What happened to winter?

We are having a very wet day! Miserable, wet and very slushy!!
I hate rain and it hasn't stopped since last night. The temperature is fine at plus 8 but I would prefer a little colder with snow if I had the choice.

I don't have much update on last week really so this will be a short blog.

As I have my new camera and I need to start learning how to use it properly, I have learnt some tips from Ruth and this website which has been very helpful. I am learning how to take photo's on the manual setting along with all the other technical details.
I decided that I needed to set myself a challenge and I am going with photo's of 'Birds in Flight' which is definitely easier said than done and may take me a long time to get what I want. Yesterday I stood for a long time trying to get just one shot and then finally I got this one below.....



It isn't the best photo but it was certainly a good start. The photo is a little noisy so I need to work on my settings some more but I am slowly learning some new techniques and hope that I will get the 'perfect' shot with practice.

I hope to be back later with a recipe that I would like to share with you from last week.

Weather today is.....

Overcast and a warm 2 degrees.
We seem to be having a real mild spell right now and a little bit of a thaw going on :) Which brings out the squirrels which as you will see get into all feeders possible. I know lots of people find them a pest but I find them quite comical in their ways and enjoy watching their antics :)



If only it would stay this mild, but from what I have been told it happens around this time of the year and we will get cold snowy days again soon!
I know I shouldn't say it but so far I have felt a little disappointed in the winter here, not because I like the snow so much but just the fact that I expected it to be a lot harsher than it has been. The temperature hasn't bothered me at all (so far!) and neither has the snow..... Maybe because when in the UK you couldn't go out much anyway because of it raining all the time and the fact that there just wasn't much to do without spending money it doesn't seem so bad but at least with being in Canada and having the land we have got, there are lots of things to keep us busy and lots of walks to take. Every time is different too as you never know what you will come across :)

The weekend was just the usual of shopping, cleaning and general day to day stuff!! So nothing much to report there.

Tasks for today:
1) Make Irish tea loaf (Brack) This was triggered off by Stu and Ruth at Christmas. They brought with them a Whiskey cake which was delicious and remined us of the Tea loaf that Wendy used to make many moons ago. If it is any good then I will be back to share the recipe at a later date.
2) Make Saucy Cajun steaks in the slow cooker - Dinner for later in the week
3) Vacuum house from top to bottom (or other way round!!)
4) Do laundry
5) Get outside and see what photo's I can take :)

In one of my last postings I did say that I would be back to show you where we had been the other Sunday. Well we went to see this fella



I emailed a few people before about Nicky but haven't ever posted so I thought I best share him with you. We have been to see him see him quite a few times since we moved here and have taken Shanara there too and she loved him!! He is a three year old Cougar also known as a Mountain lion here! and has been hand reared by Paul who lives just 10 minutes from us.

As Ruth had mentioned it here it thought I would share the photo with you, and yes they are really quite fun.....



and now for one of myself, this is on the Grizzly though and having a try at plowing the drive after the last snow fall :)



and just in case you are wondering, I have spelt 'Plough' the way it should be but also included the Canadian spelling as this is where we are and should do things and spell things the Canadian way :)

I haven't really said much about my work life but as Lisa had asked in a recent email I will tell a little more about it....
I work for a family run business which is a tractor dealership in town. I work part time as an accounts payable clerk, responsible for making sure that all payments are made to vendors on time, statements are kept up to date and invoices posted to the computer system amongst other duties. I have my own office and work by myself and to my own time schedule! We take 2 tea breaks, each 15 mins to 30 mins everyday and an hour lunch, but you don't have to only eat or drink then! The coffee pot is always on and free to help yourself anytime, there is a water dispenser for hot and cold water, a toaster and microwave :) They are flexible with family commitments, which means that if the kids have something going on at school then I am free to take time out whenever I need too without question. It is very relaxed, not stressful at all and it is a great pleasure to work there. I never think I don't want to go to work anymore and have time to enjoy my work rather than feeling pressured all the time which only makes for a bad atmosphere and errors.
Best move I could have made..... Wake up UK and give your employee's a break :)

Well that bring me to an end once again, time to go and grab some lunch just one last photo to share of our Pileated woodpecker. It hasn't been easy getting a good shot of him and then only managed to get one through the window. They are the large woodpecker with a wing span of 29" and stand at around 17" tall.

Back again

As promised but it will be short and sweet....
I got too busy doing other things today but I managed to put together just a few pictures from Christmas. I couldn't find the photo's Craig took though and he has a few others I would like to of used so maybe I will change the picture at a later date!!


The boys were back to school today and it wasn't easy for them to turf themselves out of bed at 6.30am. I can't say that I liked it much either :)

It snowed for the most of Saturday and yesterday and then started again this afternoon so another covering on the driveway!! I really need to go and buy the plough kit for the ATV tomorrow so we don't have to shovel anymore, as that is no fun at all. Tempreture today actually rose to about -10 which was a nice treat and the sun showed up for a while too :)
Anyway I did say short and sweet.... Hope you like the pictures, back with more soon as lots to post.

Happy New Year

As I am late and didn't get a chance to post anything at all before Christmas I will start by wishing all my Friends and anyone else who comes across my blog a very happy new year for 2010.

