fruitful Trees

Cedar Waxwing at the hospital this week

In another month these ornamental crab apple trees will be blooming at the hospital and we will know spring has truly arrived. All winter, their fruit laden branches have been ignored by the birds except for a brief December visit from some Pine Grosbeaks. But now the Robins and Waxwings have been on them daily and will pick them clean by the time the new leaves emerge. And the short-lived blooms will provide another crop of fruit for the birds next winter.


Today is my parents' fifty-fifth wedding anniversary. They were married in Ontario and drove to Washington D.C. for their honeymoon to see the cherry blossoms. The bloom of youth is past but their lives have been very fruitful with five children, fourteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren on the way this year. As well as giving us physical life, they have nurtured us spiritually, encouraging us be fruitful and refreshing to others according to their example.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming,
"The LORD is upright;he is my Rock,
and there is no wickedness in him."

Psalm 92:12-15

Happy 55th Anniversary
Mom and Dad!!

A New Season at Mount Trashmore

We have had a day or two of rain this week with milder (not warm!) temperatures and the snow cover is gradually melting. The rivers are dangerously high and the trails along them are under water in spots. It was impossible to walk the trails near the hospital today.

Last year I wrote about the old landfill site at the end of our street known as Mount Trashmore. This is a favourite place to walk the dog, but the snow has been too deep and icy underneath over the past month to walk safely. We ventured out tonight in the evening just before sunset. The ground was snow covered, icy, muddy, water logged or dry so it required creative criss-crossing to get through without incident.

The city has been developing the one end of this park and I wondered if the birds that nested here last year would return. The Red-winged Blackbirds are most vocal in the evening and several males are now present. I haven't seen any females yet. In the dusky light I startled six Kildeer, the first I have seen this season.


A large hawk swooped over the field repeatedly. Each time, a group of small birds would rise up together and chase it noisily until it found another perch from which to launch its next attack.


There are a number of vernal pools in the park that will hold water until early summer. The edges of the ice are just starting to melt. The robins, kildeer and red-winged blackbirds grouped near the open water, digging in the mud or having a bath.

I did a mini-Bioblitz in the field last year for Earth Day and hope to identify more species here by the end of April this year. Last year at this time the female RWBs were nesting, I had found skunk cabbage growing, the red maples were blooming and the winter snow cover was gone. The spring season is delayed in comparison this year, but a couple of weeks of seasonal temperatures should allow a reasonable catch-up.

Excellent Blog Award

Ruthie at Nature Knitter kindly awarded me an Excellent Blog Award. I enjoy blogging, but reading what others write is even more interesting for me. My blog roll has grown and my Google Reader has even more blogs in various categories. I am going to select some from each of the groups I use to organize my reader. I don't read blogs that are less than excellent so could select everyone. Here are some newer and older bloggers who deserve an award even if they choose not to pass it on.

The rules are:

By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy.You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to recognize blogs that have already received this award.

Canadian Blogs

I do enjoy reading what fellow Canadians write. We understand our weather, the metric system, Tim Hortons, hockey, good health care, and are generally very tolerant and optimistic.

Nature at My Doorstep - April lives in British Columbia's central interior and just started blogging in December 2007. I have yet to visit this beautiful province and enjoy reading about her nature observations.

The Marvelous in Nature - Seabrooke started her blog this year and her photographs and essays are superb. She lives in Toronto and grew up in the country not far from where I now live. She is a volunteer at the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station on the Leslie Street Spit. I look forward to her posts in the coming spring season.

Youthful Blogs

I originally learned about blogs from some younger members in my family including my daughter Becka.

Nature - I have linked to Samuel's blog several times, but this eleven year old cousin of mine really is doing a great job with his photographs and writing. I see a great future ahead for him.

Life at Graceful Symmetry- Jaspenelle is my niece and she has been blogging longer that any one I know. She is just 22 years old and is now married and expecting her first baby. Her posts are without pretense and cover a variety of subjects. She is a very creative person and reminds me of my generation in the 1970's with interests in crafts, cooking, spirituality, and the environment.

Medical Blogs

I like reading medical blogs that mix humour, everyday clinic or hospital life and medical information in one great package. I subscribe to a number of drier medical blogs of literature reviews and consider them a convenient way to keep up with current practice. But these blogs are read for pleasure and learning.

Doc of Ages,
Denver Doc Online - Dr. Judy Paley, and internal specialist writes these two blogs, the first dealing with issues of aging and the second of more general medical practice. She has a great sense of humour and if I lived in the Denver area, I would be begging her to be my physician. Dr. Paley's aging mother who was in a nursing home passed away at the end of last week. She had written several bitter-sweet posts about her mom's declining condition.

General Blogs

KGMom Mumblings - Donna's posts are always interesting and very well written. She has travelled widely and should be a journalist. We share some similarities in our background and I appreciate her perspective and world view.

For any Eyes - Ginger's is always worth reading. She is another citizen of the world and writes with wisdom and experience. I have saved many of her posts for future review and inspiration.

Nature Blogs

Many of the blogs I read are in this category. In fact, several of the blogs I have featured above fit here as well. I prefer to read about a salamander than perusing a political rant. I have learned so very much from the passionate bloggers who post regularly about the natural world.

Natural Notes - I hope Laura will not abandon her blog as her pictures and writings are always excellent . Like Monarch, she is involved in bird banding and seeing closeup photographs of captured birds has helped me a lot in learning to identify various species.

Burning Silo - Bev is a Canadian blogger and naturalist from eastern Ontario. I came across her blog when I googled Monarch butterflies back in 2006. I was so impressed with her photos and her knowledge of the natural world. She is very gracious and has answered several of my personal inquiries by email. I followed links in her comments and found many other wonderful blogs in the process.



Look at the blog links in my sidebar for more bloggers who are worthy of this award. I appreciate my flesh and blood friends, but blogging has introduced me to many wonderful virtual friends.