Mushrooms and Barry Beaver

 Let's begin with the fun stuff: fungi!

This one is lovely! I am sure someone knows what it is. 

Cool nights and humid days, it create ideal conditions... the colours are so striking.

Barry Beaver

This is a screen shot from a video earlier in the summer. He does exist! 

I have evidence of Barry Beaver. I don't know how, but he wasn't on the trailcam right in front of these branches. He chewed them, obviously, but just no Barry. 

The duckweed and frog bit is disturbed. The wetland is lush and green. It is a beautiful place to be. Not exactly Forest Bathing (it's a thing) and I shall have to think of another phrase for it! Wetland Wanders?

I thought the new school year would bring some peace and quiet! Not so. Gun fire.

 

 Then, we had a Sikorsky helicopter go over. You can lease them, apparently. Who knew? It was at 400.9m (1325'), and too low for my peace of mind. 

 

Have a great week. 

Cool Crumbly Acres

Confession: My new header is from last year. I want to celebrate Autumn! We all need something bright in our lives.

 There are still delights in the garden, despite overnight temperatures! My orchid is losing flowers, I'll keep sharp looking for new buds. Funny thing, this morning it is 20 at 7 a.m.

A new baby wood frog. 

A new baby tree frog, the size of my thumb nail. 

The milkweed is done here ↓. I've more further away from the house, and on our third lot. 

I found several Tufted Milkweed caterpillars wandering around looking for fresh milkweed. To be kind, I moved them out to a fresh group of plants. 

Funny story: knowing the milkweed is fading, I moved about nine wee caterpillars out to a better host plot of milkweed. It took me several tries. On the 2nd try I accidentally stepped on the tilted milkweed stem. I sent the tree frog flying, and the caterpillars all fell off the leaves. Not only that, but I did the same thing on my 3rd time moving some caterpillars! 

I laughed so hard.

The little plot of milkweed is here, in the middle ground beside the horse chestnut tree.

The garden is hanging in. The trick is to have plants that flower during three seasons. For me it is a challenge. I don't really plan the garden. That isn't my style.

The hibiscus are reaching their peak. I kept for an artsy photo, with the rainbow. 

My next fall chore is to fill the fish tank and move the goldfish indoors for winter. It's not just the night time low temperatures, but the daytime ones.  Who wants to work in the cold and rain? It has happened!

Next, I'll have to drain the pond somewhat, in order to capture them. It looks like Sunday, the 20th is a good day. That's three days for the well water to get up to the right temperature, and sunny days to work outside at the pond. 

Our SIL, Jean-Luc, has traveled with two old friends to Cairo, Egypt. It is very hot! I can say 'old' because they are in their 40's and they've known one another in their 20's.

Air Traffic

We get a lot of air traffic 📹. Not as much as some, but I watch while outdoors. I can hear them coming.

Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk Saturday, September 12th, 9:00 a.m.

Helicopter Transport Service Canada (HTSC)

You can lease them! We know the RCMP has been doing this on the border out west. Little did I know that they were here! Yes, 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning. 

Right over our house, just west of Smiths Falls. 
Flying at 403.9 m (1325')

we had a Sikorsky helicopter go over. You can lease them, apparently. Who knew?

  

Here's one of the local Black Hawks flying around Ottawa earlier this year:  

   

🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 🚁 

I was sitting on the back deck (those days are numbered), and spotted this:

Some research led to an ID: 🇨🇦 RCAF TIGR613.  

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.