Thursday 28 July 2022

Cinnamon, Fred, the bat

I had a bad day Wednesday. The fight to get the eaves fixed properly is wearing me thin [Our eavestrough replacement]. I remember when we had the new toilet installed, it took 6 tries to get it to stop leaking. Next time we use a real plumber. 

This thing ain't over: 😷COVID-19 We've gone from 4 in hospital July 14th, to 12 reported yesterday. Not a lot, but it is a trend upwards. 

Anyway, JB did chores in town, happily masked. He brought me home a rose! Cinnamon inspected it!


During the day, I spotted Cinnamon sitting on the pile of gravel. That was curious. I found a hole where Fred the groundhog must have dug a home. I videotaped Fred on Sunday, but I haven't seen him since. I'll keep an eye out!

Sad news, the pond pump died. I ordered a new one, after some research. I don't think they need it, they are pretty hardy goldfish, but all I can do is wait for the delivery. Percy seems fine, and there is a goodly amount of water. I'll hope for rain, and hope that the eaves works this time. The water drains from the gutter into the water barrel and into the goldfish pond. Cross your fingers for me!


First Monarch caterpillar of the season!

Serendipity... I took the camera out, with the zoom lens to try and photograph the cedar waxwings on the serviceberry bush. By the time I hooked the camera up on the unipod, and got out there, they were gone. 

What I spotted were caterpillars on the Austrian pine tree. I bought a pair of these, on sale, in the early years here. They haven't exactly thrived, but they are growing slowly. I shall have to research them. They don't seem to have denuded it at all. I'll watch them.

Bat in the Belfry

 That was a really good example of bad sleep hygiene. We had watch the last episode of Murder en provence, and had wound down for the night. We'd had a quiet day, aside from having the chimney cleaned, I had a new library book to read and I'd plowed through 100 pages of my new book, which JB had fetched for me earlier in the day.

Bedtime, with the TV just turned off, I looked up and spotted a bat flying around the living room. Grabbing the butterfly net, I tried to grab it, but it was too fast for me. JB suggested we just open the back door, as it was trying to fly out there, but I didn't want to let the cats out. Batty flew around the kitchen, up and down the hall. It was so stressed. They come in in summer sometimes, through the chimney trying to get back out.

Happily, not for the bat, Cinnamon whacked it out of the air and it lay upside down, in shock. "What the heck?" chittering at us all. I netted it, and it kept on chittering at me complaining loudly. JB guarded the door from the cats, and I let it go outside. It was dark, and it happily flew off. Whew. I went to bed to read, and try to settle into sleep mode. It was tough! 

It wasn't our first bat, and won't be the last. 

Traveling Home!

As I write this, the kids are sitting in the Amsterdam airport waiting for their flight back to Toronto. It will be at least an hour late leaving, and they are waiting patiently in the lounge. They will probably miss their flight from Toronto back to Ottawa, but there are lots of flights on that route.

18 comments:

Patio Postcards said...

As we are about to begin bathroom renos I'll heed your warning about toilets & proper plummers. I do not like bats at all & yes I know they are good for the most part in catching nasty insects, but they are the reason I won't sit out at night in the garden, they seem to amuse themselves dive bombing me!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Quite the eventful evening! I do pray you get those roans fixed properly... YAM xx

CanadianGardenJoy said...

OMG Jenn ... you are a better woman than I ! ... I remember years ago in another home when a mouse got in .. I was walking on the furniture until John was able to get it .. semi isolated posting in the country has a lot of wildlife ? .. so if we had a bat , I guess I would be crawling on the floor until some one got it out ? Cinnamon seems to be in control o the situation no matter what animal ? haha ... aside from Covid ... is Monkey pox coming to town ? .. these years of plagues are wearing people out and we are getting careless. Great pictures ! good luck with the eves ?

Tom said...

...that doesn't look like serviceberry, it looks like invasive honeysuckle!

RedPat said...

JB is quite a guy to bring you a rose.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Covid refuses to give up. Glad you two are masking up.

Good for Cinnamon swatting the bat. It was definitely wanting outside. My neighbors used to have bats in their attic, but didn't know it until they went searching for the noise they made.

Your family has been on a trip of a lifetime and I am so glad you shared their photos with us. Such wonderful photos from all over Europe.

I hope you feel better soon.

Penelope Notes said...

Fingers crossed for the goldfish!

Nancy J said...

Let the spouting work properly this time. Travellers, sometimes a fine line between arrivals and the next flight.

Elephant's Child said...

I will keep my fingers crossed about the fish and the pumps.
Thank you for rescuing the bat - and I am so glad it was able to fly off.

Cloudia said...

Thank you for rescuing the bat and for sharing your days with us. Yes, I'm crossing my fingers for you!

Olga said...

It is a real source of aggravatin trying to get anything fixed these days.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Here in Oklahoma it is like Covid is sweeping through those of us with multiple jabs. Cases are really high and that only includes those tested in a hospital.

I hate having problems with home repairs.

I'll keep my fingers crossed on your pump!

William Kendall said...

My aunt is terrified of bats.

William Kendall said...

My aunt is terrified of bats.

The Furry Gnome said...

Exciting trip for those kids!

DrumMajor said...

That's a powerful cat to swat the bat down! Hoping she didn't bite it in the process and has her current rabies vaxes. Any chance to install a screen in the chimney flue? Linda in Kansas

Jeanie said...

Good grief. No wonder you needed a day out (from your most recent post!) That's enough stress to get anyone crazy!

Anvilcloud said...

I hope the fish manage until the pump arrives.