Busy times in town...

 Friday was a bit of a challenge. I realized I needed to get cat goop at the vet, and buy cat crunchies. I popped on a dress (so simple - fewer choices to make) and ran out the door at 9 a.m. Despite it being the long weekend, it was not too busy. Judging by the traffic I hear this afternoon (as I write this sitting on the back deck), things are getting busier. 

There was a loud German Shepherd barking in the corner at the Vet's office, right where the cat food sits. How can people let their dogs bark like that? She didn't even try shush it. I covered my ears as my tolerance for noise is nil, nada, niente! I thought I was going to throw up. 

This is what we hear all the time:

motorcycles from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is where Cinnamon went after I put the Bravecto on the back of his neck. He can't reach it, and it does an excellent job. He was not pleased. I was forgiven later.

 

We've a bullfrog in the goldfish pond and several in the frog pond. I wonder if my little fishies are safe?! In the first photo, below, you can see some orange in the lower left under the lily pads. 

Down at the frog pond, you can hear the bullfrogs. Sound up if you like the sound of summer. Muskrat had two more visitors, a red squirrel and a chipmunk. Previously it was bear, skunk, and a raccoon. It's a busy spot. 

 

Muskrat's dock visitors from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

On the back deck, we've had a regular visitor. It seems to be just one, or at least one at a time. A European Hornet. Bruce and Kit, on our nearby lake, had identified captured one, photographed it and came to this conclusion. They are harmless if you don't swat at them or bother them. The hornet, not Bruce and Kit! It reminds me of the hornet we had nesting in the pine tree one year.

European hornet from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Dense blazing star, I think! I still can't find the list of plants I put in here. I am that kind of gardener...

I've been working on the aquarium. Now, the guidelines say to clean out all the caulk from the corners, finishing off with rubbing alcohol to remove all doubt. Do you know what happens when you stick your head into an aquarium with a rag dipped in rubbing alcohol? You get a bit light headed.  This is trickier than I thought! I'll keep plugging away, a few minutes at a time. 

I had a swift conversation with Jesse in Vancouver. They've been swimming, paddling, and enjoying the long weekend. They'll go down well, although there are two families visiting them at their cottage this weekend. Yay, summer!

It was a rainy day Saturday, the first day of the Quinte Air Show. Maybe today, Sunday, with clearer skies they can do their thing. 

Monday is Canada Day, we will be 157 years old.  I'm hoping there won't be too many fireworks. We've American cottagers who set them off for July 4th, as well. 

Here is historical June vs. July rainfall. We shall see what the new month brings.

Saturday's Critters

We are ready for Monarch butterflies. The milkweed is in bloom. It smells glorious, by the way. 

 I headed down to the frog pond, having doused myself in bug spray. The deer are scarce, as we've a ton of deerflies after them. Look at the poor doe's neck.

 

bugged doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The bullfrog tadpoles are big. They live as tadpoles for two years. 

 

The pond is alive with critters. I spotted a turtle in the middle of the pond.

We had what looked like a young coyote!

 

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I caught him on three cameras! Two cameras by the house, Skunk peering into Fred's burrow, and down on the dock, inspecting Muskrat's work. 

skunk June 24 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I enjoyed seeing the bears out and about. They haven't been by the house lately. Never in daylight. Down by the frogpond, Booboo bear! (I think!)

 

bear June 21 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This looks like the older bear!

 

June 25 bear from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We're expecting thunderstorms, which will spoil the weekend for some. I've a grocery order to fetch, having ordered online. I should wash some floors, too. There is no end to the fun!

🕷Heard from a tick specialist: if you see a freckle with legs, it's a tick. Joseph Brian's Lyme Disease symptoms (headaches, chills and sweats) are lessening slowly.  This is a good sign.

Saturday's Critters # 550 <= visits Eileen's meme.

OPP, Lyme Disease, Bank Fraud, 🐭

Thanks for your well wishes. Joe Brian is on Doxycycline for a month. He is sleeping a little better, his sweats and chills aren't waking him up. He is napping and resting. I'm ordering groceries online these days!

When we went into town Tuesday, June 25th, to get JB's Lyme Disease diagnosis, we noticed something going on in town. I counted two ambulances, a fire truck, tow truck, and several OPP cars, lights flashing.

