Spring Has Sprung

Osprey

The birds are returning to nest!

Barn Swallow~~~~~~~~~Tree Swallow

There are endless signs of life anew. I often ponder whether these oddities surrounded me in my earlier years, and I just failed to notice them, or are they unique to this area and climate?

McCormack's Beach

The fishing villages around here tend to be very colorful, cheery and bright.

Swinging along with his dad.

Mad dash...

a lobster boat passed by, and the waves rolled in... he was just sure they were going to catch him :)

Showing us his treasures.

You can see a bit of the city skyline behind him.

Seaweed treasure

 I am pretty sure NONE of his brothers would have voluntarily picked this up at his age. 

Industrious boy

♥♥♥♥

Adventurous Journey

Sean and Drew chose to be a part of a wonderful program this year: Duke of Edinburgh's Award. They have worked hard to complete Bronze, meeting or exceeding the requirements for:

. Service: "Connect with your Community!" (volunteer)

. Skills: Explore your Potential! ("Discover new abilities and interests or improve on and develop your existing talents.") 

. Physical Fitness: "Get Moving!"

. Adventurous Journey: "Experience the Outdoors!" ("Each participant must plan and execute a trip in the form of an expedition or exploration. Before embarking on your journey you’ll need to undergo training, learn safety precautions, and conduct a practice run.")

What a great smile!

Glad I am not the one having to shoulder that pack!

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

Guitar Duo

Love it when these two make music together.

Pancake Fun

 Not even sure who first came up with this idea, but I remember doing this with some friends who came to dinner!

Bet you can't guess who decorated this one :)

Yummy!

Nice job!

A masterpiece!

Available decorations: whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, smarties (Canada variety - chocolate), and Reese's Pieces. This particular evening I chose to have no expectations. Individuals were allowed to "play" if they so desired, and pictures were taken upon request. 

Pancake recipe (posting it since it was unusual, but the all the boys gave it a thumbs up... said it tasted just like Cracker Barrel):

. 3/4 cup milk

. 2 T vinegar

SET ASIDE for 5 min.

___________________

Add:

. 2 T melted butter

. 1 egg

WHISK

________________

In a separate bowl:

. 1 cup flour

. 2 tsp. sugar

. 1 tsp. baking powder

. 1/2 tsp. baking soda

. 1/2 tsp salt (I usually skip this one)

MIX the dry ingredients.

WHISK together the wet and dry ingredients until there are no lumps. 

COOK and ENJOY!

Handsome Dude

Hard to believe he will be 3 in August.

Birding - No Thanks!

Osprey

Sometimes Aidan and I take the little boys birding with us. It allows us to visit new birding spots and gets them out of the house. Occasionally, Asher will fall asleep on the way to wherever we are going - perfect!

Luke has made it clear that "birding is just not his thing". Asher... IDK... he does notice birds... both by sight and by sound. And when he hears the Mourning Doves, he is quick to look for an owl ;)

Not birding quickly turned into...

tackling...

fighting...

NOT a happy camper...

Not happy at all!

But all of 2 seconds later, a smile is back on his face.

You gotta love toddlers!

Purple Finch and Red Crossbill... both males

A little size comparison for those of us who do care!

Twitching

It really is a great pastime - educational, enjoyable, a way to spend time together and to meet new people.

The Missus and her Mister.

Red Crossbill - female

Red Crossbill - male

The Black-capped Chickadee is not very shy.

Downy Woodpecker

We wait until the feeders need re-filling, and then place the seeds on his hat instead. It only takes a few minutes for these cute little guys to dart down for one.

Canada Goose in our front yard.

It really is a lot of fun!

A Very Common Sight

This boy is always hungry, and he is very independent.

Sometimes a dangerous combo.

1 Man ~and~ His Girl

Green... it totally counts ;)

It is so peaceful lying on the rocks together, listening to the waves and observing the birds.

♥ I am proud to call him mine... all MINE ♥

Speckled~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yellow

Orange~~~~~~~~~~~~~Blue

This big guy got sunburned. Kind of hard to see, but if you look closely, you can see a straight line on the top of his body. The other side is dark, like his tail, whereas this side is orange ("cooked").

Our local lobster guy keeps all of these ones for show and tell! None of these "special" lobsters are eaten, and at the first sign of stress are released back into the ocean... it sure pays to be special!

Appetizer in the works.

Bon appetit!