February This and That

In my last post I reminded myself not to use "busy" as an excuse. After all, I am happy to be able to be out and about every day and involved in interesting activities. Blogging has taken a back seat in this interesting life. Here is a little rundown of what is new lately...

Last year I received a coupon from Trip Advisor for a free Shutterfly book. (I wrote several reviews for Trip Advisor and this was my reward). Shipping was free in the USA so I sent my book to family.
During my recent trip to Mexico, I saw the book and some calendars I had also designed. I was very impressed with the print quality. I did three more books of my Mexico time with family and decided to design others with pictures from holidays in the past three years. Back in "the day", the cost of buying and developing film would exceed the cost of these books. Shutterfly has special pricing posted frequently (I got 40% off in January) so you can complete your project and save it until the price comes down. I have been uploading and arranging photos from our Western Canada trip and will start on our Nevada-Arizona-California trip soon.

I started working on a new unit this month and have gone from treating strokes, hip fractures, amputees and the like on a slow rehab unit, to a caseload of geriatric assessment and mental health patients. The work is physically easier for me but I find I need to research and upgrade some skills with this different population. There is so much stigma with mental illness. These people often present with physical symptoms from their disease and the medications they take. We have a new longer term mental health unit at our hospital and the staff are enthusiastic and interesting to work with. They treat the patients with respect and dignity and I look forward to getting to know the team.

Last night we drove home after dark through the countryside and admired the crescent moon and the bright, bright light of Venus. This week is superb for skywatching. My dad told me he was out looking at the night sky in Mexico but in our part of Canada, the skies are cloudy much of the time so I am not in the habit of star gazing. Tonight Jupiter is the planet nearest the moon. You can check the skies at this site. 

This on again-off again winter has led to the earliest start of maple syrup production in our area. Birds are moving in different patterns as well. We have driven around looking for out of the ordinary birds. Yesterday we visited our daughter in London, Ontario where a Ross' Goose had been seen all week near her home. We walked through Springbank Park and did not see it, but this pair of Hooded Mergansers was on the Thames River and a mature Bald Eagle flew above our heads. It was very icy for walking (and driving) so I wasn't as thorough in my searching as I would be on a warmer day.

It snowed twice this month and I made a snowman for the birds with the packing snow. Raven enjoys running around outdoors in the yard, the dog park or the woods. She sheds like crazy and her feet get full of frozen ice and snow. She likes mud and digging and throws up easily when she eats or drinks too fast. But we love her anyway and most of the time she is no problem at all.

This is my third year enjoying a vegetarian (mostly vegan) diet. My meat-loving husband likes most of the dishes I serve even though he eats them as sides. The internet is full of great ideas and I rarely use cookbooks anymore. Here are two yummy recipes I tried this month (1) (2). And talking about print media... We have decided to stop our newspaper subscription after 35 years. It costs $16 a month for paper delivery and $4.95 and month for full internet access to our local news. With a computer, Kindle and iPad, I seldom turn pages of a paper book anymore.

Here are some of my favourite iPad apps and most are free. You will have to look them up in the Apps Store.

Word Ladder by Sporacle- fun and fast word game
BBC iPlayer- I just watch free stuff
All Recipes- I paid $4.99 for this and use it often
CBC Music- Free streaming of many musical genres
Apollo Browser- great free web browser that syncs with my computer's Firefox history and bookmarks
Notability- Write with your finger, a stylus, or use the keyboard
My Fitness Pal- Track food, exercise, calculate nutritional info of recipes. It even allows you to scan barcodes with an iPad or iPhone camera...very cool!
Dell Voice- A free phone! You get a number and can call landlines free of charge across Canada from your iPad or iPhone

That's all for now folks!

Too Busy ??

View in my side mirror at sunset

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.

You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Ginger posted a link on Facebook today to an article by Lynn Casteel Harper called “The Elimination of Busy: The Spiritual Discipline Of Being Present”. The author described how she aimed to remove the word busy from her vocabulary. She went on to say how we use the word busy as a badge of honour, how we need to be perceived as being busy even if we do not enjoy being busy. The article is worth reading in its entirety and excerpts below are in italics.

