on the 20th day of December......

......I made my last visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary for 2025! Before heading there, I painted the Sugarplum Fairy for the 20th day of Advent.  The instructor suggested doing a test painting on other paper before painting the real thing. I should have heeded her advice but I was too big for my britches.  The Fairy does not look happy as she sits lopsided! Day 18 is a tree called the Western Australian Christmas Tree and Day 19 is brussel spouts which is not a Christmas dinner tradition for me yet is for many around the world. 

Today was the only opportunity I had to visit The Sanctuary one last time this year and it happened to be one of the coldest days so far this season.  At -21 C with a windchill of -31 C (-5.8F with a windchill of -23.8F), I bundled up and braced against the cold while embracing it too.  

Ducks & Geese huddled up at the edge of the river!

These are a female and male Mallard Ducks that were actually performing the mating dance.  

My photo is clear, I snapped the shot through fog hoovering over the river.

Whatever it takes to stay warm!

This is a fluffed up White-breasted Nuthatch!

Whatever it takes to stay warm!

I first saw this adult Bald Eagle.....

.....then I saw this Juvenile Bald Eagle and I wondered....

.....could they be the Adult and Eaglet I saw on May 18th!  I often wondered if that Eaglet survived and began to live its best life!  I am going to let my mind believe it did and I saw it today. I accept the sighting as a wonderful Christmas gift on this 20th day of Advent.

I left that area holding close to my heart, the sighting of the Juvenile Bald Eagle.  I then came upon some action playing out, from what I next saw, I knew why the Young Buck and..... 

all the other Deer were standing on guard!  

Right in front of me, this Coyote came under the wire on the fence and headed down the trail.....

.....following behind this Coyote that was carrying a Canada Goose! Neither looked in my direction, they walked down the trail then veered off into the bushes on the left which happened to be where the Buck and the Deer were.  I watched the Coyotes go into the bush and settle down with the Goose.  I snapped my shots then I was off.  This was not a scenario I cared to be in the middle off.  

After taking off and moving down the trail quite a distance, I felt OK with stopping to enjoy the scenery again before calling it a day and heading on home.  A very narrow section of the creek remains open.  I enjoyed seeing how the icy crystal flowers lined the waters edge.  

oh how dainty yet hardy these beautiful creations are 

So, I am not dainty yet I am hardy!  Two hours after arriving and bracing against the cold yet embracing it, I was ready to cover the last kilometre to my vehicle then hit the road to home.  On this 20th day of December, I was gifted many wonderful sights from Mother Nature!  

Once I got home, I curled up on my sofa under a blanket and just like I shared in my last post, 

I had visions of Christmasy Mountain Scenes dancing in my head!

I used a tutorial to learn how to paint trees like these! 

I added the mountains and included many trees!

Delightful December Days December 14, 2025

While visions of a wintry mountain town.....

.....dance in my head, I am enjoying what is close to home!

My paints, pallet and paper were put to use to create the above image.  I had completed a tutorial on how to paint a big city winter sight at Christmas time.  It was a pleasure to paint.  I decided to paint another picture putting my own spin on it.  I came up with a Wintry Christmas Mountain Town!  While that tree on the main street is gigantic.....

.....one of the trees in my home is petit! This is the seaglass tree my sister made for me!  

Yesterday morning this was how cold it was!  No, my hair is not grey! I needed to stretch my legs for a couple of hours before sitting for a couple of hours enjoying a live performance of "A Miracle on 34th Street" staring my friend's daughter. 

While "out & about" for those couple of hours, I checked in on the tiny sized two foot trees at the Birth Forest.  The majority of them are thriving!  

the trail behind me

it was mesmerizing to watch the water swirl below these hanging icicles

At day's end, I turned on the lights on my two foot tree, 

the one I will enjoy for a few days over Christmas.

The bootie slippers no longer sit under my big tree!  

They will be bringing warmth and comfort to others!

The two stuffed animals I knit earlier this year are with the booty slippers. 

