April Wildflowers

Some of the April wildflowers I have found this year

April showers bring May flowers, so the old rhyme goes. But this year we had little April rain and lots of flowers, many of which do not usually bloom until May.


We walked through the bush this evening and enjoyed the carpet of wildflowers which spread in all directions. This week thousands of trilliums are open and their short-lived beauty is worth seeing. By the end of May mosquitoes will keep me away from here and the trails will be narrowed by leafy shrubs and trees.

Trillium carpet in Steckle Woods

Bird sightings have been slow but wildflower sightings have been exceptional this month. I can identify all the flowers in the collage but I have at least three flower pictures I haven't yet named. (I find flower and tree guides to be somewhat time consuming to navigate through.)

Trillium Grandiflorum surrounded by Wild Ginger

It is nice to be able to take pictures of flowers instead of picking them, which is illegal in our area anyway. And I want to send all this woodland beauty to my mother who had surgery this afternoon in Mexico. She remains in hospital but I pray that she has a full recovery and regains her strength. I love you Mom!!

April Birds

Male American Wigeon

Our earliest migrants return in early March and each week a few more birds make an appearance. With an exceptionally warm spring, I would have thought migration would be ahead of schedule. The past couple of weeks places like Point Pelee and Long Point in south-western Ontario have reported that migration has been slow so far this year. The winds have to be favourable for birds flying north and today we have had strong north winds which would keep birds on the south shores of the Great Lakes.

Female Canada Goose

I have been out and about on trails most days and we walked the shores of Lake Ontario at Burlington on the weekend. Cormorants are nesting in colonies, but on the whole, things were very quiet. Canada Geese are nesting and hiss menacingly at anyone who approaches the nest. We have too many geese year round in our area and they produce healthy, large families every season. Walking the sidewalks and lawns in parks and near waterways must be done very carefully in order to avoid all the slimy goose pickles in the way.

Northern Shoveler, Goldeneye and Bufflehead Ducks
(click to enlarge picture)

Migrant ducks are making their way north and a few stop to rest in our local rivers and ponds. The American Wigeon was swimming with two females at Dufferin Islands Natural Area in Niagara Falls Canada. I saw the ducks in the collage above near our home during this month.

On the home front, the female Black-capped Chickadee has confined herself to the nest as she incubates her eggs. The male visits throughout the day and stops at the entrance just long enough to pass food to her before he flies off in search of more. He calls quietly on a branch above the house before he descends with the meal. I watch them with binoculars from the deck and suppress my urge to peek inside the hole. Perhaps I will have a chance to see the baby birds when they hatch.

Two become One...almost

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary and we spent some time on the weekend in the Niagara region together to celebrate. It seems like yesterday that I was 35 years old and today I am trying to account for the 20 years which have really passed by so quickly.

In the lovely historic town of Niagara on the Lake, a large fruit tree stands on the boulevard of King Street on the way down to the lake front. It was covered in pink and white blooms and the contrast was eyecatching.


Years ago someone grafted two trees together and while they now stand as one, the graft is still visible. Once the flowers are finished, a casual observer may not even notice that this tree is unusual.

Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

King and Queen Streets intersect in the centre of town where the Prince of Wales Hotel stands. The signs share one pole but I noticed that Queen Street was the main street. In our city, King Street is the main street one monarch is not really supreme over the other all the time.

Grandma was of staunch Empire Loyalist ancestory, people loyal to Britain who came to Upper Canada from America after the Revolutionary War. Every summer she would take my cousins and I to Queenston Heights for a picnic and we would later drive up to see the falls. A battle in the War of 1812 was fought here and General Brock was killed in the fight against the Americans. This three year war was fought during the time of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and is largely forgotten as neither the Americans or the British colonies lost any territory. Canada was not even a nation at this time, but in Ontario, school children visit the old forts and battlefields and learn that we won this trade and boundary dispute.

Queenston Heights overlooking the Niagara River

This monument to Laura Secord stands near the large Brock Monument at Queenston Heights and overlooks the Niagara River as it divides Canada and United States. Laura Secord is a hero as she crossed the front to warn General Brock of the impending American attack. Since the end of this war, the Canada-USA border has been peaceful line for nearly 200 years.

