Adventures of Prairie Girl and Code Minkey

Surviving floods, thwarting mosquito invasions, enduring weather extremes all while living in our little house...

Thursday, April 26, 2007

The first decade...

It was 10 years and one day ago that I met Michelle. While some people seem to think that Michelle and I write revisionist histories of our lives I am posting this to confirm the truth of how and when we met. We met at the Bytowne Tavern on April 25, 1997. It was a friday and the Ottawa Senators had just beaten the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 in Game 5 of the first playoff series.

Michelle came over to the table to say hello to Alette Willis (ever a trouble maker) who proptly said "Oh Jason Michelle is from Winnipeg she can answer your questions about Duff's Ditch". My fascination with all things engineering had led my curiosity to the floodway that continually protects the 'Peg from the annual flooding of the Red. My fascination with the the floodway soon gave way to a fascination with Michelle and now we are happily married, living next to the Red River in Winnipeg a full decade later.

Thanks Alette.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

The fox has kits again...

Within the last couple of weeks we have seen mama and papa fox readying the den. Lately papa is no where to be seen, and mama is often tailed by three little kits. They play various games. Mama tries to get them to follow her, and occasionally one of the kits will decide: "it's chase my tail time" or "let me practice my stealth moves" (as the kit hunkers close to the ground). It has been very amusing. What has been less amusing (for the kits), but amazing for us to see, are two majestic bald eagles. They have not been seen this weekend, but last weekend they were very interested in all the fox activity. Meanwhile, the ducks are having a great time being sped down the river with the exceptionally fast moving current. Since the ice jam has begun to clear in Selkirk, MB, the river has dropped by over a foot.

It is a veritable National Geographic out our back door...