Thursday 31 October 2013

It's that time of year. Are they driving you batty?


Bats range in size from the world’s smallest mammal, the
batty
bumblebee bat, to the 6-foot wingspans of the flying fox. Our native bats in this area are small, most weighing about the same as a few pennies.

The thousands of insects they eat each night save farmers millions of dollars on insect control and crop damage. That makes bats the most organic form of insect control you can get. 


The US Wildlife services want us to remember that bats are not to be feared, and that they are in danger die to White Nose Syndrome: 
bat

What should we fear this Halloween instead of bats? Their extinction. The deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS) disease is devastating our hibernating bats. Named for the white fungus that appears on bats, WNS has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America. It’s even led to a 99-percent drop in northern long-eared bats in the Northeast, which is why we proposed to protect them as endangered just earlier this month. (In fact, WNS was discovered in New York in 2006.)
Here is the last bat I captured!
From August:
Bats in my belfry? Nope. Bedroom - just 1 bat
This one flew from the chimney opening downstairs, upstairs into the living room, and then into the bedroom, where it was circling the fan.
See the previous post for THAT video!



 .

 I'm happy to share it, since they featured Canada on their infograph map!!


Bedroom bat!

The process of cancer treatment; Part IV – Bone Scan

9:15 We set off from home at 9:15. A dreary day, with pouring rain.

10:15 We arrived at the hospital for the Bone Scan by 10:15. Unfortunately, P2 parking lot was full. We went into the 5-level P1 parking lot. It took for ever to find a spot on the top floor.
The parking spots were too small in many cases, as some people did not park totally parallel with the lines. I began to pull into one spot and decided I didn't want to gamble having my car door dented.


What a mistake! We should have left longer for the parking situation. It is terrible.

I grabbed the parking ticket and remembered to put it in our portfolio. Take Ticket With You!

The problem was that we didn't know the Civic, and there was a long walk down the hall, down another hall, into another wing, to find the Nuclear Department. There was much signage, and both times we stopped, looking lost, an employee gave us a clear direction.

A dreary day, best being inside!
10:35 a.m. We made it up to the waiting room, 5 minutes after out appointed time. Sigh. There were two patients there, and we settled in.

There was much signage, including ones reminding us to tell staff if we are pregnant or breastfeeding. Giggle.

What I liked about the plastic buckets is that they contained forms with information, which we have been devouring like starving people, as well as an evaluation form for our treatment today, by staff. I was heartwarmed by seeing "Our promise to you", which is basically a patient's bill of rights.
Excellent promises

Nope. Neither of us are pregnant!
 I think it works. We know that research shows us that lists make better Primary Care staff.

The radiologist forgot to introduce herself, she made up for it.

The staff were all fun, happy, caring people.

We waited a short time, and off into a private room for the inoculation of a small amount of radiation. A lot less than if one had a dental x-ray.
We were told to report back after two hours.

Off to lunch.
Back, to wait in another waiting room. They were bright, cheery and clean.
We bought a day pass at $13, since we had to go in and out of the parking lot. The machines might be daunting, what helps is to have someone looking over your shoulder, with people behind you waiting.

It is important
The evaluation form is important, I believe. We have to make people accountable for our tax dollars!


1:00 p.m. We'd gone off for lunch. Relaxed some. Then high-tailed it back. I realized that my parking chit had picked up some sticky bits from the dash board. I just wanted to get in and get it done. I took another chit, anticipating dealing with it later.

Back in the waiting room.

We joked and tried to relax.
Gotta change into hospital gear for the scan.


Understanding
 Lab and Imaging Tests
 

They finally called us in. Here is the machine.

Three-Phase Bone Scan by Todd Connor.mov

Image Eval class at GateWay community college Sue Hoyle, instructor.

2:15 p.m. Finis
4:15 p.m. Home safe, embraced by happy cats. We'd bought pie for us and wine for me! Time to relax.

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Jack Frost came by for a visit!

First frost Oct. 8th, last year.

Our first frost, at -6 C. yesterday, was brisk.
Much later than other years, it seemed to take us by surprise.
I was bad and hadn't emptied the garden hoses. Me bad.
I put the hose in the sun
and the ice melted enough to drain.


Frost on the wooden deck

Tuesday 29 October 2013

The poor bean plant –more frosty woes

Poor bean plant! Frozen...
I have enjoyed my castor bean, bean plant. It grew so large for me. Over 3 m. Peculiarly enough, last year it flowered mid-August, and set seeds in the drought.

This year, despite perfect conditions, it flowered a bit late.
Yesterday it was a tall giant. This morning it drooped.
By the afternoon, it looked as bad as the skeleton!
By the afternoon, they drooped.
I don't think I'm getting seeds
this year!

The flowers and leaves
were so beautiful
-just last week!

Catalpa leaves fall in frozen shock


Catalpa leaves fall from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
After a -6 C. night, the leaves gave up the biscuit.

Mummy, make it warmer outside!

We came home from a day trip and both girls wanted out. With this morning's -6 C. temperatures, Dorah and Buster have been in and out. Daisy has been out for a couple of hours. She's a tough one.
Buster came in at 1:30 a.m., went back out at 4:11, then returned at 4:48 a.m., happy to get warm. He's been out for an hour again after we had our coffee. Daisy is still out in Oliver's Lot, looking for mice friends.
I want out!


