Water fountain, A/C, critters

What a heat wave we have! This was first thing in the morning, overnight temperatures...

By the afternoon...

Our air conditioner doesn't seem to be able to lower the indoor temperature below 25 C. As I edit this, yesterday's  indoor 'low' was 26 C. I wonder how much a new one costs?!  About $3500. Ah well. This one is over 20 years old, according to the sticker. It doesn't owe us anything. We're getting a new one Monday. We've a slush fund for emergencies. 

I posted about our lilies, Lawn and Flowers. and Wednesday morning, the flowers in the first photo, and more, were nipped in the bud! The third hosta was partly targeted, as well. Oh, my. She's a pretty little deer.

I've ONE left, and I DID bring it indoors! Goofy deer. She has a whole forest.

COVID–19

We're still doing well lowering the COVID–19 cases. I'm happy with the southeastern Ontario results, as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) had most of our Ontario cases, which are now going down. 

We need testing, information, and contact tracing. This has done us well. The poor US. A couple of days with 50,000 new cases, then, yesterday, 60,000 new cases. 

Their infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci, rumour has it he's not allowed to appear on TV anymore. He speaks truther, oops, no the White House is full of truthers and liars. He speaks the truth.

Forest Critters

Down in the forest, the fawn was yelling at the camera, or the bugs! We'll call her a she. She's awfully cute, and likes her selfies.

I knew something was at it. This is how the camera usually sits, with a small stick to angle it, to keep it focused on the ground. It was missing when I arrived. I knew something was up. I was quite excited, actually, as I often wonder what goes on in the forest. 

Sure enough... a curious bear. I laughed. 

Walkies

JB went for his regular early morning walkies in town. It's cooler at 6 or 7 a.m., and a lovely walk. My back hurts too much, walking. I've been exercising indoors.

JB spotted some friends. A pair of muskrats, but also a snapping turtle, who chose not to surface for a photo-op. I really like the first one, rather artsy! The texture in the water is wonderful.

This is the fish that got away! A biggie. Honest, he tells me...

And, a hare.

Oh, Canada!

Just in case Canadians thought that Americans cornered the market on conspiracy theories and crazies, we shouldn't be so smug. These were people protesting on Canada Day! Covidiots!

It's an interesting action. Canada's new cases are going down. Why would they want to risk their family, friends, or fellow humans in society? 

This plane circled three times. Hard to tell what they were up to!

                          

Anyway, it's been HOT. Really hot. And the bugs are bad. We had a heat warning throughout southern Ontario. The air conditioner is rumbling along. What a relief.

We had heat and thunderstorm warnings. I was hopeful, finally!

We've been entertaining the kidlets. 

We spent a lot of time indoors. It is just too buggy and HOT. Fortunately, I'd planned ahead. Jos worked like a demon on the puzzle.  She put everything together, and was missing THREE PIECES! Oh, no! She told me about a puzzle they have at home. It's of the periodic table (I know, geeks!), and is missing one piece. Anyway, we looked under the couch and found two. Then, we moved the coffee table, and there we are! 

Of course, I had another puzzle tucked away, 'Tropical Waters'. She began this one, and finished it, with a helper. Of course, I took a photo of the last piece!

The vernal frogpond is drying up. So sad. The remaining bullfrog tadpoles (who are tadpoles for 2 years), will hunker down in the mud, as well as the other critters. 

On my way back up to the house, I spotted a doe, and then a buck.

The deer have eaten this hosta. I have more, for their dining delight!

The bugloss is magnificent. We water it. I just have to. There are so many bugs that depend upon it. There is a massive thistle. I anxiously await its bloom!

Our goldfish are doing well. The one has really grown. The pond liner is not doing well. I should have draped foliage over it, or covered up the black liner with rocks. It is starting to deteriorate. I don't know what I'll do.

Thursday is our order-dinner day. I ordered pizza online. Poor Grampa can't eat it (no dairy, yeast or eggs), so he had a frozen dinner. I asked if the girls wanted a TV dinner, as they hadn't finished their afternoon movie (late start!), but Jos said no, she'd prefer to eat with us!

The good news is that we truly had rain! About 10 mm during the storm, but another front moved in and topped it up. Everything flora has expanded, the ground can expand, and it smells wonderful.

Hot and no rain in sight

Despite the lack of rain, the trees are doing well. These are the chestnuts beginning to form.

My rose bush, hidden by an evergreen since removed, has flourished. 

Here is our last large Catalpa tree. It is in full bloom. (The other one has died.)

The milkweed are lovely and fragrant, just beside the front porch. We anxiously await the monarchs!

The petunias I managed to grab at our local nursery, although flowers were scarce, are looking great.

My Peace rose.

The hops vine is reaching higher!

Doe in the field. Grampa walks in town, almost every morning. He regularly sees a rabbit. This morning, he spotted out doe. 

Indoors, my orchid is throwing out some new buds, as well as a new leaf. I'm so happy I haven't killed it!

It's been terribly hot. The poor girls. We trot down to the trailcams and run back. The bugs are awful. You can see the fawn just shaking its head for the bugs.

 

Josephine and I watched some news, and we had some good discussions about Black Lives Matter, for example. Izzy was in the basement reading. 

To quote John Pavlovitch:

"If there is evidence of privilege, it's to feel so insulated from adversity, so inoculated from suffering, so immune from struggle, so unaffected by reality—that you could simply turn off the news, because the act feels inconsequential to your existence."

New Canadian COVID–19 cases are slowing down.

Ontario: new cases

Each day shows new cases reported since the previous day ·
Updated less than 40 mins ago·

Source:Wikipedia

·

About this data

The USA is having 50,000 new cases each day. We aren't opening up our border anytime soon. The problem is, citizens who are unemployed cannot get tested. It costs them $199. Our Canadian truckers are saying that people are walking away from being tested for that reason. 

I brought out a 500-piece puzzle, which was a hit! We worked on it over several periods during the day. I think we'll finish today.

JB and I sat on the back deck while the girls watched their afternoon video. As we sat there, Fred gopher appeared.

I grilled hamburgers for dinner. Then, dessert!

Still working! I brought out the card table for a place to sort the pieces! They have unusual shapes, which makes it a good challenge.