Almost November...

 October 27, 2024

And we still haven't had a severe frost. Some salvia, alyssum and calendula are soldiering on despite almost nightly skimmers of frost. Only on one night so far, was the window-lid lowered on the cold frame, as it seemed we were in for it, but overnight, the clouds rolled in and it wasn't necessary after all. 

The trees have pretty much all shed their leaves, except oaks and beeches, and some young trees of the under storey. Leaves have been collected and bagged, and the garlic is nestled in and mulched. Everything is pretty much ready for winter around here. We replaced a window in the upper storey, as the closure had failed on the old one. The only way to secure the window would have been to climb a ladder, push it shut from outside, and lock it on the inside. It's too soon to shut things down, as we have had quite a stretch of warm, sunny weather. It has been great for getting the garden and yard readied for winter. 

Recently we did a bit of touring around. While waiting to have the anti-rust treatment done on the car, we explored a bit of Petawawa. We found Centennial Park, where the Petawawa river descends over falls and through some rapids, below Garrison Petawawa, and shortly enters the Ottawa River.

We have paddled the upper reaches of the river, near it's birth place on the West side of Algonquin Park. It was interesting to see how large and powerful it gets before merging with the Ottawa.

 Just south of the confluence, there is a beach on the Ottawa River.

Nothing has shown up on Bird Cam. this week, except Blue Jays. There are some Juncos hanging around, and we spotted a flight of Snow Buntings recently. Yesterday, whilst doing a bit more trail pruning in our bush, a Chickadee came close in the branches around us, and was making little chips. It is obviously a bird with a memory from last winter, and was looking for a hand out. It will very soon be time to set up the winter bird feeders.

Some visitors showing up on Barn Cam. 

Spike is still hanging out where there are late falling apples. 

These guys were checking out the space, probably because there are does here. It is that time of year....

 

And then, there is the mystery photo...a foggy night, a buck with brush on his antlers???? A slow exposure? A trick of the camera??

 

  Yesterday, I happened to look out just in time to see a black blob disappear behind the barn...sure enough...there were more....