Nov. 11 is Remembrance Day

I shovelled after breakfast on Monday, after our 10+ cm of snow. It is still snowing! More on that in another post.

 Nov. 11 is Remembrance Day in Canada. I worked so hard, during  my 25 years teaching, to help my students understand history. We wrote about it, created moments, wrote and put on plays during assemblies, we interviewed and honoured relatives. 

 This year we shall watch the ceremony on TV. It is always quite moving. That will mean front row seats, and an ability to hear the ceremony. It is -4 ℃, and a chilly one. 

🇳🇱 I've been following a story in the Netherlands. It is the location of the Netherlands American Cemetery (wiki).  I hadn't heard of it, although I know there are many sites overseas from WW II, and people who have not forgotten how humans stepped up for one another. 

There is a terrific project to reveal the carvings from the tunnels under Vimy Ridge. New technology has helped with that. 

In recent news regarding wars and history:

I read a thread on BlueSky about the fact that Trump's people have removed references and honours for Black Soldiers who worked in this burial site, burying thousands of fallen comrades. The site commemorates African-American soldiers who helped liberate Europeans from the grip of the Nazis. These soldiers fought both the Germans and racism. It is shameful, what is going on with these people in power. A familiar story.

a thread on BlueSky

• Official Netherlands American Cemetery Website

follow-up post, part 2

We have to remember and tell their stories. The battle against racism, injustice, and abuse of power, must continue. Sadly. Thanks to all who served in the past, present and future. The black and white photos are from my late mother's collection. They wrote to servicemen during WW II. 

Eastern Gray Squirrel (black morph) AKA #75

We had some snow yesterday. I've been watching from the front window. I must go and put out the garbage, though. I'll shovel later! The temperature dropped over the weekend. 

In the meantime... 

As many of you know, we released a rehabbed squirrel this past year. He was given a case number: #75, so we've kept that name. Even with the zoom lens and the tripod, I'm having issues focusing! 

We saw him infrequently during summer. These days, he is hanging out closer and closer to his nest box. I watched him run to the end of the tree branch and leap to the next tree No photo, as I wasn't prepared! This is our broad-winged hawk checking out the nest box in the summer. 

Aug. 3rd, 8:30 a.m.

'

This is a bit of info about our Eastern Gray Squirrel (black morph). 

Eastern Gray Squirrel (wiki)
(black morph)

I spotted one of them on the railing.

   

 It seems that #75 has a friend. The two of them were running up and down the horse chestnut tree.

   

 I was out fetching trailcam cards, and spotted #75.2 up in the trees near the meadow. These are the Five Sisters, although one tree has crashed to the ground in old age. I know another black morph squirrel nested in the saw-whet nest box. That's where it may have come from. 

 

Fall Chores

Fall Chores 

Lots of chores to do, with the impending snow today. It is on its way.

 I had to move the snowblower from the storage shed to the garage. It won't start without being plugged in. Well, *I* can't start it manually! Some of you may be able to, but not me! You should have seen me trying to wrestle that thing across the yard. There are quite a few vole push ups and the ground is soft. I had to do it in small attacks. But I'm not failing! 

This morning it is -3 ℃, and the goldfish pond has a shim of ice on top. Our Great Blue Herons have flown south. The fish have gone deep, and the reptiles and amphibians sleep.

The cement bird bath is fragile in winter. The heater gets unplugged, and we have massive, sudden changes in temperatures. This is what happens:

But, this morning, so far so good. 

 The nut and screw are rusted, and I'll have to get on that.

Soon I'll switch over to the bird bath A/C gifted me. It really makes it so much easier in the depths of winter! It is much easier to clean. 

Next job: fill up the feeders. I always feel happy to feed the birds! 

I detached and drained the 2nd water barrel which goes to the goldfish pond. If that freezes, it'll crack the barrel. 

Sunday morning:

🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 🚉 🛤️ 

I've news of our Ottawa grandies. Aster took the train to visit Jordan in Kingston. She went to classes with Jordan, and came back Friday afternoon. Jordan is crazy busy with things going on, and I am sure Aster misses him terribly. They must have had fun. 

Aster made pizza! Papa hammed it up.

