Cinnamon and I went to the island

 This is our little island in the middle of the wetland. Several trees have fallen over. It looks like good habitat for one critter or another. I hadn't been able to make it out there as the ice was uncertain. Jan. 8th I ventured forth with Cinnamon. 

 It is quite pretty, and raw, and this was prior to the knee-deep snow we had. 

Cinnamon thought it fun.

I could go and scrape off the LDD moth eggs. 

He went up the tree!

"Wait for meeeeee!!!!"

In the middle of the wetland, he climbed a tree, and was watching something. "You're on your own, Mummy!" I hope it was a deer or something. He is quite alert. This would have been a great photo of him, except for autofocusing on the foreground! 

First he led me down the deer path, they he climbed a tree. He was looking at something. I figure a deer, or a coyote!

 

Cinnamon wetland tree from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went walkies alone Monday, it's just too deep for Cinnamon. (Although Daisy would trod in my snowshoe steps!) He's such a sweet boy. I thought I'd walk down without snowshoes on Tuesday, and that was a mistake. I'd forgotten I'd not broken a track through, but around The Point to the wetland. Whew, I was tired. Good exercise for this old body! 

I was happy to hunker down indoors with both cats! They were sitting at our feet, together.

They've been playing together a lot, it being -25 C. this a.m., things have been chilly. We were watching The Repair Shop, and could hear things going on around the corner in the dining room. Nutmeg was on the table flicking pencils onto the floor for Cinnamon who was waiting below! I laughed.

Front yard and wetlands

 The boys are in town! They arrived in the front yard, munching as they went.

Apparently, there was some interest in the goldfish pond! 

I've mentioned our island in the wetland. (See: Building a bridge in a bog with a frog!) Sadly, the bridge has rotted.

The dark parts are the trees.
Our little island is in the middle of the wetland,
all bulrushes and water!

Across the wetland, I could hear the red-tailed hawk. I was just about done fetching trailcam cards, when I heard one. It was insistent, and persevered with its call. It makes it easier to spot them when they call. I figured I had to try and find it. 

The video will show you how tough it was to spot it and film it from different angles. Not only that, but I used the zoom lens that morning, and nearly brought it with me. What a mistake! I should have listened to that little voice.

Red-tailed hawk from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Here is an archive photo!

Trail tails with Daisy

Daisy was up for a walk yesterday morning. The bugs have lessened. Thankfully. We went down to the island.

This is our wetland island. In winter, of course! It is surrounded by bulrushes and shrubs in summer.

The island is very dry. We had a touch of rain yesterday, but it didn't soak anything.

 

Ant eggs under a stone! I replaced it, of course. I usually only take the videocamera, and it doesn't take great photos!

This is the supposedly wet part, between the island (on the left) and the forest on the right.

These next two photos are pretty much the same spot, except the second was from March [Oot and aboot]. The critters use the same pathways during the seasons. The foliage is tramped down in summer.

Around the world

Aug. 16th is my daughter, Caitlin's, birthday. Their day is done, and it was a full one. I might be able to do facetime with them tomorrow. There was ice cream involved! It was free for Caitlin, on her birthday. I haven't talked to them, but obviously lots of English is spoken!

And, of course, a tower! And mushies! 

Izzy is fearless! She's jumping on the glass floor. 

Transportation is amazing. They are getting pretty familiar with it.

Then there is this building.

Here ends today's virtual visit!

Forest walkies

It was a three-cat walk! Highly unusual, as Daisy is green with jealousy. She wants to be the only cat on a walk. You can see Dorah trailing behind, across the meadow, as the bottom of the hill. Annabelle was higher up the hill. I could hear them calling far behind, as Daisy and I marched on.

We are truly in a drought, the aquifers are low, but we've had recent rains to brighten up the greenery.


Dorah found a hibernacula, where the snakes sleep. Bears sleep in them, as well, hibernacula is Latin, "tent for winter quarters". She definitely heard activity. A large pile of stones, at the base of the tree, deep in the forest. All covered in debris. I didn't uncover any more than 2 stones, and then recovered them.

The wetland island

Daisy came across the bridge with me. We could hear Annie and Dorah, well in the rear. We did a walkabout, and were ready to leave by the time Annie and Dorah caught up.
Since the wetland is horribly dry, it truly isn't an island, but the critters (deer, coyotes) all use it as a regular part of their tracks (you can see the path through the grasses). They use the same regular path, on an irregular basis, and wear a track.
In past years I've set up the trailcam, and they cross here, sometimes using my bridge! Once, I found the deer fur from a kill. No carcass. The bones would have been taken away.