Stay "healthy, active and engaged!"

I am a senior. I don't know when that happened. It seems others should be aware. Apparently, others must look after me, to ensure I stay "healthy, active and engaged!" I can't believe how people talk about us as if we aren't in the room. 

OK, rant over! Here I am being engaged in looking at nature. Peony, Allium with a Swallowtail, and the first roses.

After the first, there were more!

This is one of the Eastern Comma and Question Mark butterflies. They are very similar. They both like the Hops Vine.

Phoebe is nesting under the deck. She was quite keen on the Eastern Comma butterfly who wants to lay eggs in the Hops vine. The butterfly got away! 

butterfly attacked from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Another mystery. There was a small critter  on the sidewalk, I put the camera out there. Look who I found!

Hare tails from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

To quote Barb: "– after 2 days of forecasts that were fabrications..."  <= We had that as well. 

Finally, we had rain! A grand total of 3 storms flying by 45mm, AKA 1.75". 

Our doe still looks pregnant.

Pregnant doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

So does Fred! May 31st, Fred was still nest building📹.  May 28, Fred was caught in the rain📹. 

 

Fred June 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

A glorious time of year

 

At 5:30 I stood out on the back deck and listened for the birds. This is what Merlin told me. I've photos of all these, except for the Wood-Pewee. 

I remember standing under a tree trying like heck to find it. The other App I used said it was a Robin. Pfftt. 

We've cool mornings and warm days this week. Pretty ideal conditions for all the critters nesting and borrowing.

The Merlin App has been really helpful. 

  

songbirds from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

  I figured out where the blackflies are: my front garden. Only one bite on Wednesday. I woke up at 4:40 Wednesday, slept in until 5:30 Thursday. That is a good thing. The night before I was awake from 2 - 4 and man, the mind chatter and brain festering with problems. This morning, Friday, I slept until 5 a.m., which isn't bad.

The butterflies are fun. This is a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, according to iPhotos. It is going after the Goats Beard.

Busy yard!

I've been wrestling with the lawn tractor. I'll recharge the battery, take the heavy sucker down to the shed, pop it into the tractor and it won't start. I had to get some lawn done. I pushed the durn thing across from the shed to the garage where I started it with the recharger, kept it running, and did the deed. 

I was interrupted by a phone call from the OPP Fraud department. I explained what happened. Got all upset again, and put the tractor away. It wouldn't start without the whole routine again. I didn't have the heart for it. I mow in sections so as to not get rid of the various wildflowers the birds, bees, deer and Fred like. There is a No Mow May effort by some. I like that idea. There are others who only leave an inch of grass. It is an old fashioned notion. Especially with droughts and the like.

First poppy:

Since I was lathered with bug spray, I transplanted the Marigold elsewhere, and added the Basil I'd picked up on Monday just before the storm and the tornado watch. (We didn't get a tornado!) This activity makes me happy. 

The trailcams have been fairly quiet. Here is our doe, sniffing at the camera. I think she is pregnant and has been wandering around, trimming the 'grass' for me. 

🎾 Distractions...

Tennis have been great, except for the rainouts! We taped both Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime, and watched them one after another until the rain fell. The electronics are interesting. I was out back, checking the bank accounts (yes, I'm checking them hourly), and checked the tennis activity. With all the rain they've had to rejig schedules. We've several tennis players doing well. 

🎥 AFTER THE FLOOD

JB went out and brought me a pizza, a new library book, and a bottle of wine. My hero, trying to calm me down. We like to escape to the TV at night. I've a funeral to attend Saturday, and what with worrying about the banking crap, it just sets us both on edge. (You know how it is, many of you!) Watching this murder mystery has been great.

I've been chatting with fellow bloggers about the setting of this UK TV series. We were wondering about the set. There is a YouTube video for everything! This was fascinating for me.  A long drone video, gives the overhead view.

An overhead drone video

This helps some:

New sheets, butterflies and birds

We've had a dump of rain over the past few days. A total of 23 mm on Tuesday, which is nearly 1". 

