Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bats, bears and deers

Heading Home with the light sabers
Watercolour on watercolour paper with black marker
9 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011
(After being on the beach this cute little
boy was still playing with the sticks
he called his light sabers.  I love
seeing brilliant imaginations at work.)

We do run into wildlife in the city – that’s why there’s
A radio on the garage full time and there has been for the
 past month.  Once we spotted a coyote in the park,
and apparently coyotes have killed small dogs and cats
north of the city.  But citings of some animals are
rare indeed in Toronto.

In Ottawa my mother lives on the edge of the greenbelt and
is visited regularly by deer who eat whatever vegetables she
doesn’t manage to protect.  On the way
to Quebec City a deer ran out in front of our car, and
luckily we missed it. 

Out here in Nova Scotia a huge black bear ran across the
road not too far from here.  But one of the creatures we
frequently have to cope with is the lowly bat.  You don’t want
 to kill bats if they aren’t pestering you, which they don’t.
  Because near the tidal river we live next to mosquitoes can be a
major nuisance in the summer and bats consider those insects
 to be fine dining.  But discovering them inside the shutters
when we first arrive, or worse making themselves at home
 in the ceiling above out bed – that is something we have to
 handle each year when we first arrive. 

As I write this a crow is telling me it’s a good day for the beach.

Have an enjoying the wildlife in your life day.

4 comments:

Liza Hirst said...

We used to experience that when we still lived in the country. One does kind of get used to it.
Your watercolour paintings are beautiful!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

Thanks so much. I have limited internet access, so I hope to catch up with my comments when I get back home. Meanwhile you know that I love your work.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Anonymous said...

yikes bats inside is no fun, but i agree they are special little creatures, and need protecting. nice watercolour Barbara.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally,

It's really not a big problem. More a funny one. They aren't flying around or anything -- and I do believe they're gone.

XO Barbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!