Avian flu, birds and deer friends

 While we are frozen in, we are watching reliable sources. I hope this doesn't creep north, but I know it has made it to Canada. Canadian Food Inspection Food Agency:

Here ↓ is an American resource. I just hope these people are able to keep on doing their research. We shudder reading the news from the bizarre scene to the south. 

Avian Flu CDC in mammals in the USA:

🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌

I began the day by feeding deer. There were 11 on Wednesday morning. Who can begrudge them a bit of feed? They are healthy, and lovely to watch. We feed the birds, squirrels, Labbit, and love watching them, struggling in the snow. 

The poor birds are holding their own. It's lovely seeing both cardinals at the feeder, momma and poppa.

Notice the starling is back: 

Mourning doves and the wee Downy Woodpecker:

This is quite a coat. I am always nostalgic putting it on. When I first began teaching in 1982, I bought this 'Yard Duty' down-filled coat on sale. Back in those days we actually let kids outside for recess in -20℃. weather! 😜 I've had to move the zipper, and resew buttons, but this coat has really gotten me through some cold days. It was -19 ℃. and pretty chilly. I was wearing housecoat, jammies underneath and Joe's boots! 

My gloves are super, too. Leather with fringe, also on sale. They were made by someone local. 

Caitlin and I in a snowy day hug!

Around the corner of the house, they were waiting for me.

I asked Joe if he could remember any other critters 'doing bear,' but he couldn't. Deer fights never amount to much. This is how they fight, though, with those hooves. It's also why coyotes can't take down a healthy deer, that, and their speed.

I was happy that Joe's back has recovered enough for him to go out and feed deer. It's been a rough few weeks. I videotaped him from the back deck in my housecoat and jammies. 

They do have a heirarchy, and they know their place. The fawns like to play around with manners and respect for their elders, as they roar around. I think our highest number this year was 14, which isn't a lot. I think 22 was our max one year.

⛄ Snow Day on Crumbly Acres 🌨

You can see how the Great Lakes moderates the temperatures, with ice rain. Here in Eastern Ontario, we had only snow. The red shows where the ice rain fell. Toronto, and the Golden Horseshoe, were a mess. There was 1" coatings of ice here and there.

You can see where the ice and ice rain impacted Southwestern Ontario. Some 29,000 without power. This morning, 13,000 remain awaiting their Hydro to come back. School busses were cancelled Thursday, but things were cleaned up for today.

Let's set the scene. Feb. 21st, all was readied. We had a bit of snow, 3 cm. All I did was the sidewalk, knowing the next day's snowstorm was coming.
 

This is how far the cats went Thursday morning, Feb. 23rd! Just on the front deck, just off the doormat, no further. It is cold, too. This morning it is -14 degrees C.

What does a retiree do on the morning after a storm? Bide her time. Watch the weather radar, figure out when it was done snowing, and get on with it. I took some indoor photos while I waited. Setting the zoom on the tripod we enjoyed the morn. JB is watching curling, while I did my thing.

An American tree sparrow and two chickadees!

At one point we had 4 male cardinals around the feeder. Yesterday, there were two pairs. 

I love the morning doves! Queen of the castle, for a moment!

This is an image that shows how the birds are paired up. The male in front, while the female was in the chestnut tree, just to the left of the male. I tried so hard to get them together!

I like action photos! 

One starling. 

The fuzzy fawn was hoping for bird seed!

This was a bit of a fight. I noticed them going after my candytuft plants. They remember they are there, and dug down in the snow to trim them! 

Ears back, the dominant one gives a warning, while the submissive one eases off. That's how they roll!

Look at its face!

Eventually I gathered myself up, shovelled the back deck, the sidewalk, and used the blower on the driveway. We had 8 cm, not too much, dispatched forthwith. Ta da!

Oregano visited prior to the storm!

 

Oregano from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🎃 Happy Hallowe'en!

There are folks who really get into this, young and old! I am always impressed with the efforts. We don't have any kids around us, besides, the rural kids tend to go into town to get more bang for the buck! In the past I've carved pumpkins, some years painted them. My energies are elsewhere. 

We drove through Perth and found lots of participants!

My indoor plants include the orchid cactus and my orchid. The afternoon sun has been lovely for them.  

The afternoon sun means that JB has to switch chairs if he wants to watch his afternoon curling or football. Cinnamon did not mind. My chair! 

Poor Joseph Brian accidentally stepped on his glasses. You know how you need your glasses to find your glasses?! They are bent, and won't sit properly on his face. He's taken out his penultimate pair, and they will work for him until he gets into the optometrist. 

We are still researching our options for this gun range. A new article has come out and finally the OPP are talking to the media, if not the township. It's an article about the gun range clean up. The condition of sale was that the OPP clean up the metals. This is a good thing. We are across the wetland from it and we were concerned.

My mother's generation were crazy mad with cleanliness, warned about germs. Living in a forest and wetland, I'm not too worried about it! They were obsessed by bacteria.

Here is proof of my outdoor efforts, aside from the debris in my bra and on the bathroom floor just before my shower. (I find it difficult to keep that floor clean!)  Atop the ladder I'd taken a couple of photos. I'm not sure what to do about this. We had the eavestrough installers in thrice, as I recall. Maybe flashing? What do you handy people think? The hole just invites bugs and woodpeckers!

It's bare wood where they finally re-installed the fascia to allow the proper drainage angle. 

eavestrough from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

"Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results."     – Einstein.

Red squirrel went up the post and came down. I grabbed the videocamera, and caught it doing it again!

red squirrel from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The birds have been wonderful to watch: a cardinal, 3 female evening grosbeaks, blue jays, chickadees, several goldfinches. I videotaped them on the feeder last year. 

 

Sadly, a nuthatch flew into the window, and it has gone over the rainbow bridge. I decided to replace the now wilted hanging basket of flowers with my goldfish. The window, with these light levels are like mirrors.

Chipmunk has been busy. The 'bird bath' I could rename. We get a lot of birds drinking from it.  

I crossed off another chore: cleaning the hops off the back deck. It created a habitat for so many critters over the spring and summer. The railings are washed and the deck furniture stacked under the overhang.

We are making progress with 🍁Fall Chores!