Our summer is fading out

The grackles are gathering in flocks. I had a hard time nailing the collective noun, ornithologists haven't picked one. Some are quite negative: plague, embarrassment, quarrel, or murder!

I was watching them in the back 40. Flitting here and there. Later I found out they'd been captured on the trailcam.

I'll go with a colony of grackles.

 

 The House Wren will fly south soon. Such a cutie. 

 

MiniFred is a character. He is highly vigilant all the time. For good reason. We will miss him when he hibernates.

   

 We had a momma skunk raise kits in a groundhog burrow one year. They seem to be nocturnal, at least near the house. I know they aren't, but they seem to know to be wary of humans.

We released 4 in 2017 📹. It was a good laugh. FREEDOM! FOREST! 

Skunks eat a variety of things, but do snooze some in winter. They are always digging in the grass for bugs. Bless their little hearts!

 

I took Tuesday morning off. Joe Brian was having lunch in the city, and I put my feet up, then began watching this series. It is based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's book of the same name. (Which I read!) We've enjoyed Brenda Blethyn in VERA. It covers six decades, 1900s to 1970s. 

I didn't realize, but it sure illustrates the attitudes towards servants, and the lower classes, and how this is reflected in modern day. With industrialisation, the rich paid workers as little as possible, while currently CEO salaries are in the millions of dollars. Money, power, control, with the upper classes loathing and escaping taxes as best they can. Familiar story?! 

Britbox Series

I did clear up the garden somewhat, once it warmed up. Canadian workers, the poor, sick, and fragile are trying to cope. People are angry and confused. Small business owners, as well as large ones like Bombardier, are hanging on. Bombardier employs tens of thousands of Americans. The airplane manufacturing industry is as integrated as the automotive sector. 

Look out, people.

 "The Americans don't buy anything from Canada that they don't need." 

                             – Jean Charest, Sept. 2026 

Topsy World this fall

Things are crazy in the world with wars (economic and physical), climate change, disasters, and poverty. We have to look after one another. Those are our Canadian values. Healthcare, culture, language, and our Canadian values are being threatened. It is tough to face. It is topsy turvy in the economic world. Joe Brian calls them voodoo economics! People are suffering, and it is shameful. I have faith in economist PM Carney. 

I really appreciated Denise's wise words of wisdom. I wanted to repost them. Thank you for your comforting words. We must have hope. Things are getting me down. We are fine, but so many are suffering.

 I tell ya Jenn, it’s enough to make me cry what’s going on. I echo a lot of your commenters here. The damage that has been done can wither a soul, but staying strong, or at least trying to and praying November will turn the tide towards decency again.

You betcha. We must have hope. I don't think Canada/US relations will ever be the same, though. We are finding other markets. Tariffs came on, from our side, last night. We shall see what happens.

In the meantime, nature has been grand. 

The skies have been stunning.

Doe a deer.

Chad coyote is a magnificent critter.

There is no sign of Barry Beaver on trailcams. The duckweed and frog bit have been disturbed in the wetland. I'm not sure if it is Barry or the deer. 

Ripened berries

Merlin's app told me we have red-eyed vireos, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, and the cardinal around.  The chickadees have been gathering in groups for winter. The woodpeckers stay all year, as do the cardinals. Soon I shall put out feeders, once I'm sure the bears are settled in. The red-eyed will fly south as it eats the bugs who will soon be hibernating!

 

🍁Fall Chores 2025

I have fall chores which I shall get to. I've not been feeling 100% and I wander around listing the activities in my head. The garden will slowly be shut down. I hope the fall colours will be beautiful. We all need that right now. Here is a photo from last year.

September 27, 2025

Freds, frogs, spinx caterpillar

The Freds   <= tracking data

My faithful readers have been enjoying the Freds. Bless your hearts, you make my day. Our first Fred (RIP) would disappear to her winter burrow in August. Last year Auntie Fred, went down for winter Sept. 12th. I saw her with leaves in her mouth, and the next day no sign. They'll arise in March, according to past history. 

