a really cool thing happened while walking the dog this morning

We were walking down the back lane (less mosquitos that way) and a crow that was on the hydro wire started cawing at two crows eating garbage on the ground. I happen to know that all these crows are named Sam (moniker given by my neighbour, Jen, who can't tell them apart), and that they nested in a tree on my block. One of them is a juvenile, which I know by the colour of its eyes and the way the other two treat it.

This morning, the two crows on the ground lifted up to the wire before I could figure out which was which. But I knew who Daddy Sam was because I stopped Lexi so that I could look at them, and he started crying like a baby. Like a human baby. Was the most surreal thing to hear that sound coming out of his beak.

Last week, Jen told me that Daddy Sam had been barking at her cat. It sounded so much like a small dog that she at first couldn't figure out why a dog was up a tree. Unfortunately for Sam, Jen's cat is deaf, so his amazing ability to mimic was lost on the cat.

I have long loved crows, but have had very little real experience with them. Almost had a nest outside my bedroom window once, but one crow was killed by a car before eggs were laid. Read Crow Planet earlier this year, and wished I could have a relationship with a crow like the author had. Then again, I know two people who have been pooped on by crows...

The Nature of Things had a fantastic documentary on crows earlier this year, which you can watch online if you are inclined. I liked walking under the crows this morning knowing that they would remember me and my dog, and be able to pick me out of a crown next time they see me. I'm probably more known to them than they are to me.

Even if you are a crow hater (and there are many of those in the world), you have to agree they are interesting and incredible birds. I offer Betty as proof:

pooped pup

Lexi after her first day at dog daycare*:

*Feeling like a bit of a DINK, minus the income. Actually took a little bag with "Lexi's lunch" written on it. A bit ridiculous, but she needed her lunch! And daycare is really good for her with O away. Not fair to have her crated all summer, even if I'm embarrassed that I'm buying into the dog culture.

crappy day

Every have one of those days?

O. left this morning for Charlottetown, so I'm on my own until August 23rd. Okay and not okay with this. Bummer that he's gone for the best time of the year. Happy that he has the work. But regardless of my mixed feelings, was sad to see him off at the airport.

Came home and consoled myself with coffee and a good book, watched the second half of the Slovenia/Algeria game, then headed out to the yard to do some gardening (finally a sunny day!). Went to the garage to get tools, and pretty much immediately thought, "where the hell is my bike?". Yep. Garage was broken into via the overhead door. Bike is gone. My three year old, $600 can't-afford-to-replace-it bike is gone. My main form of transportation... gone. Crap. Though in fact, crap is  not the expletive I used. Talked to my neighbour, and her garage door was open on Saturday morning, so I guess it happened Friday night.

First I had a good cry, which is much more useful than it sounds. Then I called the police and filed a report.

Then I called Robert (my hero!) who came over and closed the broken garage door and screwed it shut for the summer, since we don't have the car on the road anyway.

Then I called my sister to ask her to put my ratty old Trek on the bus. She's also my hero. She and her husband loaded it up in their car, and then drove to Portage. I thankfully have my mom's car, so I met them there. The dogs had a good play, Glen put the bike in my mom's car. I drove home, feeling ever so slightly better.

Going to prowl the local pawn shops tomorrow after work and see what I can find, but basically holding out no hope that I'll get my bike back.

garden update

Sunflowers are gone. And by gone, I don't mean dead (though I suppose they probably are). I mean, there is no sign that 5 sunflowers were ever planted. And one of the himalayan impatiens died. Stem snapped in the latest torrential rain.

But the good news is that I got 9 free rudbeckia that were leftovers at the community garden. May also be able to snag some salvia and possibly some peppers and tomatoes. So things are still coming along nicely.

No rain today. No rain predicted until Thursday. Just sun and warmth. Grow, plants, grow!

random stuff

Have been a bad blogger, despite my resolution. Can use my eye surgery as an excuse for some of that, and now our household is in a frenzy of activity because O is going to PEI for the summer to play Henry Higgins in Pygmalion and Lachey in Johnny Belinda at the Montgomery Theatre. Have so much that we need to get done by the 13th! Will be a better blogger after he heads east. In the meantime, a few pics...

Our new vintage teak dining room table & chairs:

Lovely iris that I got for free and had no idea what it would look like:

Three double yolks in our six egg omelette (hey... I said things were busy, I never said they were exciting!):

semi-guerrilla gardening

The large planter outside my workplace was seriously pathetic. There are quite a few ferns that seem to be thriving, but the rest of it was filled with weeds, cigarette butts, pop cans and other assorted garbage. My co-workers and I decided that we were sick of walking past this eyesore everyday, and have adopted this potentially beautiful garden.

It is only semi-guerrilla gardening because I did call property management to find out if by chance they might be planting it this year. They answered in the negative and told me that if I wanted to plant it, I could "knock myself out." This was all the permission we needed.

Below are the before pictures. Will post updates. So far we have weeded and cleaned, then planted old fashioned lilies, day lilies, wolfsbane, sun flowers, big bluestem, lily of the valley and himalayan impatiens. Daisies are coming this week. Our poor plants have suffered through a wind storm and two major deluges in the two short weeks since they moved into their new home. They are a bit battered, but still standing strong.

(Side note... my workplace may not care much about flowers, but they provide lots of bike racks!)