Housing Boom

This sturdy barn swallow nest is just across the aisle from the robins below

There is a large and rapidly-growing housing development to our east. You can see the cookie-cutter houses from the horse pasture and the McDonald's sign from everywhere. Amish are moving in and subdividing all around us, and there's a racetrack up to our west. We frequently wonder how long this place will stay as farm land after we are gone. Probably not long.

 However, the biggest housing boom seems to be going on right here on the farm.

Last night Becky nearly stepped on a litter of sylvilagus floridanus that were out for their first perambulation of the lawn....just in time for a nibble in the garden, I'll bet. Those newly sprouted peas and green beans...Yum!

And grey fox pups in the driveway....who probably look at the bunnies with that same thought in mind.

Right inside the heifer barn door

The crows up in the hedgerow fledged, but they still defend the area where the nest is. Ditto robins in the heifer barn, robins in front of the house, robins in the lane, robins, robins everywhere. And the song sparrows near the old corn crib have a newly-fledged brood following them around. They get so anxious and scold if we walk near.

At least two grackle nests, one in the blue spruce, one in the cedar by the porch. Barn swallows in the barn...the list goes on. Phoebes in the front yard. Starling nests stuffed everywhere. Something with a big, fat, ball of grass up in the eaves of the heifer barn. Never seen anything quite like that before. Red-bellied woodpeckers up in the cow lane. Many others, obviously nesting, but good at hiding their housing sites. We hear their songs though....

We haven't seen any fawns yet, but I'll bet they are out there. We are overrun by deer near the buildings...all the poaching pressure up in back has them literally right on the doorstep and a herd sleeping in the barnyard. Turkeys are nesting somewhere right behind the house too....we see them every day when they come out...Poults any day now I suspect.

While enduring the sterile wasteland that is winter in the freezing Northeast, it is hard to even remember that all this activity takes place during our short summer months. However, as June swings into Dairy Month and the cows revel in lush green grass, we are reminded hourly how very fertile the land is...growing everything that is needed for the birds and animals that live here...and hopefully some for us as well.

All grown up and flown already. Second brood soon, I'll bet.

Short Stories from a Valley Weekend

Some merchandise going home from the auction the boss sold at last week.
You can't see them, but there are Amish kiddies in those seats. Photo by Liz

If you could see sounds, the dawn chorus would look like a carnival...all lit up and glowing. It sure sounds like one. Picking out the threads of this call and that is a challenge worthy of Sherlock.

 Still pursuing that elusive little flycatcher that sings between the Phoebe and the Willow. Who is he? What is he? A puzzle for sure. And there is enough variation in the empidonax calls out there that there may even be TWO species besides the ones we know for sure.




The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird sleeps on a piece of baling twine on the sitting porch. Such a friendly little fellow. The carpenter bees attack him every time he comes in to feed, so he likes it when we are on the porch and they stay away a bit.

 I am grateful for the tennis racket Alan bought me as a joke back when the bat was coming in the house last winter. It makes a great bee swatter.

Speaking of the bat....I thought we had no bats left until I went out at one in the morning to see if the boy was home. (He is! He is!) Almost caught one of them on the head....him, on my head, I mean. Yowsa! That woke me up.


Asparagus for breakfast. Sauteed in butter. Either you love it or you simply don't, but if you do. WOW.

People give me strange presents...like the heart of a Romaine lettuce...I am easily pleased

A surprise gift of a bag full of goldfish for the garden pond. For joy, for joy. No present could have made me happier. ALL the water lilies....years and years and years worth...froze out last winter, as did the curly-leafed pond weed, an invasive I know, but not a problem in the stock tank I use for a pond. 

The fish add interest to the now barren waterscape. At least the wild yellow iris survived.

Gardening, gardening, gardening. Yesterday potting up herbs to sell or give away. Sweet basil assortment, parsley and marjoram. Plus some pansies, marigolds and geraniums Becky and I grew from seed. Lots more to do when I can find the time.

Daddy's girl

Flirting with Peggy is always important. She has found her hands, and alternates between staring at them in amazement and stuffing them both into her mouth at once. Does all that drooling mean a tooth on the way? I'll betcha.

Some little starlings fall out of the barn roof into Sunny's bucket. Not good for anyone concerned.

