Things have been melty!

Monday, I went down to the wetland. It was WET! You can see the water glistening in the first photo, almost in the middle of the photo. The deer tracks show how deep they sunk down into the meltwater. 

 

Tuesday morning, the driveway was pretty decent. I knew it wouldn't last long, though.

This was Tuesday afternoon! Snow, ice rain, rain.

Tuesday was a wet one. The bird feeders dripped icicles. 

JB's bears are still up. They fell over twice in the wind in the past week. Baby bear is lit up, it just doesn't show it in the photo.

The deer were quite attentive to the trailcam, and she did a deer selfie. I tromped down in my snowshoes to fetch them.

Surprisingly, there were mice friends on the trail camera. They are a hoot.

Dinner was a crock pot full of chili. We had a TV dinner and watched The Repair Shop. Also, a show about buying rural properties in the UK, Escape to the Country. The scenery is amazing. 

The trees are drooping in the ice accretion this morning. They look so sad. Even the feeders drip. I went out before bedtime and it is scary.

We'll see what the day brings. The driveway and sidewalk are icy. We'll hope for the best today, here and around the world. I don't think we are going too far, today. School busses are cancelled in the region, too. Another 'Snow Day'! It's an ice day, but, like the 'beer run', you call it a familiar name!

Another ⛄ SNOW DAY!

⛈ Freezing Rain Warning ☔ 

The kids around here must be happy/sad as it's a 'Snow Day' from here to Ottawa, but they'll miss their friends. They had a PD Day Friday, and Family Day holiday Monday. No school busses today, Tuesday, either!

They are happy back in school this term. It's actually a freezing rain warning here, you can see the snow to the north. My friend up in Timmins reports -21˚ C. but we went from 6 ˚ C. to - 8˚ C. It'll be fun seeing what happens. (NOT!) JB has gone into town for a walk, prior to the rainfall. 

🧩Entertainment

I've been having with with online games. Wordle is still available, but the URL is now clearly the NY Times. Access to all their games costs extra, $1.50/ week, but there are no signs of them charging for it, yet. With our Star Subscription, I get some Arkadium games. They have proven fun. The puzzle, however, is timed. Some of us have asked for a more relaxed time. They are quite responsive to issues. 

Mahjongg has been a good challenge. I think I'd have an easier time of it if I knew what the symbols represented and could name them. I am doing better at it. It's wonderful getting my mind off things.

🐾 No wonder I didn't get anything on this trail camera. It was pointed a bit high. Note to self... There were tons of fisher tracks here. I was looking for the deer antlers but never did find any. 

I haven't set out the cameras, and forgot about this video. Here is Tres, the cottontail.

Down in the forest, I'd spotted some fisher tracks, which is why I set it up there. First up, the deer. ♪♫♬ Doe, a deer!

   

 Next, first is a single coyote, and then two trotted along. 

 

Happy Family Day!

Yes, several provinces celebrate this. Free ice fishing, provincial employees have the day off, and no school. 

🍺 Well, I guess I should have explained, Jean! We always talk about a 'beer run' just because that's what everyone used to say all the time. I am a white wine type of gal! 

Downtown Ottawa is secured. Media were irritated that they had to leave with all the protestors, but that is not the time and place to ask for ID. Once the perimeter was secure, they allowed accredited media to show us all that was being done. They interviewed happy downtown residents, taking walks, who felt safe and secure. One man said that at the time it was like being in the middle of Duck Dynasty, and he was happy to get his downtown back. 

There were minor drive-by protests elsewhere in the country. Some of the local occupiers took off to Herb's Travel Plaza at 3 p.m. on Sunday. There is another camp on a farmer's field on St. Guillaume Rd. in Russell (Google maps), as well as another on White Lake Rd. in Arnprior. The farmer in Russell has removed his Facebook page, and refused to confirm or deny it is his land. 

There were ironies. A protestor was arrested after harassing a Fox News team. They harassed most of the media teams, spitting on them, knocking their equipment away, yelling in their faces, and chasing them off. 

Bob Rae posted this:

I wrote the other day about dratted red squirrel (DRS) having a lovely set of tunnels. It's like whack-a-mole, and they are adorable. 

The cats figured it out. The birds ignore them, but the two siblings sat there watching for DRS. It was really windy, and a blustery day to sit outside. Usually, Cinnamon defers to Nutmeg (mostly at the food dishes), but Cinn was in front, Meggie at the back!

I did a bit of work. Cleaned the fish tank, Percy is a pooper and I have to do it every 3 weeks, rather than 4.  

I shoveled off the rest of the back deck. It was knee-deep, and the wind had blown it off the roof. 

I've no videos to show. I tromped to the back 40 and the only thing on the camera was me, as I walked away having set it up. 

Caitlin called and we planned our Christmas celebration for next weekend. Then they went toboganing  on Sunday. Wwwwhhhhheeeeeeeeeeee!

