Frog hunting

Citizen Science being what it is, I signed up to monitor chorus frogs. Finally, it was above 10 C. and they were awake. They haven't assigned me the two spots where I have heard them. Our frog pond and wetland, which surrounds our property, or another location where I have heard them.
We went to my sites, and had some issues with traffic! I'd forgotten my camera, and was restricted to my videocam. There was a crowd! Why she stopped there, I do not know.

Site 300

I did not think this was a good spot for them. This is a beaver dam pond. Not a frog to be heard. A lovely pair of ducks, though.

mergansers from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

 I even got out of the car and walked. JB read his book.



I heard some frogs.  Poor JB, "Turn here, turn here!"
Look at this hole! I was a bit afeared to go too close, but I sucked it up... it was wet inside.



The wetland was wet, and joyful, with the sounds of spring peepers and wood frogs. No chorus frogs.

frogs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

spring peepers

wood frog

This wetland skootched along here, right to the road. Still some ice, but they were singing!




mallards from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Neither of my two designated spots had frogs singing, but driving along I heard some more frogs. JB parked and I explored. Sure enough. This is the quarry.

In Canada, the western chorus frog is listed as threatened in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence - Canadian Shield under the Species at Risk Act (SARA)^[5][6]

They are so funny. I found some beside the quarry. The pond is a vernal pond, and feeds into the quarry.  When I was out in the open, they stopped. I walked behind these tree branches, and they began right away.



chorus frogs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

chorus frogs 3 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We went down to my other assigned site, 301, but I think I only heard a handful of peepers, as well as lots of canada geese. I won't go back there. Here is the distribution map.

This is why many mayors of rural, cottage country towns, have told summer residents to stay home.

What are we up to?

Last Friday, the girls were due back to their parents house. Both parents are working from home. It's frantic, as they try to work, try to keep a household functioning at the same time.

For breakfast, I opened up Isabelle's orange, again. I stick my thumb in the middle and spread it apart, "That just blows my mind, Gramma!"

She is a hoot!



Off we went to the hostage exchange in the Staples parking lot. Perth was almost deserted. That said, people passed us in interesting locations.



People are being really stupid.



Kids driving with a dog in front.



Papa (SIL) scored us some bread and bagels for next week. Caitlin brought those to the hostage exchange. They were happy to see momma.

We were nearly out of printer paper. I ordered that, and two printer cartridges, online. You drive up to the special parking spot and they bring it out to your car. There were a lot of people going in and out, however. One man wearing a mask and gloves. I was happy we didn't have to go in.



Here are people lining up outside our downtown drug store, in the rain.



This weekend I removed the green, March, ribbons from my fence. I met two garter snakes sunning themselves, looking for bugs. Bless their little hearts!

garter snake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I don't have any yellow ribbons, traditional for me for April, my stash fell apart. I ordered some blanket binding last year, which worked well for May, which was blue. Maybe the girls can help me figure something out!

I put out my Easter wreath, though.



The mosquito larvae are hatching out. Quite a few more than last week, when Jos and I checked it out. Happy froggies, dragonfly larvae, water beetles, and all the other predators.

Clip0 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Ticks are out, too. We took one off each cat. Both engorged. We'll have to phone the vet on Monday and order goop for them. We'll remind the girls to wear boots outdoors. We'll do a check with them every night.

We both have our fall coughs back still. My cataracts are growing. They are giving me trouble. My left eye doesn't like reading. My right is getting cloudier. Compared to some, these are trivial problems. It's frustrating, though.

We've been amusing ourselves with a snappy BBC series called The Coroner. We watched the Canadian version and quite liked it. This one is great, too. Saturday, we went hunting for chorus frogs. More on that tomorrow.

COVID-19 in Canada

Now, 22 people have died in Pinecrest Long-term care, with 65 beds. One-third of the residents, plus 34 staff members.

Even Smiths Falls...
Outbreak Declared in Van Horne and Willowdale Retirement Residences

At a press conference Saturday, a reporter asked why victims in LTC aren't going to hospital. The health minister said they should be. They are reluctant to send them off, I imagine. 

‘It is a very dire situation’: At least 600 nursing, retirement homes in Canada have coronavirus cases. Quebec Premier François Legault said on Wednesday as his government revealed that 519 of the province’s 2,200 seniors’ homes have at least one case of COVID-19. 