Our fixation on busy -- the ubiquity of keeping, staying, being, appearing busy -- seems to me a symptom of our societal obsession with productivity. If we are not always and forever productive (usually measured in economic terms), then we risk a societal demotion.

Busy often becomes an excuse, a cop-out, a matter of pride, a barrier to forging meaningful relationships, and a vantage point from which we judge others who are not as busy as we are. Busy people may not take time to observe, to listen or to reflect on events around them and often have difficulty choosing priorities in their lives.

Desert landscape near San Pedro, Coahuila MX

During my recent visit to Mexico, I enjoyed a slowing of time. Each day seemed twice as long as my usual work days at home. Good holidays should be like that. Since returning home, time is once again flying by at double speed. The days are not long enough to complete my “to do” lists. In contrast, I work with patients who have a succession of endless days and nights with no “to do” lists at all.

“Those persons who fall outside the framework of busy -- those whose lives are not productive in the ways we often determine productivity -- are too readily devalued and pushed aside. I am thinking of persons with cognitive impairment, physical disabilities or who otherwise cannot endure busy-ness. Many older adults fall into one or more of these categories, which may help explain why ageism -- the systematic negative rendering of the old -- rears its ugly head too frequently. We disdain the seemingly unproductive, those whose being outstrips their doing."
 
The solution to our busy-ness comes first with recognizing our state. Many people fail to see that their self-worth is tied up in doing rather than being.  I stopped working for a time to stay at home with our young daughters and became over extended in church activities because others thought I had the time and I did not know how to say “No”. There is a danger in becoming bitter and resentful when we are too busy doing even good things for others.

I saved my Amaryllis bulbs from last year and planted them in a pot about a month ago. They have been slow to sprout and a couple of weeks ago I pulled one bulb out of the dirt to see if it had rooted. Sure enough, there was lots of growth below the surface but my impatience almost destroyed the roots which were there. Busy-ness can impede the growth of personal relationships which must be nurtured, not rushed. And in the end, is there anything more important on earth than our relationships with others?

Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before starting his work, conquering the demands of his flesh and resisting the temptations of Satan. The 40 days of Lent allow us time to draw away the from the busy demands of our consumer society, to recognize our spiritual neediness and to build our relationship with God and mankind. Growth takes time and cannot be rushed.

We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

Psalm 139: 4-6 NLT

How We Found Winter and Some Gold Besides!

Photo taken by my DH

Around home, winter shows its nasty side every couple of weeks or so with a dose of freezing rain, sleet or lake effect snow squalls. Then comes a thaw leaving brown and green as our predominant seasonal colours this year. Our search for the real Canadian winter started at 4 AM this morning with a three plus hour drive in the dark toward the Haliburton Highlands of Central Ontario's Canadian Shield. Our first "pit stop" was just north of Orillia and there we crossed a boundary into snow and cold. The temperature dropped as we climbed toward Algonquin Park, from -3 C to -16 C within the park. The sun rose over clear skies and hoar frost on the trees sparkled like silver in the early morning light. A lone wolf climbed from a river's edge into the bush, Ravens flew overhead and flocks of winter Finches and Grosbeaks picked through gravel at the road's edge, flying up as we passed by.

Pine Grosbeak(f), White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch(f), Blue Jay

Sparkling snow, clear air, no wind, bright sunshine...

Let winter sports begin...

Snowmobilers, cross country skiers, dog sledders, ice fishers, hikers and joggers enjoyed the day in and around the park. (Dog sledding within the park and snowmobiling outside the park)

My sport was birding and my goal was gold. I wasn't disappointed and added a new bird to my list!

Evening Grosbeak

Birds seen in Algonquin Park today: 
Evening Grosbeak (life bird), White-winged Crossbill*, Common Redpoll*, Gray Jay*, Blue Jay, Am Goldfinch, Red-breasted Nuthatch*, Pine Grosbeak*, Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Purple Finch*, Hairy Woodpecker, Pine Siskin*, Pileated Woodpecker
*First of Year

Big January Birding Totals- 2012

January 1, 2012 in Nayarit, Mexico

It is 4,090 km from our home to my parents' home in Nayarit, Mexico. I estimated that I travelled close to 10,000 km this month while counting birds. I birded in subtropical, desert, ocean, Great Lakes, and snowy climates. I regret not taking my binoculars to Mexico as I missed many bird IDs by using just my camera zoom to view them. But when your suitcase weighs 49.9 pounds, something has to stay home.

