Saturday's Critters

UPDATE: We had 14 cm snow overnight, not the ice rain they'd predicted. Tomorrow maybe ice rain. If so, there will be power outages. We'll see you on the other side of that.

Friday vs Saturday!

We found a ribbon snake out back! Joe let it go in the grass.

Nutmeg on the front sidewalk: 

Butch:

Butch Raccoon is doing well.

   

 I've been using my Merlin App, since it is tough IDing spring birds from only their songs. This bird, Merlin told me is a red-shouldered hawk.

Guess what? It's a blue jay imitating a hawk!

 

The fisher turned up.

   

 The deer are impregnated in November-ish. They give birth in April or May.

 

Saturday's Critters # 589 <= visit Eileen's meme and Miney!

Cinnamon Walkies

 I took Cinnamon for Walkies. He knows the word, and either waits to go out at the door, or runs to follow me outside. He's so fast, the image is distorted.

The mosses are lovely. It began to precipitate. Cinnamon, if you look closely, is blanketed in graupel.

Back up to the house we went. Of course, 'walkies' might better be called 'runnies' as he roars around to catch up to me, and runs to be the leader.

 

From there, I asked if he wanted to go to the back 40. Apparently so.

Off we went to the owl tree, and I spotted some owl mute and a pellet. Mute is the white, but you can see the pellet on the right. They regurgitate rodent fur and the bones they cannot digest.

I looked around the owl tree and found a total of three. This is the limb where the owl sat. I'll let them dry, then dissect them to see what it's been eating.

I posted the pellet photo to our Crumbly Acres family photo stream, and Aster was quite keen on dissecting it. I said I'd save her one, or did she want me to mail it to her?! She's on the rugby team at her high school. 

We kept going in order to inspect the wood duck nest box. I could hear the pileated woodpecker banging away in the forest, across the wetland. It looks like it's been at the nest box. Non-mental note, I need to reattach the baffles. I'll have to remember a ladder and the staple gun. 

I think the cardinal pair are ready for spring. He's been singing atop the trees.

Our good news is that tonight's ice storm will be a snow storm. Sunday's predicted ice storm is still in the forecast.

🇬🇱 Greenland Beware!

🇨🇦 RCAF

I've been watching our Canadian RCAF Hercules and they are checking things out in Greenland. 

March 26th

We have a Hercules that traveled from Finland to Poland.

Poker 2025

🇫🇷 The "Poker 2025" nuclear deterrent exercises have begun in 🇫🇷France, during which they practice simulating missile launches with a nuclear warhead.

🇬🇱 Greenland

🇨🇦 David Frum🇺🇸  dual citizen

This is quite the story.  I've been following the action in Greenland. They don't want the U.S. there. They don't want to be taken over. "Greenland is separated from Canada’s Ellesmere Island to the north by only 16 miles (26 km)." Geologically, Greenland is an extension of the Canadian Shield.

Britannica has more information: Nearly 9/10 of the population of Greenland is Inuit, the rest Danish or 'other'. Imagine what America, with its ethnophobic administration could do to such a country. 

Most of their economy revolves around the fishing industry, with exports going primarily to Denmark.

 Apparently, a certain felon has been sending surrogates. There are protests. 

Trump’s Moves on Greenland
Appear to Be Backfiring
🎁 article

This 🇺🇸 NYTimes article explains the history. Americans have indicated interest in taking over 🇬🇱 Greenland since the 1860s.  

Over the past 24 hours, the Greenlandic government has dropped its posture of being shy and vague in the face of Mr. Trump’s pushiness. Instead, it blasted him as “aggressive” and asked Europe for backup. And the planned visit may only strengthen the bonds between Greenland — an ice-covered land three times the size of Texas — and Denmark.

🇺🇸 USAF has been active around and over Greenland. Unfortunately, the US has a military base in Pituffik. This is where Vance and his wife will land. 

In updates, what with the Signal battle plan leak, things have changed for the visit.

In the meantime, Canada is gearing up for tariffs. It is awfully complicated for the automotive industry. 

