Keeps a close watch.

On weekend mornings we begin the day by sitting in bed, drinking a French press of coffee, surfing or reading. Fitzi and Lucy are welcome to join us.

Lucy usually keeps a close watch out the window for squirrels that may be bold enough to (in her opinion) trespass.

And after all these years I still love her floppy ears.

Returned.

It’s good to see that the swallows have returned. I was pleased to see these Tree Swallows swooping over a shallow pond.

My introduction to dogs.

While my family had dogs during my childhood, my real introduction to love of and for dogs began in 1989.

Moxy Kingsley Maxxum Foxfire, aka Kingsley Leigh, was (and I understand I am anthropomorphizing) kind, patient, tolerant of my ignorance of all things dog.

Without having her in my life it is possible I would never have known how good it is to share life with a dog. Or dogs. I expect to continue doing so for as long as possible.

Tundra Swans.

Tundra Swans gather by the thousands in the corn- and potato-fields near Grand Bend Ontario as they start their journey to their nesting grounds in the far north.

Were fortunate to be able to detour last weekend to see the swans. It was an overcast day with light snow falling. These two commuted from a field on one side of the road we observed from, to a field on the other side of the road.

A small thing.

The other morning a small thing, unusual yet very easily overlooked, caught my eye.

It was a very foggy morning, visibility about 100 meters (about 110 yards), temperature -2C (28F). Driving to work the water droplets contacted the car’s side mirror housing and froze. As I continued driving they accreted, creating an unusual mini-landscape, or ice-scape if you prefer.

I try to see and appreciate these small things. Sometimes (not often enough) I do.

Appropriately wintry.

An appropriately wintry scene.

Sunset.

Faye looked out the window last night and drew my attention to this spectacular sunset.

Spring is here.

Tundra Swans are on the move. I drove by a field and hundreds were flying, standing, resting.

Spring is here. I’m blessed to witness its arrival.

Life feeds life.

I have fed songbirds for about 15 years, 13 of which here at this home. I count birds for Project FeederWatch and this weekend have counted them for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

A large number of birds of several species visited yesterday, a little more than two days after a major snowstorm. There had been very little activity today, and early this afternoon I saw why.

Sometimes, I feed more than songbirds. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had apparently been keeping watch, and it pounced on a House Finch.

A very talented friend once used the phrase ‘Life feeds life’ as a blog post title. It seemed like an appropriate title for this post.