Fred, the cuckoo, loons

Fred and miniFred have still been around. They are incredibly wary. Recently, I haven't seen the fox in the daytime, which is good news. Can you see them behind the lilac tree?! I was afraid to move before taking a photo, but they both stuck around. 

MiniFred checks out Paul and the goose:

Cinnamon and I were reading on the back deck, Joe having his nap.

I could hear a loon, as well. There are people following the loon family on the lake. These are from days when  I was able to canoe, or wandered about. 

 Not so bad birding from the back deck! Thing is, there is the highway out this way, and no water for  perhaps 500m. 

They have marvellous songs.

 

I took a walk. The black-billed cuckoo was calling. Or so I think, as does Merlin! I cannot find it, just follow it along the edge of the wetland. Joe can't hear it, I can't spot it! The sound is really interesting.

Trip to Narrows Lock

It is good to get out and about. These have been lovely last days for the season. My favourite thing is to read on the back deck. 

Joe drove into the city a week ago. He had errands, and met a friend for lunch. He brought me home a book, On Call, by Dr. Anthony Fauci. What an amazing career! It is fascinating. Even reading it on the back deck, in the safety of home, it is sad, difficult, but moving.  

Dr. Fauci was in the forefront of developments around treatment and protocols for HIV-AIDS, Ebola, anthrax scares, SARS, West Nile virus, COVID and Trump. 

After late lunch (2 p.m.!) we decided on a drive. The zoom lens came in handy! Old Kingston Road!

We were there in March during a 2023 Gramma Camp: Narrows Lock! 

They were working on a new cottage!

I guess it is done!

You never know which birds you will see! We found a laughing loon! 

Gramma Camp Monday

 Monday was fun. Momma and Papa asked if we'd take them this week. We were happy to. The OCDSB, their Ottawa School Board, has changed its mind. School was to start Sept. 3, then they changed it to the 8th, after Labour Day. Then Monday the public was informed that they are having a few online activities from Sept 14 - 18, and online learning begins the 18th. Our girls are quite tech savvy, their Papa is an encryption engineer, and we often ask them for tips. I'm sure they will do well.

We had a good day, Monday. We accomplished a few tasks.

Josephine assisted me in laying down some flashing on the Muskoka Room. The hole, where the railing used to be, was dripping down and rotting the support beam. Not good. 

After that chore, Joseee painted the milk can. I'd spray painted it white on the weekend, and it was dry now.

I'd sent Grampa into town to fetch some new drainage pipes. This one broke as I was trying to attach it. I'd used it elsewhere.

I printed the two pieces off, wrote down the product number, and sent him off. My mistake was not to indicate it was Crappy Tire! He went to Home Hardware first. I felt so badly.

Anyway, he figured it out. Isabelle helped me install them. I had to screw it, to the downspout, and she took over the drill. "I'm good with those," she assured me. Indeed, she screwed it in, and we were good to go.

Nutmeg presented herself at the back door, dropping off a small vole. Poor thing. They take far more rodents than birds. I keep track, and it is 6 rodents for every 1 bird.

Josephine was coming upstairs from their room, and noticed a bat or bird flying about. It was a bat, flying round and round the basement. Having grabbed the long-handled butterfly net, I explained that the bats come in in summer either to cool down or get warm, and come in via the chimney. I think.

I asked Jos to open the basement door, which she did, keeping herself low to the ground. On round # 5 or 6, I snagged the bat in the net, put it outside and on the ground. It leapt up and flew off.

I went outside to put the net away on the front deck, and spotted a garter snake. Jos loves them and came running, but it was gone.

Our work done, all of us watched Black Panther, which aired on TV ad-free on Sunday. I texted the girls, and both wanted to see it. We taped it and watched it Monday afternoon. We were riveted at Chadwick Boseman's brilliance.

The raccoons are bulking up nicely for winter. 

Butch x 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I was happy to spot Momma Butch on the trailcam. She is still at 3 kits, from 5 in the spring. Not too bad.
Momma butch from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The fawn was having fun in the meadow.
fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The bucks, as well! If you bother playing the video, you can hear the loons flying over head, stretching their migration wings.
bucks from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We're not beside water, it is about 1 km away, and they fly around some. It's so lovely.

Summertime at the beach!!!!

 We've been going to the beach with the grandies. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but it warmed up!

Lots of birds! Loons, geese, gulls, terns and the osprey.

There is an osprey nest in the RVCA park. 

After three beach visits this past week, I managed to capture the gulls all fleeing as the osprey flew by. It's quite a moment when they all rise as one, and the osprey just floats on by. They eat fish and snakes. 

gulls, osprey from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

These sweet little birds, singing their hearts out.


Fishing...

Beach time!

Games. We spent hours looking for fish. There was a fish in the weeds.

Another canoodle!

At my age, I cannot just jump in the canoe and go for hours. I'm working myself up to longer canoe rides. The other trick, is knowing if the lake is suitable for a paddle on my own. I cannot tell if it's calm or windy. I lucked out on Thursday morning, July 4th.

Before I feature my canoe ride, I'll talk about my news.
Firstly, we're having a planned power outage as they replace a hydro poles in Rideau Lakes. It'll be out from 7 a.m. to noon.

I went to the optometrist and find I have a cataract growing. Surgery TBD. JB took me out for a drink at the pub while I digested the news. Wait times in Smiths Falls are two years. The optometrist knows another doctor in Pembroke, who has a much shorter wait time. My client waited 9 months for her surgery in Brockville. We're all falling apart!

To add insult to injury, I tried to fix the stove door, and dropped the handle on my foot.

Back to my lovely canoe ride...

This is where I park, thank to our neighbours.


As soon as I approached the bay, a heron flew off.

Launching myself, off I went.


The lake is infested with invasive zebra mussels. They get under your feet, and prevent the natural clams from growing. They were brought in by American boats that weren't cleaned.

It's such a shame. I was trying to grab a photo of the zebras, but ended up with some lovely artsy shots!


BLue green algae in the heat. This lake is only 60' deep at the deepest part.


A peaceful scene.


Off, in the distance, a loon.

It wasn't a long canoe ride, and my old GPS won't upload maps anymore, but I know how far I went! The red is my most recent trip.