🎂 Happy Birthday JB!

🎂Today is a big day for Joseph Brian. It is his birthday, and he has a cancer treatment (quarterly Lupron injection) in town with the GP. He told me he was happy to be alive to be able to have another birthday and a treatment! Thankfully no trip to Ottawa this time. 

He was supposed to have Bone Density Scan #7, this month. His first was in Oct. 31, 2013. Our Ottawa surgeon's office tried to book one in Smiths Falls, sending a fax. Finally, they faxed again, and Smiths Falls hospital informed them of a one-year waiting list for this test. Plan B they will try book him into an Ottawa hospital. We have such a shortage of staff here in rural Ontario. Normally they want you to have tests in your health unit. Not this time! 

His back is easing up, but I have to do chores that might risk pain or a further injury. It's been a time. I did his laundry for him on Sunday. We nearly ran out of kleenex, too, I had to actually shop. It was shocking. I wore my mask. 

JB took a walk on the driveway, as he hasn't been walking, what with the back pain. He had a buddy this time. Cinnamon goes out for an hour, then comes back in. This morning it was -7 C., and the days are getting brisk. Nutmeg isn't allowed out, she is a wicked hunter.

JB & Cinn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

His friend, and our kids sent gifts, which we will open later. Maybe we can do Facetime with them, if they don't have too much homework! 

We're still working on preventing the rezoning to allow a gun range nearby. Another letter to the editor has been posted online. I'm trying to keep the stress down. It's such a frustrating process, politics. JB is not supposed to have stress, not when you are managing cancer.

I got out the swear jar. 'Nuff said.

Just a bit of snow Sunday, more on the way. We've booked our car to get winter tires put on. 

🌴Caitlin is still in Punta Cana, having a blast. Yesterday was a new activity on the beach!

🐈 The cats have been happy indoors in the sunshine. I'm glad we have two who get along, finally.  You have to picture it (I've yet to get a video), when Cinnamon is on the top deck, Nutmeg barrels along and up. She glares at him, always looks so mad at him if he got the top place, flinging herself back to the ground. 

Cinnamon is such a happy, gentle boy. He's been snuggling in bed what with the cold!

Cinnamon & Nutmeg from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I've been doing Wordle. I think I was influenced by the ad! 

🐻 Snuggle Bears have had some inspiration. A Facebook friend has been posting terrible puns. The sign says, "The Bears and the new Watchtower!" 

Caterpillars, yucca, cats, frogpond

It's the season of the milkweed tussock moth caterpillars!

The yucca plant is doing well. It didn't blossom last year. 

The daisies are doing well, at least!

We had a cold couple of days, and I think it had an impact on some of the milkweed. The leaves look a bit odd.

You'll have to trust me. There is a bird drinking from the bird bath! 

The hops vine is growing well.

Caitlin took this photo when she was here!

The frogpond is still evaporating water like mad. 

June 22nd

 July 2nd, before the rain.

After the storm (13 mm rain)

July 5th

I predict it'll dry up this year, again. We sure need rain.

First hosta victim.

Second hosta victim!

The blueweed is amazing!

The quick red fox snagged a small portion of leftover meatloaf!

 

Momma butch and her 5 kits are still a family.

 

Jul 3

Canada has recorded a total of 104,772 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of January.

The United States has recorded 101,707 COVID-19 cases in the last two days.

Cats, birds, and others

The cats have been quite busy. Early in the week, it was really cold. They hunkered down on the front deck, not moving.




Potential craft.



We're watching the birds!

On our way home from the hostage exchange, I noticed a building was gone!

The girls have been bird watching. I've been feeding the birds, again. I'm bringing them in at night. It seems to be working.

Down on the trailcam



Butch 1 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Happy play time

Our daffies are coming up!
Things are moving into spring.


The cats were happy to play outside.




Cinn and Nutmeg from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The yellow-bellied sapsuckers are a hoot! Can you see him??!!

Yellow-bellied sapsucker 1 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


sapsucker 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Down at the frog pond, the wood ducks appeared on my trailcam. It's not quite set up properly. I shall have to fix it. I've ordered a new stand for it.

wood ducks from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Gramma Camp: Monday, Day 1

Sunday, March 15th

Happy dance for Cinnamon. He caught his first critter. Sunday, March 15th.

It's a meadow vole...

I texted my daughter and said we could clear our calendars for them. The sad thing, they'd planned a trip to Germany, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand in April. That no longer is possible. Joffie is now 12, and Isabelle is 8, turning 9 in May!

We're going to have some fun!

One parent has developed a schedule, posted online. It's pretty tight!

We're going to negotiate with the girls. They deserve a week off. Scholastic has an online activities page.


Personally? I embroidered this a few years ago... it's party time!



We've stocked up on library books. The libraries will be closed here, and in Ottawa, for three weeks.
My fear? Our TV has a bit of a problem. When it first starts up, it looks like this. There is a band down the left side. The rest of it is a reflection of the room.

The girls have some guidelines from teachers. (Both are in French Immersion!)

Monday, March 16th

Off we went into Carleton Place for the hostage exchange. There were few cars that early in the morning, but the vehicles that were out were hot headed and screaming into the city.

We said goodbye to Momma.



Grampa and I wore masks as we got out of the car. We had a fair bit of fun with that.

Unpacked, Isabelle asked if I could make her a fire in the basement. She did most of it.
Izzy made her own lunch. She managed to open the new pickle jar, as well as slicing the cheese and pickles.


As she was sitting, there eating her creation, Nutmeg appeared in the doorway.



Isabelle did  a Talking Pet video on my phone! They are so clever. It took me a half hour to figure out how to hook up their iPads to my Wifi. Typical old fart!

nutmeg from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


We knew it would be raining today, Tuesday, so we played outside while we could. We filled feeders, and then went tree climbing.



We discussed the tree house that is falling apart. Maybe a project will be to take this side down. The tree, bless its heart, is still growing.



A package came for Grampa. I sent Isabelle to the door with it. Grampa thanked her. I told her to ask for a tip. She did. Grampa said, "Don't stay out in the sun too long!" She groaned!



It was leftover meatloaf for dinner. I'd forgotten it had mushroom in it. The girls just set them aside!
I banked the fire, and they read at bedtime. At lights out time, Isabelle asked for a Gramma story, so Nebuchadnezzar came for a visit, and we joked that it was July and the girls were still here, they went flying in the forest.

With these difficult times, we've been discussing what to do about our health. JB needs a PSA test in a week, so we decided he would just go for it today. He can have his treatment in town in two weeks. We're gonna get through this. We've lots of food. It's freezing rain outside, but Izzy kept the fire going overnight. What a trooper.

Canada is limiting international flights...

ALSO NEW: Starting Wednesday, March 18, international flights in Canada will be restricted to four airports, and not admitting people from across the pond: Toronto (YYZ); Montreal (YUL) Vancouver (YVR); Calgary (YYC).

Our food supply chain is complex, and they don't want to close the border to the vast amount of food we get from the US. That said, our first three cases of COVID-19 came from people who'd been to the US, where they hadn't started testing for it.