Flowers of a different colour, king or queen, or a blue river as a defining line, we do not have to be the same to get along and work together as a unit. A good marriage takes effort, trust, commitment and respect for our unique traits. I am thankful for the love of a husband who has helped make our marriage work, a man who is generous and faithful and respects the differences we bring to our relationship.

Friday Flowers: Fanciful Woodland Blooms

Forests have never frightened me even when I wander trails alone. As a child Santa did not need to be real, but fairies, elves and pixies were alive in my imagination. Each toadstool, tree knot, or shiny leaf was a home for my imaginary friends. Bell-shaped flowers played pretty melodies and the wind added a whispered tune in the leaves above.


I read Enid Blyton stories about these woodland characters who assisted humans in distress. I loved my Brownie troop and still have my badges and elf pin. After all, Brownies are helpful Fairies dedicated to a household or family. I thought dust particles in streams of sunlight were little magical creatures. (that explains my aversion to dusting)


Jack sits in the pulpit and there is room for more members of his congregation to share the canopied shelter. Dainty miniature flowers bloom at the bases of stumps and logs and their colourful petals are perfect for a gown or hat.


The woods are not lonely and many eyes watch from secret hiding places as my feet rustle through the dead leaves and pine needles on the forest floor. You may never know who is close by, motionless and quietly blending in with the textures and colours of nature.

Earth Week 2010

This is Earth Week, a celebration which aims to increase awareness of the natural world around us. This year, the biggest event is ongoing and is staged by the earth itself. The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano has disrupted the lives of millions of people and will undoubtedly have an ongoing effect on weather and the economy this year. We have friends stranded in Switzerland and a co-worker is having to extend her vacation in Paris until at least this weekend. While we concern ourselves with mankind's carbon footprint, the power unleashed by storms, earthquakes and volcanoes can change our environment in a few minutes.

Buying local goods at our farmers' market

Since the inception of Earth Week and Earth Day in 1970, progress has been made in preserving some of earth's treasures. But in third world countries, survival usually takes precedence over conservation. North America is a throw-away consumer society and thoughtless excesses are detrimental to our health and the health of our environment. Living a simpler life takes time and requires that we step out of the pace society now accepts as normal.

Composting kitchen waste

Our community is hosting a number of events this week, from roadside garbage cleanups to nature walks and presentations. This is the most beautiful spring season I ever remember and it is not hard to stop and enjoy the flowers and sunshine after the winter. Ongoing changes to our lifestyle are much more challenging to sustain.

Here are some ways we are trying to change our habits and thinking;-

• reducing use of plastics in general and for food preparation specifically
• buying animal products locally and avoiding packaged meats from factory farms
• reducing the use of animal products substantially
• making use of our composter and green bin for all kitchen and garden waste
• buying local foods and goods as much as possible even if they are more expensive
  
• avoiding mass-made, inexpensive items i.e. "Made in China"
• eliminating processed foods and eating more meals at home
  
• contributing to reputable charities who assist people in third world countries to go to school and to run sustainable businesses

Have you any ideas to add to the list?

Squirrel Corn

In a new subdivision of identical tall houses on small lots, a pathway leads back to a bit of forest and swamp. Big forests and swamps once covered the area but they were gradually turned to farmland which was eventually sold to developers.

Black Cohosh

A pathway leads into the bush and wild flowers are poking up through the carpet of dead leaves on the ground. Bloodroot, Hepatica, Spring Beauties, Trilliums, Jack in the Pulpit, Wild Ginger, Black Cohosh and Trout Lilies are growing quickly and blooming before the trees high above come into full leaf.

Squirrel Corn

I look for Dutchmen's Britches and think I have found a patch, but no, this is something different. The flower is the same shape as the Bleeding Heart in my garden and the leaf shape is similar too. This is the first time I have seen Wild Bleeding Heart, or Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis). It is very closely related to Dutchman's Britches (Dicentra cucullaria) in the Fumewort family of flowers.

