Love is in the Air

Ah, spring! Step onto the porch take a deep breath (heck take a tiny little gasp) and you are met with a solid wall of it. It is kind of like getting hit in the head with an olfactory brick. Or maybe stepping on a rake handle and feeling all the ouch in your nose. Kinda sorta stomach-clenching, brain-numbing, beyond imagining fragrant spring air.
It creeps into the kitchen causing Liz and me to look up in puzzlement. What the heck is that?

Then the penny drops. We now watch the dogs very extra carefully and subject every kitty that crosses our path to a heightened level of scrutiny before proceeding, progressing or bending to pet.

Despite the fact that the only green things are spruce trees and house plants. Despite the ice gripping the ground and making every step a pending peril. Despite temperatures dropping into the very low teens every night. Despite the fact that the calendar and every other sense says that it is still winter, our noses tell us otherwise.
He's back......

Mephitis mephitis, skunk on the loose. To him this is the season of love. To us, well, we just wish he would move along.



****Update, other topic.... Jan at Poodle and Dog had these links to just how Humane the Humane Society of the US really is....you need to read them. Thanks for keeping us up to date on this stuff, Jan!

Hopeful

Faint Promises

Two days ago I stood on the back porch waiting for the dogs. The old dogs can go out pretty much unsupervised now, although Mike will get in the compost bin and eat apple peelings if you don't keep half an eye on him.
However, Nick will go after the old sheep if you don't watch him, so I do.
(This morning a cottontail rabbit got up right under his feet when he went out the door. Of course he gave chase. I called his name and said, "That'll do," and he stopped instantly, practically tipping over in his tracks, and turned right around and went back to tending to business. That is good boy type stuff, to come right off the chase without a backward glance. I was proud of him.)

Anyhow on that coupla days ago noon time I closed my eyes as I stood there rejoicing in the sun. (It is sometimes hard to see with the snow howling by and all, but it really is getting just a little bit higher over the horizon now.) I let it beat on my face turning the light behind my eyelids bright red, almost as if it were a summer day, and it felt GOOD. Did you ever do that when you were a little kid? Point your face at the sun with your eyes closed and look at all the reds and purples that you see and feel that blissful warmth? There was just enough of a breeze (as opposed to a frozen gale) blowing to tug at my hair that day that made feel me like walking right out and starting on the garden.




It was the most peaceful, yet invigorating moment that has come my way in many moons. A faint promise that finer seasons are on the agenda and may, in fact, show up soon.




However, yesterday a snippy little storm blew in, setting all the slush like concrete again, and spitting a couple more inches of snow all over everything, so a walk to the barn is fraught with real peril. And the wind is snarling around the house likie a werewolf, nothing balmy or promising about it today. It is February still and it still feels like it, and looks like it, but I sure am grateful for that little taste o' spring the sun allotted me the other day.


And on the bad days, breakfasts like this take some of the sting away. (Thanks Liz).
Homemade waffles with maple syrup from the north facing woods down past the barn. What's not to like?

Sunday Stills, Architecture

This is the Montgomery County Old Courthouse, built in 1836. It was a nasty day when I got over to town...it had just stopped snowing, but you can still see that it is quite a place.



For more Sunday Stills.....

That's Just Dovey

Quite early this morning, before the sun was even over the horizon. Guess the birds were hungry after the very cold night.

NY Cheese Plant Suspended

CONTACT: FOR RELEASE:

Jessica Chittenden Immediately, Friday

518-457-3136 February 20, 2009

STATEMENT FROM AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER PATRICK HOOKER
Regarding the Suspension of the Ahava Cheese Plant in Ogdensburg

“Today, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets suspended the operating permit of Ahava of California, which operates a cheese manufacturing facility in Ogdensburg. The suspension was based on inspections of the plant and samples of the plant’s products, which showed that continued operation and distribution of its products could pose a serious danger to the public’s health, safety and welfare.

