We were invited to Caitlin's house for dinner. It was an adventure. Hanging out in the backyard, Jordan used the clippers on Aster. Ah, siblings...
Caitlin worked on dinner, whilst Grampa Joe had a nap. It was a yummy tahini, rice, chicken thingy.
Grampa asked if they were too old for 'Close Eyes!' Apparently they are not. We gave two rolls of loonies to Jordan, for his laundry machine on campus. Aster was given a bill in the equivalent. Momma got some local honey butter!
Knowing it was close to Back-to-School days, Grampa wrote two poems for the two grandies...
Aster had school the next day, gr. 11. First day of school!
Jordan was visiting Ottawa since he didn't have any work hours scheduled in Kingston. The plan was for us to go into Ottawa, have dinner with them all, then bring Jordan back to our house. Tuesday morning we planned to drive to Kingston, take Jordan home, and grocery shopping, and out for lunch.
I sneak up on Fred to see what he is up to in Burrow 6A at the end of the deck! Just a furry ball in the sand.
He roars around to the back, to burrow #3.
They have an agreement, Cinnamon and MiniFred.
The fox has been very busy. Every other day if not daily. Well, nightly. She's after the Freds.
She does like the back yard and the leopard frogs.
MiniFred is putting on his winter weight.
We were sitting out back. I went in to do something. Peeking outside, I saw the fox in broad daylight!
She's been hanging around for a while.
This is the daffodil garden and the two trailcams.
Kids are back to school today. It's pouring rain, they'll be happy to see friends. Aster is quite ready. Aster and their friend went to the 🌈PRIDE Ottawa march!
This entire area used to be covered in it. This is the path down to the meadow. I pulled up the vines, and sprayed some. That was a challenge. It took me years to get rid of it. Apparently I did not get it all. Those vines have been spreading. I got mad and ran over it with the lawn tractor one year. Rookie mistake! It blew up and through the engine in the air onto my chest. SIGH.
This was 2011, we moved in in 2010.
2017
Last week I got rid of a poison oak boil. I figured out where I'd gotten it from. Thursday it rained and I couldn't spray. Friday, I decided to poison the poison oak. Saturday, it was shrivelling. I won!
I am about 3/4 the way through the canister. I use it judiciously, boots and gloves.
I found a little Monarch caterpillar on one of Fred's milkweed in the garden. Apparently he likes it. I moved caterpigly to another plant.
People wonder why the big mansions in cottage country are called 'cottages.' I think it is about location, rather than size or costs!
My friend, Nancy Tapley, features in this piece about cottage life in Muskoka. I wonder if it hits home with you? I didn't like the changes in behaviour to people visiting. Cottage life has changed. Fireworks, jetskis, snow machines, bonfires, loud music on the lake...
There are so many complaints about the noise, the disrespect for nature and the environment. There are many trying to protect it. Safe Quiet Lakes and many lake organisations have been standing up for shoreline preservation. People treat the lakes as a Nascar track in both winter and summer.
📅 Town has been crazy. Kids here go back to school Tuesday, Sept. 1st. Ottawa's public school board (OCDSB), as well. The reason for this is that according to the Education Act, schools must be in session 194 days, with 9 PD days. Some school boards have chosen Sept. 1st as a start date but others will begin Sept. 7th, ending well in the last week of June. OCDSB's last day of school is June 25th.
There is no question the season is slowly coming to an end. They are warm days, but cold nights (11 ℃). Cinnamon had breakfast and went back to bed!
Our days haven't changed much, we still enjoy time on the back deck. We've both been reading Regime Change. It's enough to make your blood boil, which keeps us warm!
Joe Brian has long sleeves. He was writing some poems. More on that later!
I have a sheep fleece, from Topsy Farms, and I put it on my Muskoka chair! Soft and cosy.
Another sign, our 2nd monarch chrysallis turned dark green, ready to eclose!
I kept my eye on it.
Joe found a dead one on the highway, near our mailbox. They fly low across highways, and are very susceptible to vehicles.
I popped the macro lens onto my phone and tried some photos. You can see it is a male, by the black dot they have.
Change is in the air. The last of the August bloomers are in bloom. I find it tough to enjoy each moment, planning the garden clean up I will have to do. Thankfully, Fred is helping!
I heard, and have seen, a frequent flyer is the House Wren. They haven't nested here in a few years. One is hanging about, though. Eating all those bugs in the garden.
The ribbon snake has been out and about, also eating insects. Soon they will enter their hibernaculum. They spend winter underground.
The doe wanders in the forest.
Fred is entertaining all of us. Cinnamon can't understand why he goes down in the hole! Cinnamon is fascinated with Fred. He's such a gentle cat.
That was a day of rain. On and off. A day of frustration. We wrestled with Canada Revenue the other day. This multifactor stuff protect us, by my goodness, when you are locked out and lose access it drives one up the wall.
My Poison ivy – again boil is getting better. My ointment is doing its job. No more itchies.
Joe Brian had an issue with a rash under his armpit. It was where he had the rash the last time he got Lyme Disease. [Joe Brian is under the weather! June, 2024] The doctor was going to try fit him in, but left the office prior to staff phoning to let Joe know. Next option was to go into the pharmacist. Ontario changed the Scope of Practice for pharmacists. There is a list of things they can identify and prescribe for. It is so much easier. He took a Doxycycline pill and we will watch him to see how he is.
Ticks have slowed down, but they are out there.
The trailcams continue to amuse me. It's been a week between this and that.
Butch is on food hunts.
The quick red fox has been a regular. I think we are just on his regular trail!
Soon Fred will go down for the winter. In the meantime, I admire his balancing act on the fencing.
Fungi, along with the remnants of a pine cone. Some squirrel has been sitting and munching.
I tried with this one. It didn't go well.
I cam back to the house yesterday with what I knew was a boil from poison ivy. SIGH. Thankfully, I still have a container of meds for this. I just didn't notice it, wandering around the forest in flip flops.
Most of the problem is keeping the ointment on the boils. This is a great bandage!
I found a cicada exoskeleton Aug. 8th. When I put the garbage out, 6 a.m., I found a very cold one on the driveway. I sat it up on the gate post.
It must have warmed up and moved off. Cold nights and warm days.
