Pumpkin time!

I'm so grateful to live here. 😷COVID-19 cases are on the rise. We've gone from 7 cases on Nov. 1st in our health unit, to 32 cases. We continue to keep ourselves safe. Our Kingston trip is still off, as their cases are rising, as well. 

Off I went, down to the trailcams. But first, I wanted to grab another small pumpkin to put down beside the frogpond. I have three large ones, and take my time harvesting the seeds one pumpkin at a time a few days apart. I then place the pumpkins down by the trailcams for the deer. Someone (a raccoon?) helped itself to a pumpkin.

I had a large piece I'd saved after harvesting the seeds from pumpkin #1. It's on the left (below). Then I noticed the large hole in the pumpkin on the bench. Apparently, a deer has been at the pumpkin. I think a deer, as they whack at the with their hooves. I found a fully engorged tick inside it, which is another clue.

It was heavy, but I hauled it down to the forest and dropped it in front of trailcam #3. I won't be harvesting seeds out of this one!

Forest walkies.

I did another couple of loads of wood Wednesday and Thursday. 

As I was working, I noticed a frog on the path in front of the tractor. I took it down to the wetland. It was cold and slow. (Frog #39.)

This is my non-mental note to check the oil. I thought I added enough, but it still shows the light. 

It's coming along! This will give me space for next year's wood. We are not using our regular supplier, since he's both on the "No More Lockdowns" bandwagon, as well as taking government grant money for wages for his employees at the same time. He never did lock down, for pete's sake.  

Grampa and his cat. She is a bit flighty. The poor man has still got a sore arm (rotator cuff issues), as well as a sore neck (stress), so I am giving him TLC as best I can. 

Moving the froggies

Nutmeg was tapping a frog on the bum to make it jump and I thought I might as well take it down to the pond, too. Several were out in the sun and I captured 4. I took the 5 froggies down, came back up and found another. Back up at the house, I sat down to check the trailcam footage and I'd forgotten to change them out! I am turning 65 next month. I am entitled to a senior's moment!

JB and I both took frog #6 down.  My total, now: 45 frogs down at the pond. Then, Saturday, I found #46 and the girls took it down for me. 

I don't think it is the same ones coming back. They are looking for places to hunker down for winter. The frog pond and the wetland are much colder that the goldfish pond. The frogs there have already settled into the mud. But I could be wrong!

• 🐻SNUGGLE Bears  – Caitlin asked if they'd provided POV. I assured her they did!

Down they went

We had several trees that had to come down before they fell down. There were several leaners in the forest, as well. They took them down for me. The elms we harvested for firewood. I've stacked some.
First, this pair have succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease. It will let more light in, and open up our vista, sad as it is.



One down, in this pair. One to go.

I have a bit of wood to stack.


They chipped the two big ones, onto the sumac field. I'm trying to grow it up, it was razed when the house was built 30 years ago.


Around the side of the house. This one was leaning on the house and tried to go through the bathroom window in November. It needed to go down, too.

November!

We shall have to replace the outflow from the eavestrough, it's a bit smucked. It could have been worse!

We just threw the brush into the small copse. I'll stack the larger pieces.


Timber from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Timber 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

They took down this leaner, as well. Old video, but Daisy is feeling better, still on drugs.
Daisy climber from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Wood shuffling 2.1

Day 2 – Saturday, Part 2 (Wood shuffling Part 2.0 Friday)

The dude who delivered was funny. He said they were frantically hustling to deliver wood to customers. He said that the radio announced the 'F' word.
I asked, "They used the F bomb?"
I should have just shut up and let him tell his story. Not the F bomb, but the word 'frost,' and people were in a hurry to get wood in. He was quite concerned that we didn't have enough wood to heat the size of our house over winter.( I'd ordered 2 bush cords.) Explaining that we had propane, I just cannot haul the wood some days. I give myself the day off.

Having just checked in on Facebook, where I'd posted my video... Winter, bring it on! 
Caitlin, as is the family tradition, broke out into puns. I'm not great with puns, but the rest of them are!  I post them here for hubby, who doesn't do FB!

I was listening to the radio, hubby was taping the tennis game for me. The radio wasn't doing well, but I heard them announce the tennis. I plugged my ears. It was a cold open, with the remnants of Hurricane Harvey on the way. I knew I'd best get it all done Saturday. We ended up getting 17.8 mm (7/10") and I was happy the wood was in the shed and dry.

Annie was desperate to visit. She watched where Daisy was going. Then hustled on over. Daisy is still wildly jealous of her. 

Today, I had three cats and a hubby helping! Dorah was the most interested. They run across the open yard, we've got coyotes and hawks!

At the end of the day, a few scrapes, sore muscles, and a jogging bra full of debris, we got it done!