Off to the big city!

We under a lockdown, indeed.  My chorus frog survey has been put on hold. It's so sad. I really enjoyed getting outdoors and listening for wood frogs. This was a health decision, but the premier isn't listening to the health teams, more his cabinet and lobby groups. However, our government has backtracked, and parks are now open for kids. sigh. 

There was a terrible incident in Alta Vista at midnight Tuesday/Wednesday. They put the photo on Twitter, and kindly blurred the house number. They gave the street name. How dumb is that? The driver died. No one else was hurt. Stay safe, peeps. (Yes, I know I am preaching to the choir!)

 Yes, I am aware we are in a lockdown, but... we were off to the city with some nervousness.  

JB and I had our first vaccines Saturday morning at 8:30. It was a well-run event. We left at 7:20 a.m. and drove the 68 km, arriving about 10 minutes early, as requested. We were hoping for an appointment closer to home, but this was the best I could do. Everyone in our 60+ generation is anxious to get the jab.

It was in the Eva James Memorial Community Centre. JB had visions of long lineups, but this was a finely tuned machine. If you watch the video, you can see how the parking lot filled up between 7:30 arrival and 9:00 departure! needle  

No photos allowed inside, sadly. It was a sight to behold, with social distancing, all staff in masks and visors.  Lots of employees with iPads checking us in and out. They asked, as we entered the parking lot, that we were there at the right time. We were directed to wait in the car until our time slot was called.  They had a bullhorn and announced, '8:35 appointments times enter the building.'  

We went in together, as many couples did. A quick questionnaire, hand sanitizer, showing our healthcards, answering the standard questions: have you traveled, do you know anyone who has, or who has tested positive? They found us a place to sit until a nurse was ready. Monica was a peach. I'm not good with needles, and she asked about my favourite trip. I didn't feel the needle.  She was happy doing what she is doing, she told us. So many healthcare staff are burned out in ICUs, with terribly stressful work.

 We were out of there by 9:15. Off home we went. I was really hungry, as I couldn't eat before.

Prospect is an interesting little town, which we drove through on the way home. Smack on the highway between Ottawa and Perth. The first signs I noticed said, "If you are driving over 75 km/hr I hope you have a sh*tty day!" This is a high traffic commuter route. The speed limit through Prospect is 60 km/hr. I am always tailed when I travel through it, people outrageous I am slowing them down.

The next sign was a little gentler (see below). "Slow down, 60 km/hr"

When we arrived home at 10:15 a.m., I had breakfast. Next, off I went to see the trailcams. Totally unexpectedly, there were wood duck eggs! I posted the image to our family photo stream. I know Jos was quite excited about it. She helped me clean out the boxes. Everytime I go down to the pond I scare them off. This time, the female flew out of the nesting box, which is a bad thing. The eggs can get cold. Normally, they sit there on their eggs and listen to me with baited breath. 

The new Project Nestwatch guidelines tell us to limit our visitations. In the past, I've been able to go to the far side of the pond and watch them. 

Their incubation period 28 - 37 days: May 28th or so. The countdown is on.

Mickey Muskrat is back. We had a family with six kits in 2014. [Milly, Molly and Mick Rat, of the Perth Pond Pilers!!! ] They opened up the pond, and cleared out the phragmites that year. I was hoping they'd come back. JB's seen them around the point. This one was eating underneath the dock. We've had them from time-to-time. They find the safety of the dock comforting,  we've many predators out and about.

🔥Fire Ban update: April 16, 2021. At this time, the fire ban will remain in effect for all of Lanark County. The Fire Departments plan to reassess on Monday however firefighters have been actively fighting grass and brush fires for the last three weeks.

• Crews battle grass fire close to Beckwith forest – April 13

• Rideau Lakes grass fire under investigation Mar. 26
• Firefighters respond to rapidly spreading grass fire in Rideau Lakes Mar. 23
• Montague Fire Department  attended one of their earliest grass fires yet on March 17.

Finally, here is a sign spotted in Smiths Falls! I love it. A long story, but he's our MPP and a pandemic denier, hosting all sorts of protests.