Celebrate summer!

🔥The fires out west are horrific. The last two Alberta premiers cut firefighting budgets, specifically the elite Wildland Firefighter Rappel Team. The current premier said Jasper, as a federal park, wasn't her responsibility. She's changed her tune. Provinces have to request help from the federal government. This is the chain of command. She's asked for help. 

Current fires: July 30th
right down to the US

Fire danger in Canada
About 1000 km from Albert to Saskatchewan
in that big blob of red

I am looking for the helpers. Thank you to people who care for one another. Who show kindness. The politics and lies around Climate Change, health, and all the other issues, is appalling. Politics can't trump science. Canada, again, will rely on other countries for firefighting help. Even New Zealand, so far away, Jean! Happy birthday, young lady!

🌪 Our tornado

Do you remember our tornado? The Tornado path was confirmed by WesternU scientists.  It was 4km to the south of us. 😧😬😳 There are lots of trees down. One smucked a cottage, so I heard, on the nearby lake. No one was hurt during the storm. Many people hunkered down in basements. 

Back to flora and fauna...

The frog pond is doing well. Our big storm filled it up via the water barrel. There should be 3 goldfish in there, but I am not healthy enough to look for them. They are the least of my worries. 🐠

He's holding his own, Mr. Bullfrog. It is a male, as the ear doohickey (drum?) is larger that his eye. (My poor brain!) Do you remember Jeremiah and Geraldine?! <= They froze in my shallow goldfish pond one year. 😥 I'll have to take him down to the frog pond in the fall. Silly git. Meantime, he is happy.

Water lilies! It seems like two different species. One has a scent, the other does not. Don't ask which. I don't remember.

The Asiatic Lilies! I wish you could smell them. The deer fences works really well! I am over the moon about that. You can barely see it. The flowers flourish. Heaven knows there is enough foliage for the deer to eat out there.

Don't gardens give you joy? My garden is a bit wild. When we first moved here, Joe has always said that 90% of gardening is weeding. Now, I won't say that 90% of my garden is weeds, but that twitch grass!

😷COVID

Still coughing. My cough has lessened, however. Joe is less tired, he has sniffles, but not as bad as last week. Thank you for your kind wishes. We appreciate it. I have tested negative. I wish the symptoms would go away. I feel for those suffering from long COVID.

I went out front to check on the cherry tomatoes, which have required twice daily watering. I began to cough. Suddenly, our buck, in the forest just off the driveway, chuffed and took off into the forest. I laughed. Me scaring a big buck! They sure aren't tame. 

My long time elementary school friend, who lives 500km away and I haven't seen since high school, said this on Facebook:

"The big guy was on Covid alert! 🤣"

She asked if it was 'too soon' but, no, if I take all my meds (Ventolin, Advil, Symbacort), I can find humour in the odd moment.  That is progress.

I tested negative for COVID on July 24. On Day 15 of lung issues, I am coughing less frequently. I cannot imagine what people went through before the vaccines. All those deaths. 

I do wake up (4 a.m. today, again) with what feels like bronchitis. Ventolin is my friend. The side effects of Ventolin is one of the least of my worries, or this is the Symbacort (steroid for my lungs to reduce swelling). That said, I'd give my eye teeth for a bidet! Thank goodness for Always. I think it is the meds, which I can live with. I've lost 3.5 kg, that is not a bad thing! 

Both of us are truly grateful for having the Olympics to watch. 

Good news

OK, short walk on the sidewalk. I'm hoping for pumpkins! I haven't been able to grow them for years. There is something satisfying about planting and harvesting. I've not felt bad about it, as I've never been able to grow enough to make a difference in our household. We've lots of farmers around us, with good, fresh produce. 

I want pumpkins, just not on the sidewalk.I gently moved them aside.

Petunias and Basil.

Lilies

You'll forgive me for long posts. I am bored. Haven't visited trailcams in 2 weeks. Can't discuss issues with Joe. Here's the stuff I'm thinking about. 

🌪 Tornados

We had more good news, aside from not getting a hit by a tornado! People in the area are not so lucky. That said, people listened to the warnings and headed for basement. Thing is, some cottages don't have them. There is lots of damage. We are very fortunate that no one was hurt. It's nothing as bad as Jasper, Alberta, which has been devastated by fire. 

Ottawa Citizen article July 25

 There are citizen tornado reports from Scotch Line, Christie Lake, Bass Lake, and Otty Lake. Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University will be coming to the area Saturday to check the damage and give a full report. Don't you love science, information and data?!

⚽ We are so discouraged with the soccer news and our women's team. Heads will roll. That said, we are grateful to have Hydro and could watch the game. I had two bouts with coughing in the morning. This is an improvement. There are other side effects of all this. I'll risk being crude, you let me know, but I am finding irony where I can. A cough + diarrhea + hemorrhoids ≠ a good situation. If you know, you know. 😣

Water is important. There is lots of science around the study of water. It flows down, fills a container, etc. What I have learned: secure the lid properly, i.e., screw it on all the way. Cue laugh score! Also, when you are having a coughing attack, do not flail your arms and knock your glass over.  Yes, I spilled water twice. 😏 You may laugh at this point. 

