American Goldfinch

I saw an American Goldfinch in our yard today. Weeks earlier than usual, but his year everything seems to be earlier. I immediately went out and put up the goldfinch feeder. It is a long tube which I fill with Nyger seeds. They will, of course, also eat seeds like sunflower seeds, and others, but the Nyger seeds are their favorite. The finches usually breed in our yard. We have low shrubs and a hedge of caragana which are suitable for them. Last year we had fewer finches than in previous years. Hopefully, this year we'll get more. They are such beautiful birds.

The picture below is courtesy of the americangoldfinch.blogspot.ca. I borrowed it since I don't have my own picture. I hope the owner of that blog doesn't mind.

New book release and newly mounted antlers

I don’t want to talk too much about the books I’m writing here, for that I have my other blog ‘Herbert’s Place’, but a little bit of advertising won’t hurt. I’ve had a new book released today by Melange Books, LLC. Another book in my erotic science fiction series ‘The Xandra”. It is the fifth book with the title ‘Escape from Paradise’. So far I’ve written six books in that series. Book 6, Iceworld, will be published in May. Right now I’m writing Book 7. No title yet. That won’t come until I’m finished with it.

Anyone interested in reading more about it, please, visit my blog ‘Herbert’s Place’   (click on 'New Releases) or my website ‘Herbert’s World’ to read an excerpt and where to buy the book.

A few years ago, in the year 2004 to be exact, I shot a nice White Tail deer buck, but unfortunately, I shattered the skull plate and I wasn’t able to mount the antlers. We mount our antlers the European Way which is different from the way they are mounted here in North America.

Some people don’t want to see the white skull plate and cover it with velvet. Personally, I don’t care for putting velvet on the skull plate. It doesn’t look natural.

Those broken antlers lay in a box all these years. This year, for my birthday, my kids bought me a mounting kit. It is made from plastic and looks quite realistic. I finally mounted the antlers last week and they look good. From far nobody will notice the difference. Finally, they have a place on my wall with my other trophies. The picture below shows only four of the mounts I have. It is the wall going down into our basement. My wife allowed me to hang them there because I ran out of space and wall in my office.

The newly mounted antlers are on the top left. The ones directly below them belonged to a nice buck I shot in 2005. I know some people don’t like hunting and may think mounted antlers look disgusting, but that is their prerogative, as mine is to go hunting and mounting the antlers of the bucks I shoot. Besides, the meat also tastes great. I don’t have a full head-mount of a deer, even though I wouldn’t mind having one, but my wife would find that disturbing, and I respect her view and wish.

Ringer and other shows

We've been watching the show 'Ringer' since the beginning. Never missed an episode. What a great show. You never knew what to expect. It is the story about two twin sisters. One of them is a prostitute and the other one is married to a rich guy. The prostitute, Bridget, witnesses a murder and is supposed to testify, but she is afraid for her life and wants to get away. She turns to her sister for help. Her sister apparently commits suicide and Bridget takes her place. Since I'm a writer myself, I have to take my hat off to the writers of the show. They came up with new twists every episode. Truly, in my mind, one of the better shows on TV this last season.
We watched the final episode this past week and it was not disappointing. The way the show ended, it is hard to see another season, because everything seems to have been explained and I can't see where they can still go with it, but they have brilliant writers and they may just surprise us with new twists and plots. I wouldn't mind if they brought it back.
There are so few really good shows on TV these days. Most of them are 'cops and robbers' type shows. Some are pretty good, like Blue Bloods, or Criminal Minds. My wife likes The Mentalist. I can take it or leave it.
We love Person of Interest. Still about cops and bad guys but a bit different. Another show we love and find exciting is Missing. It is about a female ex-CIA agent whose son gets kidnapped. Lots of tension in that show.
Then there are these shows we watch: The Firm (this one seems to be on shaky grounds, that's why they moved it to Saturday. I don't know why. It is a good show.), NCIS: Los Angeles, Once Upon a Time (I can take or leave this one, but my wife likes it), Grimm (good show and it is so different).
We also watch Vampire Diaries, but I have to download this show from the internet. We don't get it on the channels available to us.
But the best shows yet are Game of Thrones and The Borgias. Both in their second season now. I have to download them from the internet also. There is lots of sex and violence in these shows and they would not be broadcast on regular TV. Too many 'Purists' out there who like to dictate to us what we can watch, write, read, and do.
I'll write about both these shows in another blog.
A couple of other shows I wouldn't mind watching are ''Awake' and 'Touch'. My wife doesn't care for them and there is only so much time we want to spend watching TV. Besides, we also watch a few comedies, like Two and a half men, Mike and Molly, Modern Family (the best of them), Last man standing, The Big Bang Theory. We have a PVR, so I record the programs and we watch them when we get a chance. If we don't watch all of them now, in the summertime are the repeats. So this way we have something to watch even during the summer.
Oh, I forgot: We are also big fans of Survivors and The Amazing Race.

I've created a page with the title: TV shows we watch. If you're interested, just click on it.

