Warm days!

 

Wednesday began with the threat of rain, but it was gorgeous. This storm covers the continent. It's like the political storm we are facing. 

(This morning it is 7 ℃. and I'm putting the heat back on.) 

 It wasn't raining! I wanted to cry, with the election news, but it wasn't raining.

"We are already walking down the same road as our [US] neighbours. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, BC Cons, Federal Cons. NS is going to re-elect a man who tries to deny he’s not like Pierre, but uses the same slogans and fights the same fights."

 We've been trying to come to terms with the shock of it all. 

Even the Canadian media are giving us some notions of how to get through this... 

🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸 🐸

🐸  Moving the froggies <= I've kept track of the data. We've surpassed 2023's count.  Grand total is 146 frogs! The keep emerging from the muck in the pond. The new ones that have moved in are much brighter green. Also, I imagine I'm getting some from around the property, looking for winter habitat.

OK, this was our stress reliever: Nov. 6 – Moved 5 + 6 + 5 + 2 (saw the Barred owl on 2nd trip) = 18  Wednesday. 

There was one large one, who was tapping on the lid as he jumped. He made it down to the wetland, though. Cinnamon helped on a trip! 

I didn't find any new owl pellets, but the three I found are nearly dry. I shall report on them shortly.

I did manage to get up on the roof (in the warmth) to clean out the last of the leaves in the eaves.  If you can see, in the middle of the photo, in the background, my other project. Moving that wood from the dead elm trees in the upper meadow. 

A lovely, sunny day.

Hallowe'en 2021

After teaching for 25 years, raising three kids, and living in rural Ontario, I don't really DO Hallowe'en! I did decorate for Autumn and Thanksgiving in October. In the past I have painted my pumpkins, but since I feed them to the critters, even though it is non-toxic, I thought I'd play it safe. 

That said, JB had planned the 🐻SNUGGLE Bears weeks in advance. They were trick-or-treating!  Well, Yam and JB had the same idea. 

I did go up on the roof and clean out the eavestrough. I drew a line through that chore (Fall Chores)! It wasn't bad at all. Just three corners need work, and I did clear out the one. The others corners I inspected, but the winds have been good and clearing off the roof.

I think the fascia needs work. It looks a tad rotten.

I like to take roof photos once I am up there!

Back indoors... Cinnamon has been a bit of trouble. The light is warm on his belly. Lots of our cats have liked being up there. To the right of him is a △piece of sturdy cardboard that blocks the opening, but he can nidge it. There is a space between the rim and where the hoses go into the tank. What a pain.

He saw Percy coming, and reaching in he snagged a single fish scale. You can see it just above the white fish's nose on the left. I'm looking at putting some netting or something across the back. There are two hoses going in, and it is a bit of an awkward spot. 

From there, he decided to sit on the railing and chase his tail. He is trouble! He's not the only curtain climber we've had!

We've been thinking of better webbing for the tank's opening. Chicken wire might do it, though. I'll have to think it through. 

 JB had the snow tired put on the car. Good thing. That's it for October!

Cleaning the eaves of leaves & other fall chores

Fall chores

Hoses are detached. Leaves have been mulched, 4 or 5 times now! (We have a lot of trees!!!) Goldfish in, plants indoors, and the mental checklists are getting crossed off. Next, outdoor furniture into the shed. But in the meantime...

First, I had to bring my canoe home from the lake. It really is the end of the season. I stuff the canoe into the car and haul it back across the street. I do love my canoodles and my neighbours are very kind to permit me to dock it for the summer on a remote part of their property! I have so many photos of wildlife from my canoe trips! There were still geese and ducks on the lake, as well as a mysterious conflagration of debris. I waved goodbye.



This is the poem I wrote for my neighbours. I will give them this, as well as a nature calendar I created with my photos.

Next, cleaning out the eaves

So, I'm climbing up the ladder, and hubby, holding the ladder, suggests we could hire someone to do this. There's a vote of confidence! Seriously, that's another item on my list, if I can't do it myself, perhaps it's time for a smaller place! It's a serious concern about being a homeowner.

Last year, I took the camera off of my neck, rested it on the roof to do the other, lower part of the roof. I have troubles getting my butt back up to the higher roof (see the 2nd photo), as I'm only 5'4". But I made it! I accidentally left it up there last year and had to haul out the ladder again.

It's a great view, and we still have some yellow. The pine trees have dumped their needles, leaving a lovely circles of fragrance under the tree line. Aside from hubby, the ladder holder, Dorah and Annabelle were quite curious about the large squirrel on the roof!

 

I was very careful!

I spotted this guy on his roof with the leaf blower.
What was he thinking?!
"Falls account for 85% of seniors' injury-related hospitalizations,
and falls are the cause of most hip fractures among seniors."