Forest bathing

Thanks for reading yesterday's rant. When an issue hits close to home, it personalizes it for us. 

I will go back to my photos...

Finally Joe got his birthday meatloaf. Half is in the freezer, too.

I found two more deer scrapes. Seriously! 

Standing in the forest, looking into the still green wetland is so peaceful.

If you look closely, you can see the wood shed. 

This is the house up the hill.

I looked down at my feet! One does have to watch their step. It looks like legs bones from the deer up by the house. Still, I haven't seen a coyote in the day time for a long time. 

I know they are out there in the night. Lots of our wild animals know this. I can tell by out trailcams!

I spent Wednesday morning, while Joe was shopping, to put up lights. It's so dark so early. It made me happy.

We are rewatching Season 1 of Sherwood in preparation for Season 2! You know how that goes. They release a new season and it would help to have the continuity of the previous season.

The cats were thrilled with our latest TV adventure. 

I leave you with Joe's work of art! I posted it on our family photostream. Our SIL, JL, offered a mere $1,000,00099! 

USA – what have you done?

I'm not ignoring the news. I am shocked, dismayed, and worried. Some days you let it go, others you point out the racism, extreme right-wing whackadoodle ideas. 

With the US election, the state of affairs have devolved. Russia is bombing Ukraine. Ukraine is enacting a response. 

Red: Russian action; Blue: Ukraine

The US military continues to monitor the situation.

During the US election, Twitter posts were limited by Musk's algorithms. Many of us have gone to 🦋Blue Sky. There were 13 million users, then a million new users in one day, next count 15 million. Now, there are many more. 

I liked Twitter, as I found some actual breaking news. There were biologists who helped me with critter IDs. People who shared cute critter images have migrated to Bluesky. 

👫👬👭In the US, they are trying to forbid the first elected transgendered politician from accessing facilities.

"G.O.P. lawmakers whose leaders have pressed to roll back transgender rights around the country moved to bar Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from women’s rooms on Capitol Hill."

Having a transgender grandson, and a gay granddaughter, I am appalled. How do they determine if people visiting the washrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are biologically male or female. What are they afraid of? With Trump, Gaetz, Hegseth, all with a history or conviction of sexually abusing girls or women (all rich white men), all having paid non-disclosure agreements to women, you wonder who should be afraid of whom. 

When you know better, you do better. That's the theory. Read about the issues, try to understand the biology of it all, you are in a far better place. Or just live and let live. 

Look to the skies

 Things have been cooling off. The skies continue to impress.

Things have been pretty quiet. I anxiously await a replacement camera. 

 

It'll be awhile, since 📪 Canada Post workers are on strike. At first the online prediction was 'today by end of day' and then that changed to 'tomorrow by end of day.' I am not holding my breath. 

 

Parcels are a huge market niche. Canada Post has been outsourcing large package deliveries on weekends to poorly paid 'independent contractors.' The big companies like UPS, don't have collective agreements. Canada Post does. Private contractors have bosses that require long hours, and make promises to customers of next day delivery. Cheap labor. This is a first world problem, I know, but as always solved on the backs of workers. There are too many people forced to do part time work. They miss out on benefits and fair wages. Can you tell I was a union member?! 

I shall be patient.

Here is spider visiting before the camera's demise.

 

 The cottontail has been visiting the bird feeder.

 

🐸 Moving the Froggies: I'm up to 154. There were two more I caught Nov. 19th. It keeps me off the street. In the cold they are slow, slimy and dark. 

Our family in Vancouver, B.C. and friends have a Bomb Cyclone! Winds and rain...

Things are busy in the skies.

I sat out on the front deck in the sunshine, reading a book. I was bundled up and under a blanket. This is book 2 of three. The setting in B.C.!

"From the former Chief Justice of Canada and #1 bestselling author of Full Disclosure comes a taut new thriller starring tough-as-nails defense attorney Jilly Truitt in a murder case that makes her question her own truths."

This plane went overhead while I was outside. Look at its call sign: CGZAG. It did zig zag!

🎥TV Movies ← my master list.

My entertainment director continues to look for evening movies. We watched ICE (2011) which was rather ridiculous whilst being creepy. I've done yard duty in -20 ℃ temperatures. 

"Environmental scientist exposes oil company's drilling causing Greenland ice melt."

Then, there is this one: In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Murder (2024) wow. Creepy true Canadian story/documentary, with action in New Zealand.  Another movie best watched from under a warm blanket. 

OK, that's all I have for today. It is sunrise and coffee time.

The owl tree & deer scrapes

Sunday was busy, after finishing the wood Saturday. I cleaned the goldfish tank, did some floors, and played outside. (The latter was the best part! I know that all of you will agree.)

I walked back to the 'owl tree', you can see the white mute under it. One more pellet. 

I'd seen a buck out back Friday morning, his frozen hoof print in the path. 

Deer scrapes

First they scrape out a clear spot with their hooves, then they urinate on their tarsal and metatarsal glands to put their scent on the scrape. They also nudge the branches above to put scent there from their preorbital and nasal glands. From October to December they aggressively scrape as testosterone levels are high. Charlie Alsheimer has written a piece about this. He says there are three placements of scrapes: boundary, primary and random scrapes. This scrape is a primary one, I think, on a major trail all the critters use. 

This is last year's video by the frog pond. There was a scrape back there. I think that means we have 5 scrapes on the property. I hope we have little fawns come spring.

The squirrel is up to its old tricks. It didn't figure this out until later in the bird feeder year. Can you see it on the tray feeder?

This is from last spring. It remembered the whole deal. What can I do?! Squirrel won.

I wrapped the rose bush. It made a difference in terms of blooms last year. I wrapped my new plants in the daffodil garden. 

While the deer are on the move, cottontail continues to hang about. I was reminded of the cat we had around the house. (Not ours!) I borrowed a trap and tried to capture it. It didn't dissuade bunny. She is back this year. I never did see the cat. 

March 23, 2024

I've been puttering around the yard. Remembrance Day symbols have been put away. Seasonal symbols are out. I think the drain spout is a nice touch beside it!

 

Joe's 75th birthday

 Joe's birthday was Friday. It began with a lovely morning.  

Sunrise Friday, I tried a panoramic image. 

Jesse, Cluny and Bryony created a birthday video before Jess went to work in Vancouver. How sweet!

The morning continued with me finishing up the wood pile. (See yesterday's post!) After I stacked another portion of wood, out we went to Merrickville for a birthday lunch. I'd coloured my hair prior to visiting my client, and he thought we ought to go out. It's just a spray-in, and lasts only a day or so.  But, since I was glammed up...

It's a lovely drive in the day time. There were birds flocking in the water. What is it about the water that looks so peaceful?

It's a lovely town. We took a staycation trip to Merrickville in 2017 in winter, in Baldachin Inn in the bridal suite! Just for fun!

Anyway, our birthday lunch. It is a lovely setting.

We sat by the window, happy to get out and about in the world. Little did he know that I'd brought something hidden in my bag.

I love this statue of the dolphin and the maiden. I told Joe to pose beside her.

The sunshine was lovely and warm. 

After lunch, we went shopping at the Wick Witch. It is amazing.

More walking and shopping. 

The Joy of Olives, infused olive oils.

By then, I was feeling my muscles. Home we went.

We'd saved room for dessert. Joe's bought himself a mini apple pie.

Our Ottawa kids did a birthday chat after dinner, with birthday wishes. 

The cats konked out. They don't celebrate birthdays.

Apparently, the cats ordered Joe some books, and he ordered a new blanket for himself.

The moon was amazing. This was the best I could do that night!