Saturday's Critters

 What a week! So happy to relax and watch our critters. New shingles on the roof, and a root canal for me! The pain is lessening. We're moving into the Computer Age, and watching the news and soccer, hopefully, on the Internet. 

In the peace and quiet, after two days of banging, hammering, and chaos, the critters came back out. 

I have to repost Barry Beaver, who is cleaning up his mess. It all blew over in our big storm.

July 11th, our regular pair of kits were hanging out.

I think this is Auntie Fred, July 17th. 

In the peace and quiet, I could hear the Black-billed Cuckoo.

 

 It's not a good video, but I think it is the Fisher at the back door. July 7 Between humidity, heat and rain, condensation tends to condense on the camera lens. 

   

 Labbit came by! I haven't seen her in ages! 

   

 Butch has been active. 

   

 The coyote colours are amazing. 

 

Saturday's Critters # 657 Visit Eileen for more critters from around the world.

Crumbly Acres crumbles some more

That was a cold morning, Saturday (-21℃). I was up at 3:45 to powder my nose, and peeked outside. The wind was blowing like mad. Snow was flying. I hustled myself back under the covers and my electric blanket! 

Sunday morning was worse at -24℃! 

 

I knew when I looked out the bathroom window that we'd had snow. It accumulates on the window.  

Good Bunny (formerly known as Labbit) has captured my attention. She's still using burrow #5, under the flag pole and hydrangea. I have evidence. Red asked about her gender. You can't tell from my viewpoint. I just chose 'her!' 

Here is the hydrangea in summer! I have strong hopes that spring and summer will arrive!

Good Bunny the cottontail zips by on the camera. Feb. 7th, she went through at 4 a.m. in the snow. This was Jan. 25.

 

There are lots of deer.

   

 Down at the frogpond.

 

Good Bunny, formerly known as Labbit, visited around 4 a.m. but she didn't appear on the camera. She is way too fast. That, and the snow just blocked her out.

I could see when her tracks appeared, but not her loping along. Quick as a bunny.

🪏In more fun news, I shoveled the front walk. Got the snowblower started, the auger was working, but I couldn't get it into gear. Neither forward nor reverse. It would start. It didn't like 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. The auger was working just not the gear shift. I hope it is a simple fix. I phoned my guy, we'll see how we do. It was only about 5 cm snowfall. It is drivable if we need supplies. 

🖨 Oh yes. Our printer/scanner died after I did the prescribed firmware update. I knew I shouldn't do it. Nothing good comes of updates. Crikey! I took it into the computer store Friday. We shall see. 

Labbit, AKA Good Bunny!

 What a surprise Thursday! I peeked out the font door, and spotted Labbit, AKA Good Bunny! (Bad Bunny plays at the Superbowl on Sunday!) 

Backing away from the door, I kept watching. I think she spotted me, but froze. After a moment she went back to scavenging bird seed from under the bird feeder. This was about 6:45. 

I kept checking up on her, but all was well. Joe Brian got up and opened the garage door. Good Bunny didn't move. He went out to feed his deer. 

Suddenly she started and raised her ears. I wondered what was up. 

A doe was behind her, under the tree and was anxious for breakfast. 

She sat there until 9:15. I wonder if she disappeared under the bench on which the bears stand? There is a tunnel. I covered the bench with a table cloth to protect it from the rain and snow. It's a great little tunnel for her. The snow blankets the ground and provides some safety.

 

🛒 Later Joe went into town for groceries. He was standing in line at the checkout and dropped something. This is tricky for him. He maneuvered his way to the ground, bending isn't good for his back. Standing back up, he made eye contact with the woman behind him. "The first 60 years were great. The next 20 not so much." She agreed.

The back yard garden and a Labbit tale

I really enjoy the lilacs. It is lovely and green in spring.

Our grandies back in the day!

But, here is the tail. Fred dug a burrow in the garden.  You can see where it is at #5, under the rhododendron.

Cinnamon inspected Fred's hole at one point!

Here is Fred in her burrow #5. We had a good relationship. She is sleeping and won't emerge until March or so.

It looks different in winter. The lilac tree sits dormant. The deer wander around.

April, 2025

Labbit is in burrow #5:

You can see some rabbit droppings!

These are Labbit's tracks. She's moved from burrow #4 to #5. It's tough leaping through the snow!

In the past, she's been eating the tender new shoots of the lilac tree. Fertilizing as she went. It's been quite a winter. I do enjoy seeing tracks in the snow. This wee furry critter is managing to get through the storms. It's something we all have to try to do. As best we can.

"We are in an era when the strong do what they will, the weak suffer what they must."

                     – Greek historian Thucydides, as quoted by PM Carney

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.

   

Cold on Crumbly Acres

What a crazy way to being the new year. Our local two hospitals have gone to an orange code. Flu is everywhere.

The map shows Ontario's respiratory virus test results.

 

More snow! I decided a snowshoe trek would be just the thing. There are lots of tracks from Labbit. We had more snow Jan. 3rd.

This is to remind me of Labbit's visitation. 

She is borrowing Fred's burrow. I could see dirt around the entrance. Fred and Fred's daughter are hibernating.

Fred has dug 6 burrows over the past few years. 

There was frost at the other opening. This is the location in the side of the hill.

At the property marker in the forest I found a piece of orange tape, meant to mark the marker. I think the coyotes have been having fun. Little twerps!

Out back I spotted vole tracks in the snow. Where the tracks stop, the rodents burrow under the snow. I checked it out.

It reminds me of that movie with the sand worm: Dune, I think. Only in miniature. And in snow.