Why Yes,

As a matter of fact, I AM in the toy box with all the toys...

Who wouldn't be?

We are really great buddies.....

To the Swamp

Gulls and Caspian Terns

Pied-billed Grebe (Photo by Alan)

Many of the pools were lined with goose down. Pillow fight anyone?

We did a quick run up to Montezuma National Wildlife refuge yesterday and drove around the main loop. No time for the side pools, but we had a great time.

Saw a good number of Caspian Terns...normally only one or two, some ducks, many Pied Billed Grebes, a few American Coots, and a nice flock of Black Terns, which I particularly enjoy.

Yesterday's Dark-eyed Junco was unusual enough to warrant a query from eBird, which I thought was very cool. I discussed it with the data reviewer, he was quickly convinced and is interested in the White-eyed Vireo Alan is pretty sure he is seeing regularly. 

I hate to be the One

To tell you this.

However, the birds are saying something these days. All you have to do is look and listen.

Yesterday, Alan put all four sets of brakes in the car. When I went out to see how it was going and to walk Fin I heard Chimney Swifts. Nothing unusual about that. They nest in our chimney after all. 

However, when I looked up to count I was amazed. Our little flock has grown by twos all summer....first the original pair, then a couple of more, etc.

This time there were seventeen! Yeah, and those were just the ones I could see against the bright noonday sun when they were very high in the sky. No doubt there were more.

You know what that means don't you?

And then this morning, once again walking the pup, I heard something strange over at the barn. Never did see whatever bird was making that call, but as we walked over we flushed a Dark-eyed Junco.

Yeah, a winter bird. Although range maps show them occurring in Upstate NY in all seasons I can tell you, they are winter birds here. Winter. Normally we start seeing them in October.

And it was hanging out with a flock of Song Sparrows. I called it a dozen, but once again, there were almost certainly more. Limited mobility and a dog jiggling the binoculars made it hard to get a really a good number. Plus the weeds are still high.

I don't know what to make of a junco in early August, but somehow I don't see it as anything good by way of portents. 

47 days until Fall.

Stink Redux

Bama Breeze

When the boss came in from mowing hay and I told him the skunk story he had a tale of his own. 

Seems that he noticed that something had torn up some of the swaths where he had hay down. Hay was strewn all over the place and there was a large thing in the middle of the muddle.

He went over to see what had happened and there was a dead skunk. It had evidently not gone gentle into that good night.

In fact it actually was only some bits of a dead skunk, such as the legs and stinky part.

Then he saw another one, similarly impacted by whatever they had encountered.

Great Horned Owl maybe? If it was yotes I hope they stay away from the house....although I am sure we will be able to detect their presence right promptly if they do come down here.

When the boss finished his story, I suggested that maybe he might want to rake around that part of the field......

What's up with all these skunks anyhow? None since spring and now they're everywhere!

You work with what you got

Prior to the knee I had a reasonable routine worked out....for doggies that is.

First thing in the AM, walk the pup on a leash and put Mack up in back on his running cable. Let him exercise on the cable until the sun got warm, bring him in, leash walk him at noon, and put him back out there when it got cool later in the day...

It worked for everyone. I don't let him loose with Fin because he has such a tremendous prey drive that I'm afraid he'll kill him.

Enter the knee. Just one trip up the muddy slope to the backyard laid me right up. Thus I now walk the pup, crate him, and just let Mack outside loose. He is such a hunter.... he peruses the yard and barnyard for vermin at warp speed. He has a lot of fun and it's fun to watch him at it.

This morning all was in place. I was washing dishes and keeping half an eye out the window for him. He was hunting under the horse trailer.......when an all too familiar scent wafted in the open door.

Oh, crepes! Not that!

I quickly crated the little guy, closed the doors, which were propped open, and went out to assess the damage. Plans whirled through my head of how Mack was going to have a nice vacation over in the cow barn...in solitary...

For a week at least. Or two. A month. Or two. A year....you get my drift.

I was getting some drift too, and it sure didn't smell good out there in the yard. My heart was down at my knees. I was all clean and showered, nice fresh clothes and all, and now I had to catch my dog......who was certainly neither clean, nor freshly showered, and probably not smelling of roses and daffodils either.

