Monday, 26 October 2026

Climbing, embroidery, baking

I've been enjoying the placement of the trailcam here in Barry Beaver's yard. Between him and the wind lots of trees are down.  

I love this pattern with the light. When I researched trailcam placement, you are supposed  to have them face south. This is facing southeast! Sometimes it's fun to be creative.



 Of course Cinnamon enjoys tree climbing. Cats like to be up high. 



I moved a camera to focus on Barry's latest work, the oak tree. They aren't known for going after oaks, so I don't know what is up with that. I have to be careful with the trailcam placement. When that tree comes down... I hope I put it to the side.



I read. A lot. I try to use the library. Thing is, there is a mad editor. She reads a lot of the mysteries that I do. This is what it looks like. She's often wrong, or thinks this is how an author should write dialogue. I read in bed at night and keep an eraser beside me. I vent with the librarians. Such a pain. They thanked me for erasing it! 



Cold mornings, but Sunday was a warm day!
 

I was sitting outside, working on a Christmas present.

Busy working people are encouraged to batch cook on Sundays, in preparation for the work week. Joe brought home some 'fish' AKA chicken, pork chops and broccoli. I'd bought the squash from the farm down the road. No decisions about dinners for a few days.

Sunday, 25 October 2026

Mushroom murder!

 Fun story: this is a group of wee, grey toadstools. A nice little line. They like the PH levels under the pine tree. Every single mushroom is knocked over. It's happened before. I called it Mushroom Murder! 


I know who I blame! They left another deposit on the deck! 


Here is proof!


This was 2012. Aster inspecting the fungus on the dead roots. Aster is in gr. 11 and taller than me!



Here is a gnarly tree I found on my forest walk. 


Funny what AI 'hears!' We asked the TV thing to find us a TV show:  "Border Interceptors," a reality show from Ireland, like Border Security. Instead, it brought up an ad for 'bed bug interceptors.' One really has to enunciate!
 

The driveway in all its glory...



Autumn chores, I sprayed painted the purple pencil! It looks so much better. Also, I scraped and repainted my bell.



Last two roses for this year... the frost is on the glass outside. Farewell summer, sleep well gardens. See you on the other side!



Saturday, 24 October 2026

Canada Forces Base Wainwright

 Saturday, Oct. 17

There was a horrible fire during a training exercise at Canada Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta's military centre. I wanted to track it.

Four soldiers are dead, 39 were injured by this fast-spreading fire. Not to belabour it, but to celebrate the heroes. The victims are in our hearts. The fire was spread by a fast wind, on a grenade launch site. Firefighters had issues getting close to it. After a few days, 36 remained in hospital, and as of Friday, Oct. 23rd, 27 are still in hospital. Others have been released.

Canada has 46 burn patient beds, as the graphic shows. The provinces (B.C., Ontario, and Saskatchwan) are helping Alberta. US Ambassador Hoekstra, after dissing us for weeks, and a week after the incident, has offered help from the US. A day late and a dollar short!

Ontario has sent a couple dozen specialized burn nurses from Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital, with a robust burn unit. It can take 2 hours to change bandages for patients, and nurses are working hard. 

After the fire, air ambulance helicopters took victims to Edmonton,  and Calgary, to get treatment. 


Hamilton has an excellent burn centre, as well. 

This is a device that is like a printer that makes fake skin for burn victims.

Wainwright Airport, near the fire spread in that dark image in the centre of the photo, between the airport and the green water of Jamieson Lake. Saskatchewan sent emergency vehicles, the distances are amazing, and they were so efficient. 



"A 23-year-old Canadian Armed Forces medic remains in critical condition after his mother says he repeatedly ran into the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright to save his fellow soldiers, continuing until his own injuries overtook him."



Saturday's Critters

 The bird feeders are up! In a rare moment of interspecies cooperation, I noticed two morning doves and one blue jay all eating from the cracked corn tray feeder. The jay took off by the time I managed a photo, you'll have to believe me! 







I had an interesting trailcam capture! A Barred owl...

   

 We've a doe who is hanging about. Not much time left for nibbling leaves! They are falling...


 Butch favours the driveway... 

   

 Barry is still chopping trees down! 

   

 Oct. 17th I spotted a beautiful garter snake! Soon they will be in their hibernaculum and sleeping the winter away. 

 

Cinnamon likes Barry's fallen logs.

 

Saturday's Critters # 671 visit more critter's at Eileen's meme.

Friday, 23 October 2026

Toadstools and Barry!

 Another frost last night. Things are shutting down outside. I needed mittens to put the garbage out the other day.

Little baby toadstools, three of them!

 

I've been wearing my little red winter boots! They are cozy, as I amble through the beautiful forest.

Speaking of ambling through the forest... a coyote.

 

Barry Beaver on the move

 


 He chopped this Aspen sapling down, but didn't remove it. (Lower left corner↙ of the photo.) I thought I'd move it closer to the wetland. Maybe he forgot about it! Or maybe he was chopping up the rest of it for a winter cache. 
Helping Barry!

 

Being helpful, I put the fallen sapling on the hill, near where he is working on the oak tree. It is gone! Maybe it was in the way of his oak tree work! Ain't nature grand?!


Barry, in the summer


Thursday, 22 October 2026

Off for a drive! Part 2

We went for a drive last week. Here is Part 1.

 These cottages are on a peninsula. 





This is a really interresting cottage.





We saw Mallards, geese, crows, and heron, but I have to rely on archival photos!






Shallow lakes attracts the birds.

Joe likes the tree canopy.