Saturday, Jordan wrote :  "It’s Dark Matter Day, and Queens had some cool talks and tours of the observatory! 🔭🔭☄️" 

He has so much going on, studying astrophysics! 

Saturday's Critters

 It's both hunting season, and mating season for deer. I noticed some deer scrapes in the forest. They scrape out a clear spot, and urinate on their glands to spread their scent. They nudge low hanging branches with the same purpose. They've 5 sets of glands, I believe. 

Sure enough, a young buck.

The does are hanging around now. We didn't see them most of the summer after the fawn was born in the front yard.

   

 I heard the owl, and figured out it was in the back 40.

 

Butch in the rain, they are bulking up for winter!

   

 I found this caterpillar on the driveway. I put it in the leaves, in a safer place. Time to sleep!

   

 The coyotes continue to take advantage of the driveway. Only in the dark.

 

Saturday's Critters # 621 visit Eileen's blog for more critters.

No end to the excitement...

 We've had a busy few days. Somebody has contact dermatitis on his head. We think from a (wool) hat he put on. He is allergic to wool. This is our working theory. After Caitlin's advice, I sent him in to ask the pharmacist about some cream with cortisone. It didn't seem to work. He went back in for a stronger (2%) product. 

In the meantime, there was a doctor's appointment. Joe has problems with ingrown toe nails. It is painful, as I am sure you can imagine. The doctor said it's not as bad as some of his patients. I left the room while a procedure was done. All went fairly well. The physician forgot, in the excitement, to actually email to Rx to the pharmacy. (That took a couple of days to fix. I picked it up for him.)

At home I'd prepared various bandages, not knowing what we had or needed. It turns out not to have bled as much as last time, not as extreme a lift off.

🐭I arose from my bed the next day. I could hear something rattling the furnace vent. Hmmmm. Flipping out the vent, I pulled back the sofa to wait and see. 

I took off to the kitchen to get coffee going, then settled into my chair to do my blogging. Nutmeg came back into the room, after pointing out the noise to me (like a hunting dog!), and was staring in the upside down vent. There was a mouse!

Out it went, to live another day. 

Over it goes, into the leaves. Whew!

It scuttled off. 

 🇨🇦 The rest of our day was taken up with politics. There is more great excitement here, since PM Carney has tabled his first budget. He is an international economist, and many have great faith in him. The government either votes to accept the budget or to topple the government and have another election. 😱The Liberals have a minority government. The Liberals had a new member of their party 'cross the aisle' to join them from the Conservative Party. Then, late yesterday another Conservative met with the PM, stating his resignation. Rumours are that there were many threats in the darkness against him and his family, should he defect to the Liberals. He decided to resign his seat shortly. The word coercion was mentioned. 

This morning, he has not officially resigned. Perhaps in 6 months? What a soap opera!

TorStar article

Sunrise, people and politics

Sunrise was lovely.

The US military is still bombing and murdering unknown people in boats.

I am reading a lot of posts by 🇺🇸 Robert Reich. Everyone should be able to earn a living wage, if they are healthy. Others need a hand up. It's like universal healthcare, everyone contributes some, if they can, and everyone is entitled to food, clothing and shelter.

It appears that the people knew what to do! Our two countries have been so tied at the hip. Things are changing. There might be hope, in the meantime our elbows are up.

I am very excited to see Zohran Mamdani elected as mayor. All that despite racists fearmongering about what he would/could do. These are people with little understanding of the Muslim faith, or his platform. They conflate Socialism with Communism. 

Zohran Mamdani

This horrific plane crash in Louisville was shocking. You can see the helicopter surveying the scene. They have 300 cargo planes go through this facility. I am happy to look for the helpers. You know many people are out there trying to help.

🇨🇦 A cloudy day, I was watching Flight Radar. 

There were some power outages with the winds from the storm. Not too bad, truthfully.

Canada has a newish government. PM Carney has presented a new budget. Thing is, the Liberals have a minority government. Parliament can vote to topple the government. I don't think that will happen. One Conservative has 'crossed the floor' to join the Liberals. We are fairly tired, many of us, of the Conservative leader.

The Opposition Conservative Leader is a tool. Poilievre's attitudes mimic someone else we know. He's never had a job aside from being a politician. He faces a confidence vote himself, in January.

Aren't politics fun?!