Puppets

Some of the lower mountains from the Indian Lake overlook

With his snowmobiles lined upvacant in the old heifer yard, some on the trailer, some on the ground, all facing north, but all forlorn at the bare ground, Alan wanted to see at least a little snow.....

So he invited me to go to the Dacks yesterday. I do not say no to such requests.

We are puppets of the mountains. When they pull our strings we dance without complaint....we danced on up to Tupper Lake looking for the turnoff to Sabattis Bog. We found it on the way back and went looking for the good birding that is said to exist there. That we didn't find. We did pick up a few Blue Jays, a large flock of American Goldfinches, and a single pair of Red Crossbills....but it was pretty quiet. In fact the quiet was astonishing. Now and then we heard a snowmobile far in the distance and there was sometimes the sound of moving water, but that was all. It was delicious, better than the half time show at that ball game everyone was all excited about yesterday. 

Bird

Snowshoe Hare with Alan's big foot for comparison

Foxy Loxy

The tale of the tracks in the fresh-fallen, delicate, powder (see, we did find snow) was a fine script to read. Here a Snowshoe Hare doodled back and forth across the road and into the swamp. There a large bird strode back and forth, every detail of its feet clear as as a well-printed program, listing the cast of characters in the snow. His vote was turkey..I wondered about Ruffed Grouse. After looking up tracks, he is probably right, but expert opinions are always welcome.





After our little side jaunt down the long and lovely road to Sabattis, (the video above shows a part of the road there on the way back out. It is amazing to drive such a nice road back into the wilderness, but there is a big camp and a Boy Scout camp back there) we headed for the real High Peaks. What a backdrop they form for the puppet stage, poking their lofty noses right through the clouds, unwilling to associate with the gaudily patterned tourist puppets taking in the ice house at Saranac Lake and all that Lake Placid has to offer. I prefer the wilder side of the mountains for the solitude, but the busy High Peaks display astounding scenery....which alas is nearly impossible to photograph around all the buildings and cars and people.

Raquette River at Tupper Lake

A little beaver dam we found

A large beaver house just across the way....see it right there in the center?

And later, home again, home again, to hit backstage early in order for him to get off to work at 2:30.....AM that is......Decades of dairy farming have not prepared me to hit the stage that early, no, no, no....

Still I wouldn't miss the mountains and a day with my favorite chauffeur and birder for a dozen good naps and a box of cookies.