as I sat on the couch reading and occasionally looking out the front window, I spotted a large bird soaring high in the sky… at first I thought it was a pelican, but as I watched it more closely, I realized that it was a bald eagle…
got my camera out, but didn’t get a good shot, it was very fuzzy, lol…
I’ve been watching the solar lights in the garden over the last few days and have noticed that they are lighting up, having not been working for the last few months…
clearly the sun is getting much stronger, even though it has been cold…
so, tonight I was trying to get a shot of the solar light on the deck working and was stunned to see a coyote cross the pond and go behind the tarp which covers the outdoor furniture…
of course, I wasn’t fast enough to catch it in a photo…
I am a bit worried that it might be using the tarp as a den, so we will have to check into that in the morning 😬…
as I pulled out my newest mug in the morning – the chickadees – I looked up at the kitchen display and saw that it was showing a photo of the first time I took a photo of the mug;-)…
I particularly enjoy the fact that this mug shows two chickadees, one on each side so that I can see the bird, even as a leftie;-)…
it had been warm during the day and there were a ton of icicles over the tub, so I sat in the opposite corner from usual so nothing could fall onto my head, lol…
as I stepped outside I could hear the ice crystals falling so I grabbed my cap to protect my glasses…
it was a bit chilly for anything above the water as the ice crystals continued to fall…
I am still having trouble with the Ring light, which I have to turn off from the garage, no matter what I try on the app…
I was out for quite a while and when I came inside I realized how much snow had come down, lol…
the mattress had gone upstairs on Saturday, and the tables and couch put back in their usual space… I also changed the orchids on the sofa table, putting the ones that are blooming onto the dining room table and the ones that aren’t into the den…
it wasn’t until Monday morning that the carpet and coffee table made it back into their spots… my housemate had to lift the couch so I could slide the carpet under the feet to hold it in place…
I’ve now added a tray on the side table to keep it from getting scratched and added some flowers…
on Wednesday, my daughter and I spent six hours at The Leaf…
upon arrival we were surprised and delighted to discover a coat check for members… my coat was free and we paid $2 for my guest…
we were a bit early and shared a Rice Krispies square and hot chocolate while we waited for our entry time to the Biomes…
we had a great time in the Tropical Biome where we came across the head gardener and had an excellent conversation about the cacao trees and chocolate…
we visited the Mediterranean Biome to see the Fleurs de Villes displays and met and talked with at least four of the designers…
lunch at Gather was a delicious tomato bisque and grilled cheese focaccia for me, and duck poutine for my daughter…
for dessert she had the honey cake and I enjoyed the squash creme brûlée, which was delicious, lol…
back to visit both biomes where we learned about orchids from a regular gardener talk in the Tropical Biome, talked with two of the zoo staff who shared lots of information about the butterflies and the 52 koi in the pond…
we also got to hear a few violin pieces by Gwen Hoebig, who was one of the models for the FDV displays… my daughter took this photo…
it was hard to pick a favourite, but this time I chose the hoop dancer…
went from home to Total Wrapture spa for pedicures, then on to San Vito for lunch, followed by a return trip home from Foodfare…
it was the perfect day for it as it was very cold, snowy, and windy…
one of the vehicles had automatic sliding doors, which was kind of fun…
after being trained in the process of ordering the ride, and other information on the app, I tried to sign up for it, but it was using my old email address, so we have to get that sorted out and then I will try it on my own…
a great experience, particularly with how quickly they pick you up after contacting them…
our group went to view the Fleurs de Villes display after our birthday lunch at Gather…
as always, a walk through the Tropical Biome is rejuvenating…
we had such fun as each of us shared different points of interest as we wandered through the lush vegetation…
we visited the cacao trees, saw coffee beans, enjoyed new vistas of the fish, chatted about the banyan tree, spotted many heliconias, and got dripped on a few times, lol…
we moved on to the Mediterranean Biome for the Fleurs de Villes exhibition…
all of the mannequins (that represent the arts in the city) were very nicely done… we met two of the designers and spotted things we liked at every display… it was amazing to see the details that had been included…
after we’d been around once, most of us went around one more time, as we each made a decision on our favourite and filled out the ballot which we received as we entered the space…
the Fleurs de Villes exhibition is always stunning and such a delight to have had here two years in a row;-)…
herbiggirlpants 