I had all good intentions of blogging but never seemed to find the time. Just when I thought about it something else cropped up! But I am here now and I will try and fill in the missing gaps of past events!! I know what will happen though, as always start of detailed then trail of with scatty blogging with not much info and as most of you who know me, will know that I am not a person of many words!! (On paper anyway!)

Winter seem to arrive a month late this year, we were told that generally by mid November snow is already well established but this year it didn't happen until the 9th December when we had a snow storm. We had had a few flurries before this but never much. Then this particular morning a storm came and the roads were very tricky, the snow ploughs were out in force trying to clear what they could to make the roads safer.... All school buses were cancelled so the kids enjoyed their first snow day. A good six inches had fallen overnight with already 2 inch on the ground. It took us an hour to get into work when it only usually takes a little over 30 minutes! A drive I didn't enjoy but something I would have to get used too! The temperatures fluctuate between 0 and -22 but sometimes feeling more like -28 with the wind chill. I like the snow though, it makes everywhere look so beautiful. Luckily just before the snow storm Craig and I had got an electronic garage door opener, so we can just hit the remote in the car and in we drive! Perfect.... we don't have to get out the car until in the garage now and then straight inside with having to bear the cold outside!

I didn't feel organized at all this year for Christmas and it seemed to come around so quickly... I was late in sending out cards for those that I did send, I didn't even wrap any gifts until Christmas eve which is not me at all. I would have normally finished a week before this so I could concentrate on baking all the Christmas treats.
I did make a Christmas cake this year which I don't usually as it is only me that really eats it but as we were having Stu and Ruth over for Christmas I thought it would be a nice treat, I found the recipe here..... I didn't bake it until a week before but it turned out well and tasted good too, one that I will definitely make again.... I just did a simple decoration too as not much time to do it!



My other favorite from last year is Nigella's Christmas Rocky Road. Trying to find ingredients here though is not easy.... they either just don't stock the items you need or call them something totally different! I am sure this is something else I will get use to. Recipe below, sorry no photo for this one!

Ingredients
250g/9oz dark chocolate, chopped
150g/5oz milk chocolate, chopped
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7oz amaretti biscuits
150g/5oz shelled Brazil nuts
150g/5oz red glacé cherries
125g/4oz mini marshmallows
1 tbsp icing sugar
edible glitter, to decorate (optional)

Method
1. Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces into a heavy-based pan. Add the butter and golden syrup and cook over a low heat to melt and combine.
2. Place the amaretti biscuits into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to make crumbs of various sizes.
3. Place the Brazil nuts into another freezer bag and bash in the same way.
4. Take the pan of melted chocolate mixture off the heat and add the crushed biscuits and nuts.
5. Add the glacé cherries and mini marshmallows. Fold the mixture carefully to coat all of the solid ingredients with the syrupy chocolate mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into a 25cm/10in x 30cm/12in greased and lined baking tray and smooth the surface as much as possible (although it will look bumpy).
7. Refrigerate for two hours, or until firm enough to cut. Dust with icing sugar, then sprinkle with edible glitter if you wish.
8. Remove the block of rocky road from the tray and cut into 24 rectangles.

Then on to making the stuffing for the turkey..... This is another of my favourites taken from Gary Rhodes 'New British Classics'

Enough for a 10-12lb Turkey
A knob of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped or grated
Grated zest of 2 lemons (juice may be needed)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh sage
675g (11/2lbs) good-quality pork sausage meat
100 - 175g (4-6ozs) roasted chestnuts, chopped
2 apples, grated
100g (4ozs) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 eggs
Turkey liver (optional)
Salt,pepper and ground mace
The stuffing is best made 24 hours in advance and chilled, allowing the flavours time to mingle.
Melt the knob of butter and cook the onions for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the lemon zest and sage, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the onion to the sausage meat along with the chestnuts, apples and breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and a good pinch of mace. Stir well and season with salt, pepper and a good pinch of mace. The eggs can m
now be added as the binder, to hold all together. Check for seasoning. Pan fry a small amount of the mixture so that you can taste it safely-you may find you need to add a squeeze of two of lemon juice. The turkey neck can now be filled with the stuffing. I like to leave some out and make into ball and bake on the side for a nice crunchy stuffing!

And that is my few recipes shared.....remember for this years Christmas to give them a try :)

Christmas was a good one this year, not only because it was our first one spent in Canada but we had great company. Stu, Ruth Ad and Ol came to stay..... I don't think we ever got to have a Christmas with them when they were in the UK. It was a really good time to be had by all. The boys all enjoyed playing out on their new toys....



I think Ad and Ol enjoyed them too!! They also spent many hours playing on the Wii and watching DVDS.
We had a few walks out in the wood tracking footprints of deer, coyote, fox etc. in the snow. We haven't seen any on the property yet but there is definite signs of them being around. The one thing that we did find was two porcupines in this tree, I couldn't get them both in on the same photo but here is one of them anyway....



They had torn the bark off the tree and had been there for a good while by the looks of the base of the tree!!

Unfortunately we don't get a great deal of holidays here so it was back to work for most on the Monday..... I had an extra day as being part time and returned back on the Tuesday :)
New years eve was quite with just the four of us, we watched the new movie '9' and played on the Wii fit, ski jumping was the favourite and I believe I am still top of the leader board on this one :)

I am going to call it a day now on this one but I will be back (promise) hopefully later or tomorrow with some snowy scenes and where we went today, and also to fill in any other gaps that my scatty blogging has missed!!