Sunday, February 28, 2010

Great Links Sunday Afternoon

A lazy Sunday after being on the ice at 7am.

Spent some time online and found some great articles to read. Hope you will find them interesting.

Back to the Tap - shrinking your carbon footprint. This link is good too.


Tree Yoga - I have done yoga, but not with a tree. You will see pictures of me doing this, this summer!

Who wants to join me for yoga in the trees?

I think the red pine of the ice chest lake area will do just fine.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Birds enjoy when you are creative with cones

Cones Grow On Trees

The white pine cone comes from the tree that is our arboreal emblem. It has the largest cone of any conifer in Ontario. Timmins Honour of Trees.

The red pine has a smaller cone, when open it makes a perfect ball for many different crafts and activities. The red pine cone is a favorite for wreaths and other crafts.

Lynn, of the Porcupine Photography Club, recently got a bag of cones from me. Cones available here. She took them up to Hersey Lake and added peanut butter and seed before hanging them up. The birds and squirrels found them quickly. map


Side note: while adding the link to the Photography Club I got side tracked and had to look at all the pictures. There are some great pictures there. Thought I would be able to pick a favorite, but I could not.


Lynn captured a red squirrel, a black capped chickadee and a whiskey jack







Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Moose Antler Freshly Dropped



It is interesting to compare a moose antler freshly dropped to an antler dropped last years and then chewed for a summer.

Last year I found the older antler. Roll'n has enjoyed chewing on it for a year. To him it is a big bone with the taste of moose.

This winter while having a safety discussion at the side the road the dog found something. He would not come out of the bush, he just sat there looking at me. That usually means he needs help with something.

I walk toward him and he starts to bark and "talk" to something. He has found an antler that is too big for him to move. Judging from the tracks and the fresh snow the antler had been dropped (map) that morning, less then 6 hours ago since it had none of the fresh snow on it.

I suspect by the size of the antlers the two different moose were very close in age. The shape is very similar. I am know expert but I would say they came from a bull that was about 6 to 8 years old.

I will not let Roll'n munch on this antler, it is in really nice shape. Wonder what to do with it?

Guess I will give it to Muddy Mark, he will know what to do with it.

Facts


Art, wow wish I could do that!





Tuesday, February 9, 2010

CBC Bear Den Live Webcam

Today on CBC radio there was an interview about bears and how mis-understood they are.

There is a site you can visit and read all about it.

He also has a live feed of the bear and cubs in the den.

It is worth exploring. I an not so sure I want to reach out and grab the fur of a bear, but I have come pretty close !

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Black Ash Blue Sky Frosty Morning

Black Ash Blue Sky Frosty Morning

February 05, 2010. The sky was so blue, more blue then a ripe blue berry on a sunny forest floor - that is pretty blue!

Everywhere the trees are covered in a coat of frost as the temperature dipped below -20C last night. As the sun comes up the dark conifer melt quickly, while the branches of the hardwood retain the frost.

Two big black ash in the swamp contrast with the sky.

You can take a picture, but you just can not capture the whole frosty setting.

These 2 black ash are very close the the largest black ash on the Timmins Honour Role of Trees.

These 2 are located about 24 km south of the 144 - 101 intersection. Here is a map of the location if you want to go look at them yourself.

Frozen Muddy Mark

Buy your own tree