Auntie Fred & MiniFred

 The first part of my day involves checking out the back deck. My ritual. This morning it was coffee while downloading trailcam images remotely. Coffee in hand. 

The other is checking blog comments! I really appreciate your visits. 

@Val: We have people coming Aug. 6th to clear up the tree debris. 

@Red: this is the 2nd brood for Phoebe. We have a wee army of bug eaters.

I don't know why I can't learn my lesson! It wasn't the cats. I am certain it is Butch Raccoon! Is this the 3rd time?! Sigh. I had a piece of wood on top of the bucket, since Cinnamon keeps drinking the stinky plant water. 

Last night's dinner was good. Actual home grown cherry tomatoes with broccoli. I was able to eat a pork chop. My jaw was sore, as I haven't been chewing much. But I'm nearly there. All roasted on a chilly day.

But the star of my blog post is an exhausted Fred. 

Auntie Fred, from last year's brood, has settled in at the shed burrow. Again. Grooming is important!

I found a memory card under my chair. It's been there since late May! (Don't judge me!) It had on it Momma Fred. I think Momma Fred was taken by coyotes in June. Auntie Fred is one of her offspring from last year. 

MiniFred is still about. Up and down the driveway... which isn't the safest place. 

 

She's been sharpening her teeth on the deck. Seriously! Sound up. You can hear her.

 

I have a fox tale for tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Stormy weather, Barry, Fred, and a toad

The news is bad out there. I take comfort from my American blog friends who are suffering as well. Things are tense between the USA and Canadian governments. States want us to put US alcohol back in our stores.  Wab Kinew, Ojibway, and Premier of Manitoba, (NDP), you got to love him: "No CUSMA, no BOOZMA!"

de Adder is a great Canadian artist

OK, back to nature. During the last storm, I noticed the down pipe for the gutter wasn't connected. In between storms I shove it together. Wednesday I screwed the two pieces together after I recharged the drill!

It was draining behind the propane tanks. I noticed something moving. A wee toad eating the bugs. Bless its little heart!

A toad in Bala, Muskoka. 2009

 I hadn't ventured here post-storm. It was bad enough on our walking paths. I circled the pond on the far side, and found more damage. 

The frog pond from up above

The top of the white pine tree snapped off.

I found a bone: hmmm. The critters are pretty good at clean up.

 Barry Beaver has been working. Thanks goodness. He has a mess to clean up. Ignore the date stamp. I don't like standing in a bug cloud resetting the time and date!

Auntie Fred has been out. It's been chilly, and I don't know if they are thinking of hibernating! This is where she hunkered down last winter.

The berries attract the birds. A great sight.

I think they've settled in, dividing the burrows amongst them. 

Crumbly Acres Fruits and Critters

 Aw, cherry tomatoes! 

The zucchini is coming along. I tried to figure out what the insect was, but it was too fast for me.

As far as I can tell,  we've 3 or 4 Freds out and about. Auntie Fred is tolerating a kit near her burrow. There were two on the lower deck burrow.

🦷 Trust Joe Brian to make me laugh. Apparently, I'm not too old for a visit from the tooth fairy. I've an appointment Monday. We shall see. I chipped my cracked tooth eating salmon and salsa salad. Seriously. We knew it was cracked. The options were a crown, root canal, or pulling it. 

This helps me drink water. Tis painful when cold hits it.

Everyone watching for danger!

Cinnamon watching the Freds.

This is Barry's trailcam, #75 was here.

And Barry himself gnawing on the branch! I don't know when it switched to photos. I do like watching their behaviour.

We've had a Butch Raccoon with a blond colouring. Here she is. Cinnamon was in the grass, and leapt out with speed and vigour!

   

 Fred is ticking off the Phoebe family!

 

Garden delights

The milkweed in the foreground has had its buds munched! (Guess who?)

In spite of that, I put some barriers in, and I actually have one zucchini! And milkweed.

Then there is my formerly beautiful, pink petunia planter. I moved it here, since Fred cannot climb the metal. So far.

They are growing back after Fred mowed them down. Fingers crossed!

Cinnamon was doing his part. The Freds bear watching...

 

Do you enjoy clouds? 

I had a pedicure. I match my garden art!

The Cedar Waxwings are amazing. I videotaped them, but used the zoom lens for photos, as well. They are so quick to move.

 I caught one on the Gardepro camera. BTW – Phoebe's eggs have hatched. You can see one flying about at the 7 second mark. Then the Cedar Waxwings do a fly by!

 

Fred is a tireless worker, until they are not! You can see dirt on its nose. Look at those claws! We've a heat wave and I didn't see much of them yesterday.

#75  (I think!)

Song Sparrow must have another brood.

Even the Pileated Woodpecker gave me some trouble. This is a screenshot of the video (below left). The 2nd image is from the archives.

Caitlin has travelled from YOW to YUL, to ZRH and on to HEL, Finland. She had a lovely ferry ride around some islands, then went by ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. 

This is the Russian Embassy in Tallinn!