Sunday, November 16, 2025

Managing My Media


We have a determined rose that's doing its best to bloom out there, matching its deep red color to the yellows and russets of the fallen leaves. I'm not sure how far that rose is going to get, though. We're supposed to have barely freezing temperatures Monday and Wednesday, and below freezing a few days after that. I should probably cut the rose bud and bring it in, along with the pelargoniums and the citrus tree. We're probably going to cover the avocado too, though I doubt it will get cold enough for long enough to do it harm.

I was just buried in media yesterday. Photos, videos, blog-reading, news-reading, book-reading, you name it!

For one thing, I went through the Australia album and scanned all the photos that I want to put on Flickr. I scanned a total of 66 pictures, and I hope to have them all posted within a day or two. I identified a few more locations and made a few more connections between the images themselves, so that project is coming together.

I also made some headway in "The Old Curiosity Shop," and hope to make more today. And in between I did two loads of laundry and some cleaning, blah blah blah.


I also downloaded the wildlife cam. We had a lot of videos this week -- more than 150! But most of them were disposable clips of pigeons and squirrels, and after skimming them all I managed to condense the good stuff into just four minutes. There were a few clips of two foxes together, which is pretty exciting. I almost never see multiple foxes at once.

The video starts out with Q-Tip and Guy Fox separately trotting back and forth. Twice, they're carrying something in their mouths, but I can't see what it is. I suppose they've been hunting. I'd assume pigeons, but it's at night and I don't think pigeons are generally on the ground when it's dark. Maybe rats, but you'd think a tail would be visible.
-- At 0:44, Pale Cat strolls casually across the lawn, then runs back in a full feline freak-out and leaps into a tree. A bird flies out of the tree. Was he trying to catch the bird? Who knows.
-- At 1:10, one of the foxes trots by on a very misty/rainy morning. Eventually all you can see in the fog is its glowing eyes! Very Halloween.
-- There's some more fox back-and-forth, and then, at 1:50, we get footage of Q-Tip and Guy Fox exploring the back of the garden together.
-- At 2:32, a squirrel freaks out.
-- At 2:42, pigeons march in regimental formation.
-- At 2:51, Q-Tip trots by with his mouth open, which is odd. It's like he's panting. He goes over the fence, and then we see him trot by at night, still with an open mouth. I wonder if he injured his mouth somehow.
-- At 3:36, Blackie casually strolls across the grass. I haven't seen Blackie in several weeks.
-- At 3:50, Tabby runs under the garden bench. Again, I haven't seen this cat in a while. Meanwhile, Bell the Bengal was among the missing this week. The cats, they come and go.

52 comments:

  1. Great video, and apart from the fox footage (which of course I loved since these are my favourite animals), pale cat‘s moment of madness made me laugh out loud - it so reminded me of what our cats used to do!

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    1. I laughed at Pale Cat too. It's rare to catch such extreme moments on the garden cam!

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  2. "Disposable" clips of pigeons and squirrels? Frankly that is outrageous as I am sure all pigeon and squirrel lovers will agree. You are like a fellow on a safari who only wants to see "the big five", overlooking or dismissing the rest of Africa's fascinating wildlife.

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    1. When you look through 130 video clips of pigeons and squirrels, you'll see what I mean!

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  3. The nightlife in your garden is amazing.

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  4. The cats ... they come and go ... here too. But ours leave their calling cards behind ...

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    1. I'm sure ours do too, but to be honest I don't notice. I think most of what they leave goes in the very back of the garden, where we don't do much gardening. It's mostly just a disposal area for leaves, old soil and cuttings.

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  5. Pale Cat is my new favorite action hero! That was a very media day -- but it sounds productive. Hope the rose makes it.

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    1. Roses are amazingly tough, though we did lose two of ours this year. I think they were shaded out by growing trees.

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  7. The videos are packed with action. Yes, I know condensed to edit out quiet times, but there's still a lot going on at night.

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    1. I'm always surprised by all that happens out there!

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  8. Your garden is a popular thoroughfare.

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    1. Yes, and the animals seem to have favorite "paths" that they travel when they're going in certain directions.

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  9. I find when I’m not wholly into a book, I tend to find other things to do than read. A good tip for summertime when I have lots of other things that need doing.

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    1. It's too easy to find other things to do, I agree. I really have to set aside time to read.

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  10. Always fun to see what happens in your London garden - I'm sure it's much busier than my village garden.
    Cats sometime do the scatty thing when there's a sudden gust of wind.

