tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post382673610948838647..comments2023-10-11T04:09:53.564-07:00Comments on materfamilias writes: Friday at the BirdFeeder (and a Paris TV series for good measure)materfamiliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-10493575919396586962017-02-16T07:17:45.505-08:002017-02-16T07:17:45.505-08:00Thanks B, I'm following her now.Thanks B, I'm following her now.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-48644264006525739062017-02-16T07:14:57.791-08:002017-02-16T07:14:57.791-08:00You're so lucky to have all those visitors to ...You're so lucky to have all those visitors to your garden. I hope they'll keep you entertained as you rest up and get rid of this bug. Take care!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-39999096084939563402017-02-14T18:11:21.305-08:002017-02-14T18:11:21.305-08:00We love seeing the bush tits at the suet feeder to...We love seeing the bush tits at the suet feeder too....they are so tiny.<br />Our garden has many birds... the great blue heron, robins, house sparrows, flickers, cedar waxwings, our local humming birds...and more...<br />I will check out The Paris Agent as I need to keep myself entertained in between reading chapters of my book and knitting while this pesky cold hangs around.<br />Everyone seems to have it...good news that you are feeling better.hostess of the humble bungalowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06453827257671312902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-26948590891721694742017-02-14T13:34:04.865-08:002017-02-14T13:34:04.865-08:00CT at http://countrysidetales.blogspot.com. Is par...CT at http://countrysidetales.blogspot.com. Is particularly knowledgeable about wild life. I'm sure you would love her blog. She loves her running too :)Coastal Rippleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13355914194686166834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-79999395776384470952017-02-12T07:16:18.685-08:002017-02-12T07:16:18.685-08:00Yes! That's a perfect description, that consta...Yes! That's a perfect description, that constant explosion of stored energy. And thanks for telling me about the nests -- oh, what a treat it would be to find one of those in the wild.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-13592935576727668122017-02-12T07:15:24.132-08:002017-02-12T07:15:24.132-08:00I so admire crows -- all the wily corvids, in fact...I so admire crows -- all the wily corvids, in fact. Raven is the Trickster figure in First Nations stories here, and the Creation story involves him bringing the first humans out of a clamshell.... <br />Lucky you, to have a pair bring their youngsters along to meet you.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-30465332022804221012017-02-12T07:09:13.343-08:002017-02-12T07:09:13.343-08:00Thanks Mardel. It's been a very odd winter, no...Thanks Mardel. It's been a very odd winter, not quite caught any rhythm yet.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-58632714386593790832017-02-12T07:08:39.657-08:002017-02-12T07:08:39.657-08:00You're a good friend -- and yes, I think that&...You're a good friend -- and yes, I think that's such a good aspect of being retired. Much as we might have wanted to do these things in the past, we were also honour-bound to conserve much of our strength to do the job we were paid for.... I've never been in cold and snow much bitterer than 10 below (Celsius), and I think that's about as "interesting" as I want to explore ;-) We're so spoiled over here on the very moderate southwest coast of Canada.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-91176258238150238082017-02-12T07:05:55.962-08:002017-02-12T07:05:55.962-08:00I've seen photos, Brenda! So much snow, especi...I've seen photos, Brenda! So much snow, especially up your end of town. . . Somehow your comment immediately had me reciting "The north wind shall blow / And we shall have snow / And what will poor robin do then / Poor thing. . . . <br />I hope your finches do come back -- they're so pretty with such a sweet song.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-62094843892754566122017-02-12T07:03:31.449-08:002017-02-12T07:03:31.449-08:00Thanks for the reminder. We did start Engrenages a...Thanks for the reminder. We did start Engrenages at one point, and then haven't got back to it. materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-852142903024846472017-02-12T07:02:29.792-08:002017-02-12T07:02:29.792-08:00I really had hoped to get to a movie this weekend ...I really had hoped to get to a movie this weekend -- so many good ones and so far we've only managed Manchester by the Sea. But little people came calling and afterwards I was too tired (again!). . . .At least these days if one misses seeing a film at the cinema, there are easy ways to see it (although on a much smaller screen) afterward.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-378212734667207082017-02-12T06:59:37.665-08:002017-02-12T06:59:37.665-08:00It's a delightful pastime, isn't it? Would...It's a delightful pastime, isn't it? Would you perhaps post on the blogs you've been looking at? I'd love some links....materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-44769771611936851172017-02-12T06:58:40.218-08:002017-02-12T06:58:40.218-08:00Oh my, that blue tit is a very pretty little bird ...Oh my, that blue tit is a very pretty little bird -- I'm rather envious. . . <br />As for the sparrows, I'll admit that I felt a tug myself, and I had to resist the urge to feed these guys. But for us in North America, these are an introduced species which seem to be more adaptable to city life than others. I guess I'm trying to maintain some diversity, and as soon as I begin feeding the sparrows, I suspect I'll lose that... We'll see, though, my thinking on the matter may evolve. materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-9107446252113574582017-02-12T06:51:52.933-08:002017-02-12T06:51:52.933-08:00That bullfinch is a very good-looking bird (didn&#...That bullfinch is a very good-looking bird (didn't know it before; had to look it up -- we don't see it here). And if you have a spotted woodpecker coming to say hello as well every day, you're very lucky. The cockerel I'm not as sure about ;-) (but now, we're not likely to share that problem!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-56441390005048748002017-02-12T06:47:35.490-08:002017-02-12T06:47:35.490-08:00I first read your opening sentence as Gastro is Na...I first read your opening sentence as Gastro is Nastro. ;-) (and it is!)