I came up with a new chair cover as my chair was wet. 

 

We love our cats, BTW. The peculiar Republican VP candidate Vance has been explaining that single women with cats shouldn't be political leaders. They have no investment in the future, he says, as they continue to mispronounce her first name. (Comma-La, as she writes in her memoir.) Them's fightin' words. Their theory is that they need white people to have more white kids to MAGA. Yes, the great days when there was slavery and all that. Republicans are doomed. 

VP Kamala Harris is a step-mom, who co-parents, and has been lauded by her husband's first wife. She performed her step-son's marriage. Welcome to 2024 dude! The back lash is huge. They are toying with Beyonce, Taylor Swift, lots of women's groups, childless female leaders with cats, who are rising up in solidarity. The future is bright.

😷 COVID

I had a bad morning, still coughing, using the puffer and Symbicort. My nurse friend warned me that I shouldn't use the puffer any more than 8 times a day. I used it 12 times the day previous, still coughed my guts up, unable to get the phlegm out. I cried, Joe fretted. I phoned the doctor's office in the afternoon. He wouldn't see me. He only works Monday to Friday morning, and is on vacay next week. The receptionist told me to go to the ER. I cried, and coughed some more. 

Joe and I discusses what to do. They weren't sympathetic in the ER last Monday, but I didn't have any coughing spells there. I'm sure they thought I was a freak. I just wanted to know if there was anything else they could do. He suggested a nap, and we'd think things through.

We both lay down, and slept for two hours. It occurred to me that I cough more after I talk. I stopped talking for the rest of the day and evening. Do you know what? That did it. I had some minimal spells, but for the most part not that gut wrenching cough as I struggled to breathe. 

Thank goodness, Joe's COVID symptoms are far less than mine. He's been my hero. We'll get through this. He's tired and weak. We are hunkering down. He still has sniffles, but they are improving.

P.S. My cough is lessening, but I getting sinusitis today. 

Good news and bad news

 Well, bad news first. Joe is still positive for COVID. Mind is negative, but I've still got crap in my lungs. Joe went into town a secured me my new puffer. Every time I wake up, it takes ages to clear my lungs. (See yesterday's post.) 

My pumpkins are doing really well. The size of the leaves is impressive. Lots of blooms. I noticed a tree frog on top of the camera.

Remember the spider that took up residence on the camera? Well, across the face of the camera. I'll bet it is gone now. I have a wee defender!

The sick guy harvested cherry tomatoes for his lunch.

I was worried about the fountain and went out to drain it before the storm. I did my laundry, as well. Just in case we lost power. 

Joe's water fountain was unplugged, as it wasn't working. I thought I'd drain it. I just decided I'd plug it in and check. It worked. I filled it up and finally, something on Crumbly Acres was working! 

Ah summer, flowers, green things growing and colour!

Look what rolled in during the day! A big storm, as well as rain. It gave us 10 mm (o.4"). But it wasn't over!

We had nuked our dinners, and settled in for TV. Having gut-wrenching coughing, and using my new puffer every hour and a half or two hours, we were distracting ourselves watching Cold Case. Joe had to pause while I hacked up phlegm. I know he feels so badly! There is nothing anyone can do. For a new distraction...

Yes, tornado warning!  I grabbed our medications, water, puffer, Cinnamon, laptop & iPad, iPhone, and headed for the basement. We've a cinder block foundation and I felt safe there. 

The rain hammered down. Winds blew. 

Nutmeg followed us downstairs, I went back up to bring Cinnamon down. They started chasing one another. She went behind the couch, he jumped up beside me. She jumped up and grabbed his bum. As if we needed more entertainment!

I posted our photos to the family stream, just in case anything happened. Texted with my friend in Timmons, trying to laugh about it. One of Jesse's friends Messaged me, to see if we were OK.. It was very comforting!

The sound of the wind, the rain hammering down on the chimney cover, wind, thunder and lightning. Wow.

We watched the lightning radar, as well as the weather radar. 

Power outages nearby. Our lights were flickering. It didn't actually go off so that we had to reset clocks. 

We didn't get any sort of All Clear from Environment Canada, and this was the best way to figure out if we were good to go back upstairs. I checked the rain gauge and we had another 14mm (0.55"). 

Power outages this morning...

Our total rainfall for the day was 24mm (about an inch). What a day! Let's hope for a quiet one.

Just down the road, 5 kilometres away. Bass Lake.

#ONStorm Rideau Ferry pic.twitter.com/kwLLM2eRzy

— Ace (@mansgame100) July 25, 2024

A tornado has been confirmed at Rideau Ferry. 

