Saturday's Critters

Welcome to Saturday's Critters. Thanks to Eileen who faithfully hosts! Saturday's Critters # 485

We had snowfall Wednesday late afternoon. This predates it, but with the new snow it is more timely. Saturday morning, we've a ton of rain. Merry April!

 

frontyard deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Butch is really awake.

Butch & co. from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Pileated woodpeckers are amazing birds!

Here she was, right outside the window.

pileated woodpecker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinnamon was watching the deer.

 

cinnamon & the deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cardinal

I finally figured out that he is trying to attack a rival, his image in the shed window. He does this on the front window, too, and grabs the cats' attention. They are very territorial now, leading up to nesting season.

cardinal from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

March sunset, after the storm!

 I had a bad day yesterday, just fighting a cold I think. I took it easy. In the evenings we have been checking out some shows. JB has been doing some research, as there are so many out there! We enjoyed The Guilty, a series, with three parts. It was excellent, if heart wrenching. 

Last Light 

This is a series of 5 shows. It is quite something. Something along the lines of The Road. It is intense.

We had to pause our show, as the sunset was amazing March 29th. We were startled by the colour out the front window. I had to check it out.

I had to go to the back door, I was curious. Colour reflecting off of the clouds, with the blue sky.

 

 

I played with the colour a bit here with another image. Hope you like it, AC! 

We shall see what April brings, but we don't even know what today will bring. The temperatures are hovering, and the radar shows a bit of a mess, snow then rain. 

 

April, bring it on! We are ready for spring flowers. A foreshadowing mosaic:

Sunshine, then snow!

Look at the sunshine! 

I've been looking for signs of pregnancy. This doe seem to have a lovely round belly! 

This is their favourite spot to sit, on the hill, in the sunshine. There are two here. This faces south, and warms up.

My embroidery is coming along. It is no longer a surprise for Caitlin, and I share it here! We've been watching tennis while I work on it. 

To feature our Ottawa grandies today (we live vicariously), the fabulous Isabelle (Gr. 7) had a concert, a Kiwanis competition. She plays clarinet in her gr. 7/8 band. This took me back in time. All three kids played in the band! While I used to play the autoharp, piano, and guitar, I only ever did vocal music in school.  

On the weekend, Josephine went to a leadership camp at her high school, the same high school her mother and uncles attended, and the same camp her mother attended. (I don't remember if my sons attended it!) The parental unit took turns volunteering at the school over the Friday/Saturday/Sunday. The kids sleep over at the school. 

Whilst Caitlin volunteered, JL took Isabelle to his alma mater, Carleton University, for a tour. He took her to the pub. They had a great father/daughter bonding time! After that, JL went in and spent come supervision time. Isn't that fun! 

 

There seems to be an upswing in COVID in our Health Unit. There was a huge jump in the middle of the month. There are now six outbreaks reported, all in congregate care facilities, accounting for 138 cases. 

We had more snow Wednesday. Compare that to the photos above, and spring is still struggling to break through. They were huge snowflakes.

First there were winds, and our power flickered, but came back on. I had a frozen lasagna in the over, and crossed my fingers. 

It could have been rain or snow, it began with rain (2 mm), then flipped over to snow (3 cm). You should have seen me out there with my rain gauge, flipping out the containers as the change occurred!

 

It was a cold morning! High of 2. 

I had walkies down in the forest. More on that tomorrow, barring actual exciting events! That's Canada, mostly we talk about the weather! 😜

Deer, PPF & YVR

 I miss Paint Party Friday. I did a sketch, finally. 

They are liking the brown grass. The snow comes and goes. Methinks we are getting a skiff of snow today. 

This one looks like she is pregnant, with her round belly. We've not seen the two deer with broken legs, so this is a good sign that they will replenish their population.

I hope this is the last of our winter weather, Sat., March 25, but I doubt it! I shovelled the sidewalk, hopefully for the last time this season. The driveway melted on its own. 

Cinnamon was all riled up TV-watching. Meaning he was red squirrel watching and wanted to go outside. We ignored him, and he wanted attention. He helped JB with his solitaire.

For fun, this is Bryony and Cluny out west in downtown Vancouver at their park in the sunshine. There are such differences in climate and weather compared to us!

Their ski season has been marvellous for them. The mountains have lots of snow, and they have a great time outdoors. 

I shall leave you with young 'uns at their ski club in B.C., this made me giggle!

snow play from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

River Otter Quest – part III

 I know you are anxious to see how we did on our quest! 😜It was a failure for otter hunting. We have to see the positive, though. It is lovely seeing the open water, the old barns, interesting homes. 

I agree with JB, the place we were looking for is like Brigadoon, and only appears in odd years. This was it, and we cannot find it.

2013

We kept on driving. The Skootamata river, thought to come from Ojibwa words meaning 'burnt shoreline,' is a lovely river.

Look at the open water! YIPPEEEEEEE!!!! 

This was a delightful little river, with a quaint sign. It is, indeed, crooked!

The Mazinaw-Lanark County Forest was impacted by the tornado in July, 2022. (I wrote about that yesterday.) It is a sustainable forest on Crown Land.

Here is a wrap-around deck, which JB loves. 

Flinton is a town that celebrates the bike trails in Lennox and Addington. You can download a map of the trails. They are closed, due to the tornadoes.

It was time to head back home along Highway #7. I had numb bum! 

This must be an old root cellar.

Lots of posts need repair. Victims of winter incidents.

But the rocks, without snow! Hooray for spring!

We arrived home, after the 3-hour marathon. Happily, hubby went out and bought me a Hawaiian pizza, and himself a vegan one. I didn't have to cook. His first since he was diagnosed with dairy, yeast and egg intolerances. He enjoyed it!

My late client, who passed away during COVID, used to complain about the hours she would have to stand and watch food cook. I often think of her. I loved her. She had a passel of kids in her day. I stand at the stove and think of the times we laughed.

Just for fun, here are the river otters from 2013

 Hubby made me get out of the house that day. Said I needed a change of scenery. We went looking for birds and open water. We found otters (3, methinks) bugging the Canada Geese!

Otters at Buttermilk Falls from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This was on our dock! I video the ducks in spring before the vernal pond dries up. The otters did not hang around, as they are river otters, not lake otters! 😉

River otters from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Other otter travels:

• We went looking for otters! Part I (2023)
• River Otter Quest – part II (2023)
• Friday, March 11th: a quest (2016)
• River, Otter and Canada Geese photos (2013)