On Winning a Juno – a note from on the way home (325)
Did my husband, David Francey, win a Juno? – yes! Was I with him? Wild horses couldn't drag me from his side! Were we thrilled beyond belief? You bet! Did I cry? I did! Did we celebrate? Did we celebrate!

Watch your step in the ivy patch (700)
Heads up folks! It is up and growing and believe me, you don't want to touch it!

If I had the wings of an angel (700)
While on a long drive, we were (as usual) watching birds out the car window. My son, after considerable thought, exclaimed, "If I were an angel, I'd have wings from my wrists to my hips so I could fly everywhere and see the views of the world."

The Great Horned Owl Rescue (1100)
That morning, Gill looked out her kitchen window at the swallows swooping and feeding over the water. A large dark object lying on the snow of her neighbor's property caught her eye. The object moved and she could see a head with tall tufted ears, which "looked like that of a small lynx."

My father's sudden condition (987)
In the month of March, my father, Eric Girdler, began showing mild signs of memory loss. At first my family - mother, sister, three brothers, and I - attributed this loss to a slight hearing impairment. We thought perhaps he was simply missing parts of our conversations.

Taste of winter's end (600)
You see - I know something. The writing is on the wall so to speak. All the signs are there. Daylight hours are increasing. Maple sap is running. Catkins are peaking out of their bud sheaths. Raccoons are on the move. A chipmunk joined the red and grey squirrels raiding my feeder.

Farewell, Snow Buntings (650)
Snow buntings on the wing are always a beautiful sight. With the slate-blue winter skies as a backdrop, they fly in unison moving in undulating waves, tiny white birds flashing the contrasting black and white of their wings like so many twinkling stars in the night sky. If you are using binoculars, you may detect the slightly rusty tinge of their winter plumage.

Grey squirrel marauders (650)
Recently, I looked out the back window at my neighbour's feeder. There were three fluffy grey squirrels busily chowing down and all I could think was, "better hers than mine!"Recently, I looked out the back window at my neighbour's feeder. There were three fluffy grey squirrels busily chowing down and all I could think was, "better hers than mine!"

Beneath all that snow (550)
Looking out at the fluffy snowflakes that have just begun to fall on this grey, chilly winter day, I am warmed by the thought of what lies beneath the thickening "blanket" of snow.

Spotting hawks (850)
Now my husband, children and I play the hawk game. We have created our own rules. When spotting is good and the competition fierce, we enforce the crow rule.

Stalking the wild things (670 words)
I wasn't sure about his analysis until I came across the telltale two inch-wide cat-like tracks of a bobcat about fifteen minutes later, cutting across the trail and heading into a stand of spruce.

Cold-weather plant watching (500 words)
Pull on your boots, coat, and mitts. Venture into the cold.

Burrowing butterflies (1000 words)
Burrowing butterflies overwinter in Canada, yes.

Talking turtles today (1000 words)
What real-life drama! what an example of the fragility and complexity of life!

Listen to the night sky (800 words)
Night travel makes sense when you realize that at this time, turbulence from solar heating and attacks by predators are at a minimum.

Those Autumn Leaves (900 words)
What happens to them before they fall?

Eating on the wild side (800 words)
Know what it is before you stick it in your mouth.

The Great Peanut Shell Mystery (535 words)
Using a birdbath as a tool.

On 'rescuing' small birds (850 words)
Step back and think first.

Dickie Bird, Dickie Bird, fly away home (999 words)
On the butterflies of the bird world.

Black Fly time in Quebec (750 words)
But it's just a daytime thing.

The sound of spring frogs singing (600 words)
Not unlike a natural symphony.

Coltsfoot: alien monster in the medicinal arsenal (570 words)
"Small wonder people chose it as an important possession, carefully packed and carried across the ocean to an unknown land..."

Bird watching is not just for little old ladies in sensible shoes (1000 words)
And when the swallows return, Spring is here for sure.

The Birds Are Back (1000 words)
All of a sudden I knew Spring was just around the corner.

Talking Turkey (950 words)
Wild turkeys, while making a comeback in Quebec, are still a threatened species.

Identifying Birds' Nests (900 words)
Not all engineers have a university degree.

As the crow flies (600 words)
Beth has a thing for all things crow-ish.

For The Birds (650 words)
Feeding birds in the open.

Fierce, Hungry & Tiny (550 words)
Look what the cat dragged in...

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Copyright © Beth Girdler 2002 /Log Cabin Chronicles/04.02