Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Nearby

thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/09/16/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-nearby/

I’m always amazed at how close wildlife will let you approach them before flying or waddling away. Seagulls are very use to humans but racoons shouldn’t be out in the daytime and this one certainly didn’t move one inch the whole time I took photos. I suspect that he wasn’t well, so I didn’t get too close. The bunny in our backyard is so familiar with us now that he doesn’t even freeze when he sees us.

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RDP Friday Challenge – Optimist

thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting the RDP Friday Challenge https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/02/03/rdp-friday-optimist/

These squirrels just never give up. They think they can outwit these ‘squirrel proof’ feeders. Sadly (for me and the birds) they often do.

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When animals approach you they always think you have food for them…such optimists
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Not sure if this bunny is an optimist but he always comes to our garden looking for food
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The only time swans get this close is if they think you have food for them

Well, Hello There!

….sometimes I get to see some unexpected wildlife on my walks

This week the ducklings were playing near the water’s edge with Mom and Dad close behind.

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On my way back home as I turned the bend in the road there in the middle of the path stood this lovely rabbit. He stood perfectly still. I think he thought if he didn’t move I wouldn’t notice him but when I stepped closer he hopped off quickly into the tall grass.

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Art From Another Corner of the House

….even though I haven’t found time to make art in the last 6 weeks my husband has

For about a year now my husband has been making cartoon drawings every day for our granddaughter. Certain days have themes like Monster Monday and Fishy Fridays. For this past Christmas Winnie gave her Papa a set of markers so that he could add more colour to his drawings.

When I first met Kevin, back at University, he had just finished a graphic design program at his local college and he worked as a graphic designer for the Ministry of Agriculture. When he switched careers in his mid 30s I was a little sad that he gave up his art but his job was changing with the times and computers were the way to go in the graphic design business. Unfortunately the first computers were very expensive and with a young family to think about he switched careers and his artistic side was put on the back burner.

Over the year I’ve seen his confidence grow and his drawings are developing a unique style of their own. This past week he’s gotten a bit of a head start on his drawings and he’s created six birds and a rabbit. Winnie loves to name them or she asks her Papa to give them names, which she often declares are silly. Here are his latest creations.

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I’d love to create a children’s book around some of these characters.

My Backyard Visitor

….we’ve either got a lot of rabbits in the neighbourhood or this little fellow gets around

They’re so cute but our garden is suffering. We’ve caught this little guy in the lettuce patch, nibbling the kale and completely destroying the bush beans at the back of the yard.

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The one plant that he hasn’t destroyed is the yellow bean plant.

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Cottage Life (July 24th, 2014) – Waaboos Lane

…..waaboos is Ojibway for rabbit

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that my cottage is situated on a First Nations’ reserve. The island is one of the largest islands on Georgian Bay and is approximately the size of Bermuda.

Over the years we’ve seen very little wildlife and I’ve often said that we have more wildlife here in the city of Toronto. In the last couple of years bears have moved to the island and we’ve had some issues with Fishers but for the most part one would be hard pressed to see animals other than squirrels and chipmunks. One other animal that I saw when I first started coming to the island were rabbits.

When the roads that lead to the beach and our cottages were named I thought that the name of our road was very appropriate because I had seen a rabbit there once. Waaboos is Ojibway for rabbit. This summer we’ve seen a Jack rabbit that is not the least bit shy and frequently comes up to the deck. Recently he was sitting by the side of the road and didn’t jump away as I moved closer to take a picture.

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