Photo by Liz

Diamond gets some time outside, as does Jack.

Diamond in the Sky...no Lucy
Photo by Liz

Sunny and the cows are great buddies and commune across the fence all day. If either horse or bossies are not out the other species is not pleased.

And then the weekend is over. Our boy safely back to DC, Jade and Becky are back to work, and the boss mows the first hay of the year in the Old Spreader Field.

Didja See That Moon?

Misty sunrise over the long lawn

Night before last I paused on the stair landing for a look out over the dusky valley. I do this pretty much every night, except in winter, when the frost flowers obscure the view.

Had to gasp in astonishment at what I saw. The little crescent moon hung, half shrouded by misty clouds, just above the horizon. Perfectly lined up above it were the only four stars in the sky. The top one bent off to the Northeast just a bit, forming a perfect gold and silver spoon in the sky.

I called to sleepy folks to come and see, but it had been a long day and no one did. I was weary too....too tired to go back outside with the camera and try to photograph the phenomenon. Alas.

But it was wonderful, really it was. I fell asleep thinking of all the wonders that surround us every day and night. What a privilege to be a noticing sort....there is so much out there to bring joy to the heart.

Last night I climbed the lower flight of stairs, full of anticipation that it might be there again. I wasn't so sleepy. I would get the camera.

But no, the stars were there. The moon was there. But the juxtaposition was not. Guess it was a one-time thing of serendipity.

I'm glad I saw it.

Sunday Stills....Sunrises and Sunsets

The sun....just peeking through the fog on a fine, May morning

And four of a sunset....just as they came from the camera. This time of year is as good as it gets....and we remember for a while just why we live in Upstate NY.

For more Sunday Stills.....

Now You See Me

Actually there were two of them. The boss saw them from the big windows.

Peekaboo

The first shots are taken from those windows. Silly deers were right next to the corner of the house eating weeds under the mulberry trees.

I see you

When I stepped out on the back porch and down into the driveway, they didn't even look at me or flag their tails....just faded into the brush and waited for me to go away.

Still shedding

I'll bet they are out there all the time.

 Wish they would leave their ticks somewhere else though.

Now you don't

Surprise, Surprise

Cherry tree

Woke up to the orange Camaro, come safely home to roost. Didn't even know that our boy would be on his way last night, let alone already here. All is well....

We planted and planted yesterday, finished up one whole garden with beans and carrots and a couple of tomatoes. Lots more to do, but it is nice to have at least SOMETHING in the ground. 

Sneaky Song Sparrow

And for all we're not used to it and were kind of stiff and sore at the end, it was good to work outside. The hops are thriving! What an enjoyable crop, although I don't know what I am going to do with whatever harvest they offer. I picked and dried all the hops they made last fall and they are still in a bag in the cupboard. This spring the vines are already at least four times as extensive as they were at the end of last year's growing season so....

I spent some time mulching on them, but I still have a lot more to do. Also been working on the ornamental gardens. A little each day....I had decided to take all the stones out of the rock garden around the honey locust tree so I could get all the grass out and get the mints and stuff some room to grow. 

Alas, I turned over a bunch of bricks to discover a whole nest of red-backed salamanders, which scurried away in embarrassment. Dang it....guess that job will have to wait a while.

If I could garden, and keep animals, and count birds for a living, I would be a very happy person....

Morning in the Bird Park

I took advantage of the new paths to walk out over the orchard and pasture just after daybreak this morning....and took some more photos as well. I suspect that I am going to be spending as much time as I can creeping around out there. It is really pretty and there are birds everywhere.

Also finally got a video of the song of the Willow Flycatcher, so I could get a positive ID...and he is....a Willow Flycatcher that is. 

I was kind of embarrassed though. I have worked hard over the past few years to learn the calls and appearance of as many of our local birds as I could. This morning I heard at least six about which I have no clue whatsoever....not even enough to narrow them down to start looking....

My Own Private Park

Jade has been mowing paths up through the old horse pasture, which was once an apple orchard. I took a hike out there last night before supper....and by the way guys....don't wait for me, just save me some.

It is breathtakingly lovely out there over the river.....really nice. 

C'mon, we'll take a walk.......

And, by the way, thanks, guy, nice job. 

