June and Summer!

 Well it finally happened summer is here in Waterloo, thank goodness. We are still having restrictions here so the pictures are very local! But hopefully they put a smile on your face. We have had a lot of warm weather and the gardens have bloomed!

I always find it hard to believe as we skirt past 21 June that we are half way through the year and we know what that means. I won't mention the word, but it starts with a W. But strangely enough I'm not dreading it at all, having spent more time on walks around the neighborhood and generally just "noticing things more, it is nice to see those seasons change. All part of that ole circle of life thingy! But for now we can enjoy the summer and it's delights.

Seems a little chocolate box image like, but lovely all the same, just round the corner

So here is the parade of cheeky chappy. See this fella here, well I have a story about him or her, you will see later what this innocent birdy has managed to do. (This is a mourning dove or sometimes called turtle dove. This is part of a pair that comes to the feeder several times a day)

Our garden has an abundance of these chipmunks. For such a small yard we have more than our fair share of these guys and they seem to not be deterred by me sitting there. And leave your feet on the ground and they will run over them!!!!

I honestly think  he is saying "stay still, breathe in and don't look at her"

"Oh I looked at her!!!. Think she saw me"

Lovely skies on the evening walk

and a lovely season for poppies

and another personal favorite, peonies. 

They come in an abundance of colours

And then for this, I walked past this house and they had a large collection of lawn mower grass bags! So many questions!?

Our signage is back and this time cryptic and no one slows, they just drive around them....

Poor chair, life was just too much for him. Sad he threw himself to the curb

This is new plant for me but old for here, it is nine bark and it has these lovely pompom flowers

And the storm passes

This house has it covered! Certainly got that English cottage garden thing nailed

And how lovely are these, just on a verge minding their own business

This darling house is due for demo, having being recently sold. Apparently this will be semi detached houses to be sold separately

Bubble bee hanging on!!!

Aren't these darling, with their pink edging ever so faint but there

Goldfinch wondering, are those cardinals for real!

Mr. Sparrow on one of his numerous visits to the babies

Magic sky

Fantabulous dandelion super thing

Coral roses, these really are beautiful

I realised on John Street that we have some evidence of previous activity, ie the corner shop! Now this is part of a house

John Streets variety

The following houses are all on John St and all so different

This is a reno of a house by the rail way tracks, bit of a fav of mine

There are a ton of the block square houses here. 

These people had a message for the world. I also like the yellow brick and we have quite a lot of that here

Fancy pants balconies/ porches. I love a porch and balcony porch is the ultimate dream....well one day

And the last shop at the end of the world! I just wonder what these shops sold and both of the corner shops are on the same street, about 2 blocks apart

Ah Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow your babies have grown. They were jostling for position, it was quite funny to watch

This is one of the parents leaving

So on a rare outing to Elora, well it is only 20 minutes away, currently that feels transcontinental, I spotted the sign on the church

That isn't how I feel, made me feel suffocated reading that, blanket, hot day, I don't think so

Yes indeedy, the mourning dove has a trick and it involves no hat

Just balancing! Amazing, the bird feeder is designed to not allow squirrels on the base. So now we know a squirrel is heavier than a mourning dove. I know that was a burning question for all!

I can promise that the next blog will feature the sea and lands far from here!!!!!

Spring Time May

 So it is May (well actually it is now June!) but writing about what happened last month it seems we had nothing happen. That's why it's so good to get out and see what nature is up to, because stuff literally changes every day. In May here we have the most splendid crop of dandelions and they surprise me every time and are just so jolly. Since I rid my self of a lawn, I can admire them and enjoy! with out the need to join the hoards here painstaking digging each plant out of the soon to be pristine lawn...

We are still lock down people and in that regard nothing has changed, that's trips to supermarket and that's it. I have seen the inside of one other shop once this year, once to the hairdresser and once inside a book store. So everything else is entertainment to stave off boredom. 

