We need to slow down, peeps

Driving at the speed of stupid! This concerns me, as we do our fair share of driving on rural roads. I like to research them to figure out how to protect myself. Today, we have freezing drizzle, on top of 6" of snow.

The roads are terrible. We are going to hunker down until the roads are cleared. They canceled JB's Meals on Wheels deliveries yesterday. Good thing.

Hubby did most of the snow yesterday, but konked out, as I did. We'll finish it today.

Another death on the highway

Officers were called to the scene at 8:21 a.m. Wednesday.

Lanark OPP lay charges in Carleton Place fatal crash | CTV ...

ottawa.ctvnews.ca/lanark-opp-lay-charges-in-carleton-place-fatal-crash-1.2...

Lanark OPP have charged 64-year-old Gordon Sarles of Richmond Hill, ... charge after 29-year-old Elizabeth Harris of Smiths Falls was hit. She is the mother of three. He went through a red light. The speed here is 60 km/hr.

 Highway 401 driver was watching movie at 160 km/h, police say

Then there is Greenbank Rd. (County Rd. #13). A long, straight stretch, through the government-owned NCC greenbelt, where drivers like to pass in unsafe conditions.

Fatal Christmas Day crash came weeks before couple's wedding date

Last May, a 54-year-old man was killed when his car left the road as he tried to pass a truck pulling a trailer.

Opinion: Fatal crash hard to comprehend - CNews

cnews.canoe.com/CNEWS/Canada/2015/09/29/22557203.html

 In January 1996, Matt Brownlee, with more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream, was racing another car on Greenbank when his car crossed the centre line and rammed into an oncoming vehicle. Brian LeBreton-Holmes, 12, died at the scene. His mother, Linda LeBreton, 35, died in hospital the next evening.  Brownlee didn't stop at this: he violated parole.

Matt Brownlee, now 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal negligence causing death and was sentenced in July 1997 to six years in jail. An additional year for breaching his bail conditions was added. Matt Brownlee, who had an atrocious driving record, was also seriously injured in the collision and spent 21 days in a drug-induced coma. He has permanent brain damage.

Barrhaven councillor Jan Harder says it’s time to consider widening the long two-lane portion of Greenbank, given it’s a main road for as many as 85,000 residents who live in that ward.

For some, it's simply Affluenza: too much money, no values...

Texas ‘affluenza’ teen arrested in Mexico

Ethan Couch, the Texas teen who was spared jail time over a deadly drunk-driving crash by claiming he suffered from “affluenza”, went missing earlier this month.

My latest videos: kids, forest, doves!

The girls hauled in their stuff for a two-day, one night stay! That's why they call it LUG-gage! They sure lugged it. This was Dec. 25/26, 2015. Isabelle is amazingly strong!

 


Monday, Dec. 28th no snow... geese flying overhead. Signs of winter?



Tuesday, Dec. 29th: 4" and still falling!
All hunkered down, in the boughs of the evergreen, with large snowflakes falling softly down.
Mourning doves from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Before the storm, there was ice rain

What a storm we have! Sadly, I knew it was coming and forgot to bring the shovels up from the shed.
Whoops!
The poor juncos can't find the seed under the snow. I'll post photos tomorrow! We had ice rain, which clung valiantly to the branches and then froze.
This was Monday, when we took off to Almonte to purchase some bird seed before the storm.




Cats are grumpy wumpy.


It's no wonder people die in incidents. The car in front of us - just passed us on a double line. The car centre frame was trying to turn across the east-bound lane. The car on the left decided to use the shoulder, as did another one. There was a lot of traffic on highway #7, perhaps to travel before the big storm.


It was beautiful!


In the front yard, a little sparrow, chickadee, nuthatch, and mourning doves.


Buck at the manger! It's not Tigger, I don't know who it is!

More deer tails and Whitetail Savvy

Tigger has been around a lot. We presume it is Tigger... what the heck! At first, it was just after dark. They know when it is safer to be outside, but lately (with the colder weather), they've been appearing more often in the day time just prior to dusk.

Tigger is a 9-point buck, with one side having a double split.