Birding in the snow on January 29, 2012

This winter is unusually warm and in our area of Ontario, Canada, 18 days in January were above freezing. I really noticed a difference in local bird populations this year. Our bird feeders are very quiet and I have not refilled them this month. I looked hard but did not find more common winter birds such as Red-breasted Nuthatches, Cedar Waxwings, Rough-legged Hawks, Brown Creepers, to name a few.

Birding on January 31, 2012 on a beautiful sunny afternoon (7 degrees C!)

My monthly total is 93 birds, 54 seen in Canada (compared with 52 in 2011), 43 seen in Mexico, with 4 birds seen in both countries. We travelled to the Pacific coast on December 31, 2011 and it is tempting to add the 15 birds I saw that day, but that list has been kept separate. (There is a tab at the top of this page with all the lists). I added 20 life birds between December 31st and January 31st and I still plan to share more photos and stories about Mexico and Canada.

In the end, it not the numbers that matter, but the enjoyment of getting out and observing nature. After a stressful day at work, there is nothing more relaxing than going to a nearby park to be serenaded by Black-capped Chickadees looking for handouts. These gregarious little birds are my favourite winter species just for the trust they show by landing on my outstretched hand. They always bring a smile to my face.

The January count is just a kick start to a year of bird observation. It is interesting to note seasonal changes as well as variations in annual patterns. Since I started doing January counts in 2009, I have recorded 80 species in Canada in the month even though each year I have seen only 52 to 61 species.

"There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds... 

There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- 

the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter..."
Rachel Carson 

January Birding at Burlington Bay

Last weekend I made my annual January visit to Burlington Bay and Lake Ontario below the Niagara Escarpment (map) to find wintering ducks and birds. It was a beautiful sunny day and a light dusting of snow had fallen the night before. This area is always good for birding at any time of year and there are many experienced birders about who are willing to point out new species and share interesting information. The video above shows Burlington Bay at Lasalle Marina with the Burlington Skyway in the background. The lift bridge is behind the skyway.  The Trumpeter Swans were in a very trumpeting mood.

Lasalle Marina is one of the few places where there is a good likelihood of seeing Trumpeter, Tundra and Mute Swans together. There were 13 adult Tundra Swans here according to a volunteer who counted their large yellow tags this day. There were many young Trumpeters around and the species is once again doing well in this province. The bay is usually frozen in January and the ducks are generally closer to shore. But with open water this year, the birds were spread out and harder to see. Some birders with scopes were looking at a Brant Goose and a White-fronted Goose and I saw some good pictures which were taken by others. I did not count them even though I saw a blurry form in the distance as I would never have picked them out on my own. I did see a few Cackling Geese, a subspecies of the Canada Goose, and they were a first for me.

Peregrine Falcons on the Lift Bridge

Burlington Canal, between the skyway and the light house, was filled with approximately 3000 Long-tailed Ducks along with several other species in smaller numbers. (I do not know how you count that many ducks but someone was doing just that). A pair of Peregrine Falcons live on the lift bridge and last year was the first time I saw them. Now that I know where they perch, it is easier to find them. This is one place where a birding scope would be very useful. In the picture above, the arrows point to the Peregrine Falcons, the larger female on the wire and the smaller male on the green wall. There were hundreds of pigeons on the bridge for the falcons to choose from for their next meal.

I took the picture on the left of the lift bridge and canal from under the skyway. Because it was a bright day, I was able to take pictures of the falcons with full digital zoom (840 mm). The bird on the right looks like it has a pigeon stuck in her throat, but it was likely the stiff wind ruffling her feathers.

I also visited the nearby Burlington Botanical Gardens and Arboretum and failed to find some usual winter species. Red-breasted Nuthatches are usually common around feeders (including mine) but I have not seen one this year. Surprisingly, I saw a Brown Thrasher, a Hermit Thrush and a Carolina Wren. It is the first time I have had a good look at a Carolina Wren. I live 45 minutes to the north and have never seen one around home. It was my favourite bird of the day as it sat all puffed up in the sunshine.

Carolina Wren

Burlington area bird count- 41 species

And now for some personal whining...