Perth incident from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Online, I found out what happened! TEN collisions, both deer and tourists are on the move! School is out, and it is a long weekend in Canada. 

“One car in the lane accelerated in reverse causing a crash,” the release states, causing two vehicles to sustain enough damage that they had to be towed from the scene."

👮  🚓   🚔 👮  🚓   🚔 👮  🚓   🚔 👮  🚓   🚔

I came in from working on my fish tank. I managed to work on it some, then decided to tip it over. That was easier, in a way. I have a new method of attack! (I'm not confident...😜)

The Amaryllis is looking good. The hummingbirds like the Goldfish Plant beside it. Those sweet little orange blossoms...

 

🐭 Sitting in the living room I heard a deer mouse squeaking. Seriously! Looking down the hall I could see Nutmeg. The sound was coming from Nutmeg's mouth. I went to see her and she ran downstairs, releasing Mousie again. It was behind the DVD dresser. I ran the fish net under neath and the mouse ran behind the elliptical machine. I gave up. Nutmeg was on it.

Back upstairs to get dressed for my bank appointment, I heard something in the hall. She'd brought her mouse back upstairs and dropped it in the foyer, under the net. Grabbing the net, I caught it and released it outside.

💰There is good news/bad news about our fraud incident. While they said they will reimburse us, after the fraud department called us, they froze our old accounts. Nothing in or out. I had to go into town to close my old account and create a new one. JB still isn't healthy enough to go tripping into town, our joint accounts will have to wait until next week. 

🕷Today's major project is to go in to the Vet and get anti-tick goop for the cats. They are due for a new dose. We woke to 7 ℃, with a shock. I shall bundle up!

I hope we have a quiet long weekend! 🍀

School's out for summer!

🕷Thank you for your kind sentiments regarding JB's Lyme Disease. He's still soaking 3 t-shirts a day, headaches, had a nap at 11:30 in the morning. I told him just to do what his body tells him to do. The rash under one armpit is really yucky. (What's with that?!) He's not hungry, but has to eat to take his meds. The blood tests are done, but we can't read them. I was listening to a CBC show about this White Coat Black Art, and in addition to Lyme Disease, there is anaplasmosis, which has up to 500 cases a year in areas with ticks.

🎓 In other news, Aster had her Gr. 8 graduation ceremony in Ottawa, and her report card is wonderful.  There were about 150 kids graduating Bell Middle School! Afterward they had a BBQ. Onward to gr. 9! Jo is done gr. 11 exams. Our Vancouver grandies are off to the cottage, also done school for the year.

 

💰Do you remember we were scammed by some awful people? The Fraud department phoned, and we're getting our money back ($1550). We are so happy. All in all it's been a good week, despite trials and tribulations. Patience, I keep telling myself!

🐠  We had someone in to service our A/C. We moved my fish tank to the back deck. She's a plumber, an HVAC specialist. I really like her! A strong, personable woman. It's a miracle!  We gave her $20. 

 
I have a summer project. Scrape the insides, use rubbing alcohol to clean off the old caulk. I can test it here, to see if I did a good job.

I had to move the reblooming amaryllis. 

I captured a moth and the moon in the same frame. It amuses me.

I worked hard on this garden last year, transplanting day lilies and Tiger Lilies to the garden.

I know. Needs work!

Joe Brian is under the weather!

 Poor JB is suffering. It began last Thursday night. Day and night sweats, chills as well, headaches, fatigue, stomach pains, rash under one armpit, etc. Two naps a day. I had to do his laundry for him as he was soaking 3 shirts a day. 

Monday, I booked an appointment with the doctor for Tuesday at 4. Trish called Tuesday just before noon and offered two appointments that afternoon as they had a cancellation. I told Trish I'd best pop a bra on, get dressed, and hustle him in! We headed in for 1:30. 

Into the doctor. Turns out he has Lyme Disease. The rash under one armpit is the Bull's Eye rash.  I dropped him off at the Lab for a blood test to confirm it and went back to the drug store for the drugs. By the time I returned to the Lab he was just done. Off we went home. He has Doxycycline pills for a month. Depending on whether it kills the bacteria, we go back in a month and he may get another 2 weeks of drugs. 

