Robins, phoebe, porcupine, red-eyed vireo!

 I spotted the woodpecker in the dead elm tree. They began in Mid-April woodpecker 📹, and it seems to be a success. 

woodpecker  

 The robins have hatched. Three little babies. Rather than bother them, I'll just show you my video: Baby robins (2017):

I was trying to use my BirdNET app, and I couldn't figure out this bird sound, until I saw it peeping. I was so surprised. robin 

Porcupine  came along and did some marking! I'm always happy to see them.

 

It's a lousy night video, so here is the real thing, in the daytime in 2012. 

 The Buck  stopped by. He's still growing, and a young 'un. It's a good sign of a healthy population.

 

We've many red-eyed vireo. 

There are some down beside the frogpond.  

The crows seem to be doing well. I've heard them, the odd time, as the adult tends to their food requirements and they scream for MORE!!!! I've yet to catch any sight of the nest as the crow flies. It's well-hidden.

 

The phoebes are doing well with their brood of 6, as well. They are madly catching bugs, bless 'em.

 

They are on day 6, and looking pretty much like this. This is from 2013. 

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 390

Repainting and Butch

My goal has been to sand and repaint our exterior framing. After 30 years, and who knows how many layers of paint, it was time. I've been thinking about this task for a year, at least. I'm hoping to be getting out of my funk, but setting and achieving goals has been tough. That, and making decisions. I hope the worst is over, for now. Family have been wonderful. I thank you all for putting up with me.

The garage door was new in 2014 (There goes the family fortune, kids!) Later, there was a backing up incident, when I took out the bottom panel. That was repaired. I was so dumb! I couldn't see it in the rear view mirror, it hadn't quite gone all the way up.

The electric sander is heavy, so I spaced this project out over a couple of days. I was ready to repaint Tuesday, June 1st, but we'd rain on the way. By the afternoon, no rain, only drought. Having washed the door, and let it dry, I was good to go.

You can see the new interior frame didn't cover the old framing space width, and it has always bothered me. In hindsight I could have used primer, but I ordered a gallon of paint. I used three or four coats, I lost track.  

I'd been sanding the frame around the garage door, I closed the door to keep the dust out. I had the door clicker outside with me, as I'd taped the keypad in prep for paint. JB was in town. I opened it up, to put my tools in, when I spotted Blond Butch. I knew she'd figured out the bird seed can. They have a good sense of smell.

Cinnamon came to inspect. He wasn't too worried.

There were two raccoons later on in the day. I was amazed as it hauled itself up into the can. 

This is why I got rid of the cracked corn down at the pond. Maybe I should lock this in the shed, although the mice get in, then! Garage Butch 

Just for good measure, Butch took out Peter. I bought Peter in an auction. He did a face plant, and lost his wheelbarrow, as well as some fingers. I Crazy Glued them, and got more on MY fingers than his. I am not confident that his little fingers hold up his wheelbarrow. 

After this damage, Butch tried to chew a hole in my fertilizer jug. 

Lest you think it stopped there, it did not.

I was sitting on the back deck, watching the crows. Along came Blond Butch.

 

Butch in the backyard from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Then they were in the front. I could see Butch staring at Cinnamon, who was still standing on the bird bath!

Cinnamon couldn't believe it!

Butch visited the butterfly, again.

Butch in the front yard from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Butch decided it might be fun to explore the back deck. Next, I heard Nutmeg growling at the door. Sure enough, Butch.
 

Butch on the deck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

BTW

I've had to ice my hand, as I hadn't used my painting muscles in a long time! It's so fun getting old.

Frogs, spruce, poppy

 I've two leopard frogs in the goldfish pond, as well as my 5 goldfish. So far, so good. 

I was reminded about our spruce bud worm infestation.[Chipping sparrow & spruce budworms (2017)] The tree recovered. This year's spruce buds reach for the sun. 

The LLD caterpillars continue to fall from the trees. You can see just one in the centre of the photo.

I accidentally brought a caterpillar in on myself, JB fetched the bug catcher, and he flushed it. He narrated it, "Nothing personal, little guy, I just don't want you eating my trees!"

I found a large wasp in the house. They come in via the chimney, along with the bumble bees and bats. Country life! 

I've dumped the last of the bird seed for the spring. First, we see three raccoons, then Butch watching Nutmeg, watching the raccoons. 

I'm happy to report that we finally have rain. The plants are happier. This doesn't look like much, but the yellow devil's paintbrush are ready to bloom. I timed cutting the grass well, chopping off the dandelion stalks, but not harming these. Next, it'll be the red ones. Also, the first poppy popped.

JB ordered a new neck thing. This is designed for necks. It should help with the pain.

Forest walks have been healing. I keep hearing the common yellowthroat. It's song is a witchety– witchety– witchety. 

It's been tricky with traffic, though! I snickered when the app said to avoid traffic.

Cinnamon pulled a Fluffy. Fluffy was our family cat when I was a kid. 

He'd sit there, and suddenly look up at the ceiling until YOU looked up at the ceiling, and he'd look away. That's what Cinn did to me at the trailcam. I don't know if it was a bird, or what. We're really careful in the forest. 

