Crumbly Acres has its issues!

🙈 I am fried. Stomach issues what with the stress of it all, but I had a great haircut Tuesday, prior to the big Anti-gun range meeting. Yes, we prevented the rezoning from rural to a rural exemption, which would have permitted the gun range from being created! 🎉 The gun range applicant went to CBC Radio Ottawa to rant about his loss. It was full of lies, claiming we are uneducated about guns, and if people only came to him to ask questions he could explain it to us. Our group working to prevent this new use of the gun range has worked so hard on this. 

🐡 The Goldfish Pond

This was a previous year in the height of the season. The pump has stopped working.

I was thinking I should take the pond pump indoors, maybe in the bathtub to try work on it? The old one began working, then stopped while in the pond. I was getting mucky.  Having worked on that for an hour, I had the brilliant idea to work on it in the bird bath. It began working, then pooched out on me. 

I needed a new pond pump. Percy is cooling his jets out there. Although, I did not see him yesterday. It's been cold. JB went shopping for me, and I will install the new one when it warms up. You can see from the photo↑ that the spray, when it is working, does protect the fish from being seen by the Ospreys who live nearby. This is one who visited our front yard one day. They only eat fish and snakes, I've read.

🚰 Plumbing Problem

There is a plumbing problem. It reminds me of opening the cottage plumbing every spring. Something always goes wrong. This tap hasn't been used all winter, obviously. It's been dripping for days. 

The hose spigot was leaking. I noticed this while I was trying to get the pond pump going. I have failed in that, as well. I watched a YouTube video, and took out the spigot. I couldn't get it back in. We're going to need a plumber. I've played phone tag with them for 5 days. The phone battery was out. It helps if you plug it in the right way. 😜

Yes, I watched a YouTube video on how to repair it, but whomever installed it had issues. He kinda glued it to the wall. 

As I recall he bought the wrong piece, too short or too long, and had to go back to the store. I couldn't put it back in. I use electrical tape to put a piece of hose on the open part. It drips, and runs the well pump from time-to-time. We need a plumber, and I've played phone tag for 5 days with a company that we used for the well pump. We were happy with them.

🌲The arborists are coming Saturday, I hope. The branches still litter the ground. They are swamped with work. Cross your fingers. There is still much debris about. The daffodils are happy, though.

5:00 a.m. on Thursday!

💻 My poor computer. I am missing a couple of screws, one was stripped (?) and I cannot close the laptop lid. I've ordered a new one. It was time.

🐦 On a good note, we've both a Robin's nest, and a second Phoebe's nest.

👀 Then there is crumbly Grampa, with his new glasses. He went to the dentist yesterday, his arm was hurting and he had to stop. He has to go back today. Long story, but somebody had the time wrong. 

dangerous driving from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He passed JB, as well as the car behind him, then dodged in and out of traffic further up the road.

Prescription sunglasses, too! 

Here we are at Friday. Let's see what trouble we can get into today!!!

That was a storm!

Saturday, Cinnamon and I went walkies on lot #3. The wetland is cold, and frozen!

There are lots of holes in the ground. I spotted two frozen frogs who may have sought shelter in the holes. 

He is a serious looking fellow! He was mushing the branch.

Monday morning, at 2 a.m. it was - 2C., I thought about a strategy for shoveling. Having a bout of coughing, I fetched some water and could see the snow had fallen, as predicted. By 4 a.m. it was 0 C. (freezing point), and temperature was rising. I was listening to the radio, trying to dull my mind. They launched in with a CBC Ideas program on the torture in Guantanamo. I gave up. Back to podcasts.

I was awake from 2 - 5:00 a.m., I konked out by 5:30, then woke up at 6:30 in time to do the driveway, and put out garbage.  Well, we had 8 cm  snow overnight, with rain following, and 8 C. temperatures. It was a mess. The lovely, new, flat driveway was easy to plough. What a difference! By 8:30 it was 5 C.  I sat and had my coffee, enjoying every drop. 

The snowplough piled it up at the end of the driveway, but I got rid of it! It was beginning to get slushy, and when that happens it just clogs up the auger. I hurried to finish, as JB brought me water.

There must be a smarter way to do this, but without a pen and paper to figure it out, my brain is full! Do you have a strategy for clearing out? I think I just plowed along making it up as I go!  😝

A bit of a shock! Just not good for photos, we've had clouds for what seems like ages!

JB went walkies and trod a path. The driveway was beginning to melt. 

After this, the rain fell and temperatures rose to 8 C. at its peak. We get a lot of precipitation at this time of year. Overnight it went down to -7 C., I'm glad I cleared it out. JB likes his charts and graphs, here is December over the years!

I shall have to do something about the eavestrough.

Friday adventures

Well, 'adventures' is a bit of an exaggeration. Friday I noticed that someone helped themselves to a baby pumpkin! I would suspect a squirrel, as they ate all the seeds.

New header! It's the last of the leaves, though.

The yard is a lot less green!

The wetland is filling nicely. 

Back up at the house, they are back. With itchies!

I had a chat with him. He wasn't too scared.

Now you may laugh. Others have their Hallowe'en lights on. I put on the Christmas ones.

JB went walkies between rain showers. Notice that most of the leaves are down! Snow tires are on the car, so, WINTER bring it on!

Walkies in the forest

• Sept. 2nd, I did a show. Here is Polar Bear telling them about her home. 🐻SNUGGLE Bears

  
  
  

  
  

Cinnamon was privileged enough to go walkies twice on Wednesday. Once with me, and once with JB.

He did 'bear,' as we call it. Then, I heard Nutmeg meowing and knew what he was looking at.

He launched himself up several trees with great glee. The wetland, in the background, is still green, despite the lack of rain.

There are fewer critters on the trailcams these days. Well, except for the favourites. 

 

JB walkies from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This one is funny. It shows Cinn, at about 17 seconds in, being startled by his sister, and then hurtling himself up a tree. Then, they both follow JB through the forest and around the pond. 

You can see how wary Cinnamon is.

cat walkies JB from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.