In the yard...

Look at the tulips! This is why I take photos of them. I think the rabbit did it, but who knows? The first photo I took with my iPhone last week, the second this week. Flowers nipeed and falling over.

Someone chopped off the top of a milkweed plant. I ordered seeds, but they haven't arrived. We had a late frost several years ago and it fried a lot of them. I have about a dozen plants. OK, eleven!

I set out the trailcam on the sidewalk. Look who I busted!

Fred busted from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

FRED: I took away the logs, laid down some chicken wire, and put the barriers back up. I was so tired! Take that, Fred! Thanks for all the good suggestions. I think I am winning! ✊

For posterity, I took photos of the rhododendron! May 18, 20 & 22.

I thought this through, and came up with a plan to refix this planter. This is the second time I've done this. The first year it was amazing (2018), planted and nurtured in the greenhouse until I got my hands on it. 

 The garbage bag liner has fallen apart. Then I duct taped it. Time for a new look. 

I had a piece of liner from redoing the goldfish pond. We'll see if this works out. 

There we go! The liner is very black, and gets ruined in the sun. I spray painted it.

I had a faithful helper. OK, Cinnamon's not much of a helper, more just moral support. He follows me from the back to the front garden, and back again to the back. Lying down on the job, just like Fred.

I moved the orchid cactus plant outdoors, shifting Frosty to stand beside Bear who has a new t-shirt. It's like redecorating! 

We rested from our work, sitting on the lower deck. Along came a centipede, minding its own business. I was happy to shower and rest! Wednesday was too hot to garden very much. It was 33 ℃ and that is really hot in the sun. It climbed a couple of degrees after I took this!

Saturday's Critters

BIG NEWS: April 5th: 

The Appeal for the gun range has been denied!!! 🎉  🙌  You can read what we went through to prevent this in our backyard. I am so happy. The report is 22 pages long, but this is the crucial bit:

That was a storm. I feel badly for so many. There were lots of power outages, two days later, but Hydro has brought up 312,000 customers who lost power in the storm, here and in the US.

🐇  🐈  🐸  🐭  🐇  🐈  🐸  🐭  🐇  🐈  🐸  🐭  

Saturday's Critters

Poor Frosty is cold! I gave them a little rain jacket. At this point I think Frosty is non-binary. We'll use gender neutral pronouns. When I remember! It is good practice. It is a new era of respect and understanding. 

The deer are hungry. They disappeared for the duration of our warm spell, and came back after the storm.

Before the precipitation (14 mm rain, followed by 16 cm of snow), Labbit has been in the front yard. 

Labbit run from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There are mice friends under the back door bird feeder. Apparently there are two happy Labbits!

  

2 Labbits March 28 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

"Harley" is the visiting Harlequin Tabby. We know not from whence he came. Why know why: mice friends!

Harley & mice friends from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It is difficult to fathom that March 28th the wood frogs and spring peepers were doing their mating rituals! They were back last night, but they cannot be happy! The frog pond is mostly melted. 

 

frog pond March 28 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Bun-bun was here so long I sped up the videos. Up above it, the bird feeder. The birds have been doing throw downs!

Munching Labbit from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It was only last week that I realized there are two cottontail bunnies! This day, they had a buddy.

 

Cottontails and deermouse from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I shot this through the front window. I added music for fun. (Better than the morning news show!) Momma is nibbling on the lilac buds. She is good at pruning!

deer in snow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Saturday's Critters # 538

Frosty's repaint and repairs

 Poor old Frosty. I was trying to figure out how old he is. Mom died in 2006, Dad in 2007, so I think he dates back to at least 2005-ish. They weren't in any condition to shop much after this. It could be older! 

I made his arms from dowels one year, as he looked odd in a t-shirt, for example, and put hands on him, as well! You can see more here: Frosty-the-snowman AKA Mr. Dress-up. One Easter he was wearing rabbit ears. In 2012, his October pumpkin costume. 

We commissioned a new hat from Kim, Jiny's husband, this summer. It had fallen apart in winter.

He came and attached it. It was a lovely day to work outside, Frosty is gazing across the driveway. 

I took my hand sanding equipment down to him. Sanding did little good.  

Giving up, I brought him back to the house. 

His boots were broken off, and I re-braced them with three more braces. I don't remember putting on the old rusty brackets, so either my dad did it, or I did it awhile ago!

 I repainted his nose orange. 

I covered his black shoes, having repainted them black a day ago, with green painter's tape. First coats of white paint, it took several coats, and I have to keep going. It wasn't quite enough.

Funnily enough, I lugged the umbrella back to the shed the day before, having not used it all summer. We had rain in the forecast, and the white paint is latex. I didn't want to take a chance. Of course, the rain didn't amount to much.

Another coat the next day. I figured out how to do his button eyes and nose. Kim had given us the black enamel can of spray paint he'd used on his top hat. I was figuring out how to use it and thought of this idea. I sprayed it into a cap, and used a fine paint brush. 

My hands were covered in black paint. This is a cool container I refilled with nail polish remover. I've seen them at the nail salon and thought it perfect. You just press down on the top and the liquid comes out.

I still couldn't get all the paint off, despite hot water and soap. Applying Skin So Soft on dry hands soaked it up, I washed my hand again, and most of the paint was gone. Except for under my fingernails. That required more intervention.

I kept at it. I used to hate not completing a job in one day. It was worth it taking my time. Next up was Frosty's cheek blush. I have a hard enough applying my make up. This required some creativity. I wrapped some cotton balls in fabric, spray painted it, and dabbed. Now his left cheek blush is lower than his right, but that's how I roll! I used the Skin So Soft, again, and it all washed off.

There we have him! Not a bad job. I'll move him onto the front deck for winter. 

Good as new! 

Frosty, tree frog, et al

I am looking for someone who could make me a new hat for old Frosty. He's a bit the worse for wear. (Aren't we all?! 😏) Repainted a several times, he may be beyond fixing. 

 

There is a wee tree frog hiding between the rain gauge and the railing. It's fun to see it peeking out.

The Hops plant is doing very well. I noticed it is coming up on the railing in another spot, as well.

Vimeo has sorted out its issues. If you want to see the goldfinch, visit it here!

I give you Bear! This is in the 'back 40,' where they skirt the wetland. Bear seemed to follow this path.

Bear June 16 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred is still large.

Fred groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Lactation! Both Butch and a skunk. I am so glad Fred moved in, sheer entertainment value. I am getting lots of traffic!

 

lactating Butch from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

She has leaves stuck to her foot!

lactating skunk from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.