I called. Called again. "Here Mack."

And he came, bustling up like a good boy.

Covered with mud, panting and soggy with dew, but smelling only of muddy dog. I don't know what riled the skunk, or where it is, or anything else about it.... But at least he didn't get the dog....and that's what counts.

Alas, I obviously now have to cook up a new knee-saving morning  routine, as, if there is a skunk out there, probably Mack should not be hunting off leash.

Dagnabbit.

BTW I discovered, much to my surprise, that he comes when I blow my shepherd's whistle just like the old BCs did. Which is handy.

Something Fishy

Taken last summer. Lilies haven't bloomed yet this year

Our garden pond is not an elaborate thing of water falls and pumps and fancy fountains. It is instead a 300-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank, intended for the watering needs of cows and horses. When I first wanted a pond we were not in a position to buy one. However, I had a job feeding a neighbor's horse and it paid enough to buy a watering trough.

It doesn't look too awful either. I wouldn't trade it for anything fancier, because the maintenance of it is virtually negligible. If I am not forced to drain it, it balances right up and stays fairly clear. This year I am not even running its little el-cheapo Walmart fountain.

Used to be, the first decade or so that we had it, I could winter fish and frogs in it pretty easily. Then the last two or three years winters have been so cold that it froze solid to the bottom. 

Thus we do our best to relocate any summering frogs to more suitable water features and bring the goldfish in the house.

This year six made it through the winter in an aquarium and back out to the pond.
 All orange. 
There seem to be four of those surviving.

The kids bought two more white-and-orange ones and four really pretty guppies.

I don't usually feed the fish in summer as the pond keeps them pretty well fed. However, since I wanted to see the guppies every day....did I mention that they are pretty?....I took to feeding them.

What should show up in the middle of the feeding frenzy but a huge, natural-colored (that is brown) carp goldfish. At first, since I didn't see the kids' fish when they put them in, I assumed it was a new one they bought, but, nope, they don't know anything about it.

The only thing I can figure is that is somehow escaped capture last fall, even though we nearly drained the tank, and survived the long, cold winter. There was one giant frog that we missed last fall that appeared to have made it through, although it sure looked rough when it emerged this spring, so anything is possible.

At any rate, it sure was a surprise!

Sheep Rustler

Safe back in his pen

A Sassenach reiver raced through the fold, fast as a candle, lamb in his hold.

Out he went at speed of the light and was gone o're the hillside and into the night.

Like any good shepherd I took my wee sheep dog, seeked out to find it and bring it home right.

It was cowering under the charcoal grill.

Yeah, every morning we have this little touse, wherein Mack steals a toy and tries to get out the door with it and I stand in the doorway and try to prevent same. He is young and terrier fast and thinks it's the funniest thing since Steve Martin. I think I want to get started on writing before everybody else gets up and don't much enjoy playing keep away in the kitchen door.

This time I gave up and just let him go. It was only one of the toy lambies.

At least it wasn't the light-up squeaky ball. Everybody likes to make off with that, even Peggy.

Fin and I went out to find it after Mack was in for his breakfast. It has surely seen better days.

You can have a hug

But you can't have my strawberry!

Sad

Got some sad news about a family member's family member this weekend and it was on my mind when out for early morning puppy walks yesterday. I often say a prayer or two when out with just the dogs in the early morning light. I guess I added some extra ones for those who need them most right now..

It was dripping gentle rain, welcome and needed. Things are already greening up after drying down to potato chip crispness over the past couple of weeks.

A call came from the outdoor faucet. A small bird popped out and proceeded to circle us, chirping loudly.

It was a little Common Yellowthroat, I'm guessing young of the year. Very pretty in subtle browns and yellows, with just a hint of a mask that made it a male. It was much impressed with us and stayed as long as we did, flitting from bush to bush. It lightened my heart a little. I often think that such encounters are sent to give us hope and faith and even bravery when we are frightened. I was really worried about my dad once and spotted an Eastern Bluebird, right in the driveway, one of his favorite birds. For some reason I felt better, calmer, full of belief that all would be well.

