What does the fox say?

Firstly, we had our furnace and A/C inspected, in order to keep our warranty. Sadly, we were 'red ticketed!' There is a crack in something that could lead to death and destruction. Our serviceman was apologetic! He texted his boss, who found out we are still under warranty. Parts and labour will be covered. They will ordered the part, install it and unticket it! At least the A/C is OK. 

 🐀 Fred had a close call! the other day. She birthed four kits, the coyotes took two, and another one seems to have disappeared. I spotted him on the driveway, running 📹. Twice. It's a mystery. He could be elsewhere, or food for critters. 

I've been looking up at how often the fox visits. June 25th in the night. (Freds are sleeping!)

 

June 23, one last video of the two kits.

  

We tend to hang out on the back deck, once it is in the shade. The fox ran by June 26th. Cinnamon watched from the deck. Quite concerned. 

Foxy came back June 28th 👀. You may want to turn down the sound, if you choose to watch. I screamed in my yard duty voice for Cinnamon. He roared off the deck to keep an eye on the fox. He didn't engage with the fox. Thankfully. 

I went out to see where he was. The fox took off into the forest. I spent a moment or two scanning for it. Cinnamon came when he was called. 

 

Red foxes are fairly common in Ontario. This was in Bala, 2010.

Foxy appears more often that I suspected! 

🦊Red fox <= tracking data over the years.

• Jan. 2025 – in snow
• Feb. 2025 – trailcam in snow
• Mar. – backyard, Spycam 
• May – Driveway
• June – video
• June 26th – Poor Fred! Daytime spotting. 👀
• June 28 – back 13:00 hrs looking for Fred. 👀 , Cinnamon followed him to the woodpile. 

Critters abound

Lots of critters here and there! We've been enjoying the summer weather. Nobody is enjoying the deerflies outside! Joe captured a photo of Cinnamon with his paw on Tiberius Tiger.

You can see fireflies before the storm arrived. Also, the tree frog hopping on the railing.  

 In the daytime, the hummingbird was eyeing the camera! I've put away the hummingbird feeders, since there are lots of flowers about, as well as bears, who like them.

   

 The coyote with a limp appeared on the trailcam.

   

 

Butch raccoon appeared interested in Fred's burrow!

   

 This cat, not ours, has been visiting.

 

 The doe is still hanging about at night. No sign of her fawn.

 

Saturday's Critters

 The back deck has been the safest place to be for me! The bugs don't like the overhang. It's the coolest, in the shade. That said, I do have to garden and visit trailcams.

Meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said on CBC's The National ticks are  'crawling bags of pathogens.' 

There was one turkey just sitting there in the grass! It didn't want its picture taken and took off. I'd be happier with a flock. They eat ticks! 

In the pine tree, the vireo nest is popping. This is one I found in winter, just to show you the size.

Red-eyed Vireo watches from a nearby tree.

Cinnamon loves this spot. It has been so hot, the air conditioner was on, but 'if I fits, I sits!'

 

After I reported the June 26th encounter with the fox (on yesterday's post), Fred and one Fredlet popped out of the woods after two days. Either the third miniFred has found a new burrow, or fox got him. She had 4 kits, and this one seems inclined to cling to Momma. 

I had fun bear watching!

   

 I think there are two! A young one and a mature one.

 

Saturday's Critters # 602 <= visit Eileen's collection here.

Fred had a close call!

Things have been feast or famine here. Heat, or rain and cool. First, the star, momma Fred.

Then the kits, whom I haven't seen in several days. 

MiniFred has been running up and down the driveway going who knows where.  Fred has been gone two days. Nobody was around June 24-26. 

There was a hole dug out front, again. I was not amused. Dug prior to the big storm June 24th, there have been no tracks in or out since then. I decided to leave it for now. The deerflies will slow down soon!

Then, Fred suddenly appeared Thursday, June 26th.

Look who was visiting, though!

It was a bit of a surprise. As I sat reading, I spotted a fox. I was sitting in my chair, leapt up and kept snapping photos. Once I yelled, fox was reluctant to leave. I kept yelling at it. 

I think it came up the driveway, under the deck, and then circled the garden burrow, where Fred was hiding.

