Saturday night we received a bit of snow but it had stopped snowing by Sunday morning. Sunday looked like it wouldn't be as dreary as it has been so we decided to head out for a long walk. Our little town is divided almost in half by two sets of train tracks. When purchasing our new home we wanted to not have to cross the tracks everyday to go about our daily life so that was one of the reasons we chose this home. Trains go by about every 20 minutes. We live a few miles from the tracks so we can hear the "whistle". A bylaw was passed by the town that the trains don't whistle at certain crossings as the houses are very close by. The signal bells are very loud so there is no way you can miss a train coming.
I am very intrigued by this house. It was built in 1895 and is known as the Sanford House. It isn't in the best shape now but seems to be in a constant state of repair. There is another newer house in front of it in what would have been their front yard which faces onto our Main Street. You can just make out the original front steps by the bottom of the ladder. I can't find a photograph of what the original front yard looked like. I will continue to search!
Peeks of sun over the weekend with an actual full day of sun on Monday. It was lovely.
We put up this suet feeder a few days ago. So far the Chickadees seem to be the only ones using it.
I've noticed Red Breasted Nuthatch's around the feeders. I've never seen one before. At our other home we had the White Breasted Nuthatch's. The red ones are a bit smaller with a little bit different call too.
The Junco was putting the run on him but he didn't budge.
This little female Junco seems to be saying "Quit taking photos and get out here and feed me!"
It was snowing as the squirrel sat eating it's peanuts.
Hmmmmm…can you tell we had some cats visiting overnight Saturday?
Just as we were heading out the door Sunday morning Sweet Pea came bounding up the driveway. I held open the front door and he dashed in. He has grown into a very handsome cat. He still let me pick him up and snuggle him. It was so good to see him!
Chuck is working most of this week so to have some time off before he goes back full time in 10 days or so. I don't want him working full time but he sees it as a quick means to an end. We have agreed he will finish work at Christmas 2018. I have talked to other ladies my age and their husbands seem to be the same. Worried that we don't have enough money (even though we have a healthy bank account)! We want to do our next move (hopefully to Vancouver Island!) debt free as we are now so I guess it must be done!
Have a good week!
Robin
Love those peeks of sunshine! All the wild critters make life so much more interesting! We have a new feeder in the front yard. I am waiting to see who will find it first!
ReplyDeleteHi Marcie, we are starved for sunshine this winter. Winter seems easier to take if we at least can have a few sunny days.
DeleteHope you get many visitors at your feeder!
Lovely kitty...I have a cat laying on my legs as I type this...a tabby about like yours. She is very petite. I have always loved watching birds but I quit feeding them because starlings got most of the food. I didn't mind when they got part of it but it got started till I could fill the feeder full and it holds probably close to a gallon. The starlings would come in such numbers it would be cleaned out in less than a day.
ReplyDeleteOH, when hubby and I got married we lived in Terre Haute Indiana...it must be one of the crossroads of Anerica for train tracks. They are everywhere...since then there have been two overpasses built that has helped a lot...but still there are a lot of train tracks to be crossed.
Hi Rose, we just don't seem to get any Starlings here. I know my parents were over run with them at times. It can be so frustrating!
DeleteTrains seem to be a common item in many peoples lives. They were a novelty to me growing up. We lived many miles away from tracks and only on a very clear night could you vaguely hear a train whistle.
Have a good day!
We live 1/2 mile from the CN train tracks, coming in and out of Port Huron, Michigan from Canada. In summertime, with windows open, the horn sound is far enough away that it's noise gets distorted and I hear it in my dreams as voices. Sweet Pea is a beauty!
ReplyDeleteSome people love the train whistle, some people hate it. For all of the last 33 years except the 4 we lived in Nova Scotia we have dealt on a daily basis with trains. Unless I am paying close attention I don't hear them. A friend of mine is a very light sleeper and can never sleep with her windows open in the Summer because of the train whistle.
DeleteSweet Pea is gorgeous. He was such a scrawny kitten when he dashed up to me out in the garden last August.