“It is unfortunate that one of our dairy processing facilities is suspended from operation, however recent inspections found its products to have excessive levels of bacteria and coliform, as well as containing non-food grade oil. In addition, Ahava’s facility and equipment are in extreme disrepair, posing further potential contamination.

“The action taken today is effective immediately and stops all cheese processing and distribution at the Ogdensburg plant. Department inspectors have already seized over 25,000 pounds of cheese unfit for consumption, and all other product will be held until a determination is made that it is not adulterated. While Ahava only sold its products in bulk, the Department is committed to identifying any retail outlets that may have received Ahava products to assure the safety of the product.

“Since all operations at the Ogdensburg plant are currently suspended, we have notified the New York State Department of Labor of the possible job loss. The Department of Labor will take steps to provide services to all impacted employees.”

***This is a press release from the Commissioner of Agriculture

Pardon My Skepticism

I still believe that putting the national animal disease laboratory in Kansas among millions of hoofed animals is nuts. Keep it out in the ocean at Plum Island, where disease has been successfully contained for decades. As far as I am concerned this is all about a boost for state economy with no concern for animal safety.

Here is what happened in Great Britain when a disease lab was placed among farm animals.

And here is Farm Side Friday

And here is an interesting story about Anthrax immunities in dairy products potentially offering a vehicle for vaccine delivery.

We are fishing in the wrong place

That is all there is to it. Grabbed this from Joce at Tillaboro Orchard. Do watch it all the way to the end, because it just gets better and better (or worse and worse, depending on how you feel about fish.)









Alan, this one's for you....we have to find out how to do this! (Dibs on the hockey helmet, you can use the chainsaw one.)

What Do You Do in the Winter?

You get on committees.
And go to committee meetings.


Run to WalMart in snowstorms. Drive carefully and be thankful that everyone else is also doing so for a change.

You lose a longtime family friend and miss the funeral because no one gets the paper. (This was a friend of the boss, one of his many year's bowling buddies and auction going cohorts. We only found out that he passed because the boss asked me to look up who was at the funeral home today. He feels horrible about missing the funeral!)


Take pictures of bark (after all we live near the Adirondacks and word is that the Indian word means "barkeater" in reference to the limited menu during long hard winters there).




Photograph white-throated sparrows through the grubby kitchen windows in lousy light....but you CAN see the trademark yellow nares.




And find owls in the backyard. It was almost dark, but this one, a barred owl I think, let Liz walk right up to him and only flew when she tripped...thus when Blogger gets over its recent moodiness and she can log into and post on BuckinJunction, she will have better pictures than mine....cause I stayed down on the porch.



****This bird photographin' thing must be contagious because now we practically jostle each other as we race out to take pictures of whatever has landed in the yard.

Wordless Wednesday

Winter Singers

I love the wheezy, breathless calls of the titmice, like chickadees with pack a day habits. Their sound is so compelling to me that I have to force myself not to go to the window to watch them whenever I hear them. (They hang around all day so I wouldn't get much done if I did.)



Yesterday I was trying for some good pictures of them. They are much wilder than the chickadees, thus harder to photograph. As I was standing under the big Colorado blue spruce, freezing my hands and hoping I blended in a bit, the most beautiful blue jay call I had ever heard rang out behind me. It was so clear and sweet and melodious, it just filled me with delight. I marveled that a bird could sound so harmonious. I didn't turn around because I didn't want to spook the titmice, but I did wonder that it came so close. Jays leave the minute I go outside as a general rule.

Then the singer flew right over my head and obligingly perched right over my head.
What a lovely blue jay!
Not.

Later, as I stood on the porch waiting for the dogs to do their thing, another set of calls rang out. Maybe fifteen red winged blackbirds flew right past the porch, chinking to beat the band. I was so excited I sang out, "Blackbirds!" and startled them so badly they turned around and headed back the way they came. We had just been remarking that morning that we hadn't seen any yet ...and there they were. We take our signs of pending spring any way we can get them.

