a story or two May 4, 2026

When I originally purchased this Norwegian wool in Norway, the plan was to knit mittens but not at this time of year. This was to be an end of autumn project to have the mittens ready for next winter.  The yarn has been sitting in a corner yet not out of sight, I did not get around to bringing it to the basement shelf. I picked up the yarn, felt it, looked at patterns, retrieved my needles from the basement. I started knitting and could not stop until one mitten was complete! This has been the most enjoyable knitting project I worked on to date. With the yarn holding so much more meaning than yarn I had purchased at a local craft store, I knitted this mitten with so much more joy and love! I will now wait to knit the second mitten during autumn! 

I've been making the rounds to all my usual local "out & about" areas to see what has transpired since my last visits a few weeks ago before heading off on vacation.  Yesterday included a visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, where all is well into a wonderful spring fling.  Then this morning, I aimed for Confluence Park to see how it looked with winter now long gone.  I was curious about the bird migration, the new section of the Birth Forest and also if any crocuses were still putting on a show.  

After rounding a corner, I saw I was not in the lead! We were both heading for that bridge crossing the creek.  It sauntered along, I did too yet a bit slower.  Once we were both on the other side, the coyote stopped to have a look before darting off into the bushes and up a hill.   It is shedding the winter coat.  

Where I could get closer to the creek, I went there.  It was early morning, I was wide awake with clear vision, yet this duck fooled my mind. It was camouflaged with the water and it took seeing it in the correct light to fully distinguish what I was seeing.  This is an American Wigeon. 

The Robins were plentiful yet not as plentiful as they were at The Sanctuary yesterday.  

Between Song Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows, 

the early morning air was filled with sweet songs! 

This is a Song Sparrow.

Then the total opposite of a sweet song, the Red-winged Blackbirds added their kind of music!  

After ascending from the creekside, I hit the wide open sunny slopes to see them carpeted with crocuses.  Many were in the prime of their lives, yet others were a bit beyond. In areas there were so many, I had to watch where I placed my feet.  I took a few photos, not near as many as I took up on Nose Hill the other day.  

I wandered around the old section of the Birth Forest before aiming for one of the new areas.  It was nice to see this section survived winter wonderfully!  As the days go on, more green will appear, more buds will sprout, more birds will arrive and this Park will become even more alive!