Crumbly Acres in bloom

We've had some cool mornings! It's more like August. 

Blue Cardinal flower! They have seeded themselves and come back every year. The hummingbirds like them. I've put my hummingbird feeders away. There are lots of blooms out there. 

My first tiger lily bloom!

I have spent hours clearing out and pruning. 

We've one big green frog in the goldfish pond. He's getting along with the gold fish. 

There is a very green frog in the frog pond down in the forest. There were several, but I'm still working on managing my new camcorder.

One trumpet flower! They have reseeded themselves.

This popped up in my memories section! That was my blue year, 2017! 

I went off for a pedicure. I thought I'd perk up my hair. It's a spray-on thing, that washes out quickly. I just needed a lift.

It was very relaxing, and she pulled out a sliver, likely a thorn, from under one toe! 

Fall chores

 🍁Fall chores <= there be a few!

Aquarium Repairs 🐠

It took me a couple of months to repair the tank. I am pretty confident it isn't leaking anymore.

First, I partly filled the tank. It is cold well water, and takes time to warm up to room temperature. Over the next couple of days, the water has to balance itself out and the cloudiness disappears. Next, the goldfish pond needs to be drained, and the three (I hope) goldfish have to be netted and brought in. Finally, I hope for a rain to refill the pond from the water barrel and the eaves. 

The gutter was overflowing during the 24 mm (1") of rain. I hauled my big butt up the ladder (in between clouds), and onto the roof. Oh my! Three or four leaves were blocking it. It was a sweet sound when it drained. Gutter Guards don't work with the heavy downpours we get. I've tried a brush-like insert, but it blocks at the end. 

Somebody was in the frog pond. I'm not sure if the muskrat came back. Maybe Butch Raccoon?

Sept. 6th – This home is coming along. <= watch their progress. I am silently cheering them on.

Sept. 8th, a poor hummingbird was trying to feed on the roses, but the wind was blowing them so hard! It was a moving target.

More chores. The trailcam was cloudy with condensation. Not good.

I had to take it apart to let it dry out. The other one, the same brand, sits on a tree. It isn't as prone to water dumps! 

Garbage is out. The sun is rising. We're going to go up from 9 to 20℃ today. I'd best plant or plan for my new plants! More on those tomorrow. 

Saturday's Critters

It has been a busy week. We're still tying up loose ends on the bank account fraud. My client's funeral is this afternoon. It will be a lovely celebration of life. I managed to sleep in until 6 this morning. This is good. I think I have it together enough to attend the funeral. 

 Spring slowly flips to summer, as the early plants bloom. The seasons unfold as they should. The milkweed is huge, and I hope we get monarchs this year. 

I sit out back and listen to the birds. They'll drop off after nesting season. Things get a little quieter. I have to enjoy them while they sing! It was chilly and with cold northwest winds, I needed a blanket. My toes were warm in the sun. I'm having issues with my tractor, hence the lovely patterns on the lawn. 

Phoebe continues to fee their young. It's about two weeks for fledging. I think they hatched  May 22/23. 

This is from another year, when they were nesting on a shelf.

 I just love them: both the horse chestnut tree and the bees on them!

bumble bees on chestnut tree from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Our cottontail bunnies has disappeared. In their place, a hare. You can see the bat flying about, as well.

 

hairy tails from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

In the predawn, the bats still flit about until bedtime. The birds begin their chorus. I love listening to them. Sound up, if you want to experience dawn!

 

bats & birds from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Every morning I go through the Reolink videos on Crumbly Acres. We had an unusual guest appearance.

 

hummingbird from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The millipede was on the lower deck again. I am not sure how much of a coincidence this is. Last time I saw it, it looked to be headed down into Fred's burrow??!!

 

Millipede from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We didn't see a new fawn last year, as I recall. This is the time of year. This doe seems pregnant.

 

pregnant doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The black-throated Green Warbler has been a hoot. Singing away out the back 40. I've only one photo of it!

Saturday's Critters # 546 <= for more critters visit Eileen's page!

Made it to Thursday!

 Wednesday came early, but the forecast looked clear. We had a cold front move in, and it really changes my gardening routines!

In the parking lot, after our visit to the bank manager Monday, a skein of Canada geese! Then the heaven's opened up and the rain poured down. We went home to dry off and try to calm down.

2024 Process of Cancer Treatment Tuesday, May 28

PART CXII – Good PSA test Feb. 2, Lupron injection Feb. 12. MMR booster March.

PART CXIII – Zoom meeting May 28th with Dr. C, the surgeon. All is well. The Lupron is doing its work. Calcium supplements are good, as are his exercises to help build up bone strength. We will carry on as usual. Another Zoom meeting in 6 months, and a face-to-face in a year. 

We were happy to have a Zoom meeting with the surgeon. It works so well. He was only a half hour late to the Zoom meeting, but it was way easier than sitting waiting in the living room, driving the 90 minutes into the city and back.

 

I noticed a doe out back. She seems pregnant! 

I wrote about repainting my coloured pencil, moving it to the daffodil garden. The hummingbird, as well as the phoebes (feeding newly hatched chicks), like to perch on it.

 

Out the open window I heard a bird. I peeked, and it was a Great Crested Flycatcher, gone by the time I returned with the camera. Besides, the screen is in with all the bugs. I do have archived photos. 

Phoebe is doing a good job. I continue to look at them infrequently. I just worry about the mink! Last year it got the cardinals in the nest in the lilac tree. This year it got to the wood duck eggs.

Nutmeg in one of her favourite spots, on top of my Nanny's hand-made quilt. Nanny passed in the late 70s. Nutmeg looks to JB, then back to me.

I learned this from Jim: The pose below is called Flehmen response. It is a cat thing, as well as deer and other critters. Nutmeg does this a lot.

"However, cats also have a secret weapon when it comes to smells. They have a second “nose.” This special piece of equipment is called the Jacobson’s organ, or vomeronasal organ, and is located on the roof of the mouth."

This is Cinnamon exploring the smells of the new antler just after it dropped in winter.

I hope everyone has a good one.

Saturday's Critters

 The hummers are back. I'd missed them. They are both at the feeders and at the bleeding hearts.

Fred is doing extensive renos on the burrow under the shed. It has a 3" concrete floor, so I'm not too worried! He chirped at me, trying to scare me away.

 

Fred in the shed from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The arrogant little twerp knocked the trailcam as it went by!

Fred May 3 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Bunny in the dark.

 

Labbit from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Out walking, I spotted a brown creeper. You'll have to trust me!

 

brown creeper from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They are a delight. Unlike nuthatches who go down the tree upside down, they go up the tree looking for bugs! 

This we shall call an artistic video! We get deer after dusk and around dawn. 

deer at dawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The bucks are growing their antlers back!

Saturday's Critters # 543 <= for more critters.