Also, they predict an ice storm with 20mm of ice rain this weekend. 

Crumbly Acres Critters

Canada is so very angry. There have been some benefits to the crises we face. Canada has become much more united. It was easy to trade products with the US, but it means small producers have always fought to get their products on major grocery store chain shelves. This has changed. 

This Election Is the Firewall Between Canada and Collapse 

The Convoy people (most weren't truckers) began using the 🇨🇦 Canadian flag (usually upside down) as a symbol of discontent. We've taken the flag back. It's being flown everywhere again, with pride.

Mark Carney (despite the new F* Carney flags) has inspired people. The polls have changed. While they are just a snapshot, it is a trend. We don't elect a PM, we elect a party locally, while they have already elected their leader. 

Once Carney was declared PM, the red line began rising over and above the Conservatives. 

Mark Carney is well-known around the world. He is an economist, his wife also has a Ph.D. The Reader's Digest did a piece on him. He met his wife (Diana Fox Carney) while they were studying at Oxford. They have 4 children. The far right is attacking his trans child, of course, who uses they/them pronouns. As a gramma to two who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, this is excellent news. 

🏘 We've had upsy downsy temperatures here at Crumbly Acres. When the sun comes out it is lovely. Nutmeg rolled around on the grass. She looked so happy!

   

 Cinnamon sat in the sun, watching for mice friends. I was out rehanging the Bluebird nest box, and took this from atop the step ladder! 

The deer ran off when Joe came home from his doctor's appointment. You can see the nest box. I should have sanded it and refinished it. At least I brought it in for winter. Mind you, it took me two days to figure out where I'd put it. Not in the shed, or the basement, it was in the garage! (But I'm not failing!)

When he came in, he tried watching the fishies. Nutmeg doesn't deign to do that. You can see her on the floor.

After I took out the garbage Monday morning, I shovelled the sidewalk! Hopefully for the last time this season. 

We had a fox visit in the night. This is an archive photo. We met *this* fox on a rural drive. It has a rodent in its mouth! 

Our fox came by the house, again. 

I was out walking around the house, looking for Fred digging another burrow. Can you see Labbit? It is from a video, but I was so cold, shaking, and the sun was in my eyes. She's just beyond the fence, under the leaning limb. Their camouflage is amazing.

Fred Groundhog has gone to ground, again. It's too cold. He tried to dig under the shed. I moved a couple of pieces of wood to block him. His burrow under the deck is flooded with melt water. The one under the flag pole is good. 

Rain or snow, or ice rain on the way, they have predicted. We'll see what happens.

Crumbly Acres

Toilet time! My anxiety causes me issues. It has since 2005. 'Nuff said! I'd love a bidet, but we don't have easy access to a power source in the bathroom.  This was to be my solution. It was a good idea from Caitlin. It was the execution where I had my problem.

Sadly, I think the shut off tap is past its Best Before date. It is really tight to turn. When we had the toilet installed, it was shoddy work and took 4 people to actually get that done! It leaked for 8 days when we were away. The 4th guy accidentally sliced through the toilet stack: The toilet issue (2019). 

I disassembled my pieces and assembled them from the package. Downloading the manual helped.

I tried once and couldn't figure it out. I was sitting on a foot rest, to get down to the problem. With my knees there are issues getting up. I could not put it together, and the connection now leaked. I called one plumber, but they were working on a private home, have done since December and had no one available. I phoned another one, and got voice mail. 

We went for a drive to get out and about.

We drove up highway #511 and found this. It's been awhile since we drove this way!

We popped in and they put us on the schedule for Monday. 

Our plumber arrived Monday, earlier than expected. Glad I'd had to get dressed to put out garbage. The job is done. The shut off valve was good, except the last plumber turned it too tightly. We'll see how this works out for me.

Our for a drive

This is a snow fence, doing its job. Nearly time to remove this, as well.

This is what our wetlands look like!

I really like these buildings.

Can you see? The snowmobile track is closed. They just have to remove the markers.

Big Rideau, and other big bodies of water, still icy in parts.

We are ready for spring!