First World Problems

 I like bacon. Moderation, right?! I'll often cook up a package, and have a couple pieces on my bagel in the morning over the week. Cream cheese and strawberry jam, too! 

You can bake it, or broil it. This is the way my mom cooked it: broiling, except closer to the broiler.

I like to do cook my bacon with a little electric pan I bought at an online auction! I love this. I pack the cooked bacon in a container and pluck them out in the morning. 

What I noticed is that it took me far less to cook it all. I went on line to look it up. They are about the same price, but one has 500g in it! My package has 375 g in it. I didn't remember, but this began in 2014 when there was a pork virus. 

Bacon packages shrink as pork prices soar

2014–Packages of bacon at stores such as Cantor's Meats in Winnipeg have slimmed down from 500 grams to 375 grams in recent months, in an attempt to limit price sticker shock. 

Noticing that I went to a local store's webpage. 

I know, first world problems! 

🐸I am excited, as I won a draw. We were out and about doing the Western Chorus Frog survey in April of this year after a break. They had a draw for swag, and I was the winner.  

I was a worker this week, too. This branch was likely to whack me if I didn't take it down.

Hard to say when we'll see the first frost, meantime...

I thought this was funny! You can read about the bike and vehicle turnovers. 

Ticks

After heat and drought, Cinnamon brought me a tick on Wednesday. They seemed to have died down. It was a nymph, really teeny. Such is rural life. We stuck it in the tick jar, with some rubbing alcohol. 

It's not been too bad for ticks. Ticks will be around until frost. 

🚲P.S. Our cyclist friend, Rick, has made it a long way. Bow, N.H., with some more to go! You can follow him on Facebook. Or read about his adventure here in Lanark County! 

P.P.S. miniFred has settled into a routine. She shows no signs of moving out. Unlike mother, Fred. 

She get up around noon, and seems to wait until things warm up from our cool nights.

Signs of a Beaver

Cinnamon and I went to the back 40. Roaring across the yard towards me, he had to stop for a pee!

We checked out the owl tree, no owl. He kept yelling at me to follow him around the wetland shoreline. OK, must be important. Look what I found, lots of evidence of a beaver. It wasn't recent, I don't think. The wood chips weren't that bright, newly chipped colour, but darker. I wonder if this happened in the spring...  

At this point in the year, the water is really low, the frogbit sits in the deepest part. There is no way a beaver could survive this over winter. 

Signs of miniFred! 

Meanwhile, back at the house, Sept. 5th, miniFred had some grooming to do. She isn't waking up until the afternoon, I guess she'll hibernate there. 

 

Crumbly Acres frog tales

The cottagers have fires on in these cool nights. There are so many fires across Canada, I have to stop worrying about that! 

I have a frog tale. 

🐸The frog pond is dry until we get more rain. (That usually happens in October/November.) 

Vernal frog pond in the forest:

The leopard frogs, wood frogs, and others are happy in the weeds and the grass. Until they aren't. I've been 🐸moving frogs from the goldfish pond to the frog pond after frost. I'm wondering is they all dug into the mud they'd protect one another.  They freeze and thaw in winter, which kills them. I moved 154 last year. 

I was watching the goldfish pond, planning out the goldfish transfer to the indoor tank. The frogs begin to move into the goldfish pond for hibernation. The big bull frog sits in the foliage and waits for prey. I'll have to let them be. We've no water near us.

MiniFred has been around. I worry, as this burrow, the part under the deck, floods in spring. I think it is attached to the rain downspout. 

Tall Anenome:

When we locked down for COVID, the grocery store gave me this in a wee 4" pot, and I've managed to hold on to it. Another fall chore, moving the indoor plants indoors! I keep checking the long-term forecast.

The wasps have made homes in the bird house! 

We sit on the back deck when we can. Today it should warm up. I carried this friend in on my sweatshirt! I cannot find any in my photo archives. Interesting critters.

Double-toothed prominent moth caterpillar

Here we go. A new week. The garbage is out. It is a cold morning. It was 8 ℃, I bundled up. 

Saturday's Critters

Things have been dry. We're not flushing every time we go. I make sure the dish washer is truly full before we run it. Joe has been shaving with less water. Our big problem is showers. It takes time for the hot water to reach the shower being at the other end of the house. I've resorted to running water in one of my two water buckets in the tub until it runs hot so as not to waste water. 

Cardinal in the wild grapes looking for bugs

We're keeping the goldfish pond and water fountain going, as the critters are needing water, too. Then I can water my hanging plants with the water. The hummingbirds are happy in the fountain, as well as the cedar waxwings, robins, wood thrush, goldfinches, etc. 

We've had quite a few critters! This black squirrel was funny. Just off camera.

The birdcam is on the sidewalk, as I'm trying to keep track of Fred. There is another looking at burrow #6. I don't want to fill it in if she is in there. MiniFred seems to come and go. Where, I do not know.

You just never know who will show up, though. The skunk came by. 

I've two squash or pumpkin plants (I forget!) and they aren't doing too, too well. See these lovely blossoms? They are gone. I blamed Fred, but I think it was the skunk ↑.

Bear, Aug. 2nd, he inspected the trailcam.

 

Bobcat, Aug. 2nd,

 

There was gunfire most of the day Aug. 3rd. I worry about our deer. Here is a buck and a doe hanging about.

 

They were down at the frog pond trailcam, as well. Mind you, it's a vernal pond, and all dried up now!

 

For more critters: 

Saturday's Critters # 609

Fred & miniFred

I wrestle with naughty Fred. I do love her, and her little kit. I'd blocked her 3rd or 4th attempt to get back to the hole under the garage at burrow #6. For a while she behaved!

Fred was doing some nest building at burrow #2 under the shed. 

The active burrows continue to be #s 2, 3, 4, 5, and again #6! My big fear is blocking her in and killing her. I am treading on the side of humane, as that would haunt me. I can only fill in the latest burrow if I see both Fred and miniFred out on the lawn at the same time. 

Apparently, I did not do a good enough job. 

She moved the log off of the tarp↕! Then pulled and shredded the tarp in the hole. 

Here are the two of them.

 

MiniFred

 

Turns out miniFred was on the driveway! Trimming weeds for me.

   

 I put the Wingscapes camera on the sidewalk. Busted!

 

She always disappears in August to go to her winter burrow. I have to figure out when that happens and act. I was thinking rocks or gravel. Maybe logs.