Skiing, Walkies, Gun Range Update

🏔 The west coast of Canada has been as messy as the east. Nothing like the California floods, thankfully. Jess was worried about their ski hills, what with their rain, but all is well after that Atmospheric River. They are skiing up a storm out west. The girls are taking cross country ski lessons. It's a terrific ski club. Jess teaches skiing, as well, as part of the family program. It is a great way for the littles to get out and about. 

⛷These are photos from the family photo stream. First Bryony! 

Cluny was in another race weekend. It's a great family past time. 

They have had a family skate! I miss them. We had such a great visit last summer.

⛄Here we are in Ontario, settling in to actual winter temperatures. Snow is on the way, they tell us.

🏚 Here, on Crumbly Acres, I went down to the frog pond. We've been in the deep freeze, and I continue to bundle up while doing my vegetation management work. It's warm enough working, but walking I have to bundle up.

Chad Coyote seems to be avoiding the trailcams, and walking on the ice. This trail goes right across the frog pond. I am reluctant to go on the ice, so don't worry! I've fallen and wrecked a knee on the pond. It's never been the same since.

Well, not all of them avoid trailcams. The first one had darker colours. Jan. 9, at 3 a.m.

2 coyotes from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinnamon seems to have had trouble coming down like a firefighter. That is his usual method of disembarking! 

Cinnamon up a tree from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Jan. 9th, we went to the frogpond.

Cinnamon icy walkies from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He took his time coming in after our walk. He had stuff to do.

 

cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🏇Proposed Gun Range

We still await the results of the proposed rezoning for the gun range. In the meantime, they decided to cover the issue: CTV News 📹   We await a report or two, or three. One is a Peer Review of the Acoustic Report, after which Council will vote on rezoning. Citizens want reports on the clean up, as well. Years of OPP discharging weapons. It is difficult being patient, but that is the best way to ensure it is done properly. 

Sadly, the news reporter didn't do his homework. He didn't even mention the two thoroughbred horse farms nearby, including Ian Millar's farm. It is all about the noise. I heard firing there📹 , Jan. 3rd, when I was out working. 

CTV News 📹 

Back home, safe and sound!

Dec. 25th we went into the city.Christmas Day in YOW It was fun. My Birthday Bash the 26th was amazeballs.
Our hotel room. Farewell. On the 27th we packed,

popped over to the house, and had a last visit. Jess and family were off to Montreal for a few days. They leave this morning to go back to Vancouver. Bryony will be crawling soon!

Dec. 27

For the third day in a row, Bryony and I were wearing the same colours!

Daisy was still in the cat hotel. Plan A was to take her in for 5 days, then, plan B was for a full week (their holiday minimum). Plan C is to leave her there for 2 weeks. We still haven't made progress, or a decision. We discussed picking Daisy up early (Thursday, Dec. 27th) on our way home. The cat hotel offered to open, even though they'd been closed for Christmas, due to the freezing rain we anticipated on Friday. We went to plan C.

Happily, she is taking her pills. Cassandra is a whiz. They post photos of the cats on their webpage. Good to know she is doing OK.

Trailcam

I'd picked up the SD cards on our way into the city, and processed them at the hotel. The coyote was startled by the light!

Bambi isn't so shy around the camera.


 A fox!




I like the sign. It's for a new development. "No trespassing" with coyote tracks in the snow!



At home, I filled the bird feeders, collected the SD cards from the trailcams, unpacked, did the litter boxes, cleaned the fish tanks, and I was all caught up!
The deer have been nibbling on my garden! It's been pretty cold.


All our snow is gone in the past few days.

Family trip to the Perth Wildlife Centre

Sunday morning, after our Happy Thanksgiving family sleepover, we all went for a visit to the wildlife sanctuary. There were quite a few people. From here, the kids went home.
Can you see the pig?!


Josee asked for the camera.
It was cold, but we warmed up as we walked.


Just to be fair, I passed the camera over to Isabelle!


They built a snake hibernaculum in the forest.


I told the girls about the wild grape, climbing up trees.


This is the sign you can see from the river. It is on the observation deck.


 An M.Sc. in Hydrogeology comes in handy! Josee was hoping for fossils. Caitlin said it wasn't the right kind of rock for it!
Sandstone from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.