And at least that time it was.

In these hard and frightening times, I am grateful to have straws to grasp, in the form of small, friendly, birds, rainbows, good sunsets, and rain in time of need. They seem to offer comfort and strength in the face of all that life has to show us. 

Almanac

Not from today

Anvil clouds are piling up, ready for the hammer. It is dry, dry, dry, and the east wind is tugging at everything not nailed down, billowing the laundry like the sails of a ship, and intriguing the pup with strange smells.

There is a frog in the garden pond again, just a little feller. There were several, including a big one that appeared to have wintered over, earlier in the season, but they left for better venues. The kids bought a few more goldfish and some guppies. What fun it is when they feed them and the ones I had from last year.

The water fairly boils. 

While I was hanging out the laundry...yes, on crutches....Liz carried it out for me, but I hung it up....a mayfly plopped some eggs into the pond. Dab. Dab. Dab.

Flop. She bumped over to the oak log that is a feeder in winter and rested there a moment, just about spent. Without a functional mouth, and having fulfilled her purpose after a year under water, she is done and will no doubt die now, having laid those precious eggs. I wonder if they will hatch and grow and winter in the pond. Or will the guppies polish them off before they even sink to the bottom. 

When we were kids and staying at the lake there were mornings we couldn't swim because there was so much detritus left from the mayfly hatch. Who wants bug shells all over them? Not I.

I have so many beans that need to be picked, but I guess they will have to wait a bit. Don't think I can manage that job yet. I only planted a few squash plants and they are feeding us well, although if it doesn't rain in the next hour or so I am going to have to water. Did I mention that it is dry?

It is hard to get used to after all the soggy years in a row we have experienced.

Found out something interesting this year that I had never thought about. One of the morning glory seed packets I planted suggested growing them in a hanging basket. I gave it a go and the ones in the basket are blooming way before the ones in the ground are showing any sign of same. Very nice pink frilled ones with white edges. Even the vines are pretty, climbing out of the basket and down the hummingbird perching strings.

It was good to get outdoors even if only at a hobble. I hate being cooped up inside.

Just as it came from the camera last week

The Bright Side

A boy and his grandma

And grandpa

Cool stuff

Ouch

Wrecked my "good" knee digging garlic. It is pretty bad and I am plumb crippled up. This has happened before...I borrowed a brace from Jade and in a couple of days it was fine. This time I am going to get my own I think.

Meanwhile it is all I can do to get dinner and walk the dogs, so not much is getting posted.

Thanks for your patience. 

What do you get

When the deer flies are bad? Why, you get to see a frantic little lawn Bambi, with much ducking and dodging and shaking of ears, running around your yard. Poor little critter was wild with the misery of the darned things, which I can attest are plumb awful.

He trotted around the lawn for a while and then ducked down into the brush, which was probably where mama left him in the first place. Wonder if this is the little one that was born up under the leaning tree in the heifer pasture. Seems like a good year for fawns.

How do you like the little lines of spots up his back and neck? I thought they were pretty neat. ***Some of these shots are mine and some may be Alan's as we both took some. 

The Peggy Channel

Of course, Grandma, I'd love to have you take my picture
But let me get ready for that flash first....

Rockin' the over-sized hand me down Justin's and taking baby for a walk
There is a plastic long horned bull in that stroller too.
Our little lady is well-rounded

History

Some stuff of Grandma Peggy's and mine. 

You'd never know it,  what with the way I took to farming like a Mallard to a puddle, but my brothers and I grew up running back and forth between an antique shop and a book store that sat side by side over in Fonda....gone now to the match of some arsonists a few years ago. 

The folks moved away from there long ago but many of my early memories were of reading books....like the real Tarzan...... in the book store and cajoling things from inventory from the folks. We had pocket knives of all sorts back in those days. I still have nifty thingamabobs that were parts of old chandeliers and a jet button with a dragon on it. Nickles for Popsicles were important then as well.

Things were very different then. The town simply bustled with antique dealers, among them the Morfords, father and son, with whom my folks often did business.

I sort of knew them...the way small children know grownup people who are far beyond their sphere of influence...and sometimes we kids went along when dad went to their stores. Of course we were often underfoot when they came into our store too...

