Smiths Falls Airport Incident GLDD

OPP having difficulty locating the plane - Pinging Phone and transponder

Word is they found the  pilot and the plane 1.5 hours later at 10:26 p.m.

I spotted this plane as I took a break from gardening. They are frequent flyers! 

May 17, 9:35 a.m.

Happy Victoria Day!

It's May 2-4, and it is planting season.

 The hummingbirds continue to feed and fight over the 4-hole hummer feeder! Not to mention the various birds that try the feeder, like the goldfinch! 

Vulture migrate from our region. Joe Brian and I sit on the back deck and watch them. We are happy to see them soaring on the winds up above. My cue is to say, "Look alive!" as they only eat dead things. 

Bleeding hearts are in bloom in my garden, as well as the Downy Yellow Violet in the forest.

Cinnamon and I went walkies! I'll bet the coyote peed on this stump. Cinn was very keen on it.

Barry Beaver is losing water to evaporation in his wetland river. Since I wrote this, we had a nice dump of rain.

I left Cinn sniffing, then called him to resume our walk. He's been very hesitant to go out in the forest alone. This is a good thing. He'll just sit on the deck and watch Fred and MiniFred. He roars across the lawn, out in the open with me.

The Aspen is close to falling. Oopsie, it fell since I wrote this. I could hear it creaking. More on this later. 

This fearsome critter triggered the trailcam. Yogi claims I am the Trailcam Queen! Well, it is a passion of mine. I think I look more like a rabid golfer! 

The camera is a little too high methinks. The deer was curious.

The deer should be giving birth soon, if they haven't already. I spotted a new born fawn on on the camera last year. Life goes on. 

 May 10th...

   

 In the meantime, there are issues between Fred and miniFred. They are solitary, and Fred doesn't want to share her deep burrows. It's going to be a tense summer, I think.

 

I got so much gardening done Sunday. I put my feet up, and Joe fetched us a pizza. He did all sorts of chores indoors. 

It was an astonishing day!

. Firstly, I was waiting for my coffee to brew. Cinnamon and I were on the back deck. We heard TWO barred owls calling to one another. Back and forth, deep in the forest, down the hill. Now, I could have gotten dressed, it was a cold 10 ℃, but I thought I'd just leave them alone. I have photos!

June, 2014

 

Friday I'd found owl mute, and searched around. I found an owl pellet. I brought it up to the house to dissect it. Too bad the grandies aren't around to see it! 

Barred owl hoots twice, robin harasses her! June, 2016:

Standing on the back deck, still waiting for coffee, Cinnamon had his head poked out between the glass. A hawk of some sort swooped by, right under our noses. You should have seen Cinn's eyes! Big and wide, and greatly concerned. He's been watching the phoebes coming and going. As well as Fred.

It was silent, and glided on by. Grabbing my camera, still in housecoat and jammies, I threw on my clogs and ran around the house. All I found was a red squirrel, sitting twitching its tail. Very concerned. That'd be breakfast for a hawk.

I am thinking it was the broad-shouldered hawk. There aren't many photos of hawks from above them, on a fly by, but I distinctly recall the black and white stripes. 

Also Friday, there was a pair of Brown Thrashers in the lilac tree. Horrid photo with my iPhone, but proof of life! You can sort of see them. Happily they were calling, which helped me spot them.

The bird bath has a new pump. It took me 10 minutes to find the pump. It was still in its box. Ah, old age!

The fountain is working in the goldfish pond. This keeps the mosquitoes out of it, as they don't like moving water.

I have my tractor back! All cleaned up, mouse nest removed, new oil, so I toodled around the back. 

Today I'll plant a few things that are hardy. It's been chilly. Caitlin and Aster planted Saturday. Jordan came back to town Saturday for a trivia tournament. 

Jordan posted his first year report: GPA 3.9! Darn good! We're so proud.

Why do governments do a census?

My youngest kid works for StatCan.

There are some ignorant people who don't know why we do a census. 

This is the perfect summary:

This isn’t the self-own you think it is.

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— Mark Gerretsen (@markgerretsen.bsky.social) May 10, 2026 at 3:51 PM

Saturday's Critters

 I enjoy critters both large and small. OK, maybe not the bugs, but we have to take the good with the bad. 

 

 

The big moths are now out and about.

   

 The snakes are coming out in the daytime and the sunshine. Otherwise, they are now where to be seen! They run in fear. 

   

 There are small achievements that keep me happy. I managed to capture the quick red fox on three cameras. It begins in the back, on my Wifi camera. Then it runs so quickly by the Crumbly Acres camera that I had to slow the clip down. Finally, my Gardepro catches it on the driveway. Can you believe how fast they are?

   

 The Osprey are back and sitting on nests. They eat fish and snakes, and such. The wetland water doesn't have any fish. I am fascinated.

They continue to visit the wetland. Sound up, if you are curious!

   

 I was having a hard time keeping up with the nuthatch in its nest, climbing up the tree! "A day late and a dollar short!"

   

 Out back, under the great pine tree, a pair of Brown Creepers. Sound up, again. They were happy to entertain me while shopping for snacks. (The birds, not me!)

 

Saturday's Critters # 648 visit more critters at Eileen's blog!

Gardening season approaches!

Caitlin gifted me with a hanging planter for Mother's Day. It's been chilly, so I bring it in at night. 

 Our May long weekend is traditionally the weekend we in southern Ontario plant. Joe and I decided to get started, to beat the rush, and went off to the nursery.

It was lovely and moist inside, a cool 10 ℃ outside. I wore my lovely second hand, thrifted coat. I had compliments at the nursery! Isn't that fun?!

A joy to behold!

All these hobby farms, people are planting. 

I tucked it in the garage until we warm up a bit. Basil, marigold, petunias, some veggies the critters will eat!  A hanging basket of cherry tomatoes, as that's about the only safe thing I can grow. Those critters love the bounty!

This is a Hollyhock. I am hoping Fred won't get this one. She piled dirt up on my last one and it didn't recover. The fuscia the hummingbirds like.