We've been doing indoor chores. Today we should get warmth and sun => outdoor chores, weeding and bugs! 

The pollen is even in the rain gauge, floating on the top! 

The pine trees have dumped massive amounts of pollen in the air. The goldfish pond is inundated. It is rather full, and Percy just keeps getting bigger. He cruises the surface of the water, looking like a baby shark.

I sent JB in to buy new pillows for the guest room. The poor kids spent a week in the guest room during their power outage. When he came home with the pillows, I realized they'd spent a week on flannel snowman sheets. I ordered new summer sheets and pillow cases. Ironically enough, the brand is 'Where The Polka Dots Roam!' It's a fun room and looks like a good company. 

JB took the comforter in to be cleaned, and I hauled out the summer one and put it on after I took the photo. I love the sheets. 

After putting out garbage on Monday, Cinnamon and I went walkies to fetch trailcam cards. It was 9 C. at 6 a.m. and few bugs. 

I spotted a couple of Swallowtails in the meadow. They were flitting around the trailcam as I approached. I had high hopes of the videos, but they are so fast. There were some the previous night, but too small for Swallowtails. 

butterflies from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They are such pretty butterflies.

There was a moment, when I was out on the back deck, when Phoebe landed on the flag pole, and the House Wren sat atop the little fake gazebo. I have the proof, even though Wren took off a second after I began filming. Can you see it?!

2 birds from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The tourists are out and about. A float plane. 

float plane June 5 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🧸Snuggle Bears are back! 

"Bear Lodge 1978 Order of Happy Bears; Meeting Comes to Order"

Hibiscus, leaf, and tree frogs

Here we are, coping with the heat, and aches and pains. It's fun finding distractions. The news is gruesome. I've found myself some poison ivy on both ankles. I have meds, thankfully, and put on the ointment. Oh my. Here is our latest distraction.

I've a new page, under the header: 🐻Snuggle Bears

Hibiscus

The hibiscus are blooming! I bought a dozen, as Sue at Sew Crafty had them leftover one year. I'm down to three white ones. One in the front yard is spectacular. I don't know if I should tie it up or not. The ones in the back need water. I haven't watered much, trying to be frugal.

It's coming! 

Tree frogs

I found we have two resident tree frogs on the back deck. This big one likes to sit on the cooler. When I go to peek at him, he'll do reverse gear and hunker back down!

tree frog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This froggy likes to nestle under JB's chair cushion and blanket.

Spring continues...

 It is springtime. HOPE springs in the greening of the land! It's so good to get outdoors, too.

The 🐣PHOEBE  have FIVE eggs! This is an archive photo, as I don't want to bother them. May 22 they should hatch!

The female rose-breasted grosbeak is back, too. I'll look for the male, although I know I heard him. The house finches, as well.

• Crows 🐦

I noticed a raptor doing a fly-over of where the crow nest lies.

The crows May 7   have been interesting. They've gone silent in the past week. It's been a cold, rainy week, and I wondered if they were sticking to their nest. I finally spotted the pair of them in the backyard. I've posted videos of the one with a small stick stuck in its cheek. (That's what I think it is!) I think that is one of our pair. They've been down at the pond, however.

They'll incubate 16 – 18 days. They'll stay in the nest 20 – 40 days, according to All About Birds!

They are really vigilant. I opened the door very slowly and quietly, and the one took off. The other, if you watch the video, seems to be the one with the wound. crows  

I anticipate monarchs, the milkweed is starting to grow here. The second photo was from 2019. 

I saw a swallowtail in the yard. What a delight!

Do you remember my Lenten Rose? We had snow, it fell over. It's standing tall, now!

It happened again. Somebody knocked it into the water. It is cold water!!!!

I think this is a morel, but I'm letting it lie.

Butch has been busy. He still wants to get into that nesting box!

 

Butch on deck 

The deer   in the meadow, the one day it cleared up! The guidelines say not to have the camera face north, but I've not much choice in trees.

I went walkies in the backyard. I had two cats roaring around with me. My friends! cats and trees