It's a tropical heat wave!

Only we're not in the tropics.  Might I rant about the drought?! So far we are coping, and judiciously watering. I know it isn't as bad as some years in late August. It's not normal to go into August with the lawn so dry, though. 

July 2018

Aug. 28, 2021

Meantime, the garden is coming along. The goldfish pond hosts the fishies and one bullfrog.

The aphids are busy!

My lilies are wonderful.

🔥We've another state rep complaining about the smoke from Canadian fires, but if you look at this map, there is no way to prevent fires and smoke from crossing the political border. 

"Canada's boreal forest (270 million hectares) stores carbon, purifies the air and water, and regulates the climate."

Canada's boreal forest 

We've million acres of forest that is at risk, not to mention the lives that are affect, human and animal.  

So far, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota have complained: filing a formal complaint against Canada to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Joint Commission. The Michigan Rep wrote a letter to our PM demanding he control the fires. We've thousands of people being evacuated, and they are writing letters!🚒 The MNR has an Instagram account. It shows various means of fire control. The big issue is civilians flying drones where firefighters are trying to do their work. They ground the crews in those cases, defeating the purpose of firefighting. 

Ontario Forest Fire Map

People from the cities don't quite get it. 

Our township has finally moved from a partial to a total fire ban. It's a good thing after 🧨 fireworks set fire to the shoreline nearby, Aug. 2025. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have done the same, NS closing federal parks with a $28,000 fine if you violate the closure. I heard that 7 provinces have fire bans. 

 I recognize how bad it is if the trees begin to lose their leaves, or the great white pines droop. We aren't there yet. Trees are starting to lose their leaves, which happens in a drought. Our birds are loving the bird bath.

I've been enjoying the birds at the fountain. They are grateful for the water. Too many critters suffer, losing habitat, water sources, including humans. 

robin and ... ?

wood thrush↑

cedar waxwings↑

splashing goldfinch↑

There might be rain on the way. I hope so.

Bathroom, bears, rain

I enjoy the self-deprecating humour of fellow bloggers. Here is one for you! OK, two stories. I had two jobs: 1) to clean out the water fountain, it gets icky. 2) to wash the bathroom floor. Everytime I enter the bathroom, I figure I ought to do the floor, leave the room, and promptly forget until I enter the room again! Ah, old age rears its ugly head. 

There were only a couple pieces of toilet paper left. I took the old roll off, and threw it into the cat's water fountain. I meant to chuck it into the garbage. No wonder I'm not playing softball anymore! (Actually, that's because of shin splints at the time, but I digress!)

I should have hurried. You KNOW what happens when toilet paper gets into water!

I didn't want cats drinking toilet paper water. I got on that. The fountain is cleaned, dried, and replaced. floor is done, I finally remembered.

We had a bit of a clean up this month, more a decluttering, last time the girls were here. We sent them home with the bin of Lego, to donate as appropriate. The girls just don't play with it anymore. They read. A lot! 

JB kept three little Lego kits aside, and took them into town to a worker he chats with at the park in the early morning. The man has a son, age 8, and JB thought he'd enjoy them. The son made him a thank you card! Isn't that sweet?!

 🐻SNUGGLE Bears

The latest: bear reading a book about bears! "What Bears Teach Us" It's a great book. The photos are amazing.

Her friends wanted to her to read to them. 

Saturday morning, actual rain! Only 2 mm. It's been a really dry month.

You can see how brown and crunchy the lawn is. I went over it with the tractor the other day. In the shade, it is better. The front garden is toast.

I was so happy to see rain, I snapped photos. The poor false sunflowers are drying out. The phlox is doing well.

I went out to water the cherry tomatoes, and found a visitor. The first photos were at 9:24, the last one 10:54. I rather think it eclosed there. That's a long time for a monarch to stay put. I scoured the plant for the evidence, but couldn't find it.

You can see how the wings aren't quite flat. Eventually, they dried and he flew off! You can tell it is a male, since he has a dot near the bottom of the wing.

 We've still got female hummers. hummingbird  

A 10-point buck! 10-point buck  

The Fox was here in the daytime. 

In the backyard, I spotted the merlin. I found this archived photo of a turkey vulture and the merlin. They are so quick.

They just soar. I'm getting better at filming with my reading glasses on! merlin 

This 'n that and drought

Tis sad. The one monarch caterpillar I watched spin itself into a chrysalis, died. It just turned black. I am so sad. My mood has improved, thank you for your kind wishes. I'm just feeling gray these days. I'm trying not to let this all get to me. We have more. I have to remember that.

My faithful readers know we've had a drought. It's normal in August, more or less, not to have too much rain. This is ridiculous, though.

Perhaps we will get rain today. The irony is, I'm feeling well enough to go for a canoe ride, I have gone out once this year... I have half a mind to give it the the people who let me park it in the bay. 

I'm also toying with the idea of taking all of my books to the landfill. I still have 6 boxes of 24 books each. I just cannot move them, and it is discouraging.

Not only have I grown some fine cherry tomatoes, but these two plants are mini pumpkins, doing nicely, have seeded themselves. I used a tomato cage to help them grow up.

My water barrel was full. "WAS" I keep it for spot watering. No more. I think Butch Raccoon managed to twist the outlet and let it all drain out! Those danged opposable thumbs! I cannot think who else would do this! I did laugh. We anticipate rain today, although the garden is coming to its end, with the drought.

The weeds are growing well. JB watches Annabelle and Daisy have some fun. On the lawn common mullein and the blueweed. I drained the kiddie pool. It's drying. All the green? Weeds! I mowed them yesterday.

A sawfly larva, Diprion similis



Susie snake was back. My dad always called them Susie Snake. Thing was, his nickname for me was susie! But then, we had a dog named Jenny, too! Just have to laugh.

The goldfish pond is like a food court! I think we are down only two frogs, though. I counted 24 yesterday.


The poor fella has a hurt leg. This is down the hill, in the meadow. I hope it feels better soon. Coyotes are an important part of our ecosystem.