#onstorm Bass Lake, Rideau Ferry pic.twitter.com/6BMrjsKtiC

— Ace (@mansgame100) July 25, 2024

#onstorm Bass Lake, Rideau Ferry pic.twitter.com/6BMrjsKtiC

— Ace (@mansgame100) July 25, 2024

Here you can see the obvious tornado on velocity scan earlier as it passed Rideau Ferry headed east just south of Smiths Falls. #ONSTORM pic.twitter.com/9UzpOJELQ7

— Tom Smetana 🇨🇦 🌪 (@twstdbro) July 25, 2024

Dr. Drummond, not too far away.

Hit by a tornado last night. Multiple mature trees uprooted. House still standing. Wife and Dog probably in Oz looking for the ruby slippers pic.twitter.com/Mp2y9V4Lxi

— alan drummond (@alandrummond2) July 25, 2024

Bass Lake near Smiths Falls tonight: pic.twitter.com/ncj2JObmgf

— Lanarkist (@LanarkistNews) July 25, 2024 

Tornado in Ottawa!

 Just when you wonder what you'll blog about, this happens! We were happily watching tennis, easing into the day, when we had two alerts. One on the phone, the other on the TV. 

Being prudent, I had a shower after my workout, just in case we lost power. (Which we didn't, whew!)

There was a first line of thunder and lightning, followed by a second wave. I texted Caitlin, and they'd had the warnings in Ottawa, too. They were fine, and even attended the Goo Goo Dolls Bluesfest show that night! 

We ended up with nearly 10 mm of rain (0.38"). It was wonderful to have rain, but the thunder was quite powerful and worrisome. 

Storm Jul 13 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Even while we were watching tennis, the radar shows the lightning strikes as it crossed south eastern Ontario. I like watching this online, as it lets me know what is headed our way, and when it is done.

storm from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There were 125 homes damaged in Ottawa, roofs ripped off, broken windows, and trees down. Barrhaven, in Nepean, is a section in the south of the city. 

Ground zero of the #tornado #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/NqtF4HkHlB

— Tomislav Mitar (@EnjoyTheTom) July 13, 2023

Safe after the #tornado #barrhaven

Neighbours checking on neighbours pic.twitter.com/peanRtxSkJ

— Alison Kinahan she/her (@ak_yxe) July 13, 2023

Barrhaven at 1:05pm. pic.twitter.com/zJmf3B4is1

— Rylee Noseworthy (@ryleenoseworthy) July 13, 2023

We got hit in Barrhaven (Nepean), two tornadoes #onstorm pic.twitter.com/PUqfaquKEe

— Sarah (@Sarah_Rides2023) July 13, 2023

Safe after the #tornado #barrhaven

Absolutely awful #tornado touches down in Barrhaven pic.twitter.com/nGjugtoctd

— Stuntman Stu 💎 (@StuntmanStu) July 13, 2023

Firefighters are going door to door in the worst areas checking on residents & shutting down gas & hydro on multiple units. Approx 50 houses affected in the area of Umbra Place in Barrhaven. #OttNews pic.twitter.com/iIBhq6ag2S

— Ottawa Fire Services (@OttFire) July 13, 2023

July 13, 2023 Tornado in Barrhaven. #onStorm #barrhavenMews #barrhaven #tornado pic.twitter.com/ri5df2lX4V

— Mr. NV (@nitishenvy) July 13, 2023

River Otter Quest – part II

 Yes, we went looking for river otters and didn't find any. JB figures it is Brigadoon, it disappears in between times! I suppose I should put my readers out of the suspense. It got me out of the house, and resulted in a change in scenery! 

UPDATE: I did read a news item stating that Tweed and the other affected towns, are getting some funding for clean up. This approaching a year from the storm. The province of Ontario is pretty slow, but our premier is pretty reluctant to spend money.

Here we were driving along, and I noticed the trees were just a mess. I came back home and found out about the horrid tornado: Tornado hit near Tweed on July 24th, 2022. The tornado picked up a truck (📹 Global News), and sent it 300m across the road. No one died, but they lost power and water. The Tornado Project sent up a drone, with amazing footage (on Twitter). The tornado travelled from Rockdale to Actinolite, just north of Tweed. Classified as an EF2, with winds estimated at 190 km/h. It had a track length of 55.8km, and a maximum width of 1420 metres, said Environment Canada.

I first noticed it when I took a photo of the turtle fence. But the damage was obvious. It devastated the campground, as well as the Zen Forest Meditation Centre (YouTube 📹 ). The video, including drone footage from CTV news, was interesting. While they lost 500 old trees, none of the buildings, nor their marble, hand-crafted Buddhas, were damaged. Volunteers helped clear the property.

Black River Trading Company estimated they had $200,000 in clean up costs. CBC posted images of the damage. 

They did some stories about the damage in early 2023, and said it was painfully slow, since municipal crews don't have the training to get rid of the tree damage. 

Sunday morning, having just posted my initial trip photos, I read that Highway #7 was closed between Highways #41 and #37 (Tweed), with Flinton Rd. being the detour. That's where we were! There was an incident on the highway, that closed the road and didn't open up until midnight, when they finished the investigation and cleanup. Such incidents are not a surprise.