Saturday's Critters

 August rushes by us. I am usually happy when August is finis. The garden and forest are spots that require taming. We miss the critters, of course. 

Fred has been creating a new burrow. I've spotted him on the deck, too.

 Auntie Fred has taken ownership of the shed burrow. The burrow under the lower deck floods in spring. Not a good choice! Soon The Freds will be hibernating. In the meantime, digging is the call to action. He does doggy digging, shoves the sand with his snout, and the sand flies!

   

 I think MiniFred is a male. You can giggle as he stops to groom, and rolls over. I think he likes self-deprecating humour! 

   

 In the backyard, Momma Butch has 3 kits! If you like the moths dancing in the light in the night, keep watching! We still have fireflies in the yard. Front and back. 

   

 Yesterday, I posted a video of the fox going after leopard frogs in the garden. Apparently, that is what the skunk is after, as well as Butch. In this video, Butch accidentally trotted towards skunk. It thought better of it! You can see the motion sensor lights by the garage reflecting on the white pine trees.

Finally, we celebrate twin fawns frolicking in the forest!

 

Saturday's Critters # 660 Visit more at Eileen's blog.

Rain and the fox

Monday was a wet one.  I had garbage to put out for 7 a.m., but it was pretty.

The goldfish pond is over flowing, with 7 (?) happy goldfish. There is one large green frog, too.

A bit of a messy lawn from the heavy equipment during our tree clean up, but it is shallow soil, and it was a fine place to store the vehicles. 

I finally did the lawn on a sunny afternoon. Bouncing over the divots in the grass, I was glad to have on my sports bra!

I love this morning sun reflection.

The fox is a frequent visitor. She's headed back to the highway and parts unknown...

I finally figured out what the fox was doing in the night in the backyard. She was going after little leopard frogs! The humidity clouds the lens, but you get the idea. Watch for the giant leap!

 

After all that rain! 

Monarch caterpillars:

Cleaned up Crumbly Acres Garden

We had a lovely chat with Jordan in Kingston. He is working part-time at a grocery store. Things are going well. He is choosing courses for next term, major in astrophysics, and a minor in geology. He advocated for himself with course conflicts and schedules. I am so happy for him! 

Caitlin was in whipper snipper mode on the weekend! 

Aster watched a video in their solarium! 

Aug., 2022

The grandies helped me trim the Catalpa tree in 2022. That was fun! 

I was sad, in a way, to have the Catalpa removed, but it had to go down. You can see the bugs that were eating away at it. I now have to rethink this garden.

  

 Gardens evolve. I removed this evergreen, as it had begun to dominate the garden. Last week we had the nearly dead Catalpa tree removed. [Crumbly Acres Clean up on Aisle 7]

It really opens up the house.

A decent-sized millipede on the steps. A little cobweb on its head.

Also spotted, at least by ear and Merlin App, an Eastern Wood-pewee. I was surprised. I thought mating season over for them. Mind you, goldfinches have late broods. They are like a mini-flycatcher. 

 

Crumbly Acres August

As I'd written, we had massive rains the first three days of August. The garden is saturated. My lilac hydrangea is in blossom. I planted it: Sept. 2024: New plants! I'd been looking for them, and Caitlin spotted some that year. 

Yes, 58 mm (over 2") of rain on the August long weekend.

We had an issue with the gutters, again.  The piece of metal, protecting the fascia, was letting water drip behind the gutter. I bent it out and that helped.

 

Auntie Fred has been here and there. Our nights are getting cooler, and her Momma would hibernate or go to her winter den in late August. Auntie Fred hibernated here in mid-September last year, 2025. 

MiniFred doesn't like spinach!

Yesterday I teased you with an image of MiniFred. I'd used most of a head of cabbage, and threw a couple of leaves out back. Surprisingly Fred liked it.

 

MiniFred has been working out front. 

She is creating a new burrow, #6A. She'll do no harm here, other than eating my wildflowers! 

She likes sunflowers, as well as the milkweed. I see nibbles everywhere. Gardens evolve. This used to hold some hibiscus, but they died. Not enough rain, toom much sun and heat.

The gardens are doing well. I am going to have to rethink the front one where the tree was taken out. As well as the one in back where the hops vine died.