Sunday, April 01, 2012

Critters and Lighthouses

Hmmm ... I had been attempting to update this space more frequently, but it has now been a week since I posted Happy Birthday wishes for my significant other. But what can you expect? It's been a pretty ordinary week with a return to cold weather after the unseasonably warm weather of the previous week. One tends to cocoon in such weather, and when one does venture outdoors, there's nothing much going on. Several times I have taken my camera with me but returned without firing a shot because it's rather bleak and forlorn between the winter snow and spring blossoming. Here's a somewhat unusual one from two weeks ago, however.

We had grabbed a coffee and sandwich from the Canadian Mecca, Tim Hortons, and taken it to the park. We ate in the car and watched the critter below for the whole time. S/He was busy feeding himself in this little overflow pond just beyond the riverbank. He was there when we arrived and there when we departed after lunch and a walk. For all I know s/he might still be there or would be except I suspect that the pond/puddle has dried up. I'm not sure what the critter is. It looks beaver-like, but I never saw a tail. Muskrat?



Since Nikki Dee's fifth birthday is coming up soon, we headed into Ottawa yesterday to try to find a gift. Three stores later, we gave up in sheer exhaustion. There was nothing that jumped out at us, plenty of items for the boy, but he's already had his birthday. Nikki Dee doesn't stick with any task for very long, including playing with toys, so I dunno. We should probably buy her her very own computer because she does like pbskids.org etc but ... naw.

As per usual I could rant and rave about sleep or lack of same. The past five nights have gone something like this: two nights of waking up for several hours in the middle of the night, followed by two nights of waking up very early after only five or six hours between the sheets, followed by last night in which I took many hours to fall asleep. This is getting ridiculous.

I have recently been re-visiting photos that I took two summers ago during our all-too-brief visit to Nova Scotia. The following set was taken of or around the Cape St Mary Lightstation, or Phare du cap Ste-Marie in Canada's other official language, near Forchu. We never made it to the famous Peggy's Cove, but our hosts guided us to this and another very fine lighthouse to make up for it, neither of which was over-crowded with tourists ... like us.





8 comments:

Doris said...

Great photos AC! I would say it is a Muskrat based on the slope of the forehead. Glad you had the opportunity to watch it for awhile. It's nice when wildlife cooperates like that! :-)

Hilary said...

Lovely NS photos. I'm also thinking muskrat. The fur is light for a beaver and they don't generally care to be watched from what I've heard. What size was this guy? Muskrats are considerably smaller than those other big guys.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

AC, don't know what type of critter you saw, but at least s/he provided a nice diversion while you had your coffee. I have been to Nova Scotia, but did not see the lighthouse you captured, nice shots.

Jimmie Earl said...

Found your blog while reading comments on another. I, too, am a retired teacher (English) and in my mid 60s.
Sure am enjoying retirement, even if I have to spend it with out a mate since my wife passed away almost 5 years ago.
I have two children, a man and a woman, and 2 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Life is good.
I enjoyed your pics of Nova Scotia. That's a place on my "bucket list."

Donna said...

Oh goodness...Sleepless again. Sorry.
Maybe a DS Player by Nitendo? There's bunches of games and things for girls that age...
Great shot of the beaver?? Does look like one.
hughugs

Ruth said...

I have been watching several busy muskrats in local ponds and rivers. NS is my favourite Maritime province so far. I have yet to visit NFLD.

MARY G said...

I'd need a size comparison. But the head is beaverish. Muskrats, I think, are darker and the head is narrower.
What was it eating? If it was diving for roots, that's muskrat nosh.

Sorry about the sleeplessness. Me too. Yawn.

Kila said...

Beautiful! I always enjoy your photos! They sweep me away on a mini vacation.