Catching up with this and that

 The 'new' deck! Hunter rebuilt it for us. I shall stain it if we ever get some consistently warm weather.

We continue with the ribbon game in the bathroom. 

You know in animal rehabs and zoos they put stuff out as intellectual stimuli for the critters. Somebody went to the bathroom. Nutmeg was patiently waiting for Joe Brian to slide the ribbon under the door. So funny. I went to powder my nose and left the door ajar. She peek around at me to see if I was playing. 

We've had cold nights and warm days. In the warmth, the moths were out, then they thought better of it as it got cold!

Fred has been happy with green grass. 

She is vigilant.

I mistakenly filled the fountain too early! 

The early Spring flowers are almost in bloom. 

Daffodils, two days apart:

Lenten Rose, Hellebore 

Sweet little crocus:

My middle 'child' did a 10k run in Vancouver. I am most proud of him. I have explained to him that once you hit 40 it is all downhill! He is proving he is good. He turns 43 in May!  Joe Brian says, 'The first 60 years are easy!'

Bryony turned 8 yesterday. We spoke on the weekend when Jesse had 5 minutes to talk! She explained that they are having Student-led conferencing, and her friend will be late to her birthday party. They are so precious! 

Trailcam action

 Our snow has melted quite a bit. I shall have to do another panoramic photo today to keep up. If we see the sun!

The trees absorb the heat and spread its bounty. It's icy in spots and one must be careful.

Jesse, out in B.C., posted an amazing photo. Isn't that fabulous?! I think he heads for the hills Monday nights.  

Back to our quiet, melty Crumbly Acres.

The deer tend to be very aggressive. That said, they do posture and then respect the superiority of the alpha deer! Sadly 'Lefty' has not come back. She had a busted ankle. 

I've noticed this doe with fur missing from her hind quarters. 

I found great bunches of fur on the ground. They are a bit grumpy and hungry! 

We've a storm warning for freezing rain tomorrow. We shall see. You can see how it affects the critters. They kept slipping on the same icy spot!

I follow a pair trailcamera experts at Winterberry Farm. 

" Observing wildlife w/ trail cams & DSLR camera traps. Also camera tech tips. Mostly in Montana but also from our travels." – Janet Pesaturo & Robert Zak 

 They are amazing people. They know these products inside and out. 

Image sensor (motion sensor) from a trail cam, who knew? It's screen capture from the video.  

This is what they look like inside. I thought this was quite interesting. 

Embrace the snow!

I am celebrating the snow because soon it will be gone! Embracing the last of winter since March 20 will bring us official Spring. In the meantime we are in Meteorological Spring. The sun is warmer. I noticed two of the turkeys huddling on the fence. I didn't know if there was one or two until I zoomed in!

The wood soaks up the warmth of the sun. Better than sitting on the cold snow.

 

 The trio waddle along. They really are funny.

   

 This makes me think of children. It is far easier walking on the driveway, but turkey #3 tromps through snow.

   

Out west, our family goes to the mountains to enjoy the snow. Jesse, Cluny, and Bryony had races. Jesse went 15 km in his race. Great fun. Thanks to my DIL for photos. The scenery is amazing.

 

 

I had to go into town since my P.A., AKA personal shopper, has the 100-day cough. I even gassed up the car. I should have done it before WW III began, since gas prices are going up, but we are really only driving the 5 km into town these days.

Another benefit from COVID is online grocery orders. 

This is what town looked like! The snow has melted some thankfully.

 I picked up two orders of Jambalaya Pasta for us. We'll keep our germs at home. Tuesdays are half-price pasta day, and this gives us two meals each. Tonight it is home made meatloaf.  

It's beginning to look a lot like winter!

 ❄️ This was our lovely snowfall on Sunday. It snowed last night, Tuesday, and we're back to square one!

This is what it looked like in the dark last night! 

It's warmed up here. In Mayo, Yukon, where my kids father was born, not so much! The CBC Climate Dashboard shows an oncoming storm. We've supplies in, and the snowblower is ready.

🐈 Do you know Larry the Cat at 10 Downing St? 

He has a BlueSky account. Larry has been singing the 12 Days of Christmas. 