All the other cats are outdoors playing!
Pretty small landing!
They are often together

Dorah's last tick
Terrible little blood suckers!

Monday 28 October 2013

Tigger came by for a visit!

2013 Peek!
Well, I think it was Tigger.
My faithful readers will appreciate how much we adored our buddy Tigger. He followed Oliver cat when Ollie and I went walkies. Tigger's brother would keep a distance away. A noisy ghost in the forest, shuffling leaves as we walked.

Close-up 2013
Tigger was a character. He'd bounce around, brave with us 4-legged ones, with the other deer hovering in the distance. I came upon him once, in Oliver's Lot. His antler's were just growing. He didn't flinch. You could tell who it was by his behaviour.

I always talk to them. They know the difference between us and anyone else, running away if we have visitors. They know that the neighbours hunt them with their baited tree stands. It sounded like they were target shooting this morning. It does frighten me. We paid $600 to have our property surveyed and marked, as they were hunting on our property. I was afraid of a bullet whizzing by, as has happened to our friends in Bala. The bullet embedded itself in his wall. He was lucky.

Young Tigger summer 2011
I think I saw Tigger today (above right). It could have been his brother. It's hard to say. It could be another deer totally, but I am a romantic!

Tigger and his female relatives
You can tell by their rack. It grows the same each year. I didn't get a good look. I even got dressed and went out with the camera, but he was gone. Deer shed hunting for Family Day

I'd like to think it was Tigger, or his brother. It is comforting.

They were born in 2010. These critters only last 3 - 5 years. And I heard guns in the forest this morning. What can I say?

Tigger is unusual, since he'll visit with, I think, his female relatives, as well as his brother. Usually the males and females hang out in gender-based packs.

He is the one deer who wasn't afraid of us. I'd meet him on Oliver's Lot and he'd pop up his head, then ignore me. He wasn't like this with everyone. He couldn't be, as our neighbours hunt in their forest adjacent to ours. he's doing well to last this long.

Tigger and Ollie 2011
Wait for me! Tigger and Ollie
Tigger and his brother last year
Here is Tigger another year. note the 3-point rack.

Sunday 27 October 2013

Illegal Muskoka boathouse called an aircraft hangar to duck environmental rules

And still he continues. The photos are a hoot! He pretends it is an aerodrome to get around the rules. On Oct. 2nd, he was ordered to take it down in 90 days. I wrote about it before, but I really believe that these people like to flaunt the laws. It is a game. (See my previous post: not only Paul Bak, but former Red Leaves owner, Ken Fowler, appeals zoning by-laws.)


Illegal Muskoka boathouse called an aircraft hangar to duck environmental rules | Toronto Star 
 A judge has ordered the owner of an illegal Muskoka boathouse to tear it down after trying to skirt environmental laws, claiming it was an aircraft hangar.

After the 'boathouse' was ruled illegal, here is the decision, he still has a video marketing it. In fact, the video flaunts it.

The video flogs the illegal boathouse. The house itself is huge.
He fully intended to build another structure, which would add to the value of the property, that he clearly intended to sell.

With only 849 views since posting.
He mistakenly refers to 'The Muskokas', when that is the wrong term. There is only one Muskoka. It is a region, the region of Muskoka, or Muskoka Lakes.
It shows a sumptuous lakeside manor, complete with several shots of the tree-lined vista and a floating structure referred to as the “boathouse.”
Subsequent advertisements for the property labelled it an “aerodrome” and “float plane hangar.”
Tis beyond me why he would need to add bedrooms and living areas, with the house well back from the shore, as required.

59a Burgess Rd. -- Rosseau, Muskoka from ICONICA on Vimeo.

The timelines are ridiculous, as Paul Bak tries to get away with disrespecting municipal laws and the environment. Time after time he was told it was illegal. He applied in 2008, only to have it refused. He did not take 'illegal' for an answer.
Planner, Robert List (R.G. Planning Ltd.), suggests they call it an aerodrome in May 2009, despite the owner not having a pilot's licence or an airplane.

Bak's withdrawal of an appeal to the OMB was done in Jan. 2010. I wonder why?
It is shameful to me that the design drawing were commissioned from David Smith in 2010, despite the illegality of it all.
Dan Duke (Duke Engineering -Huntsville) does drawings in 2010. Dan Duke has been in the news before. More G8 malarky.

And what builder in good conscience could begin construction (2011) when they should well be aware of the environmental laws? David Denstedt does. He's with Muskoka Barging.
What builder ignores a stop work order (July, 2011)?

  • April 10, 2011 - The sales document from Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd dated April 10, 2011 referred to a newly constructed cottage and added that a “floatplane hangar/aerodrome will be constructed with 2 bedrooms and over 1000 sq. ft of living space.”

Wouldn't the real estate agent know this is illegal? Muskoka is littered with boathouses on shorelines, ruining the fragile ecosystem, such as riparian zones.
Too many places exist on the waterfront, grandfathered from current laws protecting the environment and its wildlife, demonstrating a lack of concern for this earth.
These people all colluded, ignoring the municipal zoning by-laws, those in Seguin Townshipby-laws that prohibited this building from being built in the first place.
I'm just saying that we rant and rave over the ridiculous backstabbing, nepotism and back door deals in the government, but it exists everywhere. In boardrooms, on public boards of directors, in municipal, provincial and federal places of business.