🕷Tick Data

There are lots of way to prevent tick bites. The big trick is to get them off ASAP with tweezers if they choose you as a host. Sadly, when my lawn tractor pooched out on me, I got behind in trimming the grasses beside where JB walks. He had a tick bite Oct. 29, 2023, and the pharmacist gave him the Doxycycline for it. He was good then. We'll hope for the best. Still chills overnight. 

2018 harvest

You can see that our tick count over the years is reducing. It just takes one, however. It was 2017 when they released the prevention for cats, Bravecto. You put it on the back of their necks. Works like a charm. In the doctor's office I suggested we slap some on the back of Joe's neck. 

McGregor Muskrat

Yesterday a dump of rain (15mm ; 6/10"). Happily, it cleared by the afternoon and I was able to read on the back deck after doing laundry. The wind was wicked, however, and my laundry abandoned the laundry tree. I had to laugh.

Yesterday, I wrote about ADLs! groceries, i.e., meals, are one of the things that must be taken care of. I mentioned the weasel I had to avoid in Perth. It was on the Dashcam. 

weasel in town from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The bugs have been terrible, sorry to complain. If you know, you know! Here is a horsefly. 

 

horsefly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I braved the bugs to pluck the trailcam memory cards! It was well worth it. Butch is well aware that McGregor Muskrat is camping out here.

 

Butch on the dock from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

And the big news is that there are TWO muskrats. You know what that means!!! 

 

2 muskrats from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The last time we had Muskrats (2014), they had 6 kits and ate and gathered (pruned?) most of the native phragmites to make their shelter. It really cleaned out the frog pond. It is interesting that they are building under the dock.

 

JB is under the weather. He's been napping. A lot. We have our suspicions, but we'll see what the doctor says. 

Activities of Daily Living

 I'll begin my post with Cinnamon. He was watching Mayday with us last night! We are working our way through another series, as well, City Homicide. Happily, there is a new season of Professor T. We've lots to look forward to. What miffs me, as much as A/C's wife, Sue, are the stupid advertisements on Amazon Prime. 

Got back from picking up a grocery order and I have non-mental notes to remember! 

1) Should have powdered my nose first. 
2) Should have had breakfast first!

3) I have to remember I am Joe Brian there! (Poor woman couldn't find the order.) 
4) Apparently, I ordered ONE Brussel Sprout! I keep seeing the 100g and figuring I ordered that. 

It's lots of fun shopping on a Sunday morning. The streets and parking lot was quiet, except for this woman who kept dropping the F–bomb outside her car. She was older than me! 

I pulled out of the mall parking lot onto Wilson street, and nearly ran over a weasel. At first I thought it was a red squirrel. This is a file photo of one on our deck. The one I saw was crossing the street, in traffic. 

More CHORES

I am still working on my 60 gallon fish tank. I've a plan. Either buy one from someone in the area (30 gallons) or I repair the old one. I cannot repair it where it sits. We have to find someone to help me move it outdoors. I have a bit more cleaning to do on it.

<= The ladder didn't work out. I was afraid of falling in! 

If I get a new one, I'll hope my fishies don't grow as large as Percy. 

I was thinking of converting it into a vivarium. This looks like a fun pet:

I know my long-time followers have been following our Ottawa grandies. Jo (gr. 11) is happy to be done 3 of 4 exams. Today she writes Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology. Then her year is done.

Aster is finishing up her gr. 8 year. She has a graduation celebration this week. Grampa is under the weather so I think we'd best stay home. 

I have some small graduation presents for them. They are a surprise. I'm not sure when we'll see them. They have so much fun with friends, as well they should. 

The milkweed plants are in bloom.  I saw a hummingbird feeding at the plants. I was too slow for a photo.

I tried a macro.

More fun! The petunia.

Here is the egg sack from the arthropod eggs. They hatched, and turned into larvae.                    

I am obsessed with the Easter Question Mark egg! Or Eastern Comma. I'm not sure. The butterfly is so quick. 

Hah!

That's all the fun I had this weekend. Time to go put the garbage out in the pouring rain. These Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) keep us going. It's the big test of whether you can stay in your home or not. 

Have a great week! I hope you have fun with your ADLs