Joseph Brian and I were were reflecting on our aging issues. I keep telling our kids that once you hit 40 it's all downhill! (All three of them are in their 40s!) My parents found it difficult accepting their decreasing physical abilities. Joseph Brian cannot operate the snow blower these days. I've slowed down. 

 

Joe was searching for a former colleague who'd made the news, and Googled himself!  His last week of work before retirement he'd testified in front of the Senate Transportation Committee. Both of us are having difficulties retrieving nouns. He was incredibly articulate during these hearings, as the transcript shows! 

One forgets one's knowledge and skills we required, and our contributions to society. He was articulate, and knew the operations of the airline. Whether we worked (in and/or outside the house), raised kids, volunteered, or looked after family, we all made contributions.

I used AI, just on a whim. AI offered to summarize my findings for me and made JB into 'Senator Racine!' He wasn't a senator... he was a Government Relations Manager. DON'T TRUST AI!

🎂 Jordan, at Queen's U, turned 18 on Tuesday. Apparently his extended family sent stuff! Parental unit, maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, in both Canada and the US! 

What a hoot. Each box has a cookie with his name on it. 

Jordan posted the photo (above) and I tried to have a Facetime chat, but my hair dresser took me in early! We did Facetime last night, after I returned from my haircut, and after dinner. He's doing really well.  

Jordan and his friends group went to a friend's concert. They have lots of clubs at Queen's. There are more than 300 clubs, that have diversity and inclusion at their core.  The future is bright, with these young people. They don't make the news. 

One friend plays in the orchestra club. They played show tunes! Jordan is thriving! These young people, studying astrophysics, have many talents and skills.

I haven't heard much from Jesse, my second born. I texted him, and have proof of life! They have bought a new house in Vancouver and are preparing to move Dec. 20th! Cluny and Bryony are in a Vancouver Panto. Things are hopping. 

Thanksgiving Dinner part 3

I was so grateful that the kids all came on Saturday. OK, most of them. My youngest and I don't speak, so it was the best we could do. (I know some of you are in the same situation.) I cannot tell you how monumental this is for me. We've no other family nearby. Travel is out of the question right now.

The kids arrived from Vancouver Thursday (1), but Friday (2) we played! By Saturday morning, Jesse and I got down to business. Jess dried the unwrapped turkey, and put salt and pepper on the turkey, inside and out.  I write this down, as I don't usually do the turkey. Jean-Luc my SIL is usually our cook! 

Cluny and Stacie began a dragon puzzle.

Showers were had, and Jesse and Stacie moved the puzzle from the dining room to the living room.

Cluny helped me set the table.

We used to have name tags when extended family would visit. I thought about that, and Stacie suggested it to Cluny! I showed her my name drawing I'd bought many years ago:

It was inspiration. This is just two of the 10 she did for us. 

Jesse went for a run. He did 10 km. Grampa loaned him a vest. Our road is notorious for crazy drivers, we sent him along a side road. 

Our Ottawa kids arrived in good time.

Jordan came home from Queen's University Friday. He's on a Reading Week next week. He and Caitlin worked on some physics assignment until late Friday. Oh, the challenges of higher academia! 

It's a difficult puzzle so the moms helped work on it!

Jesse basted the turkey all day. J-L did his thing carving.

Aster worked on the cranberry sauce, while her Papa made gravy. Also, roast potatoes, and carrots.

Aster made a pumpkin pie from scratch, even cooking the pumpkins. Caitlin made an apple pie!

I set up the tripod with my camera and practiced. It took me 10 minutes to figure out the timer. 

Stacie was in charge of it, what pressure?! She pushed the button, and ran back to her chair. Not so bad!

Jordan offered to exchange trailcam memory cards. That was his job when they stayed with us every other week during COVID lockdowns. He led the crew! 

Ta da! The puzzle is done...

Saturday afternoon, they all went back to Caitlin's house. They had ham, and all of them, including my youngest, went to the soccer game. 

Loading up for the trip to the Ottawa airport.

"I hope you can return home with your cups full, your hearts singing, and your spirits soaring."

– National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, TV special.