Auntie has a burrow in the flag pole garden. She was out for hours munching nearby. 

You may giggle. I had a great photo last week. Both Freds were out, Auntie at the top X and MiniFred nearer the deck, at the second X. In some computer glitch it disappeared. 

The sun makes a pretty interesting photo on the trailcam!

Then there are two frogs in the goldfish pond. (Soon the fish will have to come in.) The second biggest frog has an issue with its eye. I wanted a closer look. It doesn't seem to be suffering, but I can't help. Those of us with cataracts can empathise. He seems to be able to eat.

Do you come here often?! 

Pandora Sphinx Moth Caterpillar

I've no photos of the adult. You can see one on Wiki. I was fascinated. It was in the front garden. 

A moth... 

Cinnamon and I went walkies to fetch trailcams. Caterpigly was walking across the driveway, towards Cinn! After I fetched the trailcam memory card, I walked back and it was still on the driveway. It was picked up and placed on the grass. 

 

The Dogwood plants have produced fruits...

or flowers. Rose of Sharon with one bloom. There are a couple more to come, but three have been chomped off my someone. Ah, nature.

Bright red berries which we must enjoy. Soon the trees will sleep for winter.

Hunting season 2026

 WMU #67 (Provincial regs. PDF)

Oct. to Nov. bows, Nov.2 - Nov. 15 big guns

deer

Migratory game birds are under Federal regs.

We are in Southern District #4.

Ducks Sept. 26 - Jan. 10, Geese Sept. 10 - 20. 

Haircut, driving, Freds

 I had a haircut! It was shaggy. The salons have been so busy, but I snagged a cancellation. That reminds me, I must scrape the bugs off of the windshield. (🚙 Non-mental note!) 

Before and after. 

I left Carleton Place around 3, feeling refreshed! The driving to and fro was crazy. It was a long weekend, but I wanted to get there. Drivers these days are late for important things, apparently. I hung on, checked around me, kept my head on a swivel. Nearly home, this nutbar, way too arrogant. 

I wonder if his insurance company knows how he rides? 

 

There was wine in the fridge, pouring some, I put my feet up on the back deck. My stomach has been bothering me for a couple of weeks. Stress, maybe. Things have been so unsettled. 

It was a lovely day. I unwound on the back deck watching MiniFred and Cinnamon. They were watching something in the forest. They have an understanding the carnivore and the herbivore. Auntie Fred has been out, as well. With the cold mornings they are sleeping in. Soon they just won't wake up, and will go into hibernation.

Watching Cinnamon get up here was a hoot. He's not a skinny cat.

We watched the vultures soar. Soon they will migrate. Just a flick of those long feathers, and they float in the sky.

A nice nap.

I bought Joe Brian a new t-shirt. Canadian company, of course. He wore it to the market and got a lot of compliments. I listened to an interesting podcast that explains how trade talks fell apart. Front Burner is a good show. It was a night of sleeplessness, and I listened to it twice, it was that interesting. Basically the orange felon doesn't want to have free trade deals, he want to run us into the ground. 

It is a whole new world (dis)order. We are finding a new way towards independence. We are fighting for digital sovereignty, privacy, maintaining our culture, values and traditions, the ability to made trade agreements with European countries, and our ability to sell goods to the US. 

What could go wrong? I've been using these notebooks for years. Hilroy is a US company. They Canadians a ton of these books in 2026. Sadly, they decided to leave Newfoundland and Cape Breton off the eastern coast. What is with that? Canada is going to have to begin to manufacture our own. 

Hilroy was founded in Toronto in 1918, bought out by Americans and passed around various conglomerates since 1994. Time to stop the sellouts.

OK, venting over. I did some work on the garden, removing the deer fence, cutting down dead plants. I think we have about a half dozen cherry tomatoes to harvest. The fall flowers are a sweet treat. There is lots to do.