The bat and the owls

 All I seem to be doing is soaking the bed and generating laundry. That's alright. I am trying to be a good patient. That helps my caregiver. Sunday morning, Father's Day, I woke with sweats and a headache. Tylenol did the job. JB did the towels. I am on the mend, it ebbs and flows. Sorry to drone on, but it helps me to write it out to piece it together. Your stories of family members make me think they are talking about it much. 

This morning (Monday, a full week with this), no night sweats. What a relief! No fierce headache, either.

I think this will make you laugh.

I practice good sleep hygiene, as much as I can. Waking at 5:30, for no apparent reason, means getting into bed early. JB with neck issues cannot read in bed, which has been our go to practice. He stays up a bit watching mindless TV, which helps. I toddled off, nestled into bed, and read book 6 of my series, which we finally secured at the library. People are doing a lot of reading! 

So, back to Saturday night. Things were quiet. Both cats were quiet. Nutmeg was sitting on JB's lap when something flew along the hallway. Yep. A bat. This was after 9:30 p.m., and I'd been asleep for a half hour. Nutmeg roared off down the hallway. JB got up to see what was what. Almost immediately she doubled back from the hall and went into the kitchen. He followed. There was a bat flying around the kitchen at great speed. 

He looked in the hall and the foyer for the long-handled butterfly net. It was outside. What bugs? 

It was flying around quite scared, and JB tried to grab it as it flew in its circles, it flew down the hall, flew into Izzy's room. He tried to catch it there. By this time Cinnamon was helping, joining in the festivities. The bat flew into the bedroom, where I was sleeping, and into my closet. He tried to catch it there, but didn't want to turn on the light. It flew back into the kitchen, then back into the bedroom. Everytime it flew low, Meggie (AKA Killer) was hurtling herself into the air to grab it. It flew back into the bedroom. I woke up when JB turned on the light. It flew back to the kitchen, he tried again, and then I took over. Looking up isn't good for his neck issues. JB put Nutmeg into the Muskoka room, as she was no help.

Cinnamon followed Batty into the bathroom this time. He defers to Nutmeg, but it was his turn. I think he knocked it to the floor. It was under the lip of the cabinets, screaming at him. I put the net over it, and then slid a magazine under it. (Birdwatch magazine!) I yelled at JB to get ready and open the doors. Carefully, as it was on its way to slip out from under the edge of the net. We tootled down the hall. JB held the door open, and I put it on the deck. Off it flew. We were all relieved, if somewhat awake.

It's not our first bat! They come down the chimney in the heat to get cool. The best was the time it circled the bedroom fan, while Daisy and Buster gave themselves whiplash watching it [Bat in my bedroom part 2 - the rescue]. Josephine helped me with one in Sept., 2020: Gramma Camp Monday. Last time it was Cinnamon that plucked it out of the air and dropped it in front of Josephine [May, 2020; Happy birthday to Isabelle!]. I find them fascinating. We've no rabies around here, but we are cautious. 

 I tried to get back to sleep. Hah! JB was about ready, prior to the incident. He ended up watching basketball or something until 11 p.m. Hah! I lay there, listening to a podcast, This American Life. Then, I heard a noise. I had to get up and 'video' it. I could not find a night time setting on the camera. I just shot into the dark. The video audio is set to a couple of photos. What a night.

barred owls from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The trailcam was up in the backyard. The flowers slowly disappeared!  It's bladderwort, as I've let the grass grow. We had three deer: a doe with some butt wound, our lactating doe, and a young buck. flower deer 

 

This is really funny! It's not mating season, either. deer chase

This is a wee doe, with something on her hindquarters. She really is quite small, as we saw her feeding after our dinner yesterday. I think she's a yearling, having lost her mum. We'll keep an eye on her. hippy deer 

I'm so glad to be feeling human again! Thank you for all your kind wishes. I've yet to eat anything substantial, but there is progress.

Slow recovery continues

 Another rainstorm last night. Thunder and lightning. It's welcome. Everything is dewy. I woke at 5:30 after being up at 1:00 a.m., the bed soaked by cold sweats. It was a good sleep up until then. I went into the living room for a bit, hoping it'd dry off. What a dumb idea! Still soaked at 2. I figured out to put a towel down. Now, what wouldn't I think to put one down BEFORE I went to bed? duH. 

The headaches have lessened. Night sweats continue. I've little appetite, but a bit more energy. JB forces me to have toast, and milk, which has helped. I need food in my stomach for the Tylenol. I think that's what made me throw up last Tuesday. Even the smell of food makes me nauseous. Poor JB ate his nuked frozen dinner out on the back deck! 

Beginning with body chills, and a headache, we treated the symptoms. I limited screen time, as I was on sensory overload, sounds startled me (which has been my new normal), and my brain wouldn't focus.  Needing to lie down frequently, I just listen to my body. I can read, now. What a difference to my mental health!  I've been listening to podcasts, but I realized most of them were violent, murderous, and not promoting gentle drifting into sleepland! I've been trying to listen to information about First Nations, Black Lives Matter, as a privileged white woman, but not this week! I got so depressed.