Take care!
Sweet Pea certainly has grown into a handsome mancat. It's nice to see a pic of him.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the Sanford House needs A LOT of repair and upkeep, so no wonder work always seems to be taking place.
The time that Chuck works will pass quickly, Robin. As long as he's okay, physically, I think it's a good idea -- it will give you more financial flexibility when you move, as housing out there will be pricier, and you want to be in a very specific area/community. But emphasis on "as long as he's okay!" Health and well-being comes before (more) money, IMO.
Hi Kim, yes Sweet Pea grew up very well didn't he?
DeleteThe poor Sanford House. I didn't get a photo of the back side of the house which is in quite a state of disrepair.
I hope the time does pass quickly! It will be a miracle I think if Chuck makes it to Christmas 2018. His shoulders are bothering him now and he isn't thrilled with the drive in the winter. Plans change at the drop of a hat so I guess we take it a day at a time.
Take care!
Well, Chuck still is a "young" man, really. I wouldn't want him to end up unable to function normally just to try to stick it out till December 2018! I know you guys will do what's for your Highest Good. :-)
DeleteLove to see older homes. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is reassuring, that constant work seems to be being done on it. Much better than seeing it disintegrate, by the week. Let's hope someone is trying (even though slowly) to repair it.
Wonder if they are living in it? Do you ever go by, after dark, to see if there are lights on?
Then again, there could be lights, simply because they are working on it, late... After their regular work hours.
Rail Road Tracks. Does anyone remember how.... There used to be the "Good" side of the tracks, and the "Not So Good" side? And people were *judged,* by which side of the tracks, they came from?
Let's hope, that is no longer the case!!!!!! But it used to be, in some places anyway.
Best wishes with figuring out, when is the time, to retire.
Happy end of January hugs,
Luna Crone
Glad you enjoyed the photo of Sandford House. It is occupied as I have seen people going in and out and a dog in the yard.
DeleteI remember the good side and wrong side of the tracks. The city I grew up in was like that. Hopefully those days are over!
Have a good day Luna!
That old house looks lovely, I love to see old buildings and think about what their walls have seen. Love the little kitty tracks in the snow xx
ReplyDeleteI am the same Cheryl! Can you imagine what life was like when that house was built in 1895? I have two historical books about our town with photos from that time period. It looks like it was a bustling little farming town.
DeleteThe kitty tracks were so perfect in the snow you could see the jelly bean-like toes!
Have a good day!
Debt-free! What a concept.
ReplyDeleteLuckily we knew a couple years ahead of time that Chuck would be medically released from the Royal Canadian Air Force. We were debt free but wanted more savings behind us. We buckled down and accomplished that. Chuck was retired for a year but the electrical shop he worked in the last few years of his military career kept phoning and offering him a civilian job. So he is taking it for a time and we will see what happens!
DeleteTake care Mitchell.
Love seeing the birds, snow, and tracks there. We don't get snow here, but we are having the wettest and rainiest winter in a very long time. Wonderful idea about moving to Vancouver Island. Such a stunningly beautiful place to live.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin, glad you enjoyed the photos! I've been hearing on the news about your wet winter. We HOPE to move to Vancouver Island within the next five years or so. I too have an elderly Mum who is having some health issues now (she lives with my brother and his wife one hour away) so I don't want to move right now.
DeleteEnjoy the rest of the week!
Your pictures, especially of the birds, are always such a delight.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra! I just enjoy taking photos and feel blessed when they actually turn out!
DeleteLove seeing the Sanford house and the kitty tracks in the snow.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just as well you aren't moving to BC this year since the price of houses ( and land) has skyrocketed to ridiculous amounts. Hopefully this 'phase' will pass and prices go back to normal.
We have seen on news reports about the rising house prices. I believe the average price in Toronto was a bit over $800,000.00. That is crazy! No wonder house prices in surrounding towns are shooting up too.
DeleteEnjoy your day and the new month!
