Fred on Crumbly Acres

Fred Groundhog has been a challenge. We adore him. These are last year's photos.

I caught him in the act, in 2023, eating the pansies Emily was holding. 

This is the camera on the wrong setting. He is so fast, running to the shed. 

Fred has a series of burrows. Some I have blocked, like #1 under the propane tanks. (What could go wrong?!) #3 is under the deck and has water due to snow melt. 

Last year Fred dug out under the shed (location #2). I've since stacked the wood we had cut up from dead fall.

Last year vs. this year!

 

He's been chewing on the pallet. 

There are 4 entrances and/or exits under the deck. (Location #3)

We've warnings of another ice storm Wednesday. It's stressing me out! Deep breath. Our trees have lifted as the snow and ice melted. What a relief.   

Ontario still has about 280,000 homes without hydro. Broken trees on the wires, and brought down by ice.

Midland, Ontario

In the meantime. The water barrels were full. Well, one was. Sadly, Ms. Maintenance forgot to close the valve at the base of the other one. With cold temperatures, below zero overnight, I emptied this one to drain it, and tipped it over. Breaking the hose. Argh! 

Icy Weekend!

That was another storm! This time we had the ice rain. The rain poured and stuck to everything.  The poor bird feeders. I could hear the birds wake up as dawn shone a light on everything. 

Note to self: next time shovel the back deck next time. All I did was the path to the rain gauge on Saturday. Sunday, the cylinder was coated in ice.

Sunday morning, I went at it. (There's the green tub that leaks!) 

I began shoveling the deck in order to make room, should I have to pull the BBQ out. You can see the top layer of ice. It's a little shelf.

I measured the ice accretion: 0.5 cm or 5mm. It is awful.

I was up early on Sunday, what me worry? 

   

Around Georgian Bay:

First job, check power outages. They spread across the province, creeping across the path of the ice rain. I've often complained that we are, as Joe says, 'the rock in the river' with precipitation going around us. I am happy for that this weekend. 

Central Ontario Hydro Outages

My friends in Muskoka, as well as the city of Peterborough, have massive downed trees and power lines. 

 This is the Gravenhurst Opera House. We've been many times. 

Gravenhurst, Muskoka

I like their website, as Kingston shows when repairs have been done.

Kingston Power Outages

It just kept on raining. The trees began drooping. This tree branch is our 'canary in the coal mine' as we know there is ice accretion when it touches the ground. We have had a terrible time with our white pine trees and snow or ice accumulation in past years. It has cost us thousands of dollars to have it all cleaned up.

Monday morning they predicted a Colorado Low bringing 15 ℃ temperatures and a grand melt. After that it gets colder. I'll have to remember to empty the water barrels or the water will freeze and split them.

This poor tree! This morning, the ice accretion has been melting, you can hear the drip drip, and crashing of ice chards.

By the afternoon, it was above zero: 1 ℃, and it kept raining on and off. The sidewalk, covered in 5mm ice, melted. The driveway drained away. All my preparations went well. 

My Bala friends tell me they might not have power for a few days. Schools will be closed in lots of districts. They won't get back up on the grid, my friend told us, until Wednesday! 😖

I woke at 5 mm, and heard the ice falling off the roof onto the back deck. I am so happy I knew what it was. We have had a lot of rain this month.

By bedtime last night, lots more without power. This morning that is down slightly. 

Icy Crumbly Acres

 I had a fun post all about Fred all prepared. I did a new panoramic photo for my header, and the snow fell. I'll leave the half-snowy one up. For now.

Next the ice warnings came. Then that changed, and we had 15 cm of snow. The wind blew, and it was quite a mess outside. Getting the snow off the pine tree branches is a good thing. We spent thousands of dollars cleaning up after last years' storms. 

Homes along that line of storms, had ice rain. This was posted at 6:28 a.m. Saturday.

Saturday morning, there were some power outages across the province. By the afternoon, there were quite a few more. My friends in Muskoka posted photos of ice coated branches. There were about 10,000 people without power there.

 

You may think me a typical Canadian for talking about the weather. 'Spose so. Thing is, if we lose power, we don't have well water. We've a fire place insert, and can keep warm and stop pipes from freezing.  It was awful across southern Ontario. Of course, today is worse!

Thursday I put a container in the tub. This is for water for the toilet. It is easier than fishing it out of the bathtub. Sadly, the green tub leaked. Happily, I figured that out Friday morning and put another tub in the tub. Just in case. 

We ran the dishwasher, and prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best on Friday.

Saturday morning it was quite a sight. Joe was standing looking out the window and saw a fisher lope by. You'll have to believe me! It didn't trigger the camera 😥, but it did leave tracks.

I hustled out with my snow blower. The video shows where the fisher went. It didn't turn up on the Crumbly Acres camera.

I had toyed with the idea of taking the snowblower down to the shed in our mild weather last week. I am glad I was hesitant. 

My job was to clear the snow, since ice rain on top of snow isn't pretty. 

 I bundled up. It was cold.

We anticipate 13 ℃ and more rain. It is important to get rid of that snow in order for the rain to be able to drain off the driveway. 

It was so deep, very wet, and warm on the asphalt, the blower sort of rode up over the snow fall. 

This eventually ended up in good condition. Not this morning! I can see the bird feeder in the dark, and it is covered in ice.

This morning we have rain, but it is freezing to the trees and everything else. I guess that is freezing rain! Such a massive storm. The side walk dried up, but it is icy. I didn't shovel the back deck, and there is a fine mess of water on top of the snow. 

Saturday's Critters

UPDATE: We had 14 cm snow overnight, not the ice rain they'd predicted. Tomorrow maybe ice rain. If so, there will be power outages. We'll see you on the other side of that.

Friday vs Saturday!

We found a ribbon snake out back! Joe let it go in the grass.

Nutmeg on the front sidewalk: 

Butch:

Butch Raccoon is doing well.

   

 I've been using my Merlin App, since it is tough IDing spring birds from only their songs. This bird, Merlin told me is a red-shouldered hawk.

Guess what? It's a blue jay imitating a hawk!

 

The fisher turned up.

   

 The deer are impregnated in November-ish. They give birth in April or May.

 

Saturday's Critters # 589 <= visit Eileen's meme and Miney!