🐱Kitten chaos 🐯

We're holding our own. JB's cough is still hanging around. He's had a breathing test. The nurse showed him how to properly use his inhaler. He has a pinched nerve, which he ignored with his cold and cough, and has what my massage therapist used to call a 'crunchy nugget' with the pain referring down his arm. He's been to the doctor. He's got muscle relaxants. I've been massaging it, as best I can, three times a day. I think he got this from looking after his cold, and not moving around much. Necessary, at the time, but not good for a septuagenarian.

Novel Corona Virus

Two Canadians aboard a cruise ship off Japan test positive for new coronavirus https://t.co/rYplXuQehJ

— The Canadian Press News (@CdnPressNews) February 6, 2020

The nCoV 2019 has been spreading around the world. We're grateful not to be quarantined, or on a cruise ship (two, with 6000 people stuck in 3 x 5 m cabins), that would drive me nuts. Happily, 211 Canadians are being brought home after the government jumped through hoops to evacuate them from China. We have strict protocols in place, which we learned from SARS, and soon all will be well.

Feb. 6th, they are coming home

Kittens

We treated ourselves to Take Out Asian food from our restaurant in town. I was supposed to be with the grandies Wednesday/Thursday, as there are rotating strikes here in Ontario, but I didn't want to leave him alone. They were doing a good business, which was good to see.

After my breakfast, and my morning workout, I went out to fetch trailcam memory cards. Cinnamon was birdwatching!

Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 29

Annabelle seems to be fine. She loves anyone who feeds and loves her. We miss her, but we need peace and quiet. 

We are having much fun with the kittens, who are now relaxing. Nutmeggie has been sleeping with us, between our pillows. Meggie and I had a nice play. This is a fun scratch post. She loves sleeping in it.

We went out to dinner last Friday, for the first time since mid-November, when JB got sick. We we returned home, the beautiful scatter rug from Jean looked like this! I'm sure it gave them great joy, as it does us! Thank you, Jean.

After dinner, JB was snuggling under his sleeping bag, two kittens perched on his footstool. Those are his knees on the left!

Dratted Red Squirrel (DRS) avails itself of the bird feeder. I'm thinking I might lose some plants before we are done.

Friday, Nutmeggie spent a couple of hours sleeping in the Muskoka room. She's a hoot. It was chilly, but she was happy.

Playtime

I snagged a photo. "If I fits, I sits! "

Book Review: Savant

I like reading books that not only entertain, but educate me. This book by John D. Richmond does this. It is important for citizens, but especially those in positions of power, to understand the diversity of social, emotional and cognitive abilities of those around us.

It is a good tale. I enjoyed reading it.

I know several mothers of kids with autism. I taught a fair number, as well. We have learned so much about this subject. Sadly, Ontario cut back funding not only for autism treatments, but for support workers in the schools. It is shameful.

John Richmond’s newest book Savant was released in June 2019. Savant was written to help continue to bring awareness to what autism families face. The reader is taken into the mind of protagonist Michael Avery and shown what some of the struggles are with this condition. “My entire purpose for writing is to further autism awareness and fiction writing is just another avenue for me to do this,” states Richmond. 

Michael Avery has autism but is also a savant. He uses his incredible intellect and eidetic memory to become a world class detective. Michael also shows an unwavering, almost fanatical, need for truth and justice. At age 8, his father was murdered basically right in front of him and the case went cold. Michael takes on his own investigation to bring his father's killer to justice.

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@Barrie Summy

Book Review: The Lady With Balls

This woman is a pistol! She began a business back in the 70s, when women were still fighting for acceptance in the workplace. She went all out and became an entrepreneur.

I really admire her. In a male-dominated business world, she fought hard and long and smart.

After a period of time on food stamps, as a newly divorced mom, she created a business, Vulcan Wire, selling bailing wire.
Seriously!

Now, you may wonder how interesting such a memoire could be, but she really has balls! Guts and determination. I couldn't believe what she did, and how she made it through these awful glass ceilings in this male world.

I ran out of library books, and I was quite eager to finish. It's a great read!

Vulcan Wire: Baling Wire Supplier & Strapping Products

www.ladywithballs.com

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@Barrie Summy

World Wetlands Day!

Yep. It was. In winter. When it is dark, and cold and monochromatic.

First, through the forest to the wetland. The pileated woodpecker has been busy. I saw him again. He's been in this part of the forest a lot. I love the trees. If I had a more artistic eye, I could create a beautiful photo. With the cataracts, I haven't a chance.



