Walkies and the fisher!

 Cinnamon and I went down to the wetland through the forest. Our temperatures have been up and down. By now, January, it should be frozen solid. The bulrushes appear to be growing at the edge of the wetland.

Cinnamon led me down the path to the wetland, and the island. I followed him, seeing where he wanted to go.

There was a temperature inversion, with a bit of fog over the wetland. I'm not sure I captured it!

I began to follow him, and realized that the water was not quite frozen!

Cinnamon walkies  He's a happy boy. I like walking with him. He's so joyful. 

The fisher Oct 28   is a frequent visitor. This video is from the fall. I noticed tracks while we were walking. 

Their tracks are quite distinct: with five toes and claws. I'd moved the trailcam, as I spotted fisher tracks in the snow the day before.  

Sure enough, it avoided the trailcam's new position, and ran rampant behind the camera. Little dweeb!

I moved it again. Nada! 

Mice Friends!

When the cats go out in the morning, Nutmeg, especially, goes and sniffs around the mouse hole. They are deermice. They are quite frequent flyers around here. Mostly I find them in the shed.

One year [Mouse tails – Happy endings are good!], they built a nest in my lawn tractor! 

This is our front window. We've left the Christmas lights up, just because. 

There is a bench. Under the bench is a mouse hole. It's been there for ages.  Lately, we've been hearing them in the wall. None in the house, but in the wall, for sure.

The other day, I noticed that some of the insulation was out on the porch, some still in the mouse hole.

We've set up the trailcam at the feeder, just for fun. When the cats go out in the morning, Nutmeg heads straight for the mouse hole. Mice friends  

We've had a strange cat outside a couple of times. Last time it was Saturday night, Jan. 9th. It looks just like Cinnamon. Apparently, it was there at 10 p.m. on Jan. 13th.  The trailcam found the Strange cat   hunting for said mice friends. 

Saturday's Critters #370 <= For more critters: visit Eileen's blog!

New chair!

 Well, we've moved into the official lockdown. The girls have gone home, just in case. We weren't sure what the new lockdown rules would Be. Here are the new (vague) rules:

• If it is necessary for work, school or child care. Work or volunteering where the nature of the work or volunteering requires the individual to leave their residence, including when the individual’s employer has determined that the nature of the work requires attendance at the workplace.

• Obtaining goods and services, including food, beverages and personal care items that are necessary for health or safety, including health-care services and medications.

• Obtaining goods, services, or performing activities as are necessary for the safe operation, maintenance and sanitation of households, businesses, means of transportation or other places.

Sunday, Jan. 10th 

Poor JB still has neck pain, but can still get physiotherapy with all the protocols.  I'm sure it is his old chair. I knew we couldn't go to the store and look for a new one.  He tried my chair, and it worked out for him. JB dug out the paperwork from my 2017 new chair. I'd phoned Blair at 3:30 Friday, and they don't make this kind of chair anymore. They don't even make this kind of fabric, either. 

I decided we would exchange my chair for JB's His dates back to 2005 and it's a bit worrisome. I'm sure that's why he has pain.

 

We switched chairs. Well, my SIL and daughter did that last week. Bless their hearts. 

The store phoned Monday, and Tuesday they brought over a couple of chairs for us to try. Happy days! I had to reply to their pre-visit email/questionnaire. First they state that:

• Our staff are sanitizing their hands, will wear gloves, haven't traveled, aren't sick, have contactless payment.
• Then, they asked me: have we traveled, do we know anyone sick, do we have symptoms, etc.?

Bill brought two samples, as I had consulted with Bonnie regarding colours, styles. 

Ta da:

The funny thing is, Bill, the guy delivering the chairs, lives nearby! 

Then, as we were debating which chair, they brought two for my perusal, the propane dude arrived!

UPDATE on the mailbox [Maintenance during a lockdown]

I did it! I found one piece of wood (1 x 10) and ripped it to size. I had a ton of wood under the workbench when we moved in, but put it out for sale years ago with a sign for $50. (The previous home owner was a cabinet maker.) It was wonderful wood, but I knew I'd never use it.  I needed the space under the garage workbench.  A woman picked it all up (two trips in her truck) and promised to make me a woodpecker feeder. I've not seen it!

Maintenance during a lockdown

UPDATE

I did it! I found one piece of wood 1 x 10 and ripped it to size. I had a ton of wood under the workbench, but put it out for sale years ago with a sign for $50. The previous home owner was a cabinet maker. It was wonderful wood, but I knew I'd never use it. I needed the space under the garage workbench. A woman picked it all up (two trips in her truck) and promised to make me a woodpecker feeder. I've not seen it!

The Mailbox

Sunday night someone took out our mailbox. I don't think we were targeted, as Three-bay Road mailboxes were also smucked. Not as bad as ours. It was Mailbox madness, March 2016. It was right after a snow storm, so the plow probably took it out them. This time, it was deliberate. It had to be a baseball bat.

