Weekend Reflections

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Great Give-Away!

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My daughter, Kirsten, is sponsoring a terrific give-away on her blog and it's worth taking a quick trip over to check it out.  She makes beautiful greeting cards - seems to have "the gift"!!   Now, she is graciously offering her creative talent to YOU! 

I, for one, never have enough greeting cards on hand!  Here's an opportunity for you to brighten someone's mailbox with a hand crafted card for just the right occasion!

Here's a quick peek of just a small sampling:

Visit her new Etsy store, too!

Thanks for stopping by! ~ks

SkyWatch Friday

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My Cape Breton house sits on a small harbor. The day before Hurricane Bill, during the calm before the storm, I was out in the yard "battening down the hatches". As I readied my kayak for it's safe haven down in the cellar, I decided to take it out for just a little paddle first.

 I spent about an hour paddling across the harbor, then along the shore, and back, when I spotted some eagle activity not too far from the shore in front of my home. Out of curiosity, I paddled over. To my amazement, there were 5 eagles flying to and from their perch upon a massive boulder sitting at the water's edge. I watched them for quite some time and surmised by their activity that it was a family, 2 adults, 1 young adult, and 2 juveniles who were as large as the adult birds.

The adult male flew away upon my arrival, but the remaining 4 were undaunted by my quiet presence.

He went to his favorite spot on the old, abandoned causeway that leads to a nearby, now uninhabited island.

I see him out there most mornings.  In the fall, there are usually 2 - I always assumed Mr. and Mrs.

Sometimes when I paddle the shore out to the open ocean, they accompany me to the end of the island,

flying on ahead, landing along the tree line, flying ahead a little more as I approach, and so on.

I'm heading back to the island tomorrow, where I have more pictures of this grand adventure, so stay tuned!

Treat yourself to more SkyWatch Friday entries by clicking HERE!
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Sky Watch Friday

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Reaching into the archives, longing for long, warm summer days, I came across this photo of a quiet paddle through some tidal flats in Cape Breton.

This is an area we return to time and time again.  It offers several different habitats for us to explore, from a beautiful raised bog to a barren barrier beach, from quiet slumbering waters to the rough and tumble open ocean. On this day, the wind was at rest, the air was warm, and the tide was almost just right!  We had to get out of our boats a few times to tow them to deeper water.  Just made for more laughs!

Wildlife is ample!  Nesting terns, willets, and waterfowl, to name a few.  Migrating birds such as the Black-bellied Plover and Yellowlegs.  Deer.  Even the occasional seal!  Not far from this site, we saw a Golden Eagle on one trip. A lifer for me!

Cape Breton offers such a variety of habitat for exploring and making discoveries.  I usually stick to the East Coast, but have had the pleasure of hiking into its interior and witnessing the most beautiful waterfalls, exploring hardwood forests, meeting moose and bear along the way.
(photo by rwms)

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Wordless Wednesday

Snow Angel

Wordless Wednesday

My World, Tuesday

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I'm on the road, and don't have many photos with me, so continuing to reach into my archives to participate in the My World Tuesday meme.

During the spring, summer, and fall I travel the coastline of Cape Breton to bird and beachcomb, sometimes to camp.  My friend and I approach on foot, as well as kayak to barren beaches.  On this beautiful fall afternoon, in celebration of my birthday, we spent the day at Point Michaud Provincial Park.

It was a blustery, but sunshiney day, with lots of migrating shorebirds to watch.

The wind was so strong, I had to hold the birding scope with 2 hands, but it didn't bother the birds one teeny, weeny bit!

I love how the grasses contributed to my delight with their artistic charm.

Back at the parking lot, I came across this site.  What is wrong with this picture?

What could the province have been thinking?

No, that center post is not removable!

This is my world.  For more MyWorld contributions, click HERE!

Thanks for stopping by! 

 Come visit my other nature blog at http://www.kaholly.blogspot.com/!

Northern Moon Snail (Lunatia heros)

Not common on all the beaches in Cape Breton, the moon snail is a delightful find, especially if it is still alive!  While birding in Glace Bay, came across this beauty!

Photo compliments of Little Sister!

Northern moon snails are found in moist sands and mud at low tide, and are members of the class Gastropoda. 

The word Gastropod comes from the Greek and means "stomach foot".

They feed on clams and other snails, and even other moon snails.

They plow under the sand in search of food

 by using their powerful foot.

When they've found their tasty treat,

 they drill a hole into it's shell,

 release digestive enzymes,

 and suck out the contents.

While beachcombing, if you find a shell washed ashore

with a nice, neat hole drilled through it,

 it is evidence of predation by a moon snail.

When breeding, the moon snail will construct a "collar" from saliva and sand to house its eggs.  

It's quite an intricate process,

and another amazing phenomenom of nature! 

I always delight in finding moon snail shells washed ashore,

and have amassed quite a collection of all sizes.

I never seem to be able to resist,

therefore, I never have quite enough!

If you enjoyed this post, and would like to view more Camera Critters, click HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Reflections -Silence of the Fog

I have already mentioned how much I love the fog.  Here in Cape Breton, we certainly have our fair share of foggy mornings!  And it was very early one morning, while out for a drive, that this simple scene took my breath away.   I was so glad to have had my camera at hand.  It's one of my favorite pictures, and one I use often in my cards.

There are lots more Weekend Reflections photos from around the world.

Just click HERE!

FOG

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

Skywatch Friday

The scene from the top of my meadow!

To the left....

and to the right!

That's the same spit of land in the background as in the picture of the church a few posts ago.

Visit more SkyWatchFriday participants

by clicking

HERE!

Wordless Wednesday

I am just a regular person when it comes to using a camera.  I get lucky sometimes, however, and I think this photo represents one of those lucky moments!

To view more lovely Wordless Wednesday photography, go HERE!

My World Tuesday

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Deciding to participate in My World Tuesday is like opening pandora's box!  I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I am traveling and only have my flash drive full of pictures with me. 

My World.  It's a pretty awesome place, full of wonder, adventure, and a sense of belonging.  I have immersed myself in nature as part of a healing process for the soul and have discovered a whole new world.

One of my favorite things to do is beach hop, hike from one beach to the next, over rocks, through the forests.  On one of my favorite hikes, I pass by this barachois.  There is always one Red-winged Blackbird that voices his dismay at my intrusion.  This path leads through the woods on the edge of the rocky coastline for almost a mile.  Sadly, the last time I passed this way, surveyors had left their mark, cutting swaths of trees, preparing the area to be parceled off for development.  I haven't been able to return.

Another day long hike through forest and bog brought me to this location, overlooking the church behind my house.  See the blue ocean meet the sky.  Trailing off the top left of the church is a spit of land that widens into an island.  There is an old cemetary that abutts my property at the rear.  At least those neighbors are of quiet and unobtrusive!  That can't necessarily be said of the rest of them.

THIS is my world!!

I hope you'll take the time to visit other places by clicking HERE!

Arctic Rush

Look at THIS little pretty that grows between my house and the harbor!!!  She's in bloom!  My sister, a botanist, was visiting last summer and boy, oh, boy, did she get excited when she saw this Juncus arcticus!

It's tons of fun when she comes to stay because she brings all of her paraphenalia and takes over my house.  I have grasses and junci and rushes hanging all over my house that she has labeled with brightly colored sticky-note tabs in the hopes that I would eventually learn them all!  They make great decorations, and are certainly conversation pieces when someone comes to visit.

I am excited because it is a pioneer species!  And, it is beautiful!

For more delightful Macro Monday entires, click HERE!