Cedar Waxwings and My Cranberries

A few years ago, I planted cranberry bushes, figuring it would be really cool to make our own cranberry sauce.

 

The bushes grew beautifully, but I found out that these cranberries were quite bitter and no amount of sugar seemed to be able to take care of it. Last year I didn't harvest them, figuring the birds would most likely love them.

 

The whole winter the berries were there, seemingly ignored by the birds. I wondered whether they maybe also thought them too bitter?

 

But this spring, a few days ago, suddenly there were waxwings all over it all day. Within a few days we went from tons of berries to no berries at all. Interesting timing, I never realized that they didn't get eaten till spring. There were other years I didn't harvest, but I didn't keep track of when they disappeared.

 

I have more waxwing pictures from the crabapple tree, which they also love, but they are for another day.

Followup on Older Post

Remember when I posted Jane desperately trying to reach something on the ceiling? With an interesting K'nex contraption?

 

Today seems as good as ever to show the alien who was trapped on the ceiling. For the last many years even. Up so high that reaching it never seemed to be enough of a priority to get out a ladder.

 

One winter day, for no clear reason, it suddenly WAS a priority to get the alien down. NOW. Everyone got involved, and it did take a while, but Jane saved the alien.

 

Kate was thrilled even if she didn't finish her homework that night. I guess life is all about priorities, eh?

 

Any interesting things on your ceiling?

The Big Boys

Found some last summer pictures when I was printing a copy my name change certificate for the umpteenth time.

 

It is nice to have some extra manpower around.

 

This was part of my 'Let's try to find the yard before we sell the house' plan.

 

We are still looking...

 

Erik Birthday Party

We had 18 kids, of which many were bouncy little boys. Very bouncy.

 

Very loud. They ran, they screamed, they ran more, they had water gun fights which evolved into water balloon fights, which resulted in some wet kids.

 

They ran more, they were having a great time, even if they were soooooooooooo loud! They sounded like at least twice the number they really were.

 

I was happy to have them over, but also happy to see them leave ^^.

 

Erik had a great time and much sugar was consumed.

Goldfinches

 

I love it when goldfinches visit our feeder.

 

Such pretty colours!

 

 

Climbing to the Cache

No hiking this time, just a lot of climbing.

 

Erik and Sylvia loved the location and the climbing part.

 

They both spotted the cache at the same time, so that was perfect.

 

Right next to the cache there were these rocks. When we arrived at the location I wondered whether we had to climb those and was not sure whether we would be up to it. Glad the real climb was easier ^^

 

Mallards

Another geocaching find.

 

Which I will use to tell a family storing about 'feeding the duckies'.

It was 1998 and we were living in the Netherlands, with four little ones. Cees was 6, Tim was 4, Tara was 2, and Jane was 1. We were visiting my mother who lives not too far away from a nice water with many many ducks. Because of this being a kids-rich neighborhood, the ducks were used to being fed well and often and would immediately come over if they noticed little ones.

 

We had a bunch of bread crusts and headed out to feed the duckies. All the kids were bouncy and happy, seeing ducks so up close. Kids moving everywhere, ducks moving everywhere, ducks fighting each other to be the first in line to reach the kids. Lots of noise, lots of splashing. Until suddenly there was a splash which was not a duck. Instead it was a toddler falling into the water... Luckily the water wasn't deep and we could get her out easily and she was not as much hurt as in shock that she suddenly was WET all over. She was not amused at all.

 

We cut short our ducks visit that day and went home to the grandparents to get her into dry clothes. I am sure Tara has forgotten all about this by now, but I still remember every time I see mallards.

 

Into the Woods

It is spring (yes, I am ignoring the snow we got greeted with today)

 

What better time to go into the woods to hide a new geocache?

 

When I saw this picture, first I went 'Aaaaaaaw, look how they are hugging each other!' until I realized, that this was when they were pushing and shoving each other to be first on the trail...

 

I am so happy it finally is caching season again! Now I just need to find the TIME to do it. Some day I'll start a campaign to add a number of hours to each day.

 

A Few More Easter Pics

Because I have about five minutes posting time before running out again.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Shoes.......!

Showing off some of my organizational skills and my 'getting house ready for sale some day soon whenever' attempts

 

I was cleaning up the mudroom, and it turned out there were soooooooooo many shoes in there, old shoes, new shoes, red shoes, blue shoes, floppy shoes, matching shoes, solitary shoes, and tons of boots of course.

 

Were all these shoes being used regularly? No they weren't. Were all these shoes even in usable condition? No they weren't. Could some weeding and organizing be done? You bet! Was it impossible to even FIND usable shoes because all the debris of unusable ones was in the way? Indeed.

 

I am now the proud owner of a 'organized in regards to shoes' mudroom and I even managed to limit the teen girl to less than twenty pairs of shoes.

 

Organizational baby steps.