Love the old house and the color of it too.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Ken would love to live so near to the train tracks. : )
Hi Karen, the old house is beautiful. I will pop by early one morning and get some closer photos. The house is so interesting.
DeleteI thought of Ken as I was taking the train photograph. I loved Ken's new video on YouTube!
Love all your little visitors.
ReplyDeleteWe live between two sets. One along the lake, and one that runs up the escarpment. The trains that run the lake set whistle, but those are fa enough away that we don't hear them unless it's night and the house is quiet (usually when we are getting in bed). The track that runs up the escarpment is closer, but those trains don't whistle often (very few crossings). But,the escarpment throws the sound and vibration back towards us, so we hear them chugging along just the same. It usually sounds like my washing machine is running in the basement - but it's just the train!
Thanks!
DeleteI think I have figured out where you live so I know the trains you are talking about. I grew up in St Catharines. During the early part of our marriage we lived on a military base with train tracks right behind us. Sometimes it felt like the house was vibrating when the train went by. Often you would lose what was being said on TV because the train just drowned everything out!
Vancouver Island will be a lovely place to live!
ReplyDeleteHi Pom Pom, it would be a gorgeous place to live! Today we are receiving some snow and I know on Vancouver Island right now crocuses are shortly coming up if not up already. I would love to have flowers in February!
DeleteYou always have interesting posts and nice pictures. I love hearing and watching a train pass by. Probably because when I was very, young we could sit on my grandma's front porch and see the train passing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Henny! I do enjoy trains to and for the same reason you do. My Dad's parent's had a farm across from the train tracks. When we heard the train we would run to the end of the driveway and wave to the driver. I still wave to the driver.
DeleteHi Robin and thank you for stopping by my blog. I see that we share many common blog friends. I sure enjoyed your beautiful bird photos and the sweet kitty. I am a cat lover/rescuer too! I love to hear the train whistle in the distance. This ia a pretty, old home. I would hate to have the upkeep on it, though.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a wonderful day.
Hi Mildred, thanks for popping by! Your photos are lovely!
DeleteThe Sandford House is over 100 years old and it looks like it hasn't been kept up the best for a number of years. I would LOVE to see the inside. We have so many fabulous old homes in our little town.
Our new town has some very old homes as well. Having just moved last year from a hundred year old tired farmhouse, we appreciate the homes of high maintenance that folks continue to keep well maintained. Our birds are busy here too. White breasted nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, downeys and crows. I LOVE seeing them in the snow and Im still trying to get the chickadee to eat out of my hands
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy, thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteAs you know older homes can be a money drain. My sister years ago owned one and something was constantly needing fixing. Beautiful home but too much work!
I've never been able to get a chickadee to eat out of my hand. Good luck, I hope you do!
only thing I like more than a crisp white show covered field, is one with animal tracts through it..
ReplyDeleteMy favourite kind of snow too! ;)
DeleteLove the pictures of the birds. I would love to have some bird feeders but there are way too many cats here who would probably go after the birds. You have a good day.
ReplyDeleteI imagine you would find it hard to have feeders! I still am not getting lots of birds because of our few visiting kitties. A few times I have found piles of feathers!
DeleteHave a good day too Marg.
waves two ewe guyz frum all oh uz heer in de land oh trout....we signed up; we hope; ta start followin yur blog; we see ya at nicki & derry's a lot, marg's two sew we send everee one an invite ta visit TT any time; we all wayz haz fish on de grill 25/8/366 ♥♥♥ happee thurzday two all ~~~
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by. I always enjoy reading your blog. Happy Thursday to you all too!
DeleteYou're right, that house is intriguing.
ReplyDeleteIt is Sandra! I would love to talk to whoever lives there and find out more about it.
DeleteCool house indeed!
ReplyDeletewell, not sure where in cysberspace my comment went.....
ReplyDeletegreat photos today Robin, your flowers are awesome; all we have is green; rabbits and chippies eat the blooms the minute they appear ......as da tabbies say ....faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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