I am finally doing some productive things, trying to learn French (and yes if I could work out 'how to' change the title of the blog (mother was right, Petite is feminine and so rightly, it should be La Petite blog. Put initially wrongly as a joke and now of course it looks silly. Rather like the hair do, set out fine now it's just pandemic hair!). I also in a fit of madness and because I couldn't think of anything else, decided to knit Isaac a wool jumper for his birthday. Again set of with a great intention but ordered the wool (unbenounced to me) from an English website, it took ages and then of course birthday will arrive well before said jumper. Ah such is life and best laid plans.

I have been out in the neighborhood and continued to photo stuff and this is how we looked in May

chippies are out in the garden. This is a favorite hangout spot, the downspout. Not sure how high they climb but they love it here

My tulips arrived. They are miraculous. They stay like this a matter of days

Then they do this, and yes change colour...not done yet

There are some interesting daffs about still

And fancy pants tulips? Even their leaves were wiggly

Whole swaths of them

I adore the smell of lily of the valley, so gentle and fragrant. Nothing like the scent you can get

Look at that droplet of water. Just about to fall, talk about moment captured

More interesting daffs

This sawn off branch stump looks like a cloud or landscape, whatever, looks a something. Pretty darn cool

Blossoms blooming everywhere

And not to be out done here come the glorious dandelions. Just look at them, you could say they roar (get it, dandelion!)

They are on every verge everywhere, wow all those seeds to come

These fuzzy babies, yup seeds

The trees all have a fuzzy about them too, red and green. They are tiny flowers and balled up leaves ready to explode

Very candy striped tulips...

The red maples are just so brilliant when the leaves first emerge

Even the pine trees get in on the act. They are baby cones and they are red! They look like strawberries

Carpets of flowers

And yes more tulips, now daily I'm seeing them everywhere

Here is a crackle having a wander. His iridescent plumage matches the flowers, I bet he knows, he certainly looks like he does!

I'm not taking a family of 4 in that! Although it is super cute with its Hudson Bay stripes...wonder where this fella will roam this summer?

Ready for the shot and stay still, and click! Fabulous American Robin and yes they are bigger than English ones. In fact they look 4 times as big!

And a summary of Canadian spring, provided by painted rocks in a near by garden

These are the same said tulips that were yellow in front of the house and now they are bright orange! They look like poppies

And dandelions have a friend to share the lawns with, violets. Just such a fab colour combo

And Bella gets the ball and takes it...

To a complete stop and pose

This is the pattern of my windows early in the morning on the walls downstairs. It is lovely and for whatever reason always feels like a surprise

Talk about colour! Those leaves are amazing and as for that sky, wowwee

Brilliant satin red brand new leaves

Remember those dandelions well they are seeding now, just weeks later

And in among the green is a delight to be found the white flower that represents Ontario, the Trillium 

On a walk with Louie and we couldn't believe the magnolias still blooming

and these lovely cherry blossoms

Night sky and crescent moon

and a lit up rare jet trail

I am not sure if you can make out the American Robin determined to look at the glass above the door. The owners of the house have valiantly tried to put up objects to discourage this....don't think it's working. At this time of the year they are very territorial and any reflection where they see a bird (themselves) they attack it....

Night time blossoms

and day time ones

leaving petal confetti 

a perfect blossom

This is Louie's bathroom window, what a view of a glorious cherry tree

The last stand of tulips

And nest building for the sparrows. Endless entertainment

Carpets of cherry blossoms

This would be someone's idea of a great joke! Real fire hydrant and fake dog!

Even the horse chestnuts are in full bloom

Fab onion plant

I love the clouds and how literally in seconds the scene changes. We thought this was baby dragons, chasing something

All those colours changing by the minutes

and now for the irises show

So the dandelions defeated this person and they have swiss rolls for the lawn.... Some how I think those yellow headed lovelies will be back

I always love seeing the variety of colours of the irises

These are especially royal

These are just flouncy

Oh my bleeding heart!

Look at this, waves across the sky

Louie said that this was a love heart...almost

And fluffy white clouds in Stratford

I took this picture as the car and front door match. This is a game we can play. I've already spotted a few people who have this combo here

They left the grass as long as possible this May, to help the bees and this is the central area in the boulevard across the street. It felt like a wild meadow

This guy does look like he is smelling the leaves. I suppose for a screen for your communication boxes it isn't too bad. It made me smile. We should all take a deep breath like him, he certainly looks calm!