We expect rain or freezing rain or snow or something later today. It is a balmy 3˚ C., and I shall have to put the garbage out between now and 8 a.m. Then I am free for the day! It's a tough life... 

Snow

 Yes, another snowstorm. Two days in a row, and more today, is a bit tedious. I knew, when I went to the bathroom, and saw the window with snow on the ledge, that we'd had more snow! I had fun collecting the snow, and melting it for data: 28 cm in a couple of days. If it had fallen as rain, it would have been 28 mm of water. 

I surveyed the damage outside, front and back. The squirrels had already been on the front deck, looking for food.

Still cloudy and the wind was whipping the snow off the trees.

They are still removing trucks, vehicles, as well as debris, from the occupation in Ottawa. It was deliberate, slow, and methodical. I watched them move in with great glee. The highlight was the TV crew noticing a woman with a pigeon on her head! She is a bit of a hippy, with her pet dove. She spoke to someone on air. 

Once I saw the clouds moving off, I went outdoors. The blue skies were amazin!

While I was working, the snow clouds would move in, but finally they moved off. Once done, I did just a bit of the back deck. I shall have to do the rest today, as when it melts it will be heavy on the deck. JB went on a beer run for me, and I put the bottle in the snow to get it cold.

The snow banks are getting higher, but I found the sidewalk. A new day dawns.

The Trucks are nearly gone!

Feb. 20 – 170 arrests

Coventry is being emptied Feb. 20th, 5 p.m.. They've made an arrest.

Some have moved east of Ottawa.

UPDATE: Judy Trinh went to Coventry Rd., an encampment, as they were dismantling the site. She began a Twitter thread.

"What appears to be carloads of protesters (maybe returning from downtown?) are doing laps around Coventry lot. They seem to be flummoxed that the supply camp is gone."

One dude with misinformation: "I think all the Ottawa Police is resigned, called in sick... Bad brainwashed people, just don't care about the people."

Police are releasing statements. "Vehicles will be impounded for 7 days."

Feb. 19 – The New York Times was shameful: they were called up on it, and changed the story twice. They didn't march with guns, first day was pepper spray, next day (Sat.) heavy batons. 

Daniel Dale doing his thing - dropping facts and being a great and decent guy 🙌🏽

pic.twitter.com/wL3AFCqHci

— SassyMétisChick (@SassyMetisChick) February 19, 2022

People headed for Quebec City. Not good news. Protests in Queen's Park, as well.

At least 76 financial accounts frozen since Emergencies Act invoked: Mendicino

Pat King arrested!

It is good news in Ottawa. No one hurt, no one dead. Fox Fake News has been promoting a story about an older woman getting hurt. She was in the front of the line by someone livestreaming who wanted click bait. The funny thing is they have named her the same name as the person who was presumably killed on Jan. 6th in the US.

Tamara Lich, ringleader, is awaiting a bail hearing result.

"Arrest Randy Hillier" is trending!

A Fox reporter, Sara Carter, is similarly spreading lies.

A good before and after from my buddy @Cameracutter on the state of Rideau and Sussex. #cdnpoli #ottnews pic.twitter.com/jeqTJraPE5

— Mackenzie Gray (@Gray_Mackenzie) February 19, 2022

They saw the highly trained police on horseback, trained in the US, and didn't back off. Several people pretended to be pepper sprayed. They were not. The anarchists are being abusive to media and, for example, the clerk at a hotel in Ottawa.

My MPP ought to be arrested, too. He is inciting them to violence.

Ottawa Police Service (OPS), Ontario Police (OPP), Durham Police, York Police, RCMP, Sudbury, Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Windsor Police, Emergency Response (ERT).

 Still, they keep on trying to fool us. Ottawa just had a major snow storm during the occupation.

Sat., Feb. 19

By 10:30 a.m. they were using pepper spray. The front line has moved, and they are searching abandoned cars, ensuring vehicles are safe using sniffer dogs. 

Police moving block by block, advancing with stick to push people back. 

The media had a really tough time, with that familiar 'fake news' stuff escalating.

🎥 Kamil Karamali (1), reporter, needed police escorts. They were surrounded in their car (2), spat upon.

🎥 Glen McGregor had the same issues, called Nazi. 

Justin Ling reports that a police office, on leave, told the occupiers about the OPS plans, which had to change.

Tucker Carlson continues to spew lies. Fox doesn't care if it is true or not. Beware, people.

Colton Praill was shouted down in the street.

Arnprior retreat prevented: 

Arnprior gate to convoy protesters’ retreat blocked

The gate in Arnprior to a meeting place for retreating ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters is blocked by a half-ton truck.

Feb. 16 

Meet the top five Canadian donors to the ‘Freedom Convoy’

Feb. 11 Doug Ford speaking to Pat King