PORK...FROM "THE WHOLE PIG"!

There are many items that people think..."they won't have it there"!  From straw or hay bales to lawn seed to shepherd hooks to gift items to food items to clothing items...you never know what you may find!! 

Not so long ago, we connected with the wonderful folks at "The Whole Pig" from Dashwood, Ontario.  They offer so many awesome pork products, we are delighted we can provide some to you.  These include chops (including smoked), sausages, bacon, burgers. Let us tell you, we have tried them all and they are totally amazing!  All are vacuum-packed & frozen in smaller portions...perfect for easy defrosting!  Porkerettes for snacking are also available! Stop by soon to give these a try...you'll love the quality!

GREAT BLUE HERON

When one gets an opportunity to watch and capture a few photos of a beautiful Great Blue Heron....you go for it....even it means safely turning the car around and going back to the spot where you saw it...and hoping it is still there!

MORE EASTERN COTTONTAILS!

This makes it feel like early spring when we would be warning of little ones around the garden. However, this happened today! Following recent storms that included heavy rain & wind, we've had some leaves, branches, etc. to gather before cutting our lawn. While looking after this cleanup, an Eastern Cottontail nest was discovered...in the middle of our lawn!

BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER FIELDS...FOREVER!

Did you know that our Black Oil Sunflower is LOCALLY-GROWN? It is...and right now the fields are in full bloom! For this reason, we wanted to share a little info about the beautiful Oil Sunflower Seed along with sharing photos of the local sunflower fields!

What is Black Oil Sunflower Seed?  Well, it happens to be the most-preferred seed of the many that you might offer in backyard feeders! It will attract a wider variety of beautiful feeder birds!  If comparing it to Striped Sunflower, for example, one would find that it is meatier with it containing a higher oil content.  This, in turn, provides more nutrition & calories with every bite the birds take...so very necessary during nesting season, cold weather, etc.!  Black Oil Sunflower also has a thinner shell making it much easier for a larger variety of birds (especially smaller birds) to "crack".

Beautiful field of Black Oil Sunflowers!

IT'S AUGUST...IMMATURE BIRDS CONTINUE TO ABOUND!

Not only did the Cedar Waxwings recently fledge their nest, but other immature birds, such as the Eastern Bluebirds, American Robins and House Wrens, are also out and about just learning the ropes! Some of these might be a first brood while others could be a second or third! 

At any rate, there are young birds everywhere this late in the summer...and everyone should be on the lookout for them when maintaining lawns & gardens!  Thank you for looking after all creatures of the earth!

F Eastern Bluebird cares for her fledgling

Cedar Waxwings have fledged!

We knew the Cedar Waxwings had a nest in one of our trees and it seemed like they hadn't been there long enough for the nestlings to fledge. Yesterday, however, we were so very surprised to discover the newly-fledged young being fed on the ground around our garden!

Give me the food....I'm ready! Cedar Waxwings

GROOMING TIME!

So love watching all the critters around the garden including the bunnies...of every size!  All the birds and animals need to take a moment to do some grooming, as was the case with this rather plump-looking Eastern Cottontail!

Red-breasted Nuthatches...A Whole Family!?

The birds are certainly so very entertaining...all year long! But, when a whole family shows up at the feeders at the same time, even more so!!  We don't think we've EVER noticed so many Red-breasted Nuthatches around our feeders at the same time...Enjoy!

Adorable Red-breasted Nuthatches

SO MANY WALNUTS LAST FALL KEEPING SQUIRRELS OCCUPIED NOW!

Our Black Walnut Trees were so loaded with walnuts last fall, we had to constantly gather them up.

The good thing... it has kept the squirrels & chipmunks pretty busy this spring & summer as they find them then go about hiding them "for later"!!

The bad thing....Walnut trees...everywhere!

"BABY" SEASON CONTINUES!

You may have thought that most birds, & other species too, were finished with nesting season...this is not the case! While some birds nest early, welcoming one brood, so many others nest a little later on or nest early, then welcome more than one brood...often two or three!  In the end, this is just a reminder to watch for immature animals of all kinds, taking care when you look after the work that needs to be done!

American Robins captured in our garden July 15 2018

SO MANY DOWNYS!

It's been quite the busy time around the feeders what with the arrival of many immature birds! The Downy Woodpeckers are no exception!  We love their visits, their squeaky sounds, their jockeying for position on the peanut feeders....a definite joy to have around!!

Learning about this feeder thing from mom...Downy Woodpeckers

IT'S THE WEEKEND!!

It's the weekend...stop by for some amazing LOCAL honey, maple syrup, sparkling cider, pork chops, bacon, sausage, BBQ sauce, jams, jellies, relish, peanuts....a little something to "top off" your weekend meal plans!!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!! We're closed until Tues., July 3

Wishing you & yours a very Happy Canada Day!!

EXTREME CUTENESS ALERT - KILLDEER!!

Baby birds are some of the cutest creatures you might encounter and there are plenty around this time of the year!  Just take a look at the Killdeer in this video...so amazing to think that they were eggs in a nest this past Sunday!! Enjoy a great Wednesday....very warm temperatures are on the way!

ONE WEEK TIL CANADA DAY!!

We're ready for Canada Day with flags, hats, shirts, maple syrup, maple candles, maple BBQ sauce, sparkling cider & so very much more!!

HOLIDAY WEEKEND HOURS ~ CANADA DAY IS ALMOST HERE!

Just a reminder of our Holiday Weekend Hours...Not only are we closed, as usual, on Sunday but as per Ontario Statutory Holiday regulations for retailers, we will also be closed on Monday, July 2!

Thanks to Mr Cardinal for visiting at the perfect time and showing off his beautiful red!

NEWLY-FLEDGED BALTIMORE ORIOLES CLOSER TO FEEDERS!

Just today we noticed more calling/squawking from the trees around and near the area of our garden where our feeders are located. It was a very familiar sound....that of the Baltimore Orioles!!  They make a similar sound to that of the adults, often heard when arriving at the feeders, although it is a little gentler or softer.  A warning...Keep feeders filled & maintained as these families of Orioles will be closer each day....this one in the video was "captured" just above the spot where our feeders are located!!

How adorable is this newly-fledged Baltimore Oriole!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Father's Day!!

Dad Baltimore Oriole brings food to the nest...It's a day where they are encouraging them to leave this cozy spot!

FATHER'S DAY SOON!!

Father's Day 2018 is right around the corner, coming up this Sunday, June 17th! Stop by to see what you might find....From Garden Decor to our superb selection of Bird Houses & Bird Feeders to accessories for campfire/outdoor cooking including unique PIE IRONS!!  Dads like to be pampered...how about some of our handcrafted soaps??!!  For the dad who has everything, try some of our delicious Pork products from The Whole Pig and include a jar of our delicious Maple BBQ sauce!! How about a selection of our SMOKED SALMON products; local gourmet jams & honey??  We know that you will be totally delighted with all that our shoppe has to offer....thanks for shopping/supporting local!!

BALTIMORE ORIOLE NEST

Keep your nectar & fruit feeders "topped up"...adult birds are busy feeding their young in their nests and are making more frequent visits to the feeders! So very soon they will be bringing their new families to your feeders too!  This is one of the videos we shot today of the Baltimore Oriole nest. The sound of the wind in our previous share made hearing the chicks difficult....this one is a little better and includes views of their heads popping up!! Hope you enjoyed a lovely day!!

F Baltimore Oriole at nest