I always thought of mom and dad's place as all one word...

Montgomery'sAntiquesBoughtandSold.

The book store is Tryon County Books, since Mom and Dad are still in business. 

Anyhow, tomorrow there is going to be an auction down in the village of some of the Morford family heirlooms. Even if you are not in the area and can't attend, it would be worth your time to browse the photos in the auction brochure. Truly amazing things. Sure brought back memories of my distant kidhood! Scroll down the brochure page for photos of items.

I spent at least an hour looking at the merchandise this morning.

There will be another auction of another property in August.

Cool stuff there too.

This is my favorite thing so far. I almost wish I wasn't such a terrible hermit....

Enjoy...

Almanac

The garlic is dug and drying. I planted a lot less this year, as even with giving it away a lot dried up before we could use it last season. We fertilized mid-winter with the cleanings from the bunny coops...
I highly recommend same. I always had great gardens back in the day when I had 75 rabbits in a rabbitry, and it still works as good as ever.

Pulled all the first crop lettuce for the hens and will plant more today or tomorrow.

Beans are blooming madly, despite woodchuck depredations. I need to get into that garden in the next day or so....after I finally get unpacked from camp that is.

Birds have gone nearly silent, although the Carolina Wrens are whistling up a storm. . Warblers migrate pretty darned early. Saw one Yellow Warbler yesterday and there are lots of Common Yellowthroats around yet.

Chickadees brought the kids in yesterday morning, going over the Winesap tree with fine-toothed combs...er....beaks... What a commotion they made! I hadn't been feeding, but filled my Jonna feeder with enough seeds to entertain them. They obliged by visiting within minutes. They must watch in the ingress and egress of folks here, as the feeders can be empty for weeks...as they have been...and within mere moments after seed is applied, they are back.

Last night the house was full of mosquitoes! It was terrible! We discovered that the front screen had all but disintegrated around the edges, so the boss and I repaired it this morning. Didn't make the mama robin who has a brood on one porch pillar terribly happy, but she's over it now.

Hell Wagon is finally fixed after much expense and many days. Darned thing. Three loads of hay yesterday, so I guess it's working.

Last, but not least, Finbar seems to be feeling better...enough better to be chock full of naughty, jumping on people and chewing things and being a normal little Border Collie. I am so grateful. I had no idea how much I missed having a BC until we brought one home. I hope at some point I can let him and Mack play together, but for now Mack is so much bigger and so darned rough I fear harm. Did I mention that I keep buying this dog toys? I am not too much of a dog toy buying sort.....but.....he likes them.....

Of Course

All the man pants...the worky ones....are freshly hung on the clothesline. Finally, kinda, sorta, caught up on laundry, the third day home from camp. There are still towels, but there are always towels...it's a given with 7 people taking showers here. Some of them more often than others.

Cue the storm. Thunder rolls, rain begins. Ah, well, a nice fresh rinse, right?

We worried about taking Fin to camp, what with his new puppy immune system and all, and he thrived all week. Brought him home. Three days and he's sick. Fun to find a pet vet at this point. I had planned to take him to the place where he was vetted before we bought him, but they wouldn't see him until late tomorrow. Gee, thanks.

Took him up to Fort Plain where I used to take the old BCs back in the day. No concrete diagnosis, as diarrhea in puppies is a vague kind of thing, but he has some good medicines to be going on with. By way of explanation I do my own basic vaccines and take the dogs to our farm vet for rabies shots.

Hopefully he will be okay. I don't know that I have ever fallen so hard and fast for a dog. He is a good one.

Men are working on the hell wagon that has been broken for a couple of months. May it come apart quickly, be repaired cheaply, and go back together right. Pretty please.  And then a little hay weather would be nice. Although the state is under a drought advisory it has sure rained a bunch the past couple of weeks...

I should be working on the Farm Side, which will once again be appearing on Fridays. Fine with me. It ran on Fridays since 1998 and I never really got why it moved to Saturday. Whatever.....

And there you have it, all the news from the Monday after camp. Fit to print or otherwise.

Just the Highlights

Lots of storms

And fish