Not sugar plum coated.

This was actually taken in the early spring earlier in the year but its still perfect for this time of year I guess. That is if you really like the cold. I don't. I would rather be seeing palm trees then this out of my bedroom window. But speaking of bedroom windows this was simply snapped via ancient old digital camera. I think its one of my best so far using this simple tool. You have to be at the right place and the right time for this type of shot. It would definitely make a nice window dressing for your computer, that is if you like that sort of thing. 

a Meetso in a box

OK the cold weather is here. Time to retreat and migrate if your a bird. Just wish I was a bird and or I could migrate. Or hibernate if you're a bear. Meetso has the right idea. Time to hang out in a nice warm box Garfield style with a cushion of catnip to make it all better and go away. Only a few more months till spring left. Can't get here soon enough. Of course Florida would take care of all of it for good. 😉

 

Welcome to the mushroom forest.

Found this interesting little forest of mushrooms last season growing all around a former beloved old peach tree we had to cut down a few years ago. As always, a little behind on things such as this "show and tell" thing. 
Oh well, enjoy. 😊

Sorry the quality couldn't be any better but I can only do so much with this old digital camera.
 

The Safflower of my eye

Last season of course I decided to plant some safflower seeds in one of many pots we have here. Mostly they contain oleanders but a few have some various citrus trees and even a few fig trees. Nice and not so nice when indoors in the garage. Try looking for hiding pet doves that don't wanna go in just yet. That's where we keep them when the weather is just too cold. 
So yeah I thought I was going to end up with some beautiful orange flowers but instead of orange I got a whole lot of yellow. OK I don't mind too much but they look a lot like dandelions so why bother. But in the end I did get some more seeds to feed my doves. I guess they come in more colours then just orange. Oh well. 

Jurassic Bone Marrow

Yet another red neck folk art creation of my dad's whimsy. It use to be a perfectly normal porous rock decorating our humble little fish pond. But one to two years ago maybe more, can't remember exactly, my dad decided to make it in to this using some cement that was laying around. Something that looks to me like a giant soup bone. I don't know why he needed to do that but on a whim I guess the need was there. It could have been possibly his love of things drum stick or any bone cooked with meat still on it. I know he always has to be the first to grab those. Its the cave man in him I guess. 
It is pretty cool to look at even though I still have mixed feelings about it. I could plant or someone else could plant some nice pinkish flowers in the hole to represent fresh marrow in a bone? Who knows? So far my dad only has planted some random tulips in the hole thinking they would come back every year (but they didn't) but I think much smaller flowers would do much better anyways. 

 

Big Poofy Garlic Flowers

Here we have some more of those last years summer pics for your eye's enjoyment. 
Not normally considered pleasant smelling whether the flowers or the flavouring bulbs, but some nice big poofy garlic flowers over looking the junk in our little back yard. But then beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. Normally these flowers are even more showier if you plant them in a non domestic way. Meaning if you just bury them in some obscure wild patch of your yard, they will grow some lovely purple-ish colour on the poofy blossoms. Down side they will be a little more puny. Must be the wild stuff in the soil. I would imagine that eating the bulbs later on would naturally be healthier for you then being domesticated. Maybe I'm wrong. None the less these are pretty cool looking. 

 

Dad's Chair Monstrosity

Presenting my dad's unholy union between a former 1988's van chair and a discarded broken probably peed on former office chair, now in this wonderful red neck concoction.  OK its kind of neat, it sort of looks like the captains chair from StarTrekNG but if you ask me looks a bit dangerous.  Oh yeah he put it together last year. And he keeps it in my studio only because he feels the need to share his stuff in there since the old Commodore 64 is in there for his old chess enjoyment. 😑