Dogs and their owners

Last week we cleaned up our yard. We de-thatched the lawn, picked up the leaves still left over from last fall, picked up the old grass and even cut the new growth. We had over 50 garbage bags full, which I took to the dump to be used on the municipality's compost pile. Nothing goes to waste that way. We also picked up all of the fallen branches around the perimeter of our property and burned them. It took us 2 days to do all that. 2 days of hard work, but the yard looks nice. Which brings me to the reason of this blogging. Before I could get started I had to clean up nearly a dozen small mountains of dog-crap. I could use a stronger word, but I will refrain from that. It is disgusting to have to clean up other people's dog-crap. We don't have a dog, but had we one we would make sure the dog did not go on other people's property. I don't understand how dog-owners can be so irresponsible. They take their dog for a walk and let them do their business on my property. Actually, they do it in the ditch, which technically is not our property anymore, but I cut the grass and keep the ditch clean and neat-looking. I'm not happy when I drive over dog-crap with my lawn-tractor.
So I made a couple of signs which I posted on either side of our property. Anyone with a bit of a brain cannot miss them and knows what they imply. I just hope the dog-owners who walk by with their dog respect them. I'm going to have to put up some solar-lites for those who come in the early morning hours or late at night in the cover of darkness.

Here is a picture of me with my new signs. I don't know why I'm smiling, even though my smile is a little forced. I should have a stern expression on my face, but what the heck...it isn't worth getting all worked up over it. I just might burst a blood-vessel and then I couldn't enjoy my beautiful yard anymore. The signs look actually quite nice in the grass, especially when they are highlighted by the sun. Even my neighbor came by and admired them. He told me he wouldn't have spent the money on any signs. He just wrote some stuff on a huge cardboard, telling the offenders that his yard is not a toilet for dogs and some other information. He didn't use the word dog-crap though. I don't think I need to write anything on my signs. The picture says it all. If anyone is offended by the signs then it is their problem, not mine. I'm offended by the brown stuff on my lawn.

Friday, the 13th

Are you superstitious? I'm not, well...maybe just a little. This is supposed to be an unlucky day. There are some people who are trying their darndest to tempt fate and prove those superstitions wrong. They will travel on Friday the 13th, will board a plane as the 13th passenger, try to get a seat in seat 13, and stuff like that. I  think if you're superstitious,  your subconscious will create situations that could get you into an unlucky incident. You might be careless and not watch where you're going and you will bump into a pole, or trip because you didn't pay attention, and then you'll proclaim that superstitions are valid. Same goes for lucky and unlucky numbers. I've tried to play the lotteries using what I consider my lucky numbers but none worked so far. Perhaps they were my unlucky numbers. Who knows.
I was going to do some work in the yard today. Yesterday was such a nice day, but we had to babysit. The weather-people forecast rain for today, but most of the time they are wrong. Today they were right. Lucky for them...unlucky for me. Hmm. Perhaps there is something to be said for Friday the 13th.
So now I'm planning for working outside on Monday. It is supposed to be sunny. Will they be right? We'll see.
Of course, we need the rain. Everything is quite dry and the threat of grass-fires is great. We've had a few houses already burn to the ground in rural areas.
Since it is Friday today we'll be eating fish for supper. Not because of religious reasons. Why would God care if we eat fish or not on Friday? That has never made sense to me. We eat fish because it is already a tradition with us. Before I was married and I lived with my parents, we ate fish on Friday, but only because that's when the fish-wagon came by on that day.
That thing about eating fish on Friday was introduced by the Church centuries ago, at least that's what I assume. The reason for that lies shrouded in the mists of time. Probably another control-thing. People are just so gullible. Sometime I have a hard time believing that intelligent people can be taken in by what authorities, real or self-imposed ones, tell them. There are times, of course, when people have no choice but to obey and follow those laws, even if they don't agree with them, especially if they live in countries ruled by dictatorial governments. But in a free world, or comparatively free world, we do have choices.
It is a psychological thing. Most people are afraid of punishment, be it in this life or in the hereafter. Even if they don't really believe, they will say, "I'll do it, just in case there is something to this."
I guess I'll stay home today. One never knows.

Pelicans

The weather is warming up during the day, but the nights are still cold and  below zero C. Today was sunny and quite nice. We had lunch and supper in our sunroom. It is only a three-season-room, which means it can only be used in spring, summer, and fall, but we cheat a little. We have a heater in the room and we've already started using it in March. If we're lucky we can use it until November, depending on the weather. It is just so nice to sit in the room with all the windows, the sun is shining and everything is bright. Even our canary is the happiest little guy when he is in the sunroom. He was not happy when we built it, because it cut off much of the light coming into the kitchen and the corner where his cage hangs. If he can't go out into the bright room he mopes.
Speaking of birds, today I saw a couple of pelicans circling in the air. The first time this year. From spring to fall they congregate by the Lockport dam, because that's where all the fish are. The flock of pelicans has grown over the years. Now there are almost too many there. They are ungainly looking birds when they are on the ground, but once in the air, they look majestic and elegant. There is nothing more beautiful than watching a flock of pelicans gliding with seeming ease across the sky.
Our pelicans are pure white with black wingtips, compared to the ones by the ocean in Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, which are gray. I have no idea why. I'm not a pelican expert.
The frost we've had these last few days and nights has set back the tulips. They are growing but not blooming yet. The lilies and irises are also poking their heads out of the ground, and the lilacs and our choke cherry trees have small leafs on their branches. For the first time this year I left my curly parsley over the winter in the garden. There is some growth there, but the frost may have damaged what is above ground and it will probably die off, but the roots are there and I should have parsley early this year. Parsley is great in soups, salads, and other foods. Apparently, it also has health benefits. The pepper-seeds in my flats have sprouted and are already about 2 inches high. Hopefully, they'll be nice and strong when it is time to plant them into the garden sometimes at the end of May or beginning of June. It all depends on the temperature. Every year is different. Last year I didn't have a good harvest of peppers, unlike in 2010, when I had an abundance.
If the weather stays like this, we'll probably be working in the yard on Friday, raking the grass and cleaning up. Would be nice to get a head-start.

