Visitors

I was lucky enough to glance out the window in time to see this visitor to the bird feeder that I received as a gift at Christmas.  This (the feeder) was the only thing on my wish list....and I was lucky to receive TWO!  The picture below is cloudy.  Now you know, that I do not wash my windows as often as I should.  (Blush!!!)

This picture is not as clear, as it was taken at a distance.  I hope that I can get closer to this pair of Robins that lost their way south.  I worry about them as this is the first time I have ever seen Robins wintering in Ontario.  They are feeding off Rosehips which I leave on my bushes every winter to feed the Jays.

 

Chickadees, Nuthatch, Morning Doves, Purple Finch, Cardinals, Jays, Goldfinch, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers...and now Robins...dine at my feeders.  How lucky am I?

What birds come to your feeders?

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Hogmanay

Hogmanay (pronounced IPA: [ˌhɔɡməˈneː] — with the main stress on the last syllable) is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. It is, however, normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday.

When my brother and I are were little, our family celebrated New Year's eve together, and when we were old enough, or lucky enough to coax our parents into allowing us to stay up until midnight, we witnessed a traditional welcoming of the new year. One of the adults would open the back door, and would encourage the old year to take its leave. The front door would then be opened, allowing the New Year entrance into our home, accompanied by a warm welcome. I always assumed that this was a Scottish tradition, but after investigating the aforementioned practice, I found the following, which led me to believe that its origin was British.

A New Year party on the New Year's Eve is the most common type of celebration in England. When at midnight the chimes of Big Ben are broadcast, they drink a toast to the New Year. The most famous celebration takes place in Trafalgar Square in London, where big crowds gather to welcome the New Year. If the family prefer to bring in the New Year at home there is such a custom: the members of the household sat themselves round the hearth, and when the hands of the clock approach the hour, the head of the family rises, goes to the front door, opens it wide, and holds it thus until the last stroke of midnight has died away. Having let the Old Year out and the New Year in, he shuts the door quietly and returns to the family circle.

My Nana..or "Gram" as my cousin called her...would never allow a dirty home to welcome the New Year, so much cleaning and tidying was done prior to the 31st of December. Our bodies were cleaned as well... and then dressed in clean PJ's. After the stroke of midnight my brother and I banged pots and pans on the front stoop. I always thought that this was a welcoming act, but have read that the practice had more meaning. It was an endeavour to drive away evil spirits.

The Scots celebrate New Year with a passion...perhaps more than any other culture. Go here to read about their colourful festivities and traditions. I am sure that what our family practiced was both a celebration of both Scottish and English tradition as we are of both Scottish and English descent.

In closing, I pass on a wish that is above my door all year long. Lovingly stitched by my cousin, it has continued to bless us over the years.

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What we did on boxing day.....

A Boxing Day wedding.....

Two sisters....

The happy couple.... now Mr and Mrs A....

One very proud papa!

Best wishes for a happy and long life together. Buddy and Heather!

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Merry Christmas to all!

May your days be filled with love and laughter and the company of good friends and family! Peace, good health and happiness in the new year!!!

I am Still Here...

...but wrestling with yet another cold. I miss my blogging buddies but will be back soon!!!

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise

I received this email from a friend today and thought it appropriate to share, given what is...or is not ....happening in Copenhagen

Subject:

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise

'Much of life can never be explained, only witnessed.'

- Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast, has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa , officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

'It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother',' ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.

After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together,' the ecologist added.

'The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother,' Kahumbu added.

'The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years,' he explained.

'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.'

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.

The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.

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To Our Leaders in Copenhagen

As you gather this week to debate, and make decisions that will effect all of us, please keep in mind the following.....

You speak for the health and welfare of families...

...for little creatures who have no voice....

It is our ardent desire that our children and theirs will grow up in the same beautiful world that we have experienced...that they will look upon bodies of healthy water and abundant wildlife...

...upon lush and beautiful forests.....

...and that they will have learned from our mistakes. So.....please...take your responsibility very seriously. Make decisions that will help to heal our planet. We are counting on you....

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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