Autumn tour

Bathroom Reno 

We took a drive Wednesday, we went in to Carleton Place to order our new laminate topper. This is the one I ordered, this style of tap, as well. It'll take forever to get a contractor in from Rona to install it. They told us they are two months behind, and are short staffed.

Next decision is a backsplash tile:

There were some spectacular trees. These belong to Ian Millar! There is a little pond behind these trees.

Our famous Rideau Canal closes at Thanksgiving in October.  

Cinnamon doesn't like the cooler weather! He was happy to sleep in front of the TV, waiting for a football game and a fire!

I've been working on stacking wood. More to do today. I think some of it is punky. My mistake, not stacking it earlier. 

Well, September settles in

 Well, as things wind up or down, depending upon your position, we are ready for winter. People have been really good about wearing masks in town, the few times I've been in. We don't know what the fall will bring, once school is in session. We are creeping up the graph in Ontario, with over 100 cases a day. It was lower than that. 

I've been tidying and decluttering. The girls no longer play school (see the first photo, below), so we'll sell two of our three antique student tables. They have served us well during many Gramma Camps. 

I have been so grateful having the girls around. Things have since been quiet. We're back to being retirees. JB's shoulder precludes him from volunteering anymore. I'm still coming to terms with my former client's ill health. I'd been visiting her twice a week for 3 years. I am rudderless.

Our wood pile is still standing! 

I am unable to snap a great photo, but there is quite a bee colony in the sand. You can just see the little bee near the shadow of the rock. 

JB brought me home some kale from the farmer's market. A LOT of kale! I made some kale chips. 

I have comparison photos for our hosta plants; one trimmed, one nearer the house. The poor hosta was trimmed by our deer, but valiantly produced flowers. I can't blame them. We've moved into their habitat.

With our regular fall rains, the vernal frog pond was dry and now it is filling up. This will be important later, as I tell my story!

Cinnamon has been walking more frequently with us. I videotaped him, roaring around the corner. He is so funny.

Funny story. JB has been walking around the property, 2 or 3 times a day, for stress relief, and some exercise, now that the bugs are gone. 

This is the climbing tree. Don't ask why the first video is B & W, and the next is colour. Anyway, I'm glad I set the camera up at the tree. 

cat walkies 2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

From there, JB kept walking and the trio ended up at the dock. Nutmeg slid under the dry end of the dock, looking for who knows what. Cinnamon, the boy that he is, just jumped into the water and got a soaker. 

This is what I call an Isabelle, as we were down at the dock several years ago, and she was frogging. She spotted one and, gleefully, without thinking about it, jumped in with her boots and tried to get a frog. 

Good times had by all!

I'm TRYING to take it easy!

I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I love hard, physical work.  Trying to keep my foot elevated, and pacing myself, is all. Sigh. Hubby's been great, fetching dinners and being supportive.

I love working outside:  cleaning up the workbench, stacking the wood, throwing the rocks around the goldfish pond. However, I overdid it. I gave my left foot some tenosynovitis. I did it in 2011 to my right foot, where the sheath around the tendon swells and becomes painful. I have to learn my lesson, and slow down when the pain comes. Then: foot up, ice it, and take it easy.

DRS was in the pile
(Dratted Red Squirrel!)

I'm sure you know how hard this is! I have several piles of wood to stack, brush to move, and other chores.

Today, I figured out I could weed the garden sitting on my butt. I had a buddy, Daisy, and I met a blue-spotted salamander! That was fun.

It's important to stop and smell the roses! This tiny little creature, with delicate little toes, is such an important part of the environment.

The colourful flowers in the front garden are wonderful. I laud the previous gardeners at this house. I've added bulbs! Dorah had to give a big hug to the day lily, wrapping her arms around it, with joy and love of the season.  The dratted red lily bugs are out...

I ambled down to the pond with Annabelle. We spotted a bullfrog catching brunch. We sat on the upturned logs, and smelled the beautiful spring smells, inhaling the beauty with all of our senses.

I sat on the front porch, foot elevated, and watched the birds. (I'll post those photos tomorrow!) I could see the Trillium blooming. A sure sign of the turning of the seasons.

Goldfish are happy in the pond. Where the overflow comes in, they dance under the waterfall. One zoomed by, like an orange shark, fins out of the water. We're all happy with the changing scenery.We have 10 goldfish now.