I cannot remove The Citizen box, we don't get it anymore, but it did protect the mailbox from the snowplows! 

Other mailboxes were damaged

People in my local Facebook group filed an incident report, as well.  They pried off the numbers of this box, four boxes damaged in total. Apparently, it happened at the other end of the lake community not long ago. We've all reported it. Apparently, an OPP member lives nearby.

I've been doing research. There are many How To videos. There are some things I needed to know. This strategy wouldn't make it high enough. The post is still there.

This is what I want, but Canada Post doesn't allow it!

I ordered a new one online from Home Hardware, but hadn't heard about the order in days. I figured, since we are going into lockdown (again - Won't MPP Hillier be ticked off now!), I'd best phone the store and see what they could do. Sure enough, they had the one I'd ordered. He offered to try cancel the other order for me, but I said don't worry, I'll do that myself. He instructed us to turn up at the door, and the box will be at the cash for pick-up. They aren't letting anyone in the store.

I assembled the new one.  

Mounting Plate

Last time it took me a long time to figure out how to attach it. I have the fun of attaching it in the cold, beside the busy highway. Until then, no mail! 

I checked out YouTube videos: my piece of wood is too slim. The box frame, that is supposed to fit over it, is 5 1/2", whereas the opening is 6 3/4".  They make wood 1 x 6", but actually is 5 1/2". It is most enervating. 

the mounting plate should be a 1 x 6"

As I stood here, the traffic was awful: noisy trucks roaring by, propane trucks, then, a car passed another car right behind me. My nerves are bad enough. 

I gave up. I don't know what to do. 

Gramma Camp Week 21

Our grandies have done virtual school since September. They've been in school a week this year. In the beginning (September), one girl would use my laptop, the other, their family laptop. They tried using iPads, but it just didn't cut it. The screen is so small. Fortunately, they bought new computers for the girls. You need the equipment, you need space to work, you need bandwidth. School cases of COVID–19 are up something like 110%.

They were back at it Jan. 4th, after a good two-week holiday! They alternated between our house and theirs all year. It's made a difference as both parents are working on computers from home. We upgraded our Internet, adding a higher tower, and unlimited service. Their school board, OCDSB, made all of their students do virtual learning from Jan. 4 to 11. Suddenly, Friday, that was extended for two more weeks, but rumours are they'll be out until February. Nearby Quebec has put in a curfew. 

We found out other families are doing the grandparent bubble, as well. We learned to use computers prior to retirement, we can adapt to this new technology! One family we know of moved from Toronto to the grandparents' town to seek help with child care. Another family will be taking in gr. 2 and 4 grandkids who have been going to daycare, but the caregiver cannot provide school support while virtual learning. 

I noticed this schedule (below) on Twitter. A family of five, with both parents being teachers. They don't even have lunch at the same time. 

Ontario Declares an Emergency

The girls were to be here this week. We found that caring for them has been wonderful. Kids are so joyful.

Our cases per 100,000 have been terrible. 

The schools in the Golden Horseshoe are closed until February. Ottawa is another hotspot (the big cities are hotspots), and schools there will be closed until the end of January. Kids are getting it, and they blame Christmas and New Year's parties. The increased positivity rates are reflected in the spike in youngsters.

This was the Christmas fallout...

Yes, we have vaccines, but is this large country, it's going to take time. The cities are prioritized, then healthcare workers, including long-term care and senior congregant settings. The ICUs in the big cities are getting full. They are sending people from Toronto to Barrie or Kingston.

Dr. Kwan provides excellent data

They are still clarifying the 'rules.'

It is ridiculous that people can still go to cottages...

Celebrate every meal!

 Saturday

The kids came over Saturday afternoon. The menu for the week was planned, as we've the girls for the week. Papa checked up on school work for next week. They are all caught up. It was a good review before the week begins. 

We ordered in dinner from a new Sri Lankan restaurant in town, Kothu Labs. It was lovely! Caitlin took orders, wrote it all all, then phoned it in, and then picked it up. During dinner, Saturday, I noticed that we had a Jean-Luc, Jennifer, Josephine, Joseph, when I looked at our order list from Saturday. Grampa thought we could call Isabelle 'Jezebelle' to make another J.

It was a delight. The kids have travelled to Japan, etc., and are proficient at chopsticks, as well as beginning to experiment with spicy foods. The meals came in a recyclable container, with the name of the dish written on the outside. 

Josephine had leftovers!

Sunday

The new teenager arose at 11:30. We checked on her many times. She needed her sleep. They are getting along pretty well. Isabelle is our drama queen, we have so much fun with her.

Jos and I went down to the trailcams.

Isabelle came out with me to clear off Grampa's bridge. He walks around the property, but has had to avoid the bride with the snow.

By the afternoon, Grampa was ready for his Bears game.

We gave Josephine the puppet making kit.

I moved the trailcam!