After I yelled at the fox to leave, Fred finally came out again, squealing to warn kits? She headed back to the shed burrow, and my yard duty voice managed to scare foxy enough that it didn't come back. I do wonder where the kits are...

Deer, Fred, fawn

 We had a day of rains, just popcorn clouds that pop up, dump rain, and disappear. We had 14 mm rain (1/2") and steamy temperatures on Tuesday. The has since gone, but this was very unusual.

Poor Bambi! This is what happens to them in deerfly season. 

I use these deerfly stickies. Bug spray doesn't work for them!

This is my last capture of our resident pregnant doe! June 24 in the morning on the camera.

June 24th at dinner time, imagine my surprise! 

The Freds are harassed by the deerflies, as well. Their burrows are cool being underground. 

MiniFred is exhausted in this hot weather. I love the little paw stretched out and the yawn!

I noticed miniFred was really wet. What's with that? The dew had evaporated. Did the kit jump in the wetland or the water fountain?!

I went down to ask her, and she wasn't going to tell me. I think she was embarrassed.

Fred and a Fredlet were hanging out just off the back deck. Momma Fred is used to us, lo these 3+ years. 

Fredlet has its doubts about me! One of the burrow entrances is right here, ready to bail!

ICE and Heat

I wrote yesterday about Circle of Influence. That said, I think it important to witness what is happening. The DHS in the US is hiring thugs, basically bounty hunters, for $1000 -  $1500 per person kidnapped. No ID, no name tags, no warrants. Finally, people are coming to that realization, and standing up to them. This is how people in the US are stepping up.  This is how it is done...

Brownshirt ICE rolled up to my local Home Depot today and got the F-off treatment. Shoutout to this woman because this is exactly how it’s done. No badge, face covered = F*ck all the way off. 📌 It’s on us citizens to stand up for our vulnerable brothers and sisters.

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— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) June 23, 2025 at 7:21 PM

It was a hot weekend. The bike tour was on: they cycled from Ottawa (171 km) or Perth to Kingston (119km) and stayed overnight only to reverse it all and to return Sunday. I just couldn't imagine... The roads are awful with angry drivers. I could hear cars gunning their engines in order to pass them.

There is a two-foot bike lane, but those large trucks give cyclists a wide berth, veering into the oncoming lane. People have been commenting on Social Media that these HUGE trucks aren't safe, too big, and you cannot see young kids over them at school crossings or bus stops.

#75 is getting bolder!

I figured out that he is eating little teeny wild strawberries!

I got a bit silly with Pride flags. 

Here is your giggle for the day. If you want to look under your water bottle, to read the label and see how much it holds, it’s best if the lid is on and you aren’t holding the bottle above your laptop! It was all OK, but that heat makes me silly! I feel so badly for those renting, or without an air conditioner. 

This is about 8 ℃ higher than June averages.

Circle of influence on Crumbly Acres

 Our circle of influence is small here. We are retired, don't socialize much, but we watch and discuss the horrific news. 

With the heat wave, going out is quite something. This isn't normal for June for us.

I sent Joe out for an early morning walk. It's good to keep moving. MiniFred kept an eye out!

The deerflies are out in full force. Cinnamon is not happy. He hunkers down in the garden.

Poor Cinnamon had a deerfly bite, I believe. I parked him on the table to have a look at eye level. He was fine the next day! 

Then, there are the poor deer! They really suffer.

 

I finally snagged a half-decent photo of the Scarlet Tanager! It took perseverance. He kept bathing in the water fountain, but the moment I stood up, off he flew!

We had a goodly dump of rain. It filled the goldfish pond. The fishies were happy. The water is collected in the water barrel, and drains into the pond. When we have rain!

Froggy seems happy.

Others didn't quite make it through the storm unscathed.Despite evacuations from campsites, there were three incidents I heard of where campers had trees blown on tents or trailers. Thank goodness for emergency responders. There was one death, another where a camper van was struck by trees and the man had his leg broken:

• Storm downs trees, knocks out power in Mattawa, Ont., area

a third remote rescue where

• Rescuers saw, paddle their way to badly hurt boy in Algonquin Park.

I do like this hanging basket. 

You may think me silly, but I left the Bugloss to bloom on the lawn. The Monarchs, when they fly south, like it. 

Look at the milkweed! The purple petunias are doing well, and smell wonderful.

Still no House Wren eggs yet.