Crafts and the postal strike

We're in the middle of a Canada Post strike. I am anxiously awaiting a new camera. They mailed it with Canada Post 3 days prior to the strike. It is in limbo. Originally they said there was a delay, Nov. 15th, on the 21st they admitted they don't know!

💸💰I am getting creative. Many companies want you to sign up for eBills, which are great during a postal strike. What I have found in my work with seniors is that this can get tricky. Usually one person does the bills, right? If something happens to that person, how will the partner know what needs to be paid? I pay all our bill online. During the strike, that is perfect. The trick is finding out what you owe. I made a list after our bank account fraud situation, and it was a quick check to determine what was due when, and which companies demand autopay on a credit card. Life is so complicated!

I spotted a post on Facebook. Then, I remembered I had to pay our Hydro bill. When I did so, I realized I owed $8 and I had mistyped the amount last month. Oopsie. But we're not failing! (Don't tell the kids!)

Then, I realized we'd had a propane delivery (just a top up), and I might as well pay that bill. 

What does someone do when faced with 32.5 mm (25 mm = 1") rain over two days? 

I've a couple issues with this material. It was a panel cut out of a larger flannel piece. The red bleeds, and it was probably not a good choice. She warned me to wash it separately. I soaked it in a vinegar solution, hoping for the best. I may have to do a new one!!! Ah well. That happened to me before. 

I'm not complaining about the rain. It's not like we had a Bomb Cyclone, like Jesse had in Vancouver! He ran out to get new hinges when the door was blown off the shed.

We just had lovely pouffy clouds afterwards.

I've removed the flag on the left. It just doesn't hang well here. It's on the flag pole broken by the arses who stole my Pride flag. I'll have to ponder that one. I don't think I have a seasonal flag. 

I'll leave you with our deer friends. It is rutting season and the deer are a little antsy. There were two here. Later on during my drive I spotted a herd of 5. 

Saturday's Critters

 You'll appreciate that we've had a couple days of rain. Normally we get Colorado lows heading north east. This was quite the system. It is peculiar seeing snow to the south and not here!

 Thankfully, my videos are from last week.

The feeders have been busy, even in the splatty rain!

   

 The deer are so keen on the cameras!

 

 

 The fisher appears briefly.

 

Saturday's Critters # 571 <= Visit more critters at Eileen's blog.

Forest bathing

Thanks for reading yesterday's rant. When an issue hits close to home, it personalizes it for us. 

I will go back to my photos...

Finally Joe got his birthday meatloaf. Half is in the freezer, too.

I found two more deer scrapes. Seriously! 

Standing in the forest, looking into the still green wetland is so peaceful.

If you look closely, you can see the wood shed. 

This is the house up the hill.

I looked down at my feet! One does have to watch their step. It looks like legs bones from the deer up by the house. Still, I haven't seen a coyote in the day time for a long time. 

I know they are out there in the night. Lots of our wild animals know this. I can tell by out trailcams!

I spent Wednesday morning, while Joe was shopping, to put up lights. It's so dark so early. It made me happy.

We are rewatching Season 1 of Sherwood in preparation for Season 2! You know how that goes. They release a new season and it would help to have the continuity of the previous season.

The cats were thrilled with our latest TV adventure. 

I leave you with Joe's work of art! I posted it on our family photostream. Our SIL, JL, offered a mere $1,000,00099! 

USA – what have you done?

I'm not ignoring the news. I am shocked, dismayed, and worried. Some days you let it go, others you point out the racism, extreme right-wing whackadoodle ideas. 

With the US election, the state of affairs have devolved. Russia is bombing Ukraine. Ukraine is enacting a response. 

Red: Russian action; Blue: Ukraine

The US military continues to monitor the situation.

During the US election, Twitter posts were limited by Musk's algorithms. Many of us have gone to 🦋Blue Sky 🦋. There were 13 million users, then a million new users in one day, next count 15 million. Now, there are many more. 

UPDATE: Nov. 27:

I liked Twitter, as I found some actual breaking news. There were biologists who helped me with critter IDs. People who shared cute critter images have migrated to Bluesky. 

👫👬👭In the US, they are trying to forbid the first elected transgendered politician from accessing facilities.

