We're on a roll!

The kids helped me clean up the ditch on Saturday. I was so grateful for their help. We've spotted others cleaning up along the highway. The ditches are fairly dry, which doesn't bode well for summer. 

The tire is from a car incident, maybe the September, 2020 one. It was horrible. Seeing the tire in the ditch bothered me. Young legs managed the hilly ditches. I left the bags out for garbage day and they were all picked up. Whew!

Ditch diving I found about a half dozen holes in the side of the road. I think this is where Fred goes in the winter!

 Fred came back March 30th. I noticed him by the shed, and then he'd been digging out his hole beside the rock.  Anyway, here he is! 

Fred is back from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went ditch diving again. There was a section I wanted to clean up. I found a pillow. 

I swear the traffic passing one another just gives me anxiety. They roar by, picking up speed. 

My total is 8 bags of refuse. The cigarette butts I let be. There are way too many, including a handful dumped at the end of our driveway. What kind of animal does that?

Back at the house, the crocus are blooming! Well, some of them. 

Phoebes are back. They are hanging outside and inside the shed. That may be their nest spot of choice for 2024.

The wood frogs are singing up a storm in the frog pond. 

Percy is a bit slow in the cold water.  Throwing food pellets in – he was not interested.

It is crocus time! The first crop are in bloom. Lots more to come!

The daffodils are doing well, despite the cold.

This is a baby bunny I nearly ran over with the lawn tractor in 2011. We have two hanging around this year. I'll bet there will be more...

I was reading out front and spotted our bunny. 

 

Labbit March 28 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Goldfish pond, phlox, Fred

 Here is my goldfish pond in happier times. That is, prior to the people putting in the eavestrough [see: Our eavestrough replacement]! The pink phlox was so pretty!

I managed to find the missing piece to the pump, but it fills with pond muck so much it requires cleaning every couple of days. What do I have to do, though?! I am retired. 

I spent an afternoon pulling out dead branches, and cleaning this garden, as well. I had forgotten about the workers who installed the eaves, and wondered if that's why my phlox have died. I hope the phlox come back next year. The rose bush seems to have died, as well.

Lots of critters liked the phlox: tree frog, dragonfly, swallowtail, sphinx moth.

We've several leopard frogs in the pond. 

The backyard looks crisp. The Viper's Bugloss has gone to seed. The goldfinches love it.

Fred groundhog is a hoot! 

Fred groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo

I captured me doing the lawn! I avoided about 15 leopard frogs, sitting in the longer, moist grass, as well as a wee garter snake. 

The beautiful, aromatic Asiatic Lily attracted the hummingbird. You'll have to use your imagination, again! 

We are desperate for rain, as is the way in August. I was hopeful yesterday, but it was an unusual front coming in from the east. Normally we get it from the west or north west.

Saturday's Critters

 Here we are, back to Saturday! It's been a week, all told.

My 2nd trailcam I keep moving about, but this one beside the frog pond, on a well-traveled path, and  continues to pick up critters. It helps that some of the bugs have lessened.

 

young buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The trailcam was focused on lot #2, but it only picked up said buck! I moved it. Again.

 

buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyote trotted on by.

 

coyote July 30 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Up at the house, I've been noticing Fred, the groundhog. 

Cinnamon discovered his recent excavations.

 

fred groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He's dug a tunnel under the firewood. Cinnamon inspected it, after one of our walks.

 

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hummingbirds are enjoying the Tiger Lillies. I sat on the front deck and watched them. You know that LUCK = PREPARATION + OPPORTUNITY. I had my zoom lens, on the monopod, my reading glasses, and sat waiting patiently. I was prepared. 

 

female hummingbird from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Then, there is the catbird.

catbird from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

She is stuffing her mouth with bugs. I think she is feeding young. In the very last few frames, I spotted the hummingbird chasing her off and landing in the pine tree. 

Saturday's Critters # 451 <= visit more critters at Eileen's blog!

Cinnamon, Fred, the bat

I had a bad day Wednesday. The fight to get the eaves fixed properly is wearing me thin [Our eavestrough replacement]. I remember when we had the new toilet installed, it took 6 tries to get it to stop leaking. Next time we use a real plumber. 

This thing ain't over: 😷COVID-19 We've gone from 4 in hospital July 14th, to 12 reported yesterday. Not a lot, but it is a trend upwards. 

Anyway, JB did chores in town, happily masked. He brought me home a rose! Cinnamon inspected it!

During the day, I spotted Cinnamon sitting on the pile of gravel. That was curious. I found a hole where Fred the groundhog must have dug a home. I videotaped Fred on Sunday, but I haven't seen him since. I'll keep an eye out!

Sad news, the pond pump died. I ordered a new one, after some research. I don't think they need it, they are pretty hardy goldfish, but all I can do is wait for the delivery. Percy seems fine, and there is a goodly amount of water. I'll hope for rain, and hope that the eaves works this time. The water drains from the gutter into the water barrel and into the goldfish pond. Cross your fingers for me!

First Monarch caterpillar of the season!

Serendipity... I took the camera out, with the zoom lens to try and photograph the cedar waxwings on the serviceberry bush. By the time I hooked the camera up on the unipod, and got out there, they were gone. 

What I spotted were caterpillars on the Austrian pine tree. I bought a pair of these, on sale, in the early years here. They haven't exactly thrived, but they are growing slowly. I shall have to research them. They don't seem to have denuded it at all. I'll watch them.

Bat in the Belfry

 That was a really good example of bad sleep hygiene. We had watch the last episode of Murder en provence, and had wound down for the night. We'd had a quiet day, aside from having the chimney cleaned, I had a new library book to read and I'd plowed through 100 pages of my new book, which JB had fetched for me earlier in the day.

Bedtime, with the TV just turned off, I looked up and spotted a bat flying around the living room. Grabbing the butterfly net, I tried to grab it, but it was too fast for me. JB suggested we just open the back door, as it was trying to fly out there, but I didn't want to let the cats out. Batty flew around the kitchen, up and down the hall. It was so stressed. They come in in summer sometimes, through the chimney trying to get back out.

Happily, not for the bat, Cinnamon whacked it out of the air and it lay upside down, in shock. "What the heck?" chittering at us all. I netted it, and it kept on chittering at me complaining loudly. JB guarded the door from the cats, and I let it go outside. It was dark, and it happily flew off. Whew. I went to bed to read, and try to settle into sleep mode. It was tough! 

It wasn't our first bat, and won't be the last. 

Traveling Home!

As I write this, the kids are sitting in the Amsterdam airport waiting for their flight back to Toronto. It will be at least an hour late leaving, and they are waiting patiently in the lounge. They will probably miss their flight from Toronto back to Ottawa, but there are lots of flights on that route.

It's groundhog day!

  

 It's a fun tradition, Feb. 2nd. I thought I'd show some summer photos of Fred, our groundhog. The little twerp growled at me when I was out taking photos.

Buster and the late Felix,
thought Fred was good sport last July!

Can't see me!

CC# 252

Groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Silly critter lives on the edge of our yard.
He ran at me, too!