New 52: Weeks 10 ~ 15

It's been a few weeks since I've updated this and the "new" things are not huge deals (except perhaps for our little addition to the family), but here they are anyways. Mostly this past month has been consumed with our building project and the hundreds of decisions, big & little, we have had to make.  Everything from where do you want the vacuflo outlets to choosing fireplaces, getting quotes for landscaping, selecting doorknobs and trim, designing the kitchen, buying appliances....

Week 10:

The new house is very close to Lake Smith ( now drained and used to grow crops, mostly carrots, potatoes & onion) - in spring it is a marshy wetland that serves as a 'staging area' for the annual Tundra Swan migration. The Lambton County Museum has a website that posts daily updates on the numbers and best viewing spots. In all the years we've been coming to the cottage I never heard about this - probably because we generally didn't come until long after the swans had left. They arrive in groups over a couple of weeks until there are literally thousands!  This is going to become an annual event for me - flying overhead with their long graceful necks they are an awesome spectacle and the sound is incredible. I really wished I had a good telephoto lens, but we walked a fair ways into the marsh and got this shot:

Given how muddy the berm was, I

 was very happy to have my new

   and very cool rubber boots!

Week 11:

While the house is being built we are staying at Ross' cousin's place near Bayfield.  All winter I looked for the wild turkeys that Jan promised were frequent visitors without any luck.  Early this spring they finally showed up, at first it was only the two toms ( aka Bert & Ernie) but they soon brought the ladies around, and for weeks we have been entertained by their displays.  The harem consists of 11 hens and soon I'm hoping we will see some chicks ( is that what you call a baby turkey?).  Here is a link to a video I took. This is also my very first, and so far only, YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0YmsBnZ1PU

BERT & ERNIE

Week 12:

Got my Ontario driver's licence today, so if building a house isn't enough this surely makes the move "official". I must admit that I'm really getting excited about the new house and with friends posting about the snow out west this spring, the decision to move here feels better all the time :~)

Week 13: 

Always looking for a new taste sensation and this one is going to be a keeper in spite of the strange name. A bit on the sweet side, but with very strong & distinctive ginger flavour!

Week 14:

Here is my little bit of insanity - I haven't picked him up yet and he doesn't have a name either, but this little fellow born Feb 16th  is my new little pomeranian.  He looks a bit like a racoon with that face so I may call him Rascal or maybe Harley, or Java.... or Chinook to remind me of Alberta.

Week 15:

This is a white-throated sparrow. I'm told they're fairly common but this was my first time seeing one and he was kind enough to sit still long enough for a good shot.  Handsome fellow isn't he!