Wednesday 30 March 2016

IT MUST BE SPRING - THE DUCKS ARE BACK!

Well, it’s spring, at least according to the Equinox. If you depend upon the weather as an indicator, however, it’s somewhat unreliable as one day it’s warm, and the environmentalists are pointing to global warming as the cause, and the next day it’s snowing suggesting just  the opposite. As for my thoughts on this matter, I look to the ducks to let me know when spring has arrived, as somehow they know when it’s time to migrate. They may be staging somewhere hundreds of miles to the south, and somehow they know when the ice is off nearby Tiny Marsh. Then, in they come, sometimes by the thousands, at least they used to come by the thousands. Now, with the farmers draining their fields it’s more like by the hundreds. But, they’re still coming, dropping in for a bit of a rest, and to fuel up for the final long haul north to their breeding grounds. No doubt we’re still in for some nasty weather, but the fact that the ice is off nearby Tiny Marsh, and the ducks are back, leads us to believe that spring together with warmer weather is on the way.

Switching topics, for months now I’ve been going on about producing another book. Well, It’s done, or at least it’s partially done. I began writing about my painting places over the years and hit a wall of sorts when I realized that I had far too much material for just one book. So, I split the material into several possible books and went ahead with one titled, “MY PAINTING PLACES – KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK. Then, I hit another wall again involving too much material. So, I decided to do a Part I, then Part II. Part I has been published and as I write I’m awaiting its delivery The book’s preview is available by following this link: -


Part II is being put together, but things have been held up a bit as, guess what, I’ve come down with Herpes Zoster, or Shingles. Childhood Chickenpox mutates into Herpes Zoster and migrates to your spinal fluid, I’m told, where it remains dormant until events such as a weakened immune system, or stress, causes it to be activated. Well, being old(er), probably with a weakened immune system, and recently under a bit of stress to get the book done, seems to have awakened the virus. I’m telling anyone who might be  reading this about my problem to encourage those who’ve had Chickenpox to get immunized for Shingles. Why you ask, because Shingles are not nice!!! Be wise get the shots and immunize.


Enough about my problem. I’m growing older, it’s expected that things will happen….Time to move on with Part II of MY PAINTING PLACES: KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK, so that we can get out and do a bit of birding and otherwise enjoy nature.


Back of the Marsh - Mallards     Hand-coloured Etching


Mates - Canada Geese    Hand-colured Etching


Caught Napping - Mallards   Hand-coloured Etching

Paired - Mallards   Hand-coloured Etching


Spring Flight - Scaup                     Hand-coloured Etching