Are you smarter than a 5th grader?!

I am. For sure. I taught gr. 5 for many years, from JK to gr. 8 all told. I am not smarter than Fred Groundhog, though. 

 What did I expect? Petunias are the flower of choice! This is a wooden planter, and Fred can climb. The flowers have been eaten, including the pansies. I put an upside down tomato cage, wrapped in chicken wire. Weighed down by rocks! Fingers crossed. I have to laugh. They provide much entertainment. 

 

I am hoping I've barricaded my zucchini plant. Fred has nibbled 3 blossoms. Don't tell them, but there is another plant on the other side of the sidewalk. Shhhhh! 

 

I have an antique school bell. I managed to refit it with a new stand. It's an old bed post. Perfect size to fit into the cement brick stand. I have a chain on it! The grandies used to ring it.

My hops vine has worn it self out. It used to host Eastern Comma and Question mark butterflies. This was July, 2023. Well, a lot of us are past our prime. As Joe said in the grocery store, to a fellow shopper, "The first 60 years were easy!"

July 2023

It's a shady spot. I'll have to figure out what to put here. The vine climbed up and it was pretty. I pulled it all out as it was rotten. There are lots of Bleeding Hearts self seeding. 

The frog pond! 

I ventured down to check out Barry Beaver's spot. I think he has moved back into the wetland, but still working here to deepen the little canals. I heard a Veery here. The trills were wonderful. 

Back out front, the Cedar Waxwings are eating bugs from the Spruce Tree! You can hear the goldfinch singing in the chestnut tree beside it. Our little Cedar Waxwing squadron is happily waiting for the Serviceberries to ripen.

Have a great week, all! You know what I'll be doing...

Crumbly Acres Freds

This is the last video, for now, of the 3 squirrels. I won't be able to tell who they are. Reluctant to wear name tags...

Joe Brian had 3 ripe-ish tomatoes. I grow cherry tomatoes because I can hang the baskets, and critters don't get them. Until I'm not careful. I'd left them on the bench and neglected to hang them over night.  

I've been working on this fence. You'll notice the stakes are leaning. That's not how we put them in! I know who I blame! 

Apparently, Fred likes petunias and pansies, but not lobelia! They chopped off a milkweed bloom and I can't imagine how they like milkweed. 

I was inside, and heard scratching at the window. Something was trying to climb up it. Later I noticed them just running up the steps. No wonder my fine fence doesn't keep them out. 

It is difficult to scold them! We moved into their territory. Besides they are teenagers and don't listen at all.

 

Fred is a Curtain Climber! I found one on top of the wood pile. They have been playing here. They didn't knock the pile askew this week.

"Thanks to AI, Google is about as reliable as asking your older brother in the 80s."

Saturday's Critters

The wetland has been a bit of water in it. We had lots of rain this week. Barry Beaver is digging out a canal. Wetland beavers have to have different techniques.  Same lodge configuration, but the water has been so shallow.

This is the remains of Barry Beaver's work meal. I wonder if he is creating another lodge. 

 

I bought me a new trailcam stand with a gift certificate. Thanks, Caitlin!

What I ended up with was some great shots of fireflies... as well as the Imperial Moths.

Imperial Moth

FIREFLIES! The pregnant doe wanders across the yard, as well.

We got the deer fence up in good time. Here is the doe munching non-garden plants! A win for me!

   

 I've no need for defences against the bears. They just amble by. The bird feed is in. The garbage and yummy things are locked in the garage. If they wander about and there is no food they get the message. This one has a bad limp. I feel badly. I haven't seen it since June 15. 

 

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 653 ! 

Crumbly Acres is soaked!

 Tuesday Joe got us some fresh rhubarb and strawberries from the farm down the road. Rhubarb-strawberry crisp!

The frog eggs are now tadpoles. I think they are wood frogs, but hard to tell. Wood frogs eggs are laid in the water. They hatch and grow. Eventually they lose their tails, after they grow arms and legs. They they switch from gills to lungs. They will spend the summer and fall in the forest, 'wood' frogs! 

 

♪♫♩ The sun'll come out... tomorrow! Maybe not. It's cool, and looks like more rain.

One can ask why cleaning out the goldfish tank takes days. No sooner did I spread it all out on the deck to let it dry... you guessed it. Rain. On June 18th, we had 25.65 mm rain (1"), and it kept dumping and dumping. There was a tornado warning, as well. Nothing came of it! I am using old towels and cloths to soak up the water I siphoned out. I have to or it stinks all summer!

We've 3 phoebe eggs as of Thursday. Or was it Wednesday?! A second brood. 

Fred's antics have been a hoot. I planned on staining the deck. I have rethought that. I tried putting up a barrier, but it didn't work too well. They started to climb it. I don't want to risk them getting on their paws. They are persitant.   

I've protected my milkweed plants. Except for one. Fred got up on the cedar railing and nipped it. They are entertaining. We'll say that. Yesterday I wrote about my beheaded petunias. I was so sad. 

The lobelia isn't tasty, apparently!

Look at them! Soon we will be able to smell them. 

Lots of critters!

Our release squirrels are doing well. I've removed this camera as I wanted it elsewhere. 

 

That said, I spotted three black squirrels on the path beyond the shed, leading to Barry Beaver's habitat. It has to be them, as they normally don't travel in threes! It is about 100m from their nest box. Good sign.

 

 They are wise to get out and about. While they watched the pregnant doe steal their supplemental food, they don't come out to watch Butch. Butch Raccoon was the one who knocked the camera askew! Sound up, as it chirps away. Another racoon was at the tree.

 

Imperial Moth

I found a poor little moth. It was flapping in the lawn. I believe its wings didn't unfurl properly, or dry properly. They emerge from the cocoom and hang off a branch, letting gravity straighten their wings. I put it in the weigela bush. 

 From my archives. They show up on the cameras at night!

The Freds have been rambunctious.

May 25 – my lovely basket. Fred has done a number on it! What I think was last year's kit, Big Fred, has disappeared. The 4 kits have been rotating around the 4 remaining burrows. Or they've all picked on. 

June 17th – nipped in the bud!

The signage doesn't seem to work! 

You'll notice Cinnamon watching them.

You can follow it right around the corner to the front garden.

What a lovely day Tuesday!

Sun and clouds...

Taking some time to clean the fish tank pump, I spread it out on the back deck to dry. Of course it rained last night! 

Cinnamon likes to watch the kits. Until they show some curiosity!

 

 Our Freds are spending time in the front yard. They are going up on the deck. Thing is, they don't necessarily trigger the camera. The wasp did, though! I have wrestled with the settings for a year!

   

This one was nibbling on the garden. I spooked it to the back.

 From the front window, I noticed this one running towards the path to the forest. For some reason it decided to come back.

 

I mentioned yesterday that my trailcam was askew. 

It was Butch, traveling in a group of three. 

The squirrels are on their own. They will rely on instincts. We've given them the best start possible.

 

Kits fighting...