This shows the back of his legs, his 'heel' and the dark colouring (pheremones and urine) indicates that he is a dominant buck. The darker the colouring, the more dominance and the more hormones he releases. They urinate on the tarsal glands to spread their scent.
The other deer seems to be a young buck. It could be Pickle Stabber or P.S. 2!

This 8-point buck was in the back yard at the same time that Tigger was in the front with hubby.

Hubby & Tigger watches him

I asked hubby to fill the bird feeder. As he did, Tigger was waiting for him! They've come to know that we are not going to harm them, although they don't let us get too close.

I've three videos of Tigger from this year alone!

Tigger -1 week ago
Tigger 2 -5 days ago
Tigger 3 -5 days ago

Tigger at the feeder 2 years ago

Tigger at the feeder 2 years agoTigger 2 5 days agoMy new book

I'm so excited. Caitlin bought me a wonderful book for my birthday, Whitetail Savvy, written by expert Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III, with fabulous photos. I've cracked it, but there is a lot of interesting information in it and I'll have to read it in various sittings!

• Whitetails can bound over 8 1/2 m (28') horizontally.



Lady slippers



• They eat flowers, like lady slippers. I am lucky I still had some in the springtime, I guess.
• You can tell their weight by the size of their hooves. I had a perfect hoof print the other day. The land has been so wet but this morning it was -10 C. and I think I'll have to wait for another thaw. 
• A mature buck can weigh 250 lbs. and they can measure 40" at the shoulder.
• They have metatarsal glands, interdigital glands, as well as scent glands on their heads: forehead glands, tearduct glands, nose glands and salivary glands. They use their hormones to cover up other duck's hormone scents.
• Deer see differently than we do. They are often out in the dark.

How animals see

This site explains what deer can see

A fun Christmas and birthday party!

At our house Christmas seems to last two days. It begins with Christmas fun, next is the sleepover, then ends with breakfast and a party the next day. I totally forgot to bring out my hand-made crèche! Here is a photo and my post. The gift of the Magi

Playtime... bears on the bed.


First up was a gift for our S-I-L! It began with a mystery poem...a clue.

Santa thinks you have been behaving

The next gift can’t be used for shaving

Maybe, yes, for use in cooking

Once you find it (best start looking)

You will have to fetch it elsewhere

Right beside the coldest deckchair

Josephine found it! A barrel of beer for our JL! All nicely wrapped at the LCBO!



Then, Facetime with the kids' cousins in B.C.! Grampa and Isabelle had to spend the time taking the wrapping off of her new dinosaur. It was teamwork!

Our son, Jesse, and his wife (our DIL), Stacie, share the same  birthday May 19th. The irony is that Jess' MIL's birthday is the same day as mine, Dec. 26th! We have fun with this. She always has an open house. I just have the kids! They love the new babe, Cluny!


What a happy girl with her new bangles, bought by Grampa, at her favourite store in town.


Next, Isabelle wanted to use her jewelry painting kit. Josee broke out her nail painting kit!


Next, the 'surprise' cake. I knew it was ordered, I didn't know what was on it! Here I am, twiddling my thumbs, waiting patiently! Caitlin was looking for playdough, which we didn't have. I wasn't sure why. Grampa said that he had the problem solved! Note the special balloons above my head, tied to the chair. And my antler chandelier!


Yes, I ah shifty-nine this year! When did this happen? Where do the years go? I'm so glad we are nearer to the grandkids. There were some pretty quiet birthdays and Christmases when we were apart! Then there were the years I was alone, between husbands, when the kids were with their father.
I remember the mother of one of my students took me in for Christmas dinner! It was so kind of her.
Then, the year I went to a Nepean church. Sat in someone's pew. A woman came, me alone in a long pew, looked and asked if I was expecting any other people. I tried not to tear up, and said NO! I am alone! I can laugh at that now!


The cake was a surprise. Grampa scarfed a photo from my office. Here I am, with my much younger

Robin, Jenn, 1966

brother, probably Christmas, in 1966. Those were the days when we wore suits and jumpers. Grampa remembers everyone putting on a suit for Christmas dinners!
The baker couldn't do the image on carrot cake icing, so she printed it on a layer of regular icing, and put it on the cake. How clever!!!


Back to playing!


A fun time had by all! Grampa had cat paws on his nails. It comes off with soap and water, BTW!