It didn't seem like November!

What a strange November! Now, our warm temperatures are due to a Colorado Low, as well as the jet stream swooping up and away from us. I know people out west had a dump of snow, but we are outdoors in t-shirts. We'll get it soon, in the meantime...

I heard an interview with Michael Runtz, a Carleton  University professor who is a highly respected biologist. He was commenting on our bizarre weather, our warm spell during November, and its impact on our critters. I've been wondering about it, myself.

Rodents and Mammals

In summary, the mammals are benefitting from having a longer foraging period. The mice and voles are pretty active. The cats are bringing them home after their morning forays.

Beavers and otters have open water, moose have access to food, which is often frozen over in November. Runtz was in Algonquin Park and spotted beavers adding food to their food caches. The otters were active, and didn't have to swim under or run over the ice. Moose don't have to be careful of ice. 

Critters in dens will meander outside but stick close to home.  The bears are fine, too. Not our bear, which is disintegrating. JB bought him a t-shirt. Here he is, JB wearing his Chicago Bears toque.

I've noticed our deer are having a blast. The fawn was off to the left, eating up the lilac leaves. They are doing well.

deer twins from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Momma was eating up the grass, and the pumpkin guts I threw out (after toasting burning the seeds). I shall go at it, again, with another pumpkin.

Meantime, I'm putting out my pumpkins as I harvest the seeds. The springtails (AKA snow fleas) are nibbling on them, as well as other bugs. There is a layer of springtails in the goldfish pond, too. The alewives are nibbling them.

Bunny is a happy camper, as it eats greens. I cannot tell if it is a rabbit, hare, or snowshoe rabbit.

bunny from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Reptiles and amphibians

Reptiles and amphibians don't fare so well. I spotted a wood frog (below) and a gray tree frog out in the yard. They should be hibernating under the foliage, but instead they are out and about using up precious stored fat, which they should save until in spring. The snake I saw was pretty cold, as night temperatures have been cool. They seem to know to find shelter in their hibernaculum. 

The froggies are awake in the goldfish pond. I removed and relocated them (4+2+2+2 = four trips) before it got cold, again (last night!).  The pond, which I dug, isn't deep enough for our winters. We could get -20 C. mid-winter, and I've had bad experiences with critters overwintering. They are so dark, not their usual lighter green colours. There were two leopard frogs, the rest were green frogs, but one junior bullfrog, plus 2 other greens remain in the wee pond. I couldn't catch them. 

Here I am. Bucket in hand, off to the frog pond down the hill, across the meadow, through the forest into the pond. It was darn good exercise! I made 4 trips, total. Each time I caught them, down I went. It took all day!

Cinnamon snuck outside, he'd been in for the day, as he likes to make the frogs jump from the goldfish pond into the water. This doesn't help me catch them! JB came with me.

Birds

The birds are fine. There is lots of food, for those who overwinter. It's light levels that draw them south, if they are migratory. Almost all of them have gone. The chickadees are climbing up and down trees, as well as nuthatches, and looking for bugs hiding in nooks and crannies. 

This cedar and birch tree are growing together. In the space between, at the bottom, the woodpeckers have been looking for bugs.

Ticks

Sadly, I plucked an embedded tick off of JB Monday, Nov. 9th. That is not good. It wasn't on long, and wasn't engorged. I put on antibiotic cream, and a bandaid. It was hidden under his watch strap. We anticipate the best. It's going to get cold today, and they will hibernate.

We're back to 4 C. this morning. Brrrrr.

Book Review: Kamala in Canada

 Before I get to my book review, I must acknowledge Remembrance Day. It's quite a change this year!  Remembrance Day has always been a big deal in Ontario. Almost everyone wears poppies. The kids prepare for an assembly, songs, poems, interviewing veterans. It'll be a quiet one for us.

I bought JB some Legion swag. The poppy placemats look good. 

I bought him a Lest We Forget hat, as well! He's been doing thrice-daily walks. He snagged himself a tick this week, but we got it off in good time.

KAMALA IN CANADA!

By Kaj Hasselriis

This story is a biography of Kamala Harris, a U.S. vice-presidential candidate. She is from a mixed family, emigrating to the US, Canada, and then she went back to the US. She led the fight against a landlord who wanted to ban soccer at her apartment complex. Kamala and her friends won!

They are delightful cartoons, with text in both English and French. 

We're pretty relieved with the election to the south. Speaking of which... a talented Canadian graphic artist has created a new book. It is timely, what with the US election last week. I really enjoyed it. There have been all sorts of interviews with people who knew vice president-elect Kamala Harris in high school in Montreal. She and her mom took in a peer who was being abused. 

Reviewed by the Montreal Gazette, "It's an inspiring tale of Harris' first political battle."

I bought another book by this author, Politikids.  About 4 of our Canadian party leaders. It was equally good. Isabelle, my grandie (10) was reading that one at home, my daughter tells me.