  

Cinnamon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The coyote peed in front of the trailcam. A cat later thought it required inspection.

coyote marking from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This is funny. The ducks  flew in and scared Butch up the tree! They looked so embarrassed.

 

Book Review: Police Line – Do Not Cross

Truth and Reconciliation 

Whistleblowers have earned their place in society. With the recent discovery of 215 First Nations children's bodies out west, I checked back in my notes. 

Head medical officer for Indian Affairs
Dr. Peter Bryce

I was researching the residential schools, after the Truth and Reconciliation Report, I found the first report (1907), by the head medical officer for Indian Affairs, who spoke truth to power. He was ignored, his report leaked but ignored. 

 There was another whistleblower for this subject, who tried to speak truth to power about this issue of residential schools, and the racism and genocide embedded in our history. 

Kevin Annett, a church minister in 1997, was attacked, after being warned to be quiet. He had his PhD. blocked, and United Church staff blocked his subsequent employment in B.C. He was shunned by church staff and clergy. He brought the skeletons out of the closet.

This occurred right across our country. Even as late as 2008, there was still no one to do anything about it.. This from Kamloops This Week (KTW) in B.C.:

"But Annett’s claims that Tk’emlups was home to a mass grave were met with stiff opposition and severe doubt by local and regional Catholic Church officials, who in 2008 told KTW his allegations rested solely on anecdotal evidence and rumour."

When we know better, we do better, I thought.

For these reasons, I make it a point to read, and learn, and share these important stories. The history of the RCMP is one filled with horrific examples of officers taking children away from our First Nation families. They were the law in many remote locations. They were racist white men, working with indigenous people, who disrespected them. My first father-in-law told stories about making First Nations do chores around his RCMP detachment in the Yukon. 

The Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, who simply ignored by the RCMP, or poorly investigated by police members who were either incompetent or racist, has tainted Canadian History. You've heard, I'm sure of the Highway of Tears. It continues. What can we do about it? Share their history. Tell the stories, be an ally. This leads me to this book, about the sexual, physical and emotional abuse a police officer was subjected to in Ontario.

Police Line Do Not Cross

The #MeToo movement has revealed a great many women who have been sexually assaulted.  This includes many women, including women of the police services, and women of colour. Stories abound. This one is moving.  It is a story of weakness and strength, PTSD, perseverance, courage and failure, and the price society pays for the systemic racism and misogyny, in our policing systems.  Change has to come. 

This is a powerful memoir. I had to read it over a number of days. Kelly Donovan is part of a group of amazing whistleblowers who give up their health, their jobs, their incomes, to speak truth to power. Her research, the work she did, I am in awe.

Unfortunately, the old boys network lives long in policing, with females making up only 20% of the police service. Kelly's research in her first book was amazing. She made change occur. She sat on panels, and made a difference. This book covers more of her personal story as she sought to call out her police chief in Waterloo, Ontario. 

"There are so many of us, all with the same stories of retaliation and lack of independence. In the end, the system was big; and we were small." – Michael Douglas, p.107.

KellyDonovan.ca
@Fit4Duty_Ethics

I think the shocking part of it, is the access to information she made, to find out how much money the police force spent to prosecute her and try to silence her, which far exceeded common sense. Police union lawyers do defend the men, but not the women who are being abused. 

Kelly reported her situation to every government department possible. In June of 2017, due to the pressure and her health issues, she left policing and wrote a 93-page report called, “The Systemic Misfeasance in Police Management and the Coordination of Suppressing of Whistleblowers.”  

"I was beginning to think that in order to be elected or appointed to government you had to either be absolutely incompetent, or so good at the 'gift of the gab' that you could talk circles around anyone and be proficient at talking out of both sides of your mouth."

The misfeasance and malfeasance, as the old boys protect the other boys, hits home. You can see it in many professions, as well as the RCMP, the OPP, and the #MeToo movement demonstrates this. It's about power and corruption, and misplaced loyalties.

This is her latest update, my jaw dropped:

KellyDonovan.ca

@Fit4Duty_Ethics

·

May 27

Over $400,000 now and counting! (I don't even work there!! I quit!) The silence of truth-tellers is worth a LOT of money to those whose abuses of power will be exposed, as you know Effy.

@SherronWatkins

knows too!

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@Barrie Summy

Lymantria moth caterpillars

The Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) moth caterpillars, continue to grow. They are at 19 mm. They are all over the maple tree out front. This is from May 30th. ('Gypsy' is a pejorative term.)

The maple tree, below left, is covered. I scraped eggs off of it last fall, but I missed some. What is humorous, is the the nearly dead catalpa tree (right beside it) ended up having caterpillars on it, but it doesn't have any leaves! You can see them blowing in the wind, hanging by a thread, swinging over to a nearly dead tree.

You'll like these, A/C, my accidental monochrome. I still don't know how I set it that way. I couldn't figure out how to unset it, either. I turned the camera off and on. That worked. 

The birch tree in the backyard. I could see them dangling in the wind.

Some happy tails! The bucks antler buds are coming!

 

buck in the meadow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He was sniffing the better trailcam, from the other end of the yard. I've switched them around, hoping for some better videos.

 

young buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He is a frequent visitor, in fact, likely claims this habitat all for his own! His own family compound. 

 

buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.