Gramma Camp – Week 31

 Wednesday dawned. Grampa did an early walk, 6:45, to beat the heat. I worked on my blog post, and at 7 a.m. I went down the hall to open curtains. Isabelle wasn't in bed. She was in the bathroom. Happily, she didn't scare me as I have a low startle reflex! Downstairs, I opened the curtains, and Jos sort of sat up. She didn't quite wake up, so I had to go back down! 

The day unfolded. I take joy in the garden. Here is a huge spider, I think with an egg sack! I didn't want to bother her too much.

I figured I should take photos of the lilies our You Two deer beheaded, just for a reference point. There were 5 she took out. I didn't seen her all day Tuesday, so maybe my chicken wire and flags alerted her. (See my header!) JB spotted her this morning on the other side of the wire. 

The poppies popped. In the second photo you can see the bee.

The goat's beard has spittle bugs. I'm sure there are Latin names for them, but this will suffice. It's an interesting strategy.

I so miss these colours in winter. 

Lymantria caterpillars (LDD) 

There is devastation in the forest, with great white pine trees dropping needles like mad. It is LDD, and it is terribly discouraging. This is a video of this tree, and the damage.

My rose bush... one was destroying a rose bud, and it was promptly dumped in the soapy water I keep by me.

My poor rhododendron... I pop out several times a day to pluck off the caterpillars with my tweezers.

The spruce tree is heavily infested. It is discouraging. I think we'll have them for a few years. I'm still wrapping my head around all this. Nearby people had hired a company to spray their forests by helicopters. They use Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) which kills them in a week. There is no more Btk to be had around here, though.

It's a three-year process, they tell me. The folks nearby are in their third year, and they have migrated over here to our forest. We had a couple of them last year. I am not hopeful. Biologists are saying the trees can stand 3 years of this, and will come back.

Gramma Camp

We had an interesting day. At 12:15, JB and I left for our 2nd COVID_19 injections. All went well. We are now fully vaxxed. Jos is next week.

When we returned home, an hour later, the Internet had been wonky. Isabelle had texted Momma and told her. I checked in with Caitlin, and she couldn't find any information on Xplornet. I had a hard time on my phone. I finally phoned the company, and they said that the 'Jupiter' satellite was down, and internet could be  gone or wonky. The girls finally gave up at 1:30. The girls hung out together and relaxed.

Jos and I played Skip-Bo!

We had fun watching America's Got Talent. The girls liked the magician. They don't have satellite TV at home, and this is just fun. After a stressful day, we were happy to sit and relax.

The Internet came back up while we were watching TV, and Jos began to work on stuff due that day. (Caitlin had emailed their teachers explaining the problem.) At 8:00 p.m., Isabelle told Josephine it wasn't a good idea to work on the computer so late near to bedtime. I've been talking to them about sleep hygiene, and I'm glad the message got through!

They were tucked in, and the day was done.

Frogs, spruce, poppy

 I've two leopard frogs in the goldfish pond, as well as my 5 goldfish. So far, so good. 

I was reminded about our spruce bud worm infestation.[Chipping sparrow & spruce budworms (2017)] The tree recovered. This year's spruce buds reach for the sun. 

The LLD caterpillars continue to fall from the trees. You can see just one in the centre of the photo.

I accidentally brought a caterpillar in on myself, JB fetched the bug catcher, and he flushed it. He narrated it, "Nothing personal, little guy, I just don't want you eating my trees!"

I found a large wasp in the house. They come in via the chimney, along with the bumble bees and bats. Country life! 

I've dumped the last of the bird seed for the spring. First, we see three raccoons, then Butch watching Nutmeg, watching the raccoons. 

I'm happy to report that we finally have rain. The plants are happier. This doesn't look like much, but the yellow devil's paintbrush are ready to bloom. I timed cutting the grass well, chopping off the dandelion stalks, but not harming these. Next, it'll be the red ones. Also, the first poppy popped.

JB ordered a new neck thing. This is designed for necks. It should help with the pain.

Forest walks have been healing. I keep hearing the common yellowthroat. It's song is a witchety– witchety– witchety. 

It's been tricky with traffic, though! I snickered when the app said to avoid traffic.

Cinnamon pulled a Fluffy. Fluffy was our family cat when I was a kid. 

He'd sit there, and suddenly look up at the ceiling until YOU looked up at the ceiling, and he'd look away. That's what Cinn did to me at the trailcam. I don't know if it was a bird, or what. We're really careful in the forest. 

  

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyote peed in front of the trailcam. A cat later thought it required inspection.

coyote marking from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is funny. The ducks  flew in and scared Butch up the tree! They looked so embarrassed.