CHRISTMAS AT THE CARDINAL NEST

Merry Christmas to you,

as we slip sweetly into Christmas week.

 I must share this beautiful picture of cardinals, sent to me by the lovely Debra Turner, of The Savvy Shopper.

Debbie was one of my very first followers, and lives in New York.  Lucky girl.

How she ever found this little Australian blog is quite the mystery to me, but illustrates the joy and fun of blogging:  you meet lovely, like-minded friends, all over the world.  
Check out The Savvy Shopper - she is full of good information and ideas.

I made a new front door wreath, with bits from the Christmas cave-under-the-stairs...an old plain green base, some red fake berries which have appeared in many of my Christmas creations, and a few small pine cones from the collection.  For once, I decided not to use the glue gun, because there is no going back with that thing.  I tied and twisted everything in place, and sprayed with my fake snow. Done.

We have been back at the Wild Canary garden/cafe again, celebrating Christmas with friends.  They grow all the salad, herbs and edible flowers right there beside the restaurant.  Who knew all those flowers could be eaten?

The vinaigrette is made from nasturtiums and the fish is North Queensland barramundi, the best and sweetest fish in the universe...

I shared this tiramisu with Mr C - which seemed only fair..

That garden centre is full of temptation...

Meanwhile, back at the Cardinal nest, the yellow hibiscus is having a spectacular summer...

while the last stand of agapanthus have burst forth.

I've been to choir practice at the church.  All set for Christmas Eve Mass.

Have a splendid Christmas week.

XXXX

WHY RED CARDINAL?

Patiently waiting for me to put out the morning seed...

Yes, Mum, Dad, and those crazy twins still hanging out here every day

The kids are as big as their parents, and in a still photo it is difficult to tell which is which..

The clues lie in their squawks - they have yet to learn to trill or sing..

and behaviour - they are the babies heads down, tails up.

Parents are grimly hanging on trying to eat the seed, and some beak to beak feeding still occurs.  I have tried, but am unable to catch that because it is so quick.

I come from a family of bird lovers.

My Dad is a real expert, and even with a bit of dementia has a vast knowledge of Australian birds.  For many years he did monthly reporting for a national register of native birds, going to appointed places and noting the calls and sightings of all species in the area.

His six children all have a passing interest and most of us have 'bird-books' for quick research purposes.

Today we took Dad for one of his beloved bush drives, past newly green pastures (there have been a few heavy storms this week)..

a sweet country church and graveyard..

and on to the foothills of Mt Lindsay, part of the border ranges between Queensland/New South Wales.

Mt. Lindsay, as I learnt in childhood, looks like a lion in repose, and can be seen from a hundred miles away.

The object of our quest was to listen to a colony of Australian bell-birds..

They were still there, where I remembered!

Their call is like a tiny, crystal bell and I made a little recording, but can't upload it successfully.
So here is one from uTube:

My Christmas Cross-stitch of - what else? - cardinals in the snow!

The lovely Sheri, from Red Rose Alley, asked me the other day why I called my blog Red Cardinal, which seems a perfectly reasonable question.

I have always been intrigued by the idea of a beautiful bird which is completely red, such a joyful, happy, and, it must be said, Christmassy colour.

Many visits to the North American continent later, and much stalking of the neighbourhood wherever we go, but to this day I have never seen the elusive Red Cardinal.

My daughter eventually settled in Canada, and we visit regularly.

I live in hope!

Looking for a blog title, it just popped into my mind as something I like..

(and I had a perfect pair of little china cardinals to photograph as my calling card).

Dear Sheri, I hope I have answered your question!

XXXX

THE CANADIAN MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day found us doing what Canadians do on a festive occasion:

Breakfast at a Maple Syrup Pancake place...

Some people even had maple flavour sausages!

We were in the middle of a Maple Tree Plantation, with trees actively producing syrup:

This is the modern way to tap the trees ...

and here are the hoses, all running through the forest and to the collection area.

Native Americans traditionally sliced the tree, and inserted a small stick to guide the sap/syrup out into a collection vessel.

Late 1800s technique.

A collection of traditional snow shoes.

We inspected the artistic possibilities of heritage axes ...

and old saws ...

Wooden maple sugar moulds...

and pretty ones made of tin.

Found another fake bird...

No luck in spotting a real red cardinal...

But I did see a robin red-breast today.

Bonsoir!

XXXXX



RED CARDINALS AND A NEW POPE

And so it came to pass we have a new Pope, Francis I.

He looks like a bright and kindly man, who will lead the church into the future.

I for one am pleased to see the first pope from the Americas; it has been a long time in coming.

Furthermore, his humble life-style in Argentina, and care of the poor, are excellent attributes for the modern-day leader.

The Red Cardinal blog cannot miss the opportunity to admire the red cardinals;

Imagine trying to concentrate in the Sistine Chapel surrounded by the frescos of Michaelangelo...

The throne of St Peter..

Our one Australian Cardinal, George Pell, was there to vote, of course.

I don't think we will see an Australian pope in my lifetime.

The white smoke: a quaint traditional way to spread the news.

We are told the new pope takes his name from St Francis of Assisi ..

St Francis lived a life of poverty and founded the Franciscan order of friars.

He is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, and created the first Nativity Scene.

He died in 1226.

And if you are easily horrified look away now -

Amid a chorus of lorikeets shrieking,

this little scene occurred just outside our window during breakfast this week:

Quite put me off, it did...

(Subsequent photos are too gruesome for publication)

It is a jungle here at the Red Cardinal nest.

Have a lovely weekend

xxxx