Sunday, 7 June 2020

Houston, we have a problem

Saturday morning, I was about to sit down in my comfy chair and do my blogging. Something was hanging down from the soffit. It was a board from the roof. There were three more on the ground. 




 Twas a bit of a mess. I cannot imagine that Butch could do this, but I guess they could. It's my own fault for leaving the feeder up. It was the small bird feeder, the globe feeder, the blue jays are too big for it. The handle was bent. 

It must have been a sight as the poor thing fell to the ground. The boards just pulled out of the roof as the nails were pulled. Lovely holes into the attic. The sun was in my eyes, and the camera lens. It looks pretty artsy!
soffit
The boards are nailed into the beams, fitting into one another in a tongue and groove manner. I can't tell you how anxious it made me. I was trying to figure out what to do. Just panic. I know there are many serious things going on in the world. It's amazing how such a small thing made me so upset. I apologize to JB. He's been so good to me. I couldn't see properly to do this. 

We phoned a handyman, advertised in our paper, who couldn't come until the next day. I didn't think it could last overnight. Everyone would be seeking shelter!

Posting this on Facebook, I had a hero. I fetched the ladder, the drill, several screws. Scott Dobson and his buddy came and reattached the boards. What a relief. I could imagine all sorts of critters getting in there and into the attic. I gave them both all the cash we had. All Scotty wanted was gas money, but that ain't cutting it for people who rescued us on a Saturday morning! I insisted.

It took me hours to unwind. Poor JB! 

It was quite a day, with a thunderstorm in the afternoon. It didn't look like much on the radar, but there were thunderboomers! 

During the storm, I went onto the deck to move the Muskoka chair under the eaves. I found a friend. I yelled at JB, who brought me the bug catcher. A HUGE dock spider. The bug catcher is 8 cm (3") wide.


In the meantime, another mystery. I suspect it's a small coyote. The tail looks a bit small. Maybe it got wet in the rains! I combined the two trailcam videos to track it.

If you recall, the wood ducks have fledged. There were two eggs unhatched. I put them down in front of the trailcam, far from the nesting box. Butch picked them up and moved them. I assume they ate them at some point.

We have Junior Bear #2 in the forest.  The first photo is Bear #1, the second bear #2. I haven't seen Booboo bear since May 22


We had a momma go through in November, with triplets. These could be them, looking for food or territory.

Here he is in all his glory!

Junior Bear from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

16 comments:

Crafty Green Poet said...

It's amazing to have bear so close to you!

The spider is huge. Does it bite?

Tom said...

...lots of things are going on in your little slice of the world.

Out To Pasture said...

I certainly know how bigger world events can leave us tender to even minor household mishaps. A rodent chewed through my car's fuel line last week and it sent me into a bit of a tizzy!

Anvilcloud said...

Glad you got that fixed. The joys of country living, eh?

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
What wonderful neighbours you have! Could that be a fox rather than a coyote? YAM xx

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

I am glad you got someone out to fix the boards, keep those critters out. That spider looks huge! Love the bear, great photos.
Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

Jenn Jilks said...

Crafty: I think the dock spiders do bite, but I've never found out!
Dunno, Yam. The coyote people think it is a coyote. The tail isn't big enough.
He's not really a neighbour, Yam, he is our fence man, and lives in Smiths Falls. He answered my call, though. We don't really know our neighbours.

Olga said...

Must of been something with that strawberry moon I never got to see. I found a flood in my dining room and since we have been having torrential rains I was sure the roof was leaking. Fortunately it was not but I needed to call a plumber to change the shut off valve on the guest bath toilet. But the stretch of dithering panic -- oh, yeah, I know!

Rain said...

Jenn, that spider gave me the heebie jeebies...omg ick. I would have ran screaming lol...I don't mind big critters but small fast moving ones gross me out and scare me ha ha! I love your videos. Oh, and what a blessing to have those guys help you out so quick with the repair! Looks like a small coyote to me.

Christine said...

So glad you got the damages fixed with good help.

Jenn Jilks said...

Oh, Olga, you nailed it! "But the stretch of dithering panic"

RedPat said...

I'm finding that every little mishap or disaster is sending me into a panic. Even the thought of something happening is nerve-racking. Deep breaths!!

Nancy J said...

How grateful we all are, to have help arrive, for small or big problems. A friend came yesterday and cleaned our heat pump filters, it is too high for me to undo the front cover. He had it done so quickly. Not sure of your unknown animal, a skinny tail for sure. Hang in there, summer will arrive soon, down here snow in the far south, 16 days with no new covid cases, we might move to a lower less restrictive level this week. So in July, all being well with heart tests etc., I might, just might, celebrate the " Great 80'!!!

Powell River Books said...

That's some spider. When we lived in Los Angeles we were backed up to park land. It was common for critters to come for a visit, especially since we had a spa in a dry climate. Tarantulas were one of my least favourite visitors. - Margy

Hootin Anni said...

I understand how, what the world and our lives so disrupted these past months, how upsetting something like this can be. To anyone.

Great videos. Spooky crawling 8 legged critter. Nothing like a life of nature you keep track of.

Red said...

have I ever said racoons are a nuisance? Our farm neighbors went to Arizona for the winter and found that racoons had been looking after their house. what a mess!