A new burrow!

 Tuesday was our big trip into Ottawa to visit with Joe Brian's urologist. More on that later. 

The miniFreds have opened up a new burrow. Truthfully, Momma Fred (RIP) began it and I filled it in a couple of years ago. They are on burrow #8, right under the wood pile. I've closed up #3, 7 and 6. 

Can you see it?! 

It looks like Big Fred, last year's remaining kit, has retaken the shed burrow (#2). Squirrel #75 seems to visit.

This is the flag garden, nestled in behind the lilac. It was an attempt to video miniFred, who was climbing the skinny elm tree to the right of the flag pole. 

This is the very best spot for munching on milkweed plants! I'll only need a few blossoms to have seeds for next year, I write hopefully!  They seem to be their favourite food.

There seems to be two that always stay together. At least there is often a pair of the 4 kits. They are voracious. Watch as this one climbs the stairs and has full access to the garden. My dippy little fence is useless. 

 

 We've critters on the move in the night. I haven't seen any coyotes in the day time, but they are sniffing around!

 

The back yard garden and a Labbit tale

I really enjoy the lilacs. It is lovely and green in spring.

Our grandies back in the day!

But, here is the tail. Fred dug a burrow in the garden.  You can see where it is at #5, under the rhododendron.

Cinnamon inspected Fred's hole at one point!

Here is Fred in her burrow #5. We had a good relationship. She is sleeping and won't emerge until March or so.

It looks different in winter. The lilac tree sits dormant. The deer wander around.

April, 2025

Labbit is in burrow #5:

You can see some rabbit droppings!

These are Labbit's tracks. She's moved from burrow #4 to #5. It's tough leaping through the snow!

In the past, she's been eating the tender new shoots of the lilac tree. Fertilizing as she went. It's been quite a winter. I do enjoy seeing tracks in the snow. This wee furry critter is managing to get through the storms. It's something we all have to try to do. As best we can.

"We are in an era when the strong do what they will, the weak suffer what they must."

                     – Greek historian Thucydides, as quoted by PM Carney

Fred on Crumbly Acres

Fred Groundhog has been a challenge. We adore him. These are last year's photos.

I caught him in the act, in 2023, eating the pansies Emily was holding. 

This is the camera on the wrong setting. He is so fast, running to the shed. 

Fred has a series of burrows. Some I have blocked, like #1 under the propane tanks. (What could go wrong?!) #3 is under the deck and has water due to snow melt. 

Last year Fred dug out under the shed (location #2). I've since stacked the wood we had cut up from dead fall.

Last year vs. this year!

 

He's been chewing on the pallet. 

There are 4 entrances and/or exits under the deck. (Location #3)

We've warnings of another ice storm Wednesday. It's stressing me out! Deep breath. Our trees have lifted as the snow and ice melted. What a relief.   

Ontario still has about 280,000 homes without hydro. Broken trees on the wires, and brought down by ice.

Midland, Ontario

In the meantime. The water barrels were full. Well, one was. Sadly, Ms. Maintenance forgot to close the valve at the base of the other one. With cold temperatures, below zero overnight, I emptied this one to drain it, and tipped it over. Breaking the hose. Argh! 

Monday morning comes too fast!

 It was sunny Friday, and Saturday morning. The daffodils recovered from the frost. 

Cinnamon helped me, providing moral support, – or a distraction as I worked to clean the fountain. He is on the fence about 'helping.' Just beyond the fence are holes 4 a) and b). (There are usually two!)

Here are Fred's burrows. While I was working on the water fountain, I noticed Cinnamon going over to burrow #4. Fred had dug out some sand and grasses. Cinnamon had a good sniff. I thought that Fred was doing spring cleaning. 

 

Then Cinnamon rolled around in the sand and debris.

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I wondered why Fred wasn't working on burrow #4, off the edge of the septic bed. The skunk may have moved back in. Maybe holes 4 (a) and (b) aren't connected! It'd be clever to be beside the skunk for protection! I think the cottontail burrow is right nearby, as well.

I moved the Windscapes camera, I found some friends.

 

doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred Groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Skunk Apr. 26 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Garbage is out, and it is raining. The snow tires come off today. We'll see what the week brings. I know the day will bring us rain. Sudbury has ice rain. 

After the frost...

It was cold in the morning, but warmed up to 17 ℃ by the afternoon. I was watching carefully!

 Taking advantage of the sunshine, I had a new idea for cleaning up the fountain. This is how it looked before and after during. Usually, the algae dries up over winter and falls off. I've been scrubbing like stink. 

I tried a shower brush, (ineffective), then wire brushes (my dad's, better), and ran out of elbow grease. 

My t-shirt was covered in little green bits.  The videocamera wouldn't fit in my pocket and I figured out why. In another "don't tell the kids" moment, I realized I had my sundress on inside out.

The idea of the handy attachment for the drill popped into my head. I think the drill bits were my dads. There are three of them. I was bad to not clean the fountain before covering it up for winter, but you do the crime...  I bitterly regret not having a backup battery. I used to, but it pooched out on me. I worked until 4 and gave it up for the day. A shower was quite welcome.

I wanted to get an image, a reminder for the fall when I put it away again.

drill from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went out to work during my second wind, and frightened Fred. He was poking around the wood tarp and scared me! He had an old burrow there, here is #1b, under the wood pile. I filled that one in.

I think they have a burrow in the middle of this garden beside the flag pole.

Can you see in the hole? There is a paver they have dug under, and I hope my hydrangea lasts. Now that we have two, I'll bet there will be more.

The little twerper has created burrow #5 in the garden! It's great and rather hidden. Burrow #3 has dried, it was filled with water, spring melt. 

Back out front, I found the first lily bug of the season. Oops, time to find the Neem Oil.

I thought I'd take a photo of my tulips. You never know who will take a liking to them! Both deer and cottontails like them. 

I tried a snazzy photo of the Lenten Rose, but it wasn't focused properly. It could have been great!

Barbara asked about 'Labbit' but it is just a name  Well, we still use pet names for critters. Back when we'd see a bunny, one of the grandies would call it Labbit. That term stuck. So cottontail or hare, they are all Labbits, but, as I've been told, not all bunnies are rabbits! Now we've two, I am sure we will have more fun.

@tz_garden asked about the deer fence. I ordered netting last year, and JB picked me up some stakes. It worked really well. This is what we can look forward to later in the summer.