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@Barrie Summy

Book Review: Tree Beings

This is a really interesting book! Firstly, the cover is textured, and it feels rough, like tree bark. This is what startled me! It's quite creative. There is a glossary, references, puzzles, mazes and an index.

It's a beautiful book. I sat with my grandies while they read parts of it. It's a rich, deep book that talks about many people who have made an influence in nature. The foreword is by Jane Goodall, which is a powerful endorsement. They feature a number of people who are making a difference. There are scientists, explorers, tree huggers, people who talk to trees, people who protest clear cutting, and replant trees. 

I've written about forest bathing, a concept out of Japan. It is an international book, with international heroes, young and old. Young people who are inspired by those who have gone before.

 Tree Beings is an adventure through the secret world of trees. Challenging the perception that trees are just ‘silent statues’, this beautifully illustrated children's book focuses on four big ideas:

• Trees give life to the planet.    
• Trees can help save us from climate change.    
• Trees are like beings.    
• Trees need our help and protection.

By Raymond Huber and Sandra Severgnini

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@Barrie Summy

Calamity Jane's is transformed!

On our trip home from Brockville, we spotted this store open. We have driven by it for years. We tried to stop in several times, but we tended to travel on weekdays, and they were closed. It became a joke between us. An older couple ran it, and then it went up for sale. It's a fine, old building, and it was sad seeing it unloved.

June, 2014

November, 2020

It's on highway 29, in Addison, halfway between Brockville and Smiths Falls. it was sold by the couple to Gerald best, a contractor, but I guess there wasn't enough business in this farming community. 

 Calamity Jane's was sold in January, 2018, by Jim Hands.  From an article: The 1850 two-storey limestone property was up for auction, under “Hot” Power of Sale, and sold under the hammer for $65,000. There were extensive renovations, bringing the spaces up to code, I imagine!

The woman we spoke to is leasing the former restaurant space for her Driftwood Tree business. She's been open a month. There are two apartments, one above, and one beside, which are also being rented. It's a happy new beginning for the old building.

They kept the bar, a remnant from when the building was a store. It's had a great reputation as a bar in later years.

I love these pieces. I wish her well with her business. having spent much time in Prince Edward County, she collected driftwood on the shores and creates beautiful art work.

Trip to Brockville – the auction

 We consider ourselves quite fortunate. Our lives have certainly changed with COVID, but nothing like many people have faced. That said, we had a touch of normal on Friday. I bid on some items from the online auction for the estate of Bill McPhee. 

I was surprised that they were selling off cleaning supplies. 

I like doing research. You can tell the character of a person from the things they hold dear. The family lived in a semi-detached home in Brockville. For sale was a full set of Royal Albert dishes. My late mother always liked those, and spoke of them with reverence!

Bill liked his motorcycles, according to his obituary, and passed away in August. (His leathers were for sale in the auction.) His late wife, Evy, passed over a year ago March. They liked their travels, this couple.  "Bill and Evy shared many happy hours travelling on their motorcycles and Spyders." (A Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle!) They must have had many happy memories.

This is a Spyder!

I won several items, and after lunch we took a drive to pick things up. Normally, one picks up items at the  auction house. Sometimes, we drive to the family home to pick items up directly. It makes for an interesting adventure. We would often do this, then have lunch somewhere. That isn't happening for us for a long time. Ontario is up to 1000 COVID cases a day. 

Pick up was between noon and 6 p.m. I had to Google the address to figure out how long it would take to get there. There is a Spyder from a 2015 Google image. 

What was really funny is that the family home was on Windsor Drive. We lived on a Windsor Dr. in Bala! There are delightful bungalows on this street. It's a nice little neighbourhood in NE Brockville.

We parked, I put on my mask, got out of the car, and I handed in my sheet of paper to staff at the tables set up for this purpose. We loaded up, and were ready to go, when this couple parks right in front of us, effectively blocking the driveway. Sigh. It was free right behind us!

There were lots of motorcycles about.

JB, my personal assistant, had a brilliant idea. I had loaned the clock I'd won at auction a year ago. It came back missing the little wheel that allows you to change the time. At his suggestion, we visited the clock repair store to see if they had a piece. They found an old one, and, at no charge, they replaced it for me. 

Home again, I set out some of my treasures. Aren't these fun? 

This is some of my loot! Some garden items. I shall repaint the ones that need it. I like the blue heron, especially!

This is Evy, I believe. I bought her paintbox, which someone made for her. It's a sign of a happy life, and hobbies. They were a respected couple in the city.

This didn't need much work. I resprayed the black parts with black anti-rust spray paint. 

I used the paints I bought, as well as my own, to repaint the pieces. It was a lovely day, and a peaceful project.

As I said, it was a lovely day. On my way back from the far trailcam, a sundog! 

After subzero temperatures, the snakes came back out. I rescued this one from Nutmeg, and I sent JB to put her indoors. It was a ribbon snake.