Awesome bird sightings

Today on our way to Canadian Tire we saw the BIGGEST woodpecker. We've seen woodpeckers in our neighbourhood, even on the birdfeeder a couple times but this one was a whole different story. It was about the size of a mallard duck and looked just like Woody Woodpecker. We got quite close to it too. I found it online and it is the Pileated Woodpecker and they used to be endangered.And on the weekend we got to see a hawk really up close as it rested on the tree in our backyard. See them flying overhead quite oftern but never resting in our tree and so up close. It was a really pretty smooth grey one.

Chair #2 Done

I gave my mum her early Mother's Day present and it was a big success. Here it is set up on her deck.

Ginger Soda

Eliza and I made some ginger soda using this recipe (http://mothering.com/sections/recipes/ginger-soda.html). It was very tasty, all four of us liked it. We will have to make it again.

Easter Saturday

We went on a lovely walk in St. Jacobs today.

And then of course we did the egg hunt. We put a bunch of different treats from the Bulk Barn in plastic eggs. We did
dried apricots
cinnamon dried apples
dark chocolate
dried mango
dried strawberries
panda licorice
Eliza got the most eggs.

Good Friday

Have my mum and sister over for Good Friday. Made some more hot cross buns of course.
First I finally experimented with trying to make some tasty whole wheat bread like the white bread we've become addicted to. So I used this old recipe that I used to make and just cooked it in the way I cook the white bread. It was pretty good and definitely less dense than it used to be (from making it on a stone instead of inside a pan?) but I think I will make it for using in sandwiches and still make the white bread for eating with dinner. I will have to start adding at least a bit of whole wheat to the white bread recipe.
This is the old whole wheat recipe I used
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=894152
And this is the new recipe whose cooking method I used
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/dining/211brex.html

And then since it is Good Friday we had white fish and parsley sauce and mashed potatoes and peas for dinner!

Toy Car Done

We finally went and bought varnish on the weekend and now the toy car is done! IT turned out pretty well. Rolls perfectly on carpet, hardwood not so perfect. And even after all those coats the paint job is still not perfect. So next car will definitely not be painted. Now we have to get to work varnishing our wooden animals so that those will be all done.

Snow on April 6

My lemon tree now has 9 flowers open! 8 of them in the one bunch.

And it snowed today - a lot! Like a good 6+ inches. Kevin's cousin came over and we went tobogganing which was good because we didn't get around to going this winter. And we went to the hill right near our house which was actually really good.

Columbia Lake

This afternoon we went to Columbia Lake to walk around and enjoy the nice weather. We walked to this awesome willow tree that someone has put a swing on.

Birdhouse #2

I finished my second birdhouse - still have to hang it up.

Bentwood Trellis

This morning Kevin and I went a walk in the park to "harvest" some willow branches.

Then I made a trellis to go at the front of the house where we had to remove a tree last year. It came out a bit asymmetrical but I think it is charming at least. I think I will plant a grape vine to grow up it eventually but will also plant some beans to go up it this year.

And with some extra branches I made this that I will just put somewhere in the garden and have beans or something growing up it.

I love my lemon tree

My lemon tree has been doing lots of cool stuff since the days started getting longer. Lots of beautiful tiny leaves have been appearing (it only lost a few leaves over the winter). Lots of flower buds have been appearing and opening. And I believe I managed to fertilize a few and we have some baby lemons. Here are some pictures.



And my baby lemon

And today there are four flowers open!

Cold frame done, chair done

I finished my cold frame that I started making a couple days ago and put it in its spot for now. I still want to paint the window frames (but am not in the mood to do this after just finishing the chair) and I have to experiment with ways to open them for ventilation - might have to add hinges. The windows I got from someone's garbage a few months ago. I have two more so I will make another cold frame. I think I want to wait till I buy a circular saw though because doing them with the jig saw was quite horrible. I'm not sure which veg i will use it for.
And I put my chair in its spot.
And this is a picture of a bunny in the backyard that Kevin took a couple days ago.