AstroGypsies

We have gone from water, to slush, to ice, then snow, then slush and now we are back to ice. The lake has been groaning as the temperatures drop each afternoon. Hopefully Spitz the deer hasn’t tried to cross it! I’ve seen a few small footprints, the mink and or muskrat that lives under the dock. The otters have been pooping on the other small dock…cool, their poop is full of fish scales, yeah, I’m weird, whatever! Ha! The Otters seem to prefer the sunfish and perch. They have been hanging close to shore in the far Northern bay. I can hear them them screeching, probably a youngster yelling for Mom. I thought it was something being killed at first! Nature:) I’ll wash the poop away another day! I’m not counting out rain yet!

This morning there were no open spots in the ice I could see. Not willing to walk on it yet though! It’s hovering near melting today and we won’t have any colder stuff for a few nights. So wild, January…I even found some “Witches Butter” on my walk out to get the mail the other day! It feels so cool, like a pile of jelly bears! Everything is so shiny or green in the rain!

Tremella mesenterica (common names include yellow brain, golden jelly fungus, yellow trembler, and witches’ butter is a common jelly fungus. It grows in crevices in bark, appearing during rainy weather. Within a few days after rain it dries into a thin film or shriveled mass capable of reviving after subsequent rain. It can come back to life! How cool is that! Although considered bland and flavorless, the fungus is edible. It is shiny as it was raining…I wasn’t singing though;)

The next day I checked the culvert in the largest beaver swamp our small road crosses. Mike and I pulled about twenty large branches out of it last week, the beavers have been busy. We didn’t get into it to completely clean it out, just leaned over the culvert and pulled like hell on the branches for half an hour. There is a small dam about half way in but I wasn’t ready to go swimming to climb in! That can wait until the spring! It’s draining. Wait, our neighbours have small children! We can lower one of them in! Ha! I will ask Katie;)

So much fungi growing and reclaiming and recycling the forest! I did see a lone red squirrel but it is very quiet until you get to the house, you can hear the jays from a ways away! I have a small waterproof Olympus camera I can take with me on the rainy days. It’s not as nice photo wise as the Canon but I’d rather not soak that one! It was great for bubbles and reflections in the puddles!

The other shot I’ve dubbed: UCM…unintentional camera movement;) Ha! versus ITM…intentional camera movement:) When you take pictures by mistake when you are walking! I came across a couple of guys camping on the side of the Long Lake Road by the Rideau Trail. At first I thought someone had lost a tent out of their truck, or it was bright orange balloon, until the guy popped his head out and smiled, wet. Said he and his friend had picked the wrong two days to hike the trail. They were waiting for someone to pick them up in a bit. They were soaked. It was only drizzling, but two days of that…ugh! Brave souls!

You can imagine how thrilled the traveling Mewberries have been with the wet weather. They stare from the alcove out towards the trailer proclaiming “What went wrong? Where are the dry warm sand beaches of Baja?” Next thing they will be contacting their solicitor for cruelty to pampered cats! Groot has figured out if he hides under the picnic table it’s not too bad…good for bird stalking anyway! The lake has been groaning and cracking, it is delightful but Rocket heard it, eyes got big, lake monster Müther! I want in! Makes it easier to keep him off the ice until it gets thicker though! It’s a magical sound. Here is a link to a wonderful U tube video with a very attractive blonde woman…not that Mike noticed;) Ha! ICE sounds by Jonna Jinton.

So, the cat walks have been short and wet! Time by the fire and in sunbeams, when available…priceless!

But today, a few glimpses of sun, then clouds. Looks like that is it for the next few days. There is a rumbling of serious snow fall by next week this time…we’ll see! Maybe we should go look at that snowblower soon!

We headed down to the barn New Years eve to help Jennifer out with cleaning stalls and chores. We stack hay for her close by as her back has been bothering her so much. Trevor joined us and helped out. It’s nice to get out every now and then! Woohoo! Ha! I was hoping for large snowflakes but was thwarted by the weather Gods so made do with the wonderful creatures around us, as is:) Just as well, they were filthy filthy beastlings! Time for some serious brushing and deburring!

There will be big snowflakes again one day soon! mwahahahahaha! But those donkeys…so darn cute. And Alice the barn cat, she is adorable with her large white belly!…and that tongue blep! Ha!

This cat is ray of sunshine on a cloudy day! Maybe we can talk her into her using her cat superpowers to bring us some more sunshine! Go Alice!!! I’ll keep you posted! Saludos y abrazos amigos! Happy New Year:)