 My working theory is that it was a reaction to Moderna vax #2. The CDC says there are some bad reactions to #2, although the ER doctor said that isn't possible. The CDC isn't Dr. Google. This has been since last Monday.

OK, thanks for reading, checking in, or skimming, and thanks for your support. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

The day dawned, 5:30 a.m.. Unfortunately, I shouldn't have been able to see it. The sunrise, I mean. The aspen grove is decimated. See the fall photo compared to Saturday's...

It is lovely, but...discouraging.  I follow an inspiring Inuk man in St. John's on Twitter. He and his family have been through hell, but he continues on. I posted this photo, after he wrote about helping someone. I told him he is a "shining beacon in the dark." He writes of the blatant racism he faces. My privileged troubles are pffile, in comparison.

Caitlin, my clever, brilliant, talented, amazing daughter, came over to help us. Poor JB, with his sore arm, can't do any lifting. Like making the bed, for example. I made a list, and she set to it. JB had begun laundry with the bedding at 6 a.m., so it was ready by the time she arrived. She'd gone shopping the night before and brought me a couple of fettuccine alfredo frozen dinners. Cooking is not JB's forte! She did the vacuuming, cleaned the fish pond pump, checked the water softener (it did not need filling).  We chatted until the sheets were dry and she made the bed. By now, her electric car had almost recharged, she was good to go. We chatted for a bit, she told us of their post-COVID travel plans (Vancouver visit to her brother next March, a train trip to see her MIL out east in August, camping in our backyard!), and Caitlin went home to work on her new garden.  She is a beacon of light in the darkness. The tree of the four of them have had first vaxes, and there is hope. Izzy is too young. Our adult kids in Vancouver have both had their first doses, and are booked in July for #2. My youngest, I have no idea, as we don't talk. There is hope.

We had a lovely afternoon. I read some on the back deck until my neck hurt. I plucked more caterpillars off the hops leaves. You must choose your battles! JB held the bucket for me. 

I managed to eat the frozen pasta dinner Caitlin brought. I haven't had any vegetables in a week. JB offered me some V8, which is my usual easy fix for that, but it turned my stomach just thinking about it! I took my vitamins.

We settled into our post-dinner routine: finished off our viewing of the Britbox show, The Mallorca Papers. It's a murder mystery, with humour injected into it. Just the ticket for us. 

I made yet another trip to the loo, I am really hydrating, looked out the window and swore! naughty doe  

Then, I konked out and read in bed, turning the light out around 9 p.m. It all went to hell from there. There was a bat (you'll laugh!), and not one, but three owls. Stay tuned! Sleep hygiene vanishes!

One day at a time

Thank you, all, for your kind wishes. It makes me weep. I had a Lyme test Friday. It'd be good to get to the bottom of this, or rule stuff out. 

JB and I did my laundry. He can't carry too much at once, but brings up the clean clothes up an armload at a time. Poor man! I managed toast Thursday, and some grapes. The day before it was a banana. I've lost 3 kg! My brilliant Caitlin is bringing me Ensure today. She's coming to help with some household chores, but we're not failing! (Family joke!) As my parents were both dealing with cancer, and they lost their ability to do a lot, mom would tell me that as soon as they improved... they'd get back to normal. With our aches and pains, we are making accommodations. 

I've no appetite, but on this rainy day, we are cozy indoors, watching soccer. I'd a bit more energy Friday. The night sweats are terrible. 

I love these slippers. I took them into emergency with me Wednesday. They were cozy and lovely. After my hallway medicine, they wheeled me into a lovely bay with a door, shut off the lights, and closed the door as we awaited the negative blood tests. The sensory deprivation was lovely. I just get on overload. I did manage to read for an hour last night. My eyes haven't wanted to do that in a week.

I watered the hanging baskets, which I'd ignored since Monday when this began. The cherry tomatoes, the extent of my veggies, are beginning to ripen. I am worried, as there aren't too many open blossoms.  

Friday, I woke up with another headache. I soaked three t-shirts with cold sweats. Managing to sleep several hours at a time has been wonderful, however. I've little appetite, but my 'nurse' makes me eat something when I have some tylenol for the headaches. He even made me toast and a scrambled egg for lunch. 

The robins have flown, I realized that only two of the three eggs hatched. Since the cats were going antsy,  I let them out. I miss my walks with Cinnamon. 

The LDD caterpillar damage continues. The spruce and the roses out front. The roses will come back. The spruce, probably. It did after the spruce budworm attacked it one year! The difference is the sparrows loved the caterpiglies! 

They are now 42 mm long, May 16 they were 4 mm.  They could get to 50 mm. Disgusting little creatures, and you know I love my insects, and the diversity of life. 