Fiery red leaves

Thought I mix it up a bit by sharing last season's fall leaves on the trees in our back yard. Then maybe I'll get back to showing spring and summer stuff or maybe something really weird and unusual. You just never know. 😉
Anyways here are some lovely new pics of the burning bush that's located in front of my bed room window. There's also a bush in the back with I think something like a Chinese maple of is that still a Japanese maple? We do have yet another tree closest to the pond that's an official Japanese maple but this one I'm unsure. Maybe next time I'll photo that official one in the fall as well. Its leaves are quite "stringy" looking if you ask me and its one of my pet doves favorite materials to use in there nests besides curly and twisty sticks together with some forked ones in them. Over all I really thought the leaves were so beautiful I decided to collect a few for future projects. Most preserved quite well as dried supply's. 😊

 

Summer Happy sunflowers

Ok so its still winter but here's a little bit of summer to wet your summer whistle. 😜 Besides I already saw Easter cream eggs already being sold during the Christmas holidays and just last month and only a few weeks into January I first heard what I thought were the sound of robins while on my way to pick up some KFC. Not a big KFC fan but the people in this household really seem to love the stuff. But the walk to the franchise is a body of a treat for me. I love a good walk. So yeah anyways the sound of what I thought at first, thought was my imagination and was really the sound of a whirlybird. Those whirling mushroom things on top of roofs that made the strange chirping/squeaking sounds. On my way back my eyes confirmed that I was not hearing things, it was indeed a very early robin. Although there were probably a pair I saw in a tree, I only saw the one. OK but how are they going to get enough food? There really are no worms at the surface this time of year. Only a scattering of small dried fruit still on some trees and bushes and not really the good kind. If someone knows tell us all? 😮
Oh and don't worry, spring is just around the corner. 

These are some lovely pics of last summer's sunflowers. Very successfully grown. But at the beginning a bit slow going with the squirrels stealing the seeds and seedlings and other mishaps. 
In in case you are interested,  I made a little green house for each seedling out of a half cut water bottle with vents cut onto the what is actually the bottom of the plastic bottle and placed them on top of each space. It gave them much needed protection till they can get a start. Then after removing the protection, I surrounded the sprout with small sharp sticks to discourage squirrels digging the plants up. You can also use plastic forks for this as well. Remember to have the pointy bits up.   After that its just a matter of watering them everyday on hot days. Later they provided a great meal to all the birds in our neighborhood. Such as gold finches. Sadly I never got a chance to take pics of them since they're really flighty type birds. Maybe when I have a go-pro cam or critter cam. Oh well.

None the less enjoy.  😊

Sadly that year. I saw no honey bees. Oh and they're still approving "round up" to be used in our municipality. Stupid bone heads!

Cheesed off

OK like most Canadians I'm quite disappointed at Old El Paso for deciding to discontinue the powdered nacho cheese mix.  I really didn't eat it as intended though but I absolutely loved it as a topping for my popcorn.  What to do?, what to do? Well you make your own and its not really that difficult. If you have a Balk barn in your area or some kind of bulk store you may be in luck. 
Look for the powdered cheese normally used for pasta to make macaroni and cheese. but there's another way of using that stuff. Make your own powdered nacho cheese mix. First get your self some powered cheese mix that is if the bulk store has the stuff. About a cup or if you prefer two. Then purchase a few packets of taco seasonings. Whatever your favorite is. It could be Old El Paso or what ever you prefer it really doesn't matter. I purchased the Metro brand. Then get an ordinary jar. Glass or plastic or even some other container, what ever so long as it holds your stuff and keeps it dry. Then mix a packet of the taco seasonings with your one cup of powdered cheese and wala! you have your very own nacho cheese mix. Tastes may very so you may wanna use more of the taco seasoning mix or less its up to you. Problem solved and enjoy! 

A house all decked out

A lovely pic of a decorated front lawn in all kinds of Christmas related characters. This guy sure has some excellent airbrushing skills. Not to mention a great eye to produce these wooden cut outs. Could have looked much nicer in Christmas snow but even without, its a really great set up.
Oh and bonus for once I took this shot most recent as in not from 2 years ago. 😜
Their house is very pretty too. 😊

 The conductor guy from The polar express. 🔺

  Scrooge 🔺

 Baby Jesus and family with the Polar express train in the background.  🔺

Winnie the Pooh and friends.  🔺