Crow Carousel

Also seen from the big windows, but nowhere near as lovely

Monday, Alan, his fiance, the boss, and I were talking in the living room...the big windows were playing my favorite show...the great outdoors.

The creeper crew, come by to clean up some well-aged venison

Up flew a crowd of crows, maybe half-a-dozen or seven or so. They were a tight-knit little flock, not at all what you usually see with corvids.

There was a crow's nest up in the hedgerow this spring...it was fun to watch the crows drive herds of turkey vultures away from the meadow...there is a flat Bambi down on the Thruway and they often stop by to dine..... while grackles dive-bombed the crows.

 I'll bet these were the fledglings, just out for first flight.

The wind was gusty and blustery, whipping around the house in a whirl. The great black birds used the spot where the winds come back together, not quite a lee, but more  an invisible whirlpool of spinning air, to perform a crow ballet.

I know crows CAN be beautiful, the shine of the sun on a wing, the whisper of pumping feather edges as they row by...but this was stunning. 

They tumbled and twirled and danced and swirled, one over the other and then under, like a great big merry-go-round, crow ballet. A veritable spinning ball of birds.

Then they lifted over the edge of the yard and were gone.

Crows as poets....who knew?

Dairy Farming..an Interesting Story

A few links that tell an interesting tale.

NY Dairy Farmer Profile

Two of the top three dairy states, not ag-friendly

More from the source (Lookit all them Fs!)

Reclaiming the Meaning of Abuse from the Activists

A Day to Remember

A powerful day, full of family and contemplation.

First, Alan took me off for some groceries, both for his life in the South and ours here in Spring-washed Upstate.



Then he drove me near the tornado's devastating path. That storm was much worse than news stories would have you think,  and it barely missed his fiance's family's farm and those of other dear friends of ours.

What we saw was pretty awful, huge trees uprooted or scrambled to splinters by the wind. Buildings damaged or utterly destroyed. A swath of devastation that stretched for miles, jumping hills and rolling down streams like a juggernaut. Horrible.

But everywhere we looked people had joined together to help and fix and reforge lives and structures. Chainsaws roared, bonfires broiled, people in gloves and hard hats hurried from place to place, tidying, rebuilding, repairing. 

 It was at once sobering and heartening.....we have plenty to be grateful for, don't we, whether it be friends and neighbors who step up in a crisis, or lives that the storm passed untouched, at least this time.

On a more cheerful note, our boy put into action an idea we had been kicking around, but not attacking. He turned the defunct gas grill into a handy-dandy charcoal cooker. Not many modifications later, he was preparing beer brats by his Aunt Lisa's recipe.

Yeah, they were a hit. I was glad not to have to junk that old grill and pay for another one. Figure if we don't want to mess with charcoal we can just dig some coals out of the wood stove...all that good maple should make a nice cooking fire.

Jade mowed some paths up into the old horse pasture. Can't wait to get out and do some birding out there.....

Then in the evening a gleeful Miss Peggy discovered that she could reach up and bat the stuffed cow that serves as a decoration on her car seat handle. Oh, my, if only you could have heard her chortle and laugh and giggle and gurgle. 

And then whack the thing again.

And again. Grinning from ear to ear.

 She can do something now and she is delighted about it. Must be boring to just lie there and yell for service.  Now, there isn't going to be any holding her back. Can you imagine what child-proofing this place is going to entail?

What with new birds, good weather, everyone in and out all day, busy and contented....it was all good.  Al made it back to DC safely, although he and I sure had a close call with a pick up truck that came careening at us, barely on two wheels on a bad corner, when we were coming home from our Odyssey. That was scary!

Today, back to business, but we enjoyed the holiday. Hope you had a good one too.


 

Happy Birthday, Liz

The kind of girl who fixes fence with a chicken tucked under her arm (hey, women invented multitasking).

 Hope you have a great day, kiddo!

Memorial Day

Some gave all.........

Sunday Stills....Dangerous Things

For more Sunday Stills

Bama Breeze, plotting revenge

Besides the head and hooves, that appendage on the back end is deadly!
 Had my nose broken by one once.

Yep, believe it or not cows are among the most dangerous animals in America.

Bulls too, although at this age Bruce isn't too likely to hurt you