Provincial Excellence in Sustainability Award

I’m a proud father today. Our son Richard won a Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Award for his work as a researcher. Richard is a wetland biologist working for IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development) in Winnipeg.

Netley–Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project wins provincial sustainability award
The Netley–Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project, conducted in partnership with the University of Manitoba and Ducks Unlimited Canada, won a Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Award at a ceremony at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Thursday, April 5, 2012. These annual awards are given out by the Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development to recognize and honour people, projects and ideas that successfully integrate the Principles and Guidelines of Sustainable Development into concrete and lasting achievements. The Netley–Libau Project won in the “Innovation and Research for Sustainability” category, and Richard Grosshans, lead project researcher since 2006, was there along with Hank Venema to receive the award from the Honourable Gord Mackintosh, Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.iisd.org/wic/research/wetlands/netleylibau.asp

This is what Richard is working on:

The Netley-Libau Nutrient-Bioenergy Project, Netley-Libau Marsh

• This project examines how cattail plants capture and store nutrients, how harvesting the plants can reduce nutrients entering Lake Winnipeg and how the plants can be harvested for use as a low-carbon fuel source. The project is a collaborative effort by Richard Grosshans, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the University of Manitoba and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

A few fish

It's a cold, windy and unpleasant day outside. We went to the yearly fish show of the Winnipeg Aquarium Society at the Canad Inn. I didn't think it was as nice as last year, but still interesting to see. I managed to get a few picture that turned out quite nicely. The one at the top is a salt water aquarium.

               A beautiful orange Discus 

 

A pair of cichlids

A Jack Demsey cichlid

A pair of lovely Discus

An Angel fish

A yellow cichlid

I have no idea what kind of fish this is.

Good Friday

It is windy today but sunny. The temperature is supposed to go up to 19 C, but by tomorrow it is starting to go downhill. We can possibly expect snow, and the temperature for next week will drop down to minus 9 during the night. I had already turned on the water for outside, but today I shut it off again.

We had our first red-winged blackbird in the feeder today, but most of the birds are Sparrows and Juncos.
I transferred two batches of red wine from the first fermenter into glass carboys. Cabernet-Shiraz and Chilean Merlot. On March 24 and 27 I bottled 30 bottles of Gewürztraminer (white), 26 bottles of Pinot Nero (red), and 25 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc (white). I still have to filter and then bottle one batch of Piesporter (white). I like to make my wines in the winter to have enough for the year. My 'wine-cellar' is stocked up nicely now. We don't buy wines. They are too expensive here in Canada. I think the government makes too much profit. They always talk about monopolies being illegal. So why are all the liquor prices the same everywhere? Where is the competition? We were in Germany a few years back and were surprised at the low price of beer and wine.Why are our prices so high? Even in the US prices are more reasonable.

Coming back to me bottling wine today...on Good Friday? How horrible! When I grew up, we weren't allowed to do anything on Good Friday. We weren't allowed to talk loud, laugh, sing, or have any fun...for religious reasons. Now, as an adult, I don't play those games anymore, but my mind is still conditioned to feel somewhat guilty when I do stuff I'm not supposed to do, according to the church. We don't eat meat either on Good Friday, only fish. As I said...conditioned.

Governments, churches, and other institutions are trying so hard to control us, sometimes doing it very subtly by telling us it is for our protection, sometimes threatening us with the promise we will end up in Hell or get fined if we don't comply.

I don't go to church, but I'm quite comfortable in my relationship with God. Somebody told me once I need to be saved. Saved from what? I love my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my brother, my friends. I always had an honest job and paid my taxes. I obey the laws; I don't steal or cheat. I've seen too many so-called religious people committing sinful acts like stealing from others, cheating, or committing murder and other atrocities in the name of religion. How about Priests accosting young boys, Evangelists having sex with prostitutes, and things like that? I write erotic books, but I don't commit lewd acts. I don't even write about weird or abnormal sexual practices. In my stories I write about sexual relationships between a man and a woman, not male/male or female/female. I'm a straight guy and I don't want to go into explanations about that. It is controversial and I don't feel like getting myself into hot water. It  is not my place to judge others. At the same time, I don't want others to judge me about my beliefs.