And Then There Were...

Today was a near perfect February day to take a walk.  My thin sweatshirt was off and tied around my waste within seconds of leaving the house and my shirt sleeves were pushed up above my elbows. The breeze proved to be more comforting than inconvenient.

The two Canada geese were still residing down at the pond. They had been joined by two ducks.  A Mallard couple to be exact. The geese were quiet, so in a matter of three days of visiting they evidently had become accustomed to me and my dogs.  The ducks…not so much.  I was able to get a couple of photos of the majestic pair before Buddy and Snowball chased them off.  The two birds took to the air as the dogs jumped up and down at them in excitement from the edge of the water.  The drake and hen flew away in the direction of a neighbor’s pond.  My loss.

Buddy found a bone and carried it back home.  He would run ahead of us and chew, grab the bone and run ahead again as we caught up.

Snowball, on the other hand, walked right behind my heels which is rare.  I heard his panting.  Weather that is desirable for me is not for Snowball.  After all, he is a Pyrenees Mountain Dog.  When I am cold, Snowball is cozy.  When I am freezing, Snowball is in his element. 

The walk was near ending when I noticed what I think was my first sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker this season.  I saw bright red and white undulated through the nearby woods, the colors bold against the grey of the tree bark and bare branches.  How thrilling!

The birds are beginning to come out from their winter hiding. 

Hurray!

Comfort Zones

Yesterday afternoon the dogs and I went on our routine (down to the pond) walk.

It was a warmer February day, yet still a bit brisk and windy.  So, before leaving the house, I had to decide on the appropriate attire.   Two sweatshirts, an added hat or a knitted combination hat/scarf, gloves…I finally decided to go with less and opted for one heavy sweatshirt.  If I got cold, I could always put the hood up and walk a bit faster.

Within minutes out from the house, I was already feeling overheated, even with the cool breeze.  I was inching the zipper open and rolling up my sleeves to reach my comfort zone.  Obvious, I was overthinking the clothing issue.

Snowball ran out ahead and was the first to the pond.  That is OK except I was hoping to sneak up on a Great Blue Heron and Snowball would definitely scare that majestic bird into flight before my arrival.  But, the Great Blue was not to be seen.  Instead, a pair of disturbed Canada geese came floating out of hiding from a small, browned patch of cattails residing along the shallow edge of the pond. (Glenn dislikes geese, especially those that enjoy HIS pond. And, he will not be thrilled when I inform him of the geese status.)  Usually the dogs bark and chase the geese the best they can, dogs on land and geese in water, but today the dogs decided that further investigation would be more interesting.  Snowball and Buddy continued their run/walk beyond the pond and to a large spring area below.

half of the pond with a layer of floating ice...notice the geese at the far side

This gave me a chance to sit down, first surveying that the immediate ground was free of any geese poop, along the pond’s edge and take a few photos.  I totally enjoy my bird, even Canada geese, encounters. The geese slowly meandered back and forth all the while honking.

The dogs returned and we started our return trip home.  As we walked up the first incline away from the pond, the geese continued gliding on the water, but became quiet.

 I guess we had adequately moved out of their comfort zone.

One Month Down...Already - UGH!

January was quite a diverse month.  It had its hot days, its cold days, a little bit of snow days (not much thank goodness), its windy days, its sunny days, its cloudy days…well, you get the picture.

I especially like the hot days, hot for January that is.

I made a special effort to go out and garden on the hot days.  Yes, garden.  Not in harvest, but in clearing dead debris, dead plant material, and cutting back perennials to get them ready for their spring flush.

I am happy to say that I was able to get through my entire garden; vegetable, fruit, and perennials, once.  I will do another pass in early spring, just before any new growth begins, to get the last of the winter-damaged and dead material cleaned out.

Today, this last day of January, was warm but very windy.  I am not a fan of wind, but decided to take advantage of the gorgeous and very comfortable temperatures.  I took my dogs for a walk down to the pond.  It has been over two months since we last made that trek and they were excited.  I was anxious as I did not know if I could muster the energy to make the return trip…all up hill.

I did.

There were not any birds and no leaves on the trees.  The farm looked more open and vacant. Not my favorite season.

But, it was good to get out and move this old body again.  A real treat!

P.S.  Yesterday, Buddy went missing all day and Glenn found him at a neighbor's house playing with their four kids.  He had never gone there before and was reluctant to come home with Glenn.  I guess four little kids are more fun to hang with than two old folks. So much for one obedient dog. And, the training continues...

Winter Garden Clean-up

hawk on early morning watch

Today was not quite as warm as the previous couple of days, yet it was decent enough to get back outside to continue my gardening, my cleaning of my perennial beds.