Senator Charles Schumer Dialog with Dairy Farmers

,

Was held yesterday where my kids attend college. Liz and I drove down to listen to the good senator offer his views on solutions for today's dairy pricing melt down and to allow farmers to offer their input on what would be the best course.

It was a good meeting and I was favorably impressed with Mr. Schumer. He clearly really understood milk pricing and farming and knew many farmer spokesfolks by their first names. I liked him a lot more than I expected to and I have always felt that he made a real effort to do well for farmers.

Anyhow, the meeting will be the focus of this week's Farm Side, which I must write today because I have another meeting tomorrow (it is farmer meeting season).

One of the highlights of the meeting was enjoying the cutest little farmer baby you ever saw. We know his family from Dairy Bowl and college and all and he was just a little cutie! He sat right in front of Liz and me and we flirted shamelessly with him through a good part of the meeting.

And his mama had the world's best diaper bag.

The practical, yet chic farm kid diaper bag.

Doomsayers Unite

Or untie...whatever.

This is an interesting George Wills column on things that didn't happen and others that probably won't happen, but the powers that be want you to worry about them.

The Law of Doomsaying

HT to Carpe Diem

Where is it?

I am betting some of you will know where these photos were taken. Alas, I was not there and did not take them. Rather my youngest brother and his wife, the weavers, took these when they were near a place where he was drilling to stabilize some earth...that is what he does by the way when he is not farming or weaving...he drills holes for concrete and grout to stabilize stuff, including the subway tunnel where the World Trade Center once stood.



****Update, I KNEW I had seen this building before! When Matty sent it to me it looked so familiar. Today I went searching for where I had seen it. I haven't been to the state in question since about 1973. If you want to know the answer to the question of where it is, go here......and little bro, not so long ago you were not so very far from on of my favorite bloggers!

He uses this thing, (although the trailer is not supposed to be broken like that.)



If you know where these were taken, state, city, general locality (there are two) or anything, leave an answer in the comments if you wish.

****Except for the drill these are Florida pictures taken around St Augustine and at White Springs Florida. I recognized the store right away and had to search Pure Florida to find the other picture where I had seen it before.

Sunday Stills Challenge...the Moon

The best of these were taken by my partner in photography, Alan. He is learning all that aperture and shutter speed stuff in college and it shows. Some of them are mine....I am not telling which.




Sunday Stills

If That Ain't Country

Cow Magnets...but on the water heater

Blitz

Tanker Day

Scotty update, with one pic of her mom and one of Snickers,
the other kitchen calf. Can you spot them?

I thought that since this is a farm blog I should perhaps post some farm pictures, rather than birds and cats and all. You can see how Scotty is thriving after her start in the kitchen, and a little bit of Snickers, who was eager for her pail of milk and not interested in the camera.

We managed to get done and have the milk cooled in time for the tanker today. I think Dale wondered what I was up to, taking photos of his truck....but he didn't ask. Blitz is one of Lizzy's show cows, in my mind the best one she has right now. She and her mother are both much too large for our 200+ year old barn. They have the biggest, best stalls we have but...cows have gotten a lot bigger over the past couple of centuries, so Blitz and Mandy stand with their shoulders in the pipeline. (Here is a baby picture of Blitz) I am going to post some full photos of the ones I combined in the collages over at my photo/overflow blog, The View at Northview, if you would like to take a look at them.

Do NOT Sit in This Chair

See that lump?

It bites!

Not Just Another Pretty Face

Gael
(AKA Queen Bean
Whissa Queen
Strudel
Beanie
QB
Queen of Beans)

Farm Side Friday

Right here

Australian Fires Blamed on "Green" Policies

Thanks to AKAGaga for this one.

Sounds as if the people who lived in the fire ravaged areas knew a lot more about how to manage their land than the activists and government did. It is easy to blame global warming for disasters like this, but there seem to be other issues involved.

Meanwhile, my heart goes out to them for their horrific losses. The tragedy they face is unimaginable. I wonder if there is anything Americans can or are doing to help them.

***Deb was kind enough to answer this question in the comments. Go here for information on helping and for other related information and photos.