Mea Culpa!

I missed a week of blogging.  I'm trying to

blog faithfully once a week but last weekend

I just didn't have all that much to say.   And we

spent most of the January 11/12 weekend

packing up Christmas and storing it away

for another year.    I miss my Christmas

tree but I have to admit it is nice to be back

to normal around the house.  

This weeks blog is short on thrills and

excitement too so I decided to raid my

photo stash for some activities from the

past summer to report on.

DH and I spent an afternoon visiting the

Raptors Centre at Mountsberg Conservation

area in August during our vacation.   This

beautiful Barn Owl was one of two raptors

used in a live show there.   I guess because

it was a week day there were hardly any

visitors at the centre so it was just DH and

I and one other guy watching the show.

The Barn Owl's name was Jazz and 

she was around 9 years old.   Most

Barn Owls in the wild only live 3 or 

4 years so Jazz was an old lady indeed

but she flew around the show area's 

enclosure with grace and breathtaking

beauty.

There were lots of Red Tailed Hawks

in the pens around the centre.   All of

the birds there had been brought to the

centre after being found injured in the

wild.   If they can be nursed back to 

health and released back into freedom

again they are.   But if the injuries are

permanent the birds are given a home

at the centre which allows visitors an

opportunity to see them up close.

This little guy was all ruffled and 

shedding feathers.   A young Red

Tailed Hawk perhaps?   I can't 

remember now.

There were a couple of Bald Eagles,

a Golden Eagle and a Gyrfalcon there

as well.  

And out in the park proper we saw this Heron

stalking through the waters of the man made

lake, while Ospray and Buzzards flew over

head.   

With the destructive Ice Storm that swept through

our area over Christmas I wonder what the

many conservation areas are going to do.  No

doubt they've got a massive clean up to do and

trees to check wherever visitors might walk

looking for broken branches that haven't 

fallen yet.   It's going to be a massive and

expensive job.

I paid a visit to Michael's yesterday and came

home with lots of fabulous stash.    Micron pens

for Zentangling, copic markers for colouring, 

washi tape, stamps, jewels, paper .... oh I had

a blast!!!

A new sketch book, more pretty papers, a new

embossing folder for my Cuttlebug, Gelatos for

journaling .... Yummy!!!

I've done a few pages in my Smash book.  The

black embellishments on these two pages were

made on my Cuttlebug.   Cool eh?   That's my

DH in the white shirt.

Another Smash book spread.

This was the day after Thanksgiving when we

had an open house for friends to drop by for

goodies, tea and chatting.

And more "tangles".   This one in blue

marker.

And this in black.

After a period of warmth when temperatures

rose to +6 Celsius at the beginning of this

week and have been lingering around -2 Celsius

by weeks end we are now facing temperatures

around -15 Celsius for this week, which does

not factor in the wind chill.    This winter is

taking a lot out of us this season and there is still

two full months of it to get through.   

Stay warm all!!

Cheers!!