We made it to Friday!

 We knew it was coming. This was still a bit of a shock! It is time to hunker down, put the flowers to bed, and prepare for winter. 

 I'll be happy for the Autumn harvest, and baking to warm up the kitchen.

The soda bread continues to be a hit. 

The sphinx moths are about. Several had paused prior to dawn and ended up sitting there.

The flying ants are right on schedule. They live around the goldfish pond, I think. I was fascinated watching them all take flight.

 

flying ants from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The frogpond is really done. All critters have fulfilled their life cycles. The wood frogs are in the forest, the leopard frogs are in the grass, tree frogs are everywhere, fattening up for winter.

 

frog pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Fred groundhog pops in and out. I put the trailcam on the deck and caught him coming and going.

 

Fred groundhog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hornets are very busy bees. Here is nest #2. In the same tree.

 

2nd hornet nest from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The water strider is hanging out in the water fountain. I will have to break the bad news. Soon it'll be time to clean, drain, dry, and cover the fountain for winter! 

 

water strider.mov from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It was a nice day Thursday, if chilly. The fungus and the mushrooms in the forest are amazing. That will be another post. We've been watching The Brokenwood Mysteries, from New Zealand. It's a partly lighthearted, nicely done series that has some humour, and a great sense of place. The scenery is wonderful. The quality of the plots vary week to week, some are better than others. We are on to season 8 and it has evolved, with a diverse cast. They have begun to use Maori in dialogue. I like that. All in all, it's a nice 90-minute mystery. 

And there you have it, on a cool, rainy day, I've a volunteer gig. I hope I can manage. Mask affixed, I have to be a driver and an escort. We'll see how I last. 

Bambi, Shirley and crew

Bambi was in the backyard Thursday,
flicking her ears madly to keep the deerflies away.

I've been having fun decorating for Canada Day. I was standing on the front lawn, trying to tie Bear's tie. Tricky, as its a little too high for me, and my arms were losing circulation.
Now those who are familiar with deer, know that they snort when they are trying to scare you away. Hubby was working on the veggie garden fence, painting. I could hear Bambi snorting. It's more like a loud blowing out of breath through pinched mouths. It got my attention!

Anyway, suddenly, who bounded out of the forest, but our wee fawn, barreling across the lawn, with Momma in hot pursuit. I think I was the one in their path. Rather than standing and enjoying the sight, I ran to get my camera, which was sitting in a bag nearby. I bitterly regret that.

Cherries last year - few this year with the mid-May frost

I should, instead, have simply enjoyed their quick run because they were gone by the time I was ready to 'shoot'. Lesson learned.

With the lack of rain, and our wetland being more of a dryland, water levels in Lanark County are at mid-August lows. This is not good.

We had an early Spring, but then temperatures dropped. My Rhododendron lost its leaves, and my rose bush canes, some as high as 4' tall, all died. It has come back, but I've had to prune it.
I lost most of my cherry blossoms, and have only a handful of fruit on the tree. I'm so sad. Our birds depend upon them. There are reports that bird species are declining in Canada. Habitat loss, food sources, all are contributing factors for the decline in insectivores. I'm happy to have seen the warblers and the vireos on our Murphys Point Bird Count! I captured their songs in my videos, you can listen to the 6:00 a.m. bird songs without rising at that hour! It was a challenge identifying birds in my S. E. locale!

In the meantime, our 6 goldfish are doing well.

Water Boatman

Eat those bugs!!!

We still have 6 goldfish,

innumerable Water Striders, Water Boatmen,

plus 2 Leopard Frogs!

Shirley 2 (with white stripes) leads the pack

 - she is the least afraid of me.

The others seem to chase her!

Water Strider

Water Strider -
surface tension keeps it afloat I've been feeding them, which might be a mistake. There must be more than a dozen water striders, and several water boatmen in the pond.


Do you know the expression, "salad isn't food, it's what food eats?"

The insects are supposed to be the food.


They're eating the Goldfish food!

Camera-Critters #221