Saturday's Critters

I am glad to share my love of our critters. 

Turkey time!

 

 I enjoy the porcupines. They amble along carefully. Their gait is so funny. 

 

   

 The Monarch caterpillars will soon leave us, and fly south. Sept. 7th

 

There was a cicada on our front railing. They get dopey in the cold nights, then warm up in the sun. It flew off so fast! It went 0 to 30 in a millisecond. I took that last moment and slowed it to 50% speed, and still didn't see lift off.

 

I'll leave you with MiniFred. He nearly fell but recovered. No wonder. He's putting on weight, and it can be tricky!When I was pregnant I'd constantly walk into things. 

 

Eileen has faithfully posted this week's  Saturday's Critters # 665!

September tales

 Jordan kindly posted a photo of his back-to-school morning. His morning physics lab was cancelled, but he and his room mate went onto the campus anyway. They are keeners! (Aster went back Sept. 1st.) 

Our Vancouver grandies went back this week. They went hiking and camping Aug. 30th.

I found some stickers that should be passed on to someone. I wrote them a poem, as well!

It is a chilly 8 ℃ this morning. It is going to warm up some, but I may have to seriously think about filling the goldfish tank. It take about 3 days for it to warm up. 

I had a pedicure. I thought about putting in a new background, rather than the concrete of our front deck, but, nah!

In the cold of the night, the cicadas slow down. They get lethargic. It flew away once it warmed up in the sun. They are amazing critters.

I am enjoying the fox. It'll be fun to see if it comes back when its favourite leopard frogs hibernate. I hope my faithful readers are not. If so, skip along!

Monarch

Cinnamon is quite happy that Fred has excavated some building sand.

   

 Cinn roared up to me from the lower deck. We were headed to check out Barry Beayer's trailcam.

 

Autumn is creeping in

Reptiles and Amphibians 

I think there is some misunderstanding about toads. They are good little bug eaters, as are all of reptiles and amphibians. I need to do the lawn, but it is filled with leopard frogs, and baby snakes looking for crickets. Toadie is still living in the front garden, found in the sand right near Fred's burrow #6A. 

I found a Blue-spotted Salamander when I moved a piece of wood. I haven't seen one in ages. 

This photo is from 2011. They get to be quite big. All part of the ecosystem.

Monarchs

The front garden is beginning to fade. Milkweed is losing its leaves. It still has Tufted Milkweed caterpillars on it. 

There are several Monarch caterpillars around, so I cannot clear up yet.

The Freds

MiniFred is getting chonky. This will tide him over winter. You can't tell by his head as he peeks out.

Auntie Fred is about the same size, being less then a year apart in age. She was born in Spring, 2025. He was born this Spring. Some of us have to grow up quickly!

I managed another photo with both Freds out at the same time. MiniFred peeking out of his burrow. Auntie Fred in the shadows in front of the shed. Can you see them?

Cinnamon

He either follows me around the garden while I work, or hunkers down on a chair, or atop the BBQ when I read in my chair. My Cinnamon seems part dog!

We had about 10 mm rain yesterday. Indoor play. Hopefully, the sun shines and I can get out and about. I am watching the forecast for temperatures carefully. Soon the goldfish will have to come in.

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.