I live on Canada's majestic west coast in the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver.
My home is located on the edge of a park and I have made my yard into a haven for Black Capped Chickadees and Chestnut Backed Chickadees and
House Finches all year round. I also have Stellar Jays, most of the year, and they devour the peanuts and give the Squirrels a run for their
money. The Jays will even come into the house to get them if you leave the door open. They are in constant competition with the squirrels.
Downie Woodpeckers and Hary Woodpeckers are daily visitors. I also get the occasional Pileated Woodpecker.
My Spring and Summer visitors consist of:
Pine Siskins - they come by the hundreds and chitter and chatter. They are very aggressive little things
Bush Tits - they are so small they can hardly be seen, except for the trees moving
Rufous Back Hummingbirds
Black Headed Grosbeeks - their song is like that of an angel
Bewick Wrens- which are so tiny, but their voice is humungous
Stellar Jays - they visit most of the year and love to devour peanuts. They will even come in the house to get them if you leave the door open.
They are in constant competition with the squirrels
Robins
Purple Finches
Yellow Warblers
American Finches
Rose Breasted Nuthatches
Towhees
Barn Swallows
At the first sign of Fall the Juncoes and Red Shafted Flickers arrive
If a snowflake is going to fall I get the Veried Thrush. They only come when it is very cold in the higher altitudes and they come down to feed.
I make a mixture of suet, crunchy peanut butter, left over veggies and rice, and add a little birdseed. This attracts the Woodpeckers and Chickadees.
To keep my small birdies happy, I customize bird houses by painting them with nature scenes.
By living next to the large regional park, I get the occasional Hawk and Bald Eagle.
From the bird sanctuary by the lake, it is not uncommon for the Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks to walk up the road and into my yard to feed.
The Raccoons tip over the garbage cans, as usual.
The Squirrels eat all my tulip bulbs and the Coyotes are probably the best mannered of the bunch. They never seem to bother anything, but you can
certainly hear them at night!
I have companion pets as well.
Mikko is a black Lab cross. She is the love of my life!
I have a black part Persian cat by the name of Rambo. Both of these animals came from the animal shelter.
My second cat, Boots, is a tabby and was an abandoned street cat who has taken over the house!
My favourite shrub is the Rhododendron. I have 17, all in different colours.
I also have Roses, Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Lilianthus, Lizianthus, Begonias, Heinrich Heinkel Fuschia (miniatures) and much more
including annuals and perennials which fill up a half acre. I have one bed filled with different lilies and another filled with different irises.
Along the outside edge of my lot are my huge Hemlock trees that stand 80 feet tall!
After raising my six children, who are no longer at home, I now have my animals and gardens to look after so it still keeps me busy.
I have been practicing Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing art, for quite some time and I have recently become a Reiki Master/Teacher.
And after all of this, my kids have decided that I should learn about computers and surfing the net.
So, here I am!!!
