Life with cats, and other things…
Animals of the northeastern USA
7th April 2026 "Iced carrots, missus? Really?" Why Groundhog Day is at the beginning of February, I don't know, since they remain in their burrows until March. I suppose it was invented by people living further south where Spring comes sooner. This groundhog seemed most unimpressed. . Whereas a late frost often kills off the … Continue reading A blooming aspen
1806/6th April 2026 The forecast was accurate for once and the world turned white again on Tuesday, prompting us to go in search of photographs because we didn't get enough of snow this past Winter! Some of them may be worth sharing, though I haven't examined them properly yet and in the meantime I have … Continue reading On the way to Greenwich
1818/3rd April 2026, The Sun appeared just in time to set. Back in the Fall, Grant collected a large bag of acorns on one of our drives and planted a few, hoping to get some to grow. A previous attempt produced two tiny oaks that are now struggling to survive out of the hill. This … Continue reading “More please?”
0633/25th march 2026 The gloom of early March was predicted to continue, but happily this has proved to be at least partly inaccurate. Sombre at times, certainly, cold and windy, but with cheerful sun breaks. . Rosy skies were decorated by impressive contrails. . Wednesday evening, more contrails painted patterns across the sky. . Without … Continue reading Thursday thrill
1851/24th March 2026 A lovely ending to a fine Tuesday. The sunshine that day was so brilliant, it encouraged the groundhogs from their burrow. Since their first appearance early in the month, they had been rarely seen. . Tuesday afternoon they burst out of their freshly excavated entrance. . "Give that back! It's mine!" A … Continue reading Country living
18th March 2026. Fine days in March have been rationed. Are we heading for another wet Spring like last year? That turned out to be a blessing, considering the drought that followed. In our recent travels around the now snow-free countryside we noticed quite a few fields of crops that were never harvested, presumably because … Continue reading Not so odd
14th March 2026 March has turned into a murky month, however we would not think to complain considering the storms that rage elsewhere. The first two months of 2026 were not entirely sunlit either, but with snow constantly on the ground, the house was always bright, which gave the illusion of fine days. Until the … Continue reading Who shows up
4th March 2026 . "I feel like Sisyphus!" said Grant, going out to shovel the latest snowfall. Temperatures were just cold enough yesterday for precipitation to arrive in frozen form. Wet and heavy. Hungry pussycats had persuaded us to rise early, in time to view the dawn... . The forecast was wrong again? . 0614/3rd … Continue reading Sisyphus
Evidence that peaceful coexistence is possible. March was ushered in with snow on Sunday. It vamoosed before I could even get to my camera, but early on Sunday morning we had the first sighting of a groundhog. As always after their hibernation, it looked thin and rather pathetic, all the more in pouring snow. It … Continue reading First and last sightings
21st February 2026 Climate deniers point to this very cold winter we are having as proof that there is no such thing as global warming. All it proves is that scientists should choose their words more carefully. And that you cannot force people to confront inconvenient facts they refuse to acknowledge. Future generations will curse … Continue reading Target