They are worthy of being hugged by a little one rather than sitting on a shelf for me to look at.  

In a twenty-four hour period, the temperature rose roughly thirty degrees.  The weather went from forming frosty fringes on my hair to being concerned the newly purchased butter would melt in my car while I was "out & about" for another couple of hours.  Now it's time to monitor for flooding and burst pipes!  Before checking out that situation, I checked out the goings on at Carburn Park.  The Trumpeter Swans remain a beautiful sight to see, as is the case with this adult and child.  

The adult enjoying being solo settled on the ice!

Common Goldeneye

Male Bufflehead

Male Common Merganser

Male Mallard mating with the Female Mallad

a Muskrat sitting on ice

one of many Killdeer

As I was heading to were the Bald Eagles hang out, this one left that area and flew in my direction.  It actually came too fast and too low for me to react quick enough to get a good shot.  I did see where they are building a nest but did not stick around to wait and watch.

I did wait and watch while the deer roamed across the trail.

Before heading out this morning, I did the Trifle painting for Day 14 on my Advent Calendar.  I am becoming more comfortable painting the very small pictures with the tiny details.  I am so curious when I wake each morning as to what the picture will be for the day.  I like that I am learning about Christmas traditions that are new to me.  Day 12 is a Christmas Bell, a flower that blooms around Christmas time in Australia.  Day 9 is a bag of pepernoten which is a Dutch spiced cookie popular on December 6th in The Netherlands when they celebrate Sinterklass.  I was so intrigued by this sweet treat that I....... 

.....I made my own after being "out & about" this morning! Oh my goodness, how delicious they are! The recipe called for speculaaskruiden which is a Dutch spice.  I made my own using cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom.  I know when I go to The Netherlands, I will be purchasing the real thing while there.    

I better get back to the kitchen and package up the pepernoten, 

out of sight out of mind, 

for now! 

seven swans a swimming December 6, 2025

There were about ten plus seven swans a swimming rather than just seven that arrived back at Carburn Park for the winter so the plan for today was to go see them for myself.  While that was the main purpose, I would check in on the Carburn Bald Eagles also.  I was last here two weeks ago, the weather changed over that period of time so I expected the area to have a very different look and feel.  After crossing the bridge I looked back to see the sun was on the verge of rising. 

The light pillars caught my eye during this sunrise!  

following the trail towards the river

the paved path towards where the Bald Eagles hang out

There was nothing to see while scanning the tree tops across the way, no Eagles, no obvious nests, not even another person near me along side the fence.  A temperature of -17C with a wind chill making it feel like -24C keeps most people at home or moving fast.  As I was getting ready to leave in search of the Swans......

......a Juvenile Bald Eagle flew in. It landed in the tall trees at the left in the above photo.  Its perching place was deep in the trees.  I watched for a few more minutes then went on my way.

This Trumpeter Swan was my muse for the watercolour painting at the first of this post. 

It was a challenge to photograph them, the cold air created a foggy like look over the water.  

Also the Canada Geese plus the Ducks stayed close by.

There were mostly Adult Swans with a couple of Juveniles.  

This Juvenile stuck close by this Adult. 

Common Goldeneye, Canada Goose, Juvenile Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose near ice with snow on its back and ice on its bill

Female Common Merganser

a frosty view 

As I followed the trail along the River, I saw the line up of Geese and Ducks at the shore seeking shelter.  There were no small birds around other than one Female Downy Woodpecker and lots of Magpies.  Maybe as the temperature rose, the little ones would appear but I was not waiting around.  The gloves and mittens I choose for today were not doing their job, I called it a day and aimed for my vehicle.

As I was driving out of the parking lot, an Adult Bald Eagle flew overhead heading for the usual hangout area.  Dang... but I was not going back, I was heading home!  I felt content with seeing the Trumpeter Swans.  The drive home along the "Deerfoot 500" was just as sketchy as the drive there. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed once I pulled into my parking park at home!