Bruce County’s effort to turn librarians into nursing-home aides is just one example of the ways governments and the owners of long-term care and retirement facilities are scrambling to find extra staff as the new coronavirus sweeps through homes for seniors, sickening some front-line caregivers and frightening others away.

Quebec's cases are amazing. People just aren't following protocols.
The above is an interactive map that shows the increases.

They are monitoring people who are crossing the bridge to and from Ontario into Quebec.

What we're focusing on today in the #Ottawa area during the #COVID19 pandemic: https://t.co/pKMuxNZkU6
* The human toll on health-care workers.
* Challenges and changes in our smaller communities.
* More on the travel restrictions into western Quebec. pic.twitter.com/415A45DwNv

— CBC Ottawa (@CBCOttawa) April 2, 2020

The US is having some trouble getting their act together. Some states still don't believe it. I know we have quite a few Canadians who live here, but travel across the border for work. The same is true for this continent. They are needing migrant workers to plant crops, as well.



Canadians are pretty upset with Trump, who has told a manufacturer of the professional masks (N95s), not to ship them to Canada or Mexico. The company, to its credit, says that is just ignorant. The other truly criminal activity is that countries and, indeed, states, are competing in a bidding process against the US federal government for PPE supplies.

US accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as "modern piracy" https://t.co/nCWP1lEDD7

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 4, 2020

Trump really doesn't get it. It's a supply chain, and this is why we have the USMCA, formerly known as NAFTA.

If 3M is forced to obey Trump’s call to deny N95 masks to Canada then the Canadian government should immediately redirect supplies of the specialty paper used to make those masks - a Canadian product - to a manufacturer that will supply both Canada and Latin America. #cdnpoli

— PaulDoherty (@PGAlberta) April 3, 2020

Do you know where they get the pulp from to make the masks? British Columbia!!!!

Pulp and Paper Mill near Duncan, B.C.

Bears are on the move!

🐻BEAR WATCH
There have been sightings, and/or evidence... around the north shore of Otty Lake (red pushpin), and Jebbs Creek.

I'm so sad! I shall have to take in my feeders. Every year it is the same thing. The bear wake up, the mommas chase away the junior bears in favour of the new ones. Junior Bear then has to find a new habitat. 

I respect the bears. The good ones respect us. This momma with triplets wandered by last fall. We never saw her in the flesh, nor did we see her on the trailcam again.

2018

2017

 

2015

He went by the bear crossing sign that year!

For more critters visit: Saturday's Critters #329

GRAMMA CAMP – WEEK 3.1

Grampa has been finding article for Josephine (gr. 7) to read. One on "the year without a summer",
Mauri life (they were to visit New Zealand this month, from my Zoomer magazine), the history of First Nations and the mapping of Canada through HBC.

Suddenly, we are back to doing Kill & Drill math sheets. I always liked them. They've gone out of favour. The teachers sent a link to a math worksheet page, but you need to know the age and stage, and whether it's two or 3-digit arithmetic, etc. I'm fine with it, but it is tedious. I wonder how families cope with several kids, and the cost of printing.

I was photocopying math pages for Jos from my gr. 8 math book. I figured out I ought to just let her write in the book. I downloaded a PDF file of answers. They correct it themselves.


Jos and I spotted two mourning cloak butterflies. They overwinter. (File photo!)

She's continuing to hone her birding skills, after our tutoring session. We heard pileated woodpeckers, robins, phoebe, song sparrows. Spring is unfolding as it should.

First one!

"It was fun playing cards with you, Gramma!" That's our Jos.

Jos and I went to fetch trailcam cards, but I thought we best look for mail first. She said she'd run it up to the house. Ah, the energy of youth!



She's the perfect height to exchange the cards.





Isabelle and I started up the water fountain. It's way too early, but I'll watch it. Our temperatures could dip below zero next week.



After this we put away the white Christmas tree. She used my cordless drill to remove the screws. We took off the branches, and packed it in the shed. It's been wonderful having helpers for spring chores.

The rain is moving in. We will have indoor recess this morning. It's unusual, as the rain is coming from the east, circling counter-clockwise.

I needed batteries, computer paper (Kill & Drill sheets!), and managed to order them online for pick up at Staples, where we do the hostage exchange!

JB tried to order a book off Amazon, but the delivery date was weeks away! Next week, Jos is going to teach Grampa how to use his kindle! It isn't compatible with our local library. That's a pain.

All the best to you and yours in these trying times.