This (below) requires some sleuthing.



Staring out the kitchen window at them, I recalled my post from Feb., 2015: they were sleeping in a huddle.

Below is the wetland, in the background, the highway.



Fungus!



I went snowshoeing, finally, in honour of World Wetland Day on Sunday. It's quite frozen over.

World wetland Day from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I'm going to have to take down this dead tree trunk. It rather defeats the purpose of the critter baffle, keeping the predators out of the wood duck box! I have a couple of months to remember to take my axe and reciprocal saw down there. I wonder when I will remember to take it down?!



Home sweet home



I looked down and wondered what it was. It sort of looked icky. I know the bears are asleep.



My lost mitten!

Barter Board

I like this part of Facebook. I've done several 'for free' or bartered items.

One woman was looking for princess and insect fabric. I had some insect fabric leftover from these dresses. They don't do princesses anymore! Jos doesn't do dresses much, either.

I asked, and Heather Lee was going to make card holders for her kids for card games. She picked it up Saturday, Feb. 1st, and seemed quite pleased with it!

I sewed them dresses in 2015

Orchid cactus

The next barter, I've pruned the orchid cactus.
It was a gift from Nancey in Muskoka. I have given cuttings to my client's caregiver, she's rooted it. She has a major green thumb.

It has grown some. Here it was a few years ago, and then yesterday.

Here are the cuttings... I've 4 new owners lined up.


It has such massive blossoms.

It's a busy forest!

I finally wore snowshoes down to get the trailcam memory cards. It was awful walking, even so. We had snow overnight.

I've set the thumbnail to the best image, although I know JB watches every one. You can hear the poor critters on the snow. The coyote and fisher are light enough to stay on top of the snow.

Jan. 29 

Jan. 30 

fox & fisher jan 30 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

doe a deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Jan. 31 

The turkeys are showing mating behaviours. It seems early.

Out the kitchen window! That's where hubby eats his breakfast, to watch them.

buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I was on Twitter, and someone else, who posts fine trailcam videos, showed this.

Here's a very sleepy fisher on the vet exam table. Did you know that fishers have 3 blazes, in individually unique patterns? #Carnivores pic.twitter.com/A0TRX8W9o9

— Jason Ransom (@wildequids) January 22, 2020

Mine spend so much time mushing the boxes, laying down scent, that you would never see it!
The fisher marked the spot. I was quite eager to see if I had him on the trailcam. He keeps marking the spot where the box still sits under the snow.

fox and fisher from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Feb. 1st 

deer 1 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🐱Kitten report Tuesday antics 🐯

Annabelle cat, AKA Queen B,  is being boarded, but Feb. 3rd she is going to a new home for a trial period. We'll hope she behaves. Everyone is breathing more deeply. JB is still coughing as he breathes, but he is breathing! We are trying to be kind to all the rest of us.

Tuesday morning

The kittens are doing rather well. They are relaxing. Funny story. JB went out to the library in the morning. I looked and looked for Nutmeggie, and couldn't find her. I vacuumed in the bedroom, hoping she was under the bed, but she didn't come out.

I arrived home after 16:00 hours, and asked about Meggie. JB says she turned up around 13:00 hours, on the back porch. OUTSIDE! We assume she went out when one of us were on the back deck. What a hoot. They usually sleep late morning, after breakfast and a playtime. (See below!) She must have found a spot to sleep all that time.

Having left and returned, I spent my 3 hours with my respite client (13:00 – 16:00 hours). I've loaned her my large clock from the auction, which looks rather nice on her wall! She was concerned about the time. I don't wear a watch, so it helps me, too. Both clocks were a total of $5, plus 10% buyer's tax and 13% HST. It's still a deal!

Wednesday morning playtime

The red squirrel figured it out.

This is the prime location, where sleeping and bird and squirrel watching occurs.  It's cozy on top of my gramma's handmade quilt. She didn't have a sewing machine.

Meggie doesn't like having her photo taken.



No, young lady, it's -10 C. and you are NOT going out!



Cinnamon has a fondness for 'snake,' dragging it in and out of the room three times. Snake is a metre of fake fur, attached to a plastic stick, with some feathers on the end. This is the 2nd time he did this. I picked up the camera.



The 3rd time I grabbed the videocamera.



Clip0 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

For more critters: 

Saturday's Critters #320