I was in a sweatshirt, but the heavy overcast day was a bit raw.  Still doable I told myself.  I knew I would be much more productive working outside than I would be inside the house where tons of housework faced me.  Rain is in the near forecast, so I determined my outside time was precious.

I worked about two hours cutting dead stems and cutting back over-ambitious plants (the ones that not only grow in their allotted space but also extend into other plants territory).  This is the perfect time to reduce plant sizes because I am not as aware of how much live plant I am cutting off which I hate to do. Come spring, the plants will leaf out as if nothing had been removed. A win- win situation for my psyche.

two hours worth of plant waste - Onnie and Missy looking for a handout since I was in the area

I also spent a little time in the Snowball training department.  Snowball has a mind of his own and I am trying to convince him that my commands take precedence over his mind.  I did get him to come to me twice when called, so I feel I made some progress.  Buddy listens to me without question.  One obedient dog out of two ain’t bad.  But, I will continue to work on getting that up to two.

I have to admit that my garden has never looked this good in a January.  I hope I will be able to do a once over all the gardens before the spring weeds take over. 

Now, that would be an accomplishment. 

Friday the 13th

I like to celebrate Friday the 13th…a kind of secondary holiday if you wish.

Today, my day began with Snowball barking.  On investigation, looking out the window, I discovered that Snowball was barking at quite a group of wild turkeys shuffling just below the house.  I immediately grabbed my camera to get a photo, but the turkeys took to flight on hearing my arrival outside and flew into the adjacent woods.  Turkeys are not great flyers, but they are birds.  Their departure was slow and awkward, but successful.  That is, except for one turkey.  This turkey did not make the short flight over the low fence and wandered along the fence line all day. All day. The group of turkeys was long gone and this one straggler was quite the determined pacer.  The disparaging sentiment of ‘You Turkey’ came to mind.  This bird definitely was that turkey.

The turkey episode would have been enough of a celebration for the day.

Yet, the special mood continued.  I spent about three hours outside working on cleaning up my garden beds.  The mild day, especially welcome for near mid-January, was delightful. The sweatshirt weather turned to shirt-sleeved weather then quickly became rolled- up sleeves weather the longer I worked.  My dogs remained my companions and the hours passed like minutes.  The joy of this particular winter day was a treasure. 

Did I say I was working?  Actually, I was enjoying a marvelous winter, spring-like day! 

Friday, January 13, 2017 was indeed a fabulous holiday!   An unquestionable celebration.

A New Muffin - YUMM!

Since it has been cold and snowy and wet (rain and melting snow), I decided an ideal indoor activity would be to bake.

I opted to make muffins since I always have success with any muffin recipe I make.  But, this time, I elected to go a bit on the wild side and create a new recipe.

Instead of the usual two cups of white flour, I used one cup of white flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour and ½ cup quick oats.  I had never ever used oatmeal in muffins before and I was confident the combination with the other flours would work. Other ingredients included farm fresh eggs, milk, sour cream and vegetable oil. Sugar, baking powder and salt a must. And, just the right amount of mixing which is key for a perfect texture.

Work indeed.  The muffins baked with golden and well-rounded tops as should be expected.  In addition, the flavor…definitely worth keeping this recipe.

Not only do I experience successful baking with my muffins, which is always a plus, but muffins are a great alternative to sweeter treats like cookies, cake and pie.

Hmmm…what should I put into my next muffin concoction?


Oh...I know, but you will have to come back to find out.  And, only if the new recipe is tasty.  I will not pass along any flavor failures.

First Sticking Snow of the Season

Early yesterday morning, the sunny skies quickly turned overcast and gloomy. The forecast promised our first snow accumulation of the season.

I looked out at the birdfeeders and saw that they were empty of birds and of feed. With the pending foul weather, I needed to take care of my feathered friends, so I immediately filled the cylinder and the platform feeders with a mix of grey-striped sunflower seed and cracked corn – a mix that is favored by all my bird visitors. Within ten minutes, my feeders were crowded with titmice, sparrows, juncos, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, nuthatches and woodpeckers.  I invited quite a party.  These birds must have been waiting and watching from the nearby forest trees.  I gave them what they wanted and, in turn, they gave me quite a delightful show with their presence.

 

As the day progressed, a flurry of snowflakes began falling from the sky, but the snow never mustered more than a dusting. More snow arrived during the night.

Today, I woke to nearly 2 inches of snow.  Snow showers continued throughout the morning adding another 1/2 inch or so of fluffy whiteness.  This snow will be short lived though, as the temperatures are due to rise to the 50’s in a day or so.  A kind of ‘Indian Spring’ of winter akin to the more typical ‘Indian Summer’ of fall.

I will take spring, any spring, over winter any day.