Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Church Mouse Names the City Where I Vicared

Kitchener won fame in 1898 for winning the Battle of Omdurman and securing control of the Sudan, after which he was given the title "Lord Kitchener of Khartoum" - Wikipedia
Churchill took part in that battle, the very last cavalry charge.

Towns that have changed name — and one that hasn’t



https://churchmousec.wordpress.com/2015/04/29/towns-that-have-changed-name/ - more at the link.

– Kitchener, Ontario, was called Berlin until the Great War. As the war generated much understandable anti-German sentiment, the townspeople were able to vote on a selection of new names. In 1916, the town was renamed after Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War.

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Canadian parks are especially well maintained.
The Royal Rose Garden in Hamilton is worth a trip.
I took notes.

GJ - I think the main park had a statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, replaced by one of Queen Victoria - now Queen Victoria Park. No one wanted to buy goods stamped Made in Berlin during WWI.


The Golds of Spring

Daffodil - Ceylon


The daffodils bloom first among the popular fall bulbs, but before that golden crocus come up, if people dare to plant them. I used to, but squirrels dug them up and replanted them, making it look like I installed them in my sleep.


Forsythia - Lynwood Gold


Forsythia bushes turn gold next. I think of them as being rather fan-like, but one neighbor had the ultimate forsythia bush, about 20 feet in circumference, more like an ancient nature token that beckons pagans once a year for moonlight celebrations.





But the best gold of all the is the sudden change of the drab male goldfinch, when he puts on new livery to mate. Today we had two males enjoying their finch food at the window. The window was open so we could hear them and see them. When I changed over to hulled sunflower seeds and thistle (nyjer), the finches came often and the starlings ate the suet hanging below.



Why spend time and money feeding birds? When they sit in the swing and feed inches from the window. there is no wondering why. As the sun sets in the West, the light casts shadows on them, so I see moving silhouettes on the wall near my computer screen.

I have to grade a lot today, but tomorrow it should be perfect to start the corn and a few other items.