I finally found a predator! He's a bit slow, though. They do have poison in their spiny things. It almost looked like it was sucking stuff out? Clever critter. chipmunk 

The milkweed are in blossom. Here was a virginia ctenucha. I was so proud of myself, AC, I remembered the name of it, just couldn't spell it. I forgot the 'c'. Can you smell the milkweed?!

We've seen monarchs, or the same one many times! I counted three eggs, and I shall hope for more.

Finally, the flags do their job. Our lactating doe went around. She's here every day. I think she parks her fawn across the highway in the forest. She begins in the front and works her way around to the back. We talk to her. She wags her white tail.

deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I am a wreck!

 I went to the hospital ER Wednesday at 7:30. They didn't let JB in. I sent him home. He did chores and got some groceries while I languished. (He's been wonderful, nursing me.) I couldn't sit in the chair in the ER, I'd asked to lie down, and I was assured it wouldn't be too long. I decided to lay down on the floor in the potential COVID waiting room in the hall, far from the actual waiting room. I put my head on my purse. 

A nurse came by and covered me with a warm blanket. Then she came back with a wheelchair. She didn't want me on the floor. I could barely hold my head up. I was having cold sweats, then hot sweats, and a horrid headache. They put me in a back hallway in the ER, and it was amazing to lie down!

The doctor checked me out. He decided to draw blood for tests, and put in a drip for pain. It was delicious. I haven't eaten much since Tuesday, afterward that meal I threw up. They didn't find anything. My white count is good. I wondered if it was a reaction to my 2nd vaccine, but he said I wouldn't get reactions from Moderna like this. They waited for the blood results, and there was nothing. I phoned JB to pick me up.

The first thing I did was have a shower. It felt wonderful. Then I konked out in bed, again. Today, we'll phone our doctor and see if I can get a Lyme Disease test. 

I slept from 10 p.m. last night, until 3:20 this morning. It was such a relief. Otherwise I've been napping. I sat in the easy chair for a change of venue, I realized I hadn't done litter since Sunday. It was awful, but what I expected.

While I was downstairs, I thought I'd check on the robins. The cats have been indoor for a couple of weeks, now. JB calls it their spa. At least there are two of them. Soon, the birds will fledge, and the parents will probably feed them a bit, so they are still vulnerable in the forest. Isn't this a hoot? It doesn't fit in the nest.

The Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) moth caterpillars are still doing their thing. People on Otty Lake have had them three years. They are displaying a familiar inverted V-shape, which means they have been killed by a virus. They say it happens normally during the 2nd year of an outbreak. Who said viruses were all bad?!

I need to do laundry, as I'm running out of jammies. Also, the goldfish pond pump needs a clean. It shall have to wait. Thank you for your kind wishes. I am just fried.

Monday!

That was a day! Doing my regular routine, I read the news, although it isn't like the old days... I loved newspapers!

Feb., 2012!

It's not too exciting a life. I checked the trailcams in the morning, and there wasn't much going on. I did some reading on the back deck, then washed the kitchen and bathroom floors. That felt good. I refrained from doing the floors just before the kids came, as that takes the pressure off! I don't worry about spills.

We had our vaccines last week, last Wednesday, I hadn't been feeling well Monday. Reading on the lower back deck, I lay out on the bench swing, and read about the KKK in Canada. Seriously. I was achy all over, including a headache, took some Advil and hoped for the best. It was a horrid night, too. JB brought me more Advil at 4:20 a.m. Let's see what I'm like today. 

JB has had a cough. It's been worrisome. I phoned Friday, and he had a COVID–19 test Sunday. The results came online, he's negative. This is a good thing. We think it's allergies. The pollen has been terrible.

We had a massive rain storm, thunder and lightning!  During this time, we had 21+ mm and it was wonderful. It just POURED!

The rains moved in and moved out. Glorious rain!!!!

June 14 rain from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I lay down at 2 p.m. and slept, tucked into my bed, until 3:45. I was cold, despite the heat wave. I seldom have naps. JB nuked me a quick frozen dinner. I took a couple of Advil, and used his Dr. Ho on my neck. 

We still have our robin family under the deck. The cats have been confined to barracks to protect the birds. Here are my baby robins from 2007! They nested on the eavestrough pipe in Bala.

The water fountain has been busy. I noticed a goldfinch bathing, while the hummingbird zipped around finding a drink. I was too tired to fetch a camera, so you'll have to trust me! Here is a bird who loves to bathe!

We went to the beach last week, but Jos thought it a tad cold! I thought I'd fill the kiddie pool, but there is a hole. I put it on the middle deck (plan B), but there was a lot of caterpillar poo in it. Back to plan A.

I emptied it, and will wash it, get a patching kit, and put it on the bottom deck. 

I just wanted to save these photos here. The LDD damage is horrid.

The Aspen Grove: June 6th

June 12th

The poor trees!