Crumbly Acres Cottontails and Cervidae

 We made it to the dentist. I was a bit worried about impending snowfall or ice rain. Turns out it was just snow, and not until we returned home around 4. We'll have some clean up today! 

Not too much snow. And I spotted the slow plow driving by. We should be good.

Hoppy Cottontail

I've been watching Labbit. I'd forgotten we had two one winter (Jan. 14, 2022). They blend in with the garden rocks! 

I snapped a photo of these tracks. She used the same path (the driveway), coming and going. I liked the pattern. 

Down go her front paws, with the hind legs giving her the oomph. 

It was a Wordle word! Seriously?

Cervidae  – hoofed ruminant ungulate (AKA deer!)

Joe Brian has been watching this doe. He is calling her Lefty, as she has twisted her back left leg. Proof of life!

A great surprise Monday morning was to see a buck out the kitchen window. He's lost an antler. We had a big snow or I would have gone out to look for the shed antler. Usually they drop later in January, but it has been cold. Testosterone has been diminishing.

One year (Jan., 2014), I found five antlers. It was a really cold winter, and 5 bucks hung around, which was unusual. I weighed the antler.

457 grams

We don't often have the bucks, but here was Tigger on Jan. 15, 2018. The females stick together, for the most part. 

Then there was Jake, in Jan., 2017.

Back to the present. The fawn was nibbling at the evergreen needles. That's how they get snow on their foreheads!

I love this fawn. It reminds me of Tigger, back in the day. Tigger must be long gone. This one bounces around, looking for trouble. There is a hierarchy, and the older males are boss, then the older females. Everyone knows their place.

   

Jake, et al

Nearby, 2 km away, the first bear has been sighted and trapped.  There were two, an older female and a younger bear with blonde on its butt. Time to bring in the feeders...
Walkies have been fun.


The dock is holding up, despite our 36mm of rain over the last few days.


In the morning sunshine, he rested. April 18, 2019. Our snow is gone.
Jake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Jake never did leave me even one antler. They lose them in January/February and will regrow them shortly.

Robin nesting from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


Pileated woodpecker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Frog pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Time flies when you're having fun

Where did the weekend go? We did some Facetime with the grandies in Vancouver. I made Bryony laugh!


I visited on Facetime with our other grandies, in Ottawa, as well. They went to Winterlude, all the way across the river in Gatineau. They did a zip line. I could so do that, but it's 2 hours into the city, and crowds give me the heebee jeebies!
The first photo is Josee (blue pants). The second one is Izzy (lime green pants). What a beautiful day, albeit -20 C. or so! You just have to dress for it.  Papa did a video, and I captured screen images. I live vicariously through the kidlets...

Winterlude Zip Line from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The weekend over, Monday, that was a day. I've been learning more about our new smartphone and our plan. It's a learning curve. It's been a battle to add hubby to the plan. Dealing with businesses, its driving me nuts.

Non-dairy cheese

I've found a wonderful product. It's almond 'cheese', although they cannot call it cheese,  and comes in a variety of flavours. I found that one package had some mould on it. I sent an email to the company, and they asked for the lot #, as well as the location of the store where we bought it. The person explained that the product should be frozen at the store, until they want to put it out for sale. They will send me a refund, too!

Winter Storm

We shall see what happens, but they are predicting Snowmageddon. Hubby was expecting friends for lunch Tuesday, while I was at my client's house. His friends cancelled. I ended up washing floors and doing carpets anyway. For posterity, I suppose.
With the impending snow storm (25 - 40 cm!) , JB went into town to finish off errands prior to said storm. Gas for the snowblower. Returning library books, getting new books.

I watered some plants. He brought home some lovely tulips.


Also, he was heading back into town, and I sent him into the 2nd hand store to pick me up a Valentine's Day present! It's filled with silk flowers, 45 years old, and I'm going to make a fairy garden with real flowers, the terrarium is filled with silk ones. I need a new project. I wonder if Hooper will get into it?!


They were looking at something in the basement, I know not what.

I've been working on small jobs in the house. I was all set for this one. Just a minor issue: I cannot find the piece of material I'd found to use on it. (Don't tell the kids!)



I spotted big Jake without his antlers, and decided to go for a snowshoe, prior to our storm, to see if I could find an antler. Sadly, their territory is far too large. It was a good hour of exercise, however, in crunchy, knee-deep snow. They predict snow, ice pellets and, then, rain. I hope just snow. That I can manage.

Here is Jake showing off a couple of years ago, just teasing me with one antler left! I never found the other.

Jake; archive photo

I was up late (according to cats) and they were jumping on us in bed. After they were duly fed... I looked out back. Today, Tuesday is to bring a major storm. "Red sky in the morning is a sailor's warning!"


This is our volunteer day: hubby dispatching Meals on Wheels, me visiting, and giving respite. We'll see how all that works out.

Snowshoes!!!

Wed. morning, Jan. 30th, I popped out to grab the rain gauge from the deck, to check the snowfall. The little tracks in the snow were so cute. Poor critters out there in the cold. The polar vortex extends down into the USA.

In the dark of the morning, I could see tracks. I examined them in the light of day, and I'm not sure. Something in the rodent family, with something running sniffing its path. It wasn't Hooper, he hadn't been out overnight.



It's a goodly distance for a small track. Perhaps our weasel.

This is from December.


Red squirrels are everywhere. Here, near the water barrel, leading to an actual hole in the snow. The snow has a base of about 30 cm.


This tree is still splitting. It will fall into the wetland, it won't harm anyone. It creaks in the winds.


It's so dark, but looking for tracks is motivation! Once you get going, you warm up.


This is our island in the middle of the wetland. It's a busy crossing, a path all the critters use. You can see the fox scat, and then the turkey tracks.


A deer bed, they nestle in the snow.


This was in the middle of the frozen frog pond.


My trusty snowshoes.


I'm thinking these are turkeys, strutting their stuff, dragging their wings, as they do.


The purpose of the trek was exercise, as well as fetching the trailcam SD cards. This guy I filmed out the kitchen window. He's shed his antlers. I was hoping to find some. It's good exercise.



Jake is still carrying his.
Trailcam Jake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.