Butch Raccoon and the pumpkins

 Critter release <= link

We released about a dozen raccoons mid-October. There have been three of them hanging around together, appearing as a trio on the trailcams. They've been nocturnal since their release, with no sign of them during the day. 

I brought home pumpkins from Miller's Bay Farm down the way.

I set them out in a row. Normally the deer go after the pumpkins. We haven't seen many deer in the garden. Good thing!

You can imagine what I think happened. 

I went to the Crumbly Acres Camera!

We've moved into winter conditions, with the changing light levels and impending winter solstice.

In case you want live action, as Joseph Brian does!

This was their entrance into the picture:

   

 I counted 6! They seem to get along better than other raccoon kits. They spent a lot of time together during rehab.

 

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 624 visit Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

Crumbly Acres

We had to turn off the news on Tuesday. I fear for my US friends. The impact on Canada has been terrible. We're not in as bad a condition as come countries, and we cannot complain. 

I'm not done with out studio tour, but I want to save some photos. Plus, the season is moving on, and I wanted to update it all. It's a bit chilly out there.

The last of the flowers! 

In summer, so much foliage, but it is all done. The leaves were dead, and the birds had harvested the wee seeds.

🍁Fall chores

First big clean up. It was brown and crumbly. 

 I've been busy. These saplings had to be taken out. They aren't good for the foundation. I got dirt in my eyes, and in my bra, and even my helper/supervisor, Cinnamon, disappeared with the dirt that was flying.

I've been watching this tree. Just after I took the previous photo, 4 geese flew by. It could have been an amazing photo!!

 

I bought myself a new phone stand. It was to support a Canadian author (Book Review: Jean Paetkau) and her husband. Jean's been managing cancer and her husband, Jason, creates these at Moonstone Woodworks. The pieces separate, and are cleverly shipped flat from B.C.

They are in such a rush to be first.

Perth:

There are some shortages of pumpkins this year, what with the drought. I share mine with the critters. Although, I haven't seen a deer in weeks!

Yard clean-up continues. I think I've got some blackfly bites for my efforts. Silly bugs. The thermometer fluctuates, a hot day Saturday, they say. We carry on. 

Out and about

We had an horrific boating incident that took place on Bobs Lake on the May long weekend. Finally, after extensive investigation they have charged a drunk boat driver. His arrogant posts on FB demonstrate a lack of respect for people living on the water. Neighbours on the small lake, with many small inlets, has speed laws they say he flaunted all the time on his cigarette boat. 

I have a story for you, but I have to set it up. I found some debris on the highway on Monday garbage day, 2 weeks ago. 

This is where Joe found a deer carcass. I couldn't figure out why the vultures and crows were circling so often. The carcass was half gone, and the critters have been working on it. 

This is the view out the back deck, looking towards the highway where the deer lies. It's been there about a week. 

Out the bathroom window is where I can see best. 

Our bedroom is 55 m away from the spot. I was lying in bed reading when I heard the coyotes. It sounded so close! Leaping up, and looking out the back yard, I realized what it was. Cinnamon was standing in the hallway, looking out towards the door in utter horror! 

 

🎃 Aster and I texted on Sunday, they'd been working on their pumpkins. Papa posted photos for the family. Mama, Papa, Aster and Jo's pumpkins in that order below!

Jesse tested me a photo from Vancouver. Cluny and Bryony were good to go for Hallowe'en! Raccoon Burglar and Puss in Boots!

We had a mission...

We were heading out for dinner, while the school busses were bringing the kiddies home from school. Such a familiar sight!

An early dinner, when things are quiet. 

I was a bit surprised to see these machines! You can read the menu, pay your bill, we just relied on our server! 

As we went to dinner, I saw people working in the fields harvesting pumpkins. On the way home, there they were, bringing the pumpkins to the farm!

This is where we were headed. Miller's Bay Farm. On the way home, we stopped for Thanksgiving pumpkins. 

There was pressure, as the kids were coming.  I thought Peter ought to be following the brief: it is Autumn! 

Peter put all his eggs in one basket. I thought I could better than that! Gourds from the farm.

I'm still watering my cherry tomato plant and the hanging basket of petunias, but they won't last too much longer. 

I decorated a pie pumpkin with turkey, barred owl, and blue jay feathers. We were in Ottawa last year for Thanksgiving. This year the kids were coming here from Ottawa.

 

This morning it is a chilly one. Only 3 ℃ we'll bundle up.

Blast from the past

  I was thinking about my massive pumpkin plants this year. 

 

Banana for size! 

🍌  for scale! It's growing like stink. July 31st vs, Aug. 3, and then Aug. 5th. 

 

Blast from the past

I remember planting pumpkins in the late 70s when we lived in Toronto. It was wild. We went to the cottage for a couple of weeks, came back and the lawn was covered in pumpkin plants. They grew right across the back yard. I began thinking about that yard. I couldn't get to my other veggies at the back of the yard. 

This was our first family house↓ in Toronto, with my first husband. We lived in the basement of a triplex for the first few years. Then bought our teeny house. Caitlin was born in 1979 while we lived in Toronto. I'm trying to remember, but I think we paid about $80,000 for it. It's a bit fuzzy in my brain! We sold it, then bought another for $130,000 in Ottawa my when my first husband was transferred there in 1981. 

I vividly recall that we shared a wall, as the neighbours were doing renovations at the time, and I could hear them talking sometimes. The property is 18' wide x 144'.

Our first home, 1978,
the left side of the semi-detached,
172 Coleman Ave., Toronto 

This was all lawn. Between our back yards was a chain link fence. Our dog used to hop the fence to visit Uncle Janet and Doug who lived next door, in the white house. He was tied up, and that didn't go well one day. Yes, Caitlin called her Uncle Janet! Caitlin didn't have an aunt, and thought everyone was an Uncle!

How cute was that?!

My parents visited and helped my first husband replace the galvanized steel plumbing with copper pipes, and redo all the old knob and tube wiring. Those were the days! 

Uncle Janet's house next door (172A) sold for $750,000 in 2019. 

Lot Dimensions: 18.00 x 144.00'.

Left side of the semi-detached was ours,
the other (white) is 172A

I love Toronto homes, with lane access. The lane beside our house demarcated the city of Toronto from East York.

This is from another house listing just across the street. (#113 Coleman Ave.) It sold for $1million in 2019. This is the size of the yard. If you look online you can see the fabulous renovations they did to this place. They added a third storey, and made it quite open. 

I posted it here to show you what they did, just for fun.

The lot dimensions are 18 x 144'. Standard for the street.