I have used Picnik, a wonderful online photo editor, for several years now to make collages, frames and for doing general touch ups to my pictures. Recently Picnik was bought by Google and the site is being closed down in April. We have the full Adobe Photoshop on our desktop computer but I never found it user friendly for quick editing. I let Google know what I thought about them and cancelled my Google+ account (which I didn't use anyway). Now I have to try and find another editing tool with the same features and simplicity as Picnik.

Rounding Up The Usual Suspects

This is NOT a typical mid-January scene in our area. Where is the snow?

I am off to a slow start counting January birds in Ontario this year. Having missed the first two weeks entirely, my husband and I went out both days this weekend to the customary local hot spots to see the usual winter birds. But this winter is unusual. Temperatures have fluctuated greatly with many days above freezing and others well below. Overall, we have had very little snow and what has fallen has melted quickly. Many fields and lawns remain green.

Dark-eyed Junco

I hung some suet and seed outdoors before I left for Mexico and in three weeks, it has barely been touched. I have yet to see a Junco or Downy Woodpecker in our yard this winter.

Saturday was very cold and we went to a nearby park where I usually see many species of small birds, woodpeckers as well as a good assortment of winter water birds. A few Tree Sparrows, Juncos and Cardinals landed where visitors had left seeds but birds like House Finches, Blue Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatches and winter finches were conspicuously absent.

American Tree Sparrow

The next day we drove north of the city where Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, Snowy Owls, Merlins and American Kestrels are generally easy to find in January. The only winter hawk we saw was a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk which sat in a tree near a bridge over the river. The trip was worthwhile for that one bird, but I could not believe we did not see one Rough-legged Hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Without snow cover, natural food supplies are plentiful for many birds for this time of year. My Ontario January bird count is only 27 birds so far this year. In the past 3 years, I have counted between 55-60 species in Ontario during this month. Hopefully the weather will allow me to make a trip to Lake Ontario on the weekend to improve my count significantly.

Nayarit Yard Birds

Grooved-billed Ani, Hooded Oriole(f), Vermillion Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak (m) (f), Painted Bunting

The five acres my brother, his family and my parents live on in Nayarit has a variety of bird habitats. There is a meadow where tree seedlings are planted, an orchard which had many ripe citrus fruits, a banana grove, a bamboo stand, a small pond and flowering vines. Sugar cane fields surround the property. I would take a chair, sit in a particular area with my camera and wait for the birds to come. I identified 30 yard birds yet I know there were several species I missed. Some birds, such as the Mexican Yellow-winged Cacique eluded my camera lens as they hid the the bamboo and banana leaves. There is a new tab at the top of the blog with my Big January list to date.

N.Mockingbird, Juv H. Oriole, W. Meadowlark, Loggerhead Shrike, Hooded Oriole(m), Say's Phoebe

Lesser Goldfinch, Common Ground Dove, Pyrrhuloxia, Say's Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lark Sparrow

Mexican Start for Big January Bird Count

I have participated in a January bird count for the past few years. It is friendly "competition" which encourages me to get out during a long, cold month to look for birds in my area. My Ontario counts are very predictable, but this year I have spent the first eight days of the month in two very different parts of Mexico;- Nayarit and Coahuila. I have counted birds on the properties where my family live as well as one outing to the coast which included a boat ride through a mangrove swamp. Unfortunately I could not bring my binoculars and I really have to look for a good pair of travel bins. I have to look up a few birds when I get home so my count is unconfirmed at this time.

Many warblers winter here and I have been aware of them in the treetops but unable to get good views in the vegetation. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are abundant but I have also identified a few Audubon Warblers and a Nashville Warbler. Perhaps I will have enough information in some blurry photos to add to this category of birds.

I have learned to identify a variety of doves during this trip. The dusty town where my daughter lives seems overrun with grackles, house sparrows and doves. The smaller Inca Ground Doves have beautiful plumage which blends in well when they rest under shrubs in the sand.

In Nayarit the White-winged and Common Ground Doves were more prevalent.

As far as I can tell, all doves sound pretty much the same and they are all well adapted to areas of human habitation. The last dove arrived in North America fairly recently from Europe. A few Eurasian Collared Doves were introduced the Bahamas in the 1970's and the rapidly spread in North America.