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    1. I would think rural gardens would be quite busy, and probably with more interesting creatures, like hedgehogs and badgers.

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  11. What a beautiful rose. I hope you rescued it from the cold night. You have quite the busy yard. I think it might be a neighborhood favorite prowling spot.

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    1. Especially now that there's no dog. If we get another dog all these animals are going to be surprised!

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  12. I still have a few stubborn roses too. Crazy flowers!
    It doesn't look to me like Pale Cat is in hunting mode there. Something just scared him/her. Or at least that's what I think. Perhaps a fox!
    Did I tell you that Glen set up a trail cam in our back yard just for the heck of it and got two images of a very healthy looking fox strolling about at night? There goes my dream of more chickens.

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    1. No! But I'm not surprised. Foxes are everywhere. It's amazing how adaptable they are.

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  13. It seems busier not that your Olga is no longer on patrol.

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    1. Definitely. I think her odor was enough to keep other animals away while she was alive. (Not that she smelled bad to humans -- not at all!)

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  14. It is interesting that in central London you have a lot more wildlife than we have in here. I suppose we are too high up at 750 feet. There has been nothing of much interest on our wildlife can all year. Too many gardens recently grassed over as if they can't be bothered to look after then any more.

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    1. I wonder how altitude affects wildlife? I have no idea, but I suppose lower, more sheltered land would have more. Grassed-over gardens are better than paved ones, which we also get in the city!

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  15. I intended to do some house cleaning yesterday but then my daughter brought Paisleigh and Harrison over for a visit and by the time they left the urge had passed. I did get some reading done in the book I have.

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    1. And you spent time with the kids, so that counts for something!

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  16. Yes, definitely bring the lovely red rose inside. As you say, one freeze and it would be gone.
    Your garden is well travelled. Healthy, well-fed fox seems to love passing through.
    About a week ago, walking near the stream bed on my property, I saw a bobcat carrying either a rabbit or squirrel. My neighbors say they see an occasional bobcat at night but never during the day.

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    1. Wow! That's an impressive sighting. I don't think I've seen a bobcat since I was a kid in Florida, and even then they were very fleeting.

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  17. Interesting that you could put the photos together and get a story out of it.

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    1. And I'm trying very hard to make sure it's accurate, but of course it's hard to do when all you have is a picture.

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  18. John monitors the animals in his yard too--mostly cats with an occasional possum or raccoon. Nothing exciting like foxes! It sounds like you're progressing well on your Australia project. Scanning is such a pain, in my opinion. Tedious.

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    1. Raccoons and possums would be fun too! Scanning IS tedious but I love thinking that I'm giving these images a second life online.

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  19. "The cats, they come and go." As do so many things in life. Feeling philosophical today.

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  20. Does a light come on with the camera? The foxes occasionally walk right up and stare into the lens. That black cat looks plush and luxurious. Obviously well cared for.

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    1. The camera emits a very faint click and an infrared light comes on, which I don't think the animals can see. (Or at least it doesn't seem to affect them.) I think they hear the click, though.

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  21. That cat was totally trying to get the bird! Also, it looks like it's snowing in a couple of those - or is it rain or bugs? Finally, the group of four pigeons walking together make me laugh & think of the Beatles. Ha!

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    1. Definitely not snow. It was raining for part of the week so that's probably what you saw. I liked the "Fab Four" pigeons too!

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  22. Animal voice over:
    Squirrel: Shoo.Shoo. DO NOT TOUCH MY NUTS!
    Cat: Why am I up a tree again?
    This is typical and very comical cat zoomies. Think the bird was more wtf than a target. Kinda hilarious scene.

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    1. It was funny, wasn't it? I think the cat would have kept going up the tree if it meant to catch the bird.

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  23. That is a beautiful rose.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I agree, Jan! It's one of my favorites of all our rose bushes, and it gets insects too because it's a relatively simple, open blossom with an accessible center.

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  24. Your weather has certainly changed for the colder.

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    1. Yeah, and pretty quickly! It's supposed to get mild again after this week.

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  25. I can barely manage my time, let alone my media and all I have is email and my blog! But also far too many books in waiting and newspaper puzzles along with puzzle books neighbours give to me, "because I heard you like doing these"

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    1. Managing information in any form really is a skill.

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  26. I enjoy feline freak-outs. Dudo, at 14 still does that. Yesterday he zinged by me and ran the length of the apartment before full stop in the foyer to stare at me. I think I was supposed to do something. The Old Curiosity Shop is going to need renovation by the time you get through it.

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    1. It will have been torn down and turned into a McDonald's!

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