"G.O.P. lawmakers whose leaders have pressed to roll back transgender rights around the country moved to bar Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from women’s rooms on Capitol Hill."

Having a transgender grandson, and a gay granddaughter, I am appalled. How do they determine if people visiting the washrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are biologically male or female. What are they afraid of? With Trump, Gaetz, Hegseth, all with a history or conviction of sexually abusing girls or women (all rich white men), all having paid non-disclosure agreements to women, you wonder who should be afraid of whom. 

When you know better, you do better. That's the theory. Read about the issues, try to understand the biology of it all, you are in a far better place. Or just live and let live. 

Look to the skies

 Things have been cooling off. The skies continue to impress.

Things have been pretty quiet. I anxiously await a replacement camera. 

 

It'll be awhile, since 📪 Canada Post workers are on strike. At first the online prediction was 'today by end of day' and then that changed to 'tomorrow by end of day.' I am not holding my breath. 

 

Parcels are a huge market niche. Canada Post has been outsourcing large package deliveries on weekends to poorly paid 'independent contractors.' The big companies like UPS, don't have collective agreements. Canada Post does. Private contractors have bosses that require long hours, and make promises to customers of next day delivery. Cheap labor. This is a first world problem, I know, but as always solved on the backs of workers. There are too many people forced to do part time work. They miss out on benefits and fair wages. Can you tell I was a union member?! 

I shall be patient.

Here is spider visiting before the camera's demise.

 

 The cottontail has been visiting the bird feeder.

 

🐸 Moving the Froggies: I'm up to 154. There were two more I caught Nov. 19th. It keeps me off the street. In the cold they are slow, slimy and dark. 

Our family in Vancouver, B.C. and friends have a Bomb Cyclone! Winds and rain...

Things are busy in the skies.

I sat out on the front deck in the sunshine, reading a book. I was bundled up and under a blanket. This is book 2 of three. The setting in B.C.!

"From the former Chief Justice of Canada and #1 bestselling author of Full Disclosure comes a taut new thriller starring tough-as-nails defense attorney Jilly Truitt in a murder case that makes her question her own truths."

This plane went overhead while I was outside. Look at its call sign: CGZAG. It did zig zag!

🎥TV Movies ← my master list.

My entertainment director continues to look for evening movies. We watched ICE (2011) which was rather ridiculous whilst being creepy. I've done yard duty in -20 ℃ temperatures. 

"Environmental scientist exposes oil company's drilling causing Greenland ice melt."

Then, there is this one: In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Murder (2024) wow. Creepy true Canadian story/documentary, with action in New Zealand.  Another movie best watched from under a warm blanket. 

OK, that's all I have for today. It is sunrise and coffee time.

The owl tree & deer scrapes

Sunday was busy, after finishing the wood Saturday. I cleaned the goldfish tank, did some floors, and played outside. (The latter was the best part! I know that all of you will agree.)

I walked back to the 'owl tree', you can see the white mute under it. One more pellet. 

I'd seen a buck out back Friday morning, his frozen hoof print in the path. 

Deer scrapes

First they scrape out a clear spot with their hooves, then they urinate on their tarsal and metatarsal glands to put their scent on the scrape. They also nudge the branches above to put scent there from their preorbital and nasal glands. From October to December they aggressively scrape as testosterone levels are high. Charlie Alsheimer has written a piece about this. He says there are three placements of scrapes: boundary, primary and random scrapes. This scrape is a primary one, I think, on a major trail all the critters use. 

This is last year's video by the frog pond. There was a scrape back there. I think that means we have 5 scrapes on the property. I hope we have little fawns come spring.

The squirrel is up to its old tricks. It didn't figure this out until later in the bird feeder year. Can you see it on the tray feeder?

This is from last spring. It remembered the whole deal. What can I do?! Squirrel won.

I wrapped the rose bush. It made a difference in terms of blooms last year. I wrapped my new plants in the daffodil garden. 

While the deer are on the move, cottontail continues to hang about. I was reminded of the cat we had around the house. (Not ours!) I borrowed a trap and tried to capture it. It didn't dissuade bunny. She is back this year. I never did see the cat. 

March 23, 2024

I've been puttering around the yard. Remembrance Day symbols have been put away. Seasonal symbols are out. I think the drain spout is a nice touch beside it!