How cold is it?

Hooray for the time change. 😣 I woke up at 4:30! Gonna be a long day.

I'd washed the bathroom floor, and put the mop out to dry. It froze overnight. That morning it was -6 ℃., no wonder it froze solid. Today it is only 1 ℃.!

The frost on the bird feeders!

I put up our Remembrance Day flag. 

We decided to take a walk along the highway to see the condition of the deer carcass. 

A porcupette also met its demise on the highway. The vultures have migrated. 

There is nothing left except fur. There was a path trod, running up the hill towards our house. 

This is why we thought we'd go look. Joe was doing his regular walkies around the yard, now that his back is slowly improving. Look what he found, the spine and a hip bone. 

 It turns out that the coyote yips I heard at bedtime, WERE in the backyard! The bones were found right out the back, behind the large white pine!

That means they dragged their food selection about 100m to the back yard, away from the highway.

Out and about <= in my first post about this, I didn't realize they were so close. 

Two piles of coyote poop! You can tell it is coyote from the fur embedded in it.

On the hill down to the wetland, beside the shed, lots of deer fur.

And I finish with a funny story. After mom died and we moved into her house, Joe would smell the smells of cleaning products in the air. I am sure it was a message from mom to clean up more! She was fastidious in the era of Cometizing one's house. Germs were feared. A real 50s and 60s woman who kept her home very, very clean. 

Joe and I were sitting with morning coffee, and he told me he could smell cabbage. Then, he said he could smell burned cabbage. (I don't like cabbage much, so it wasn't me!) He left the room, and I could smell it. It was the dead mouse smell. Pulling out my chair, there it was. They are trying to move into the house for winter, and the cats are snapping them up!

We've a rainy day. There is a long storm moving north east up the continent. The US has had terrible tornadoes and thunder and lightning. It peters out as it moves north towards us. 

I must put on my big girl pants and raincoat, as soon as it is light, and take the garbage out. Joe is some better and collected it for us this week. 

 

Cleaning up on Crumbly Acres

 I cleaned out the leaves from the eaves on the shed! It's a fun chore. Satisfying, I guess. I had to wait until the last maple shed its leaves. Last week daytime temperatures went up to 24 ℃ several days in a row. Saturday morning it was 1 deg., with a high of 7 ℃! I am SO GLAD  got this done in the warmth. This morning it is -6 ℃! 

Still waiting for that maple to drop its leaves:

Oct. 26, 2024

It is a sweet little shed, made of old barn board.  Two owners ago, at least, it had electricity somehow. I rather think extension cords were involved, and that isn't particularly safe. It was taken out.

May, 2023
We had trees down from a storm, and deer visiting.

Dec. 2012
Kitten Daisy and Buster were playing.

There is an ivy growing around the shed. I thought I'd looked it up before, but... I forget.

It was a nice view from atop the shed.

I could see Joseph doing his walkies!

BEFORE

AFTER:

I called Joe to bring supplies. Next year, I have to remember gloves, as well as the broom, a long-handled something to dig leaves out. I forgot my gloves. It took several tries, which is why we are laughing over it all. 

This is the ivy growing rampant climbing the dead sumac and nearby trees. I still cannot figure out what it is. I am loathe to cut it all down. 

Any of the recognition apps think it is a tree, when it is simply climbing a tree. 

Barb asked, "I wonder if Mr. Owl eats frogs. Just thinking of all your effort to save them!"

I have a story about that! I let the penultimate bunch go at the top of the rise in the back 40, and set them free to head down the 6' to the water. Joe took down the last of the frogs, as I was weary, and as he headed down he saw the owl on the ground. I presume she was eating a frog or two. Well, she deserves it.

The 'back 40'

Saturday's Critters

We had a warm spell, and now we're back to 'normal' November temperatures. Our leaves are down. 

Coyote

 

The deermice are powering up for winter! They are happy the feeder is out.

   

 I moved frogs, again. I have to take a video in order to remember my counts! 

🐸 2024 total =  88

Oct. 30 – warm day, moved 19 + 6 + 7 = 32

Oct. 31 – warm day, moved 5, nearly caught Jeremiah! Tried again, caught him.

Nov. 1 – last warm day; 10 + 8 + 9 = 29.

It's only 1 ℃ this morning. 

 

It's been 3 days of temperatures between 15 and 24 and Jeremiah finally woke up. I snagged him and took him down to the frog pond.

Jeremiah is actually the third bullfrog I've had in the pond. We had Jeremiah 1, who was a female, renamed Geraldine, and she had a smaller male move in. Geraldine and Jeremiah both succumbed to the freeze/thaw from climate change in the goldfish pond. It was gruesome. 

Geraldine – Sept. 1, 2013

 

It was an epic few days.

 

Barred owl was in the owl tree on my last trip to the wetland to dump another pail of frogs.

 

For more critters visit  Saturday's Critters # 568, where Eileen hosts.

Out and about

We had an horrific boating incident that took place on Bobs Lake on the May long weekend. Finally, after extensive investigation they have charged a drunk boat driver. His arrogant posts on FB demonstrate a lack of respect for people living on the water. Neighbours on the small lake, with many small inlets, has speed laws they say he flaunted all the time on his cigarette boat. 

I have a story for you, but I have to set it up. I found some debris on the highway on Monday garbage day, 2 weeks ago. 

This is where Joe found a deer carcass. I couldn't figure out why the vultures and crows were circling so often. The carcass was half gone, and the critters have been working on it. 

This is the view out the back deck, looking towards the highway where the deer lies. It's been there about a week. 

Out the bathroom window is where I can see best. 

Our bedroom is 55 m away from the spot. I was lying in bed reading when I heard the coyotes. It sounded so close! Leaping up, and looking out the back yard, I realized what it was. Cinnamon was standing in the hallway, looking out towards the door in utter horror! 

 

🎃 Aster and I texted on Sunday, they'd been working on their pumpkins. Papa posted photos for the family. Mama, Papa, Aster and Jo's pumpkins in that order below!

Jesse tested me a photo from Vancouver. Cluny and Bryony were good to go for Hallowe'en! Raccoon Burglar and Puss in Boots!

Sunrise, froggies, chores

 Such a lovely sunrise Tuesday!

I had a notice that my health card needed a new photo and renewal. I looked at it, and at my driver's licence, yes, expiring as well, on my birthday in December. My driver's licence was free to renew. The healthcard $90. Our premier is trying to buy re-election.

There was a decision to make. You know how bad such photos are? Should I bother with make up? Caitlin said I should! I'd feel better. 

Wednesday

We had a balmy day. It was weird. It got up to 23 ℃., and it felt like summer.

Joe took the car into town and had the snow tires put on. Yes, weird. There is cold weather on its way. We have another year for the summer tires until we have to replace them. 

The frogs woke up in the goldfish pond. They've been sleeping in the mud in the cold weather. The pond was down to 2℃.  I had to move them. It was good exercise.

• Oct. 30 – warm day, moved 19 (see below!) and later 6, then 7 more  = 32
• Total moved, so far this fall, = 61

I set them down, and they hopped into the pond. 

I got tired of going down to the frog pond. The third time, I went to the back 40. I was blessed with an owl sighting on the owl tree.

We've rain on the way. I've my respite client volunteer visit, so that works out. The leaves are nearly down. I still have to redo the eaves under the catalpa tree and the shed is ready, as well.