<br />Ah yes, rabbits....I don't see them here in the city, but the campus I worked at was a favourite dumping-off spot for abandoned pets, and I'm quite sure there was a veritable warren underneath my office building. Their "indiscretions" piled up generously on the lawn, but I can imagine that in snow country, they'd be close to offensively manifest.<br />Oh my goodness, those "warming huts" are quite wonderful, even in the photographs. Worth making a special visit to, but I know you'll have to bundle right up. Stay warm!<br />materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-29747037522410482892017-02-12T06:41:44.680-08:002017-02-12T06:41:44.680-08:00We used to have outdoor cats as well, and so simil...We used to have outdoor cats as well, and so similarly avoided bird baths and feeders. <br />So sweet that your daughter cares so well for and about birds and that she comes by that caring via a family legacy-- our avian friends do need their champions these days!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-27361202277375029542017-02-12T06:40:01.301-08:002017-02-12T06:40:01.301-08:00We buy blocks of suet with seeds and berries stuck...We buy blocks of suet with seeds and berries stuck well in, and then place the block inside a "cage" that we suspend -- so access can be managed that way, and it requires the diner to grip the wire bars of the cage, while the whole unit swings a bit, and get their mouth to the inside for a bite -- works much better if you have a beak. Having dealt with rats in the past, however, I know that given long enough, they'd probably have their resident engineers work out a solution. . . . <br />You'll enjoy Call My Agent, I think, and perhaps some of your more ambitious French students might as well... ;-)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-76339468291630135352017-02-12T06:35:06.273-08:002017-02-12T06:35:06.273-08:00I didn't know the poem, Murphy, but I now love...I didn't know the poem, Murphy, but I now love it as well. Thanks for pointing me in its direction. Interestingly, robins (and I'm quite sure you're N. American and speaking of our robins, not the European bird) used to be considered a marker of spring having arrived here, but they're pretty much a year-round bird now. Saw one hopping over the snow-covered ground the other day, trying to get to the bare ground under a hedge....materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-9114720686835071242017-02-12T06:26:25.273-08:002017-02-12T06:26:25.273-08:00Ha! Somehow your description makes me think of the...Ha! Somehow your description makes me think of the Roald Dahl scene of drunk peasants falling out of trees. . . .was that in Danny, Champion of the World? Danny's father's a poacher with ingenious methods... Amusing for me to imagine the word's getting out in your neighbourhood, all the birds twittering on the fence, "Party at Ceri's -- free booze!"materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-50413546096772420972017-02-12T06:23:35.420-08:002017-02-12T06:23:35.420-08:00There does seem to be an embarrassment of riches a...There does seem to be an embarrassment of riches available for viewing these days, doesn't there? And yet I'm still wishing I could find a way to continue viewing Un Village Français, which we were so engrossed in while in Bordeaux.... (and while you're not watching Netflix, let me ask if you're getting your new boots out for a walk now and then -- do you love them?)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-55776483409443004072017-02-12T06:21:20.099-08:002017-02-12T06:21:20.099-08:00Thanks, A. Glad you've been enjoying my IG. Am...Thanks, A. Glad you've been enjoying my IG. Amused by the comment re the "wall of books." I can see it seeming a tiresome cliché a designer might want to void, but among a certain of my tribes, it's generally avoidable simply because we have so many books and what else are we to do with them? <br />Sympathy re London gloom, except yes, there you are in London, the antidote of the National Portrait Gallery easily at hand. . .<br />As for antidotes, yes, I do love that particular video, especially now that she's edited it with the music. <br />Thanks for the reminder and reassurance that this disorder will lead to possible tranquility, perhaps even beauty. I'm crossing my fingers.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-16968218349625887032017-02-12T01:08:57.153-08:002017-02-12T01:08:57.153-08:00When I was little, I used to envision popcorn popp...When I was little, I used to envision popcorn popping when I watched the bushtits moving from tree to tree. Such charming birds! They also happen to create the most interesting nests, like long narrow socks.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06736113984873666007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-35781986605285684422017-02-11T20:06:55.316-08:002017-02-11T20:06:55.316-08:00I'm glad the birds have been attracted to your...I'm glad the birds have been attracted to your patio so quickly. A small but welcome distraction from your season of crud. No bird feeders here so I don't usually have the up close and personal experience that you have, but do enjoy my more distant views. I confess to a fondness for the clever, wickedly unrepentant crows. I fed a pair for a season, and was rewarded by their bringing their offspring to me. So I did have an intimate daily view of young crows learning flight skills, and parent crows trying to ignore the feigned helplessness of their young. Quite a lot like humankind. Hope you're continuing your return to health. Spring can't come soon enough!Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04174162283476551873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-86292283333303129072017-02-11T17:42:30.151-08:002017-02-11T17:42:30.151-08:00I'll have to look up "Call My Agent"...I'll have to look up "Call My Agent". Hope you continue to feel better.Mardelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04850551308931710502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-25648128785293904812017-02-11T16:46:56.758-08:002017-02-11T16:46:56.758-08:00Glad to hear you are perhaps started on the road t...Glad to hear you are perhaps started on the road to recovery from your illnesses. I am just home from a short visit to a friend who is being treated for a very serious thing; lucky me to be retired and able to drop everything and go hang out, chauffeur, dog walk, etc etc. I was a help for the time I was there anyway. I enjoyed watching the very different birds there (way north, almost to Canada!) and it was interesting to experience the bitter cold and snow. I'm glad to be home to my familiar house/dog/birds and especially husband! <br /><br />Take it easy this week!<br /><br />ceciAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com