What's Outside?
A gale is blowing. Seriously, the wind is whipping around the house like a storm at sea. Southern Ontario is heading back into winter, rather than enjoying the sweet smells of spring!
What's in my head?
Theme music from the Food Network T.V. show, "Chopped". We watched all four of the Chopped Champions Tournament over the weekend, and the pulsing opening music is what's swirling around (rather like the wind).
What am I grateful for:
I made enough supper last night that I don't have to cook tonight. Yay! I found a bottle of Thai Red Curry Paste at my local grocery store (these things don't always crop up in a small town) and I made (see below)
What's cooking?
I sauteed some sliced onion with some soy meat strips, the curry paste, some sliced granny smith apples, shredded cabbage and chunks of sweet potato. I deglazed the pan with a bit of red wine, added some brown sugar, and some dried cranberries and lots of black pepper and served it over jasmine rice. YUMMY!
Of course, you carnivores can feel free to use the real thing if you have to.
What's in my glass/cup?
My cold beverage of choice - PC carbonated water with lemon. No sodium and no sugar. I can drink the bottle if I feel like it!
What's my "get-up"?
Brown velour track pants with beige stripe down the legs, dark brown "Joe" t-shirt and my favourite, cinnamon-coloured wrap sweater.
What's on the monitor?
A photo that shows the view from my front doorstep - field, farm and water tower. I live in a "Water Tower Town".
Where am I off:
nowhere, in THIS wind!
What's in my library?
Reading, "The Stone Angel" by long-renowned Canadian author, Margaret Laurence. It's a story told by a bitter, 90 year old woman who relates her life and how she came to be who she is. I haven't reached the "I can't put this down" stage, but it is compelling, nonetheless.
What's that noise?
Towels and stuff are tumbling in the dryer, and the wind is whoo-whooing outside and my iPod is giving off the "sonar" ringtone to signal someone's read my Magpie Tales poem, "Displaced" see previous post).
What's happening here?
Well, I was just sitting down here at my desk (having made the rounds of The Mag participants) and I heard a banging noise that I wasn't sure about. I thought perhaps one of the cats was in the back furnace room where the litter boxes are kept. I got up to check, but there was nothing going on in there.
I sat down once more, and the banging came again. This time I determined it was coming from outside. I thought maybe the meter-person was out there checking our meter at the side of the house. Trying to prove my theory, I stood up on a chair under the window and looked out and up over the window well to see if I could make out any feet, or at least see what was going on. Nothing at that sight-level, but when I lowered my eyes, I solved the mystery.
In the window well, was a tiny, baby rabbit!
If you know me, then you know how much I love animals and of course I knew right away what I was going to do! I had to get the baby bunny out of the well and find a safe place for it.
Fortunately, despite my excitement, I remembered to grab my camera as I headed out the front door.
I approached the window well at the side of the house and the first thing I did was get a decent photo of the little guy (see below). Next, I got down on the grass and reached into the well and easily scooped up the tiny ball of fur, but when I stood up to take him away, he panicked and leapt from my hands. Where did he go? Into the next window well! I had to start all over again!
This time, when I scooped him up (not an easy feat, since he was on to me now and not particularly willing to be caught), I tucked him into Kevin's oversized, fleece jacket (I had grabbed it off the hook as I was racing out the front door) and the little guy bolted into the sleeve and stopped at my elbow when he found he had nowhere to go.
Now began the real adventure! Across the road, is a grass verge, then a slope that leads down to a marshy, reedy creek. I did not want to release my friend there, as he was so little and I felt he might turn around and head back to the road where disaster could occur. I decided to cart him all the way down the road to where the creek ends and a forested old railway trail runs from west to east. My destination was beyond the chain-link fence of the end house where I could connect with the path and the woods.
Did I mention the wind? Oh yes! If you've been reading from the beginning, you'll know that Frank L. Baum would have been re-inspired by the winds that are whipping here right now. Naturally, my goal had me facing directly into them.
I feared for poor little Blaze (for that's what I've called him, since he has a tiny white crest on his head) as I made my way against the gale-force, tripping over stones in my path and sliding in dog-crap along the way! I was worried he might have a little heart-attack, but I could feel him breathing under my arm.
At last, we reached the woods, where I bent down to the leaf-strewn ground in a little clearing between some trees. I made as if to release my arm from the sleeve, and out he tumbled through the hole at the bottom. He didn't dash off, but lay there with his paws outstretched like a monk in homage at the Temple of the Buddha. I stroked his soft little head and tried to console him. He seemed slightly placated and as I stood to leave him, I said, "Okay Blaze, you go find yourself a nice warm place to sleep. Good luck, little fella!"
I don't know if his mother was anywhere around, but I do know that he would not survive in that well without food. At least in the woods, he has a fighting chance, and maybe one day, I'll be out in my garden, dead-heading perennials to meet a full-sized rabbit with a white crest on his head, and I'll know he came back to thank me for saving his life.
I can dream, right?
Gotta love this!
I just discovered sweet potato hummus. I am in heaven! A couple of multi-grain Ryvita, a few schmeers and OMG!
What's up this week?
Got to get to the nursery and order some trees for the backyard. The robins are here (and mighty fat they are too). I want birds galore in my yard - and squirrels, lots and lots of squirrels. Think they'll like a Mountain Ash, a Schubert Chokecherry and some Cedars? I think so.
Today's ear-worm:
Windy
A picture from today's report:
Now for the star of the show:
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| All together now: everybody say AWWW! |
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