Things are easing up!

Is new Blogger driving you crazy? It is me. I cannot bear it some days. Old dog, new tricks. 

COVID–19

Interesting announcement yesterday! We (Ontario) are moving into Level 2 in this pandemic, in all but Toronto, and a couple of health units hard-hit near the US border. People will be able to eat out on patios, but not inside restaurants. They are opening up day camps and water parks in the city. People can get their hair and nails done, as well as tattoos! I began to wonder at the priorities, but realized that there are a lot of people who depend on this work for their livelihood. The middle class can help this part of the economy again.

We're going to have the girls over the summer. We said that if their regular day cams opened up we weren't comfortable taking the girls for a week in July and August, as we usually do. Happily the girls chose us over camps with their peers. They really do help my mental health. My respite client is quite ill, and they now have homecare 8 hours a day. I am not needed, anyway.

If one bundles up, hoodie and all, the bugs aren't horrible!

Freedom

People are getting out and about, as we did. We saw this red convertible. It was funny that it passed another convertible (third photo) and the 2nd driver did a double take as he saw the car go by!

Parham in shock after shooting, destructive fire

We had an unsettling crisis in Parham, with another white man going nuts. It's about 50 km away, as the crow flies. The OPP were amazing, according to the mayor, going door-to-door to help people. 

As if we need any more worries. Both of us got outside. I gardened and JB read, did a couple of walks around the yard. 

Outdoor play

We've been sitting outdoors. I reorganised the deck. It was too cold to sit in the shade! We'll put up our kiddie pool on the lowest deck soon.

Both of us now have our coughs back. I was awake by 2 a.m., and listened to a couple of podcasts. The first called 'Not That Kind of Rabbi", and a radio show your about the history of toothbrushes. Finally I took some sleeping meds and woke at 6:30.  

Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)

The far end of the backyard lawn has some wildflowers the butterflies like 'blueweed'. This is where the septic bed is located. 

Last year, these beautiful blueweeds died in the heat of the summer, and didn't bloom. This year I shall water them. The soil isn't very deep here. It's the reason why many settlers gave up their land, like ours. It is not arable.

I've decided to let this section of the lawn go to wildflowers. The area where we planted daffodils, and clover, I plan to spread seeds from the front yard, the poppies, for example. Then, transplant some iris, etc. I can't plant a bush, I don't think, but I'll have to check. Any suggestions gladly accepted! 

I've been doing walks, as has JB. It really helps with stress relief, leg muscles, balance, and all that. He's back on meds for his shoulder and arm. 

I hope you enjoy the greenery! 

The forest

Take a walk with me.

Ferns

Isn't Cinnamon a hoot?!

Back up at the house... this is 'Oliver's Lot' and it has shallow soil cover, and the previous owners regularly cut this with the lawn tractor. I've been letting it grow for most of our 10 years here. The sumac are barely hanging on with drought and heat. I've transplanted a few trees: two spruce, and the lilac, which bloomed this year! I had two apple trees from the nursery, and they have both officially died. So sad.

The flickers appear to be working on their nest. Here is an archive photo.

A second brood, perhaps? Listen carefully! 

Maggie Magnolia is nearly done!  She is well-wrapped with chicken wire, to keep the deer away!

Meadow vole tunnel. 

They are ubiquitous. I stepped out onto the back deck mat to light the BBQ for dinner, when I screamed like a girl. I had stepped on a dead vole. It was awful! 

Cats and mice friends

Actually, they have brought home three meadow voles on Saturday. I rescued one in my cap. I took another away. Finally, Nutmeg looked in the window, smacking her lips. I knew she'd caught one. We have quite a few about the front lawn.



She ate one later, and left the gallbladder behind, as they do. A raccoon must have eaten it in the night.


 I put it in the forest.

Maggie and her twins, plus one more. My yummy tulip bulbs!  Nutmeg was just looking for mice. Usually, she nip at my hostas in the summer. What the heck.

 


It was a cold night. The frog pond is frozen over, again.


I had to drain the water fountain, just in case.




We're anticipating rain. "April showers..." The crocus were pretty well closed up yesterday.

Anyway, Happy Easter to all who celebrate. Happy Passover, to y'all, too!
Here is an old favourite... one Easter in Muskoka. Josephine watched this one over and over, back 10 years ago.

Meadow vole, AKA Squeakie

It was a comedy. I was working out in the basement. Hooper, who usually runs under the machine, bonking his head, disappeared. I thought, to have a pee. He didn't come back. This was good, as I keep cat toys in the cup holder to throw for him and get him away.
After I was done working out, I went into the litter room. There is a closet that holds the well water pump. Hooper was sitting at the door, listening.
Sure enough, he had found a meadow vole.

This vole was a trooper. Ran out, behind the litter boxes, then into the basement, up and down the baseboard until I caught him and threw him outdoors!


Vole from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I find them cute critters, although they have a wicked bite. Daisy and Dorah have had bites on their noses. They tunnel under the snow, as well!

Memories of going batty and the catch-and-release program

Meadow Vole

Get me outta here!

Yesterday, Dorah brought me in a field mouse. "Look what I found, Mummy!" She meows to celebrate her catch.

At this point, I've caught more rodents with my butterfly net than butterflies!
She brings her prey into the house, still alive, to play with it. She isn't hungry, well-fed on her big sister Sadie's hypoallergenic, vet-prescribed, expensive cat food. Just sayin'. They come and go during the day from the cat door in the Muskoka Room. She's brought us a chipmunk, duly released, but mostly her favourite field mice.

"Mommy!"

Buster brings his prey into the Muskoka room, or on the back or front porch to eat it. He is our nocturnal hunter, happier outdoors away from the
deerflies of the daytime. He'll leave the kidney or liver or something, the part they don't like to eat! They are good mousers outside. Unlike the fearmongerers who cite that cats catch billions of birds, mine catch very few birds, preferring to sit in the grassy fields and watch for mice. The older cats watch the feeder, but they don't bother running, experience tells them the birds will fly off before they get there.

Meadow Vole are big guys!

 Even with a house full of 4 cats, we get deer mice in the attic. I've got a cat carrier, baited with peanut butter, and I've been catching the mice at night, usually around 9 p.m., once dark falls.

Putting the traps in the cat carrier means that I don't have to worry about catching any cat paws in them.

I put a spot of peanut butter
 in the doorway to lure them in.
I've trapped 11 this way.

I've never seen the mice in the kitchen, only climbing up the brick wall to the attic. So far, I've caught 11 mice in the traps.
It's a shame they cannot stay outdoors!

Bats

Yesterday, there was a bat in the house. Again. They come in through the chimney, escaping the heat of the night to get into the cool dark safe spot.
This time I opened the sliding screen door, and it made its way out.
Last year (2013) I wasn't so fortunate. The bat went round and round the bedroom ceiling fan.
I went on Twitter and had some helpful suggestions. Eventually, it landed and I used the butterfly net. In 2012 one landed on the chimney brick in the dining room. I caught it with the butterfly net.

The 2012 Bat event

I'd forgotten about the video. It really was quite an event. Daisy hung in there, watching it go around. The poor bat was exhausted. I did release it.

2013

As I was sitting doing my blogging, a bat flew into the room. They come in through the chimney, when a hot night changes into a hot morning, around dawn. It went into the bedroom, where Buster was happily sleeping off his midnight carousing. It promptly began to fly in circles. It became tired and reversed direction!


Bat in the bedroom from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Now, having turned off the light, it has gone behind the painting on the wall. I'm not sure what to do next! Daisy and Buster are intrigued.
The dilemma: | The rescue: |
Visit more critters:

Saturday's Critters #36