Tubers of Squirrel Corn

The tubers of this native wild flower resemble corn and the next day I remove a single stalk from the ground to positively identify the plant.

I have taken many pictures of wild flowers in the past week and have posted some on my Flickr page. They are old favourites but a new discovery is always welcome. I would love to find some wild orchids this year if anyone knows of an area on southwestern Ontario where they grow.

Getting Back on Track: Part Four

The trail I walked after work yesterday

It has been almost a year and a half since my knee locked and I had surgery to try and get some more mileage out of the joint before a knee replacement would be required. Arthritic joints do not let a day go by without reminding the owner that they are there. I have been able to work steadily for the past 12 months at my job which is active and requires heavy lifting at times. This spring I have enjoyed being out on trails and have worked in the garden again. I use my walking poles for longer walks but they look pretty sporty, not therapeutic. I have learned that if I do my knee exercises faithfully, I have less pain. I know that professionally, but exercises are not easier to do yourself just because you are a physiotherapist. I rarely take any anti-inflammatory medication.

I heard about Celedrin, a natural remedy for joint inflammation on a radio talk show. I wrote the name down but did not look for it at the store. A while ago, Costco had Celedrin capsules and cream packaged together at a special price so I picked some up. I started using the Celedrin cream on my knee twice a day and noted significant improvement in the chronic swelling and pain in the joint after a few days. I have tried a number of OTC anti-inflammatories as well as two different prescriptions and none worked as well as this cream. The Journal of Rheumatology published The effects of a cetylated fatty acid topical cream on functional mobility and quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis in 2004. The study concluded that "use of a CFA topical cream is an effective treatment for improving knee ROM, ability to ascend/descend stairs, ability to rise from sitting, walk and sit down, and unilateral balance."

I know better than to call this a cure, but anything that is safe to use and gives more mileage to my damaged joint is worth the price in my opinion. (It is no more expensive than over the counter medications). I ordered more cream from Well.ca (free, fast shipping in Canada) and received a sample of Memory FX in my package. Talk about targeting a demographic group! :-)

The Becka had some fun with this product on her blog today. Here is the link to her post.

Please note: I am receiving no compensation for mentioning Celadrin, Costco or Well.ca in this post. I will always promote my daughters though!

Ahhh...The Country Life

I always enjoyed the story of the town mouse and the country mouse which is based on a fable by Aesop. Many people who enjoy the convenience of city life romanticize the resourcefulness and peace of country living.

There once was a mouse who liked his country house until his cousin came for a visit.

"In the city where I live," his cousin said, "we dine on cheese and fish and bread. Each night my dinner is brought to me. I eat whatever I choose. While you, country cousin, work your paws to the bone for humble crumbs in this humble home. I'm used to finery. To each his own, I see!"

(Read more here)

We took a trip to Luther Marsh which is near the headwaters of the Grand River. The river runs wide through our city but is just a trickle in a farm field a few kilometres north of the marsh. Luther Marsh is a nature sanctuary and no canoes are allowed on the water until after August 31st so the many birds which nest here are not disturbed.

Yellow accents were provided by pussy willow flowers rather than the forsythia bush in my yard. The trails were beautiful and very soggy but biting insects which will swarm the marsh in a few weeks were not around yet.

In a dead stump near the water's edge, a pair of country Chickadees worked furiously making a cavity for a nest. Their skill at creating sawdust was surprising seeing they are not woodpeckers. I never realized until this year that Chickadees are cavity nesters.

Apparently the female selects the nesting site and both birds work diligently to build a softly lined nest. In yesterday's comments, Laura mentioned the lovely moss-lined nests that Chickadees make. I peeked quickly in the "back door" of the box in our yard when the birds were out and sure enough, they have imported a lot of moss.

Our backyard Chickadees have the convenience of a ready-made home but these country birds will be working for several more days before their nest is ready for eggs. I wouldn't be prepared to say that the marsh birds will have a better life than the city birds as we saw plenty of racoon tracks and snake holes in the area. I hope this pair will be secure in their little place.

I found lots of interesting information about Black-capped Chickadees at this site.