Picking a Derby Winner

You can find this round barn on Round Barn Road.
It has been beautifully painted since we last went that way

Our favorite orchard all decked out for spring

The kids mauled the weeds off the front steps.

The sky is falling...the theme song of guinea fowl everywhere

Fast feet

It's easy. Just find out which horse swims the fastest.

Boom Shakalaka

Construction engineer, also expert in explosive noises

We were down along the Erie Canal at Yankee Hill Lock..... A pretty spot, but as the sun set, it was getting a little gloomy and lonesome. Creepy even.

As we stood next to the old canal, just below the locks, looking for birdies in the bushes locust trees along the other side.

BOOM!!! 

A gigantic splash rang out just a few yards away....the canal is perhaps forty feed wide and it was right across from us. Water flew up in the air as a wide circle of ripples spread out from the spot.

Having been treated to a similar experience one dark and scary night at Silver Lake, far back in the mountains, on a perhaps ill-advised camping trip bitd, I knew just what it was and laughed....after a few seconds of startled panic.

The boss jumped about forty feet though. Good thing he jumped back from the canal...which is nearly flooded perhaps due to the efforts of the creator of the splash.

 "What was that!?!!!"

I told him and pointed to the culprit, swimming rapidly away. He must have been sitting on the bank watching us, but we hadn't seen him....until he called our attention in such a rude fashion.

At least he scared this Green Heron out of the woods for our enjoyment

We walked to the end of the park before heading back to the car and were treated to many more percussive events of a similar nature. By the end the boss was laughing as hard as I was at the great big beaver's antics. 

Birding the Gale

Flying flower, a friendly little Yellow Warbler

It is hard to discipline myself to go birding every single day, but so far I haven't missed a day this year. Fingers crossed for no injuries or illnesses to stop my quest...

Yesterday the wind was howling, wet, wild, and downright cold. I did a quickie count at the feeders (not too shabby these days with Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Northern Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and the usual plethora of American Goldfinches showing up all at once) and then called it good until mid-afternoon.

Then I sternly told myself 'If a day like this happened in March you would revel in it and run outdoors and play.'

So I did. And I was glad. Our woods were full of warblers, just common ones like Yellow and Yellow-rumped, but they are like flying flowers, so pretty and busy.

Then the apple orchard offered up a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, the first I have ever seen. We later got brave and birded our other two county hot spots and got a first of the season Eastern Kingbird....plus lots of others.

Turned out that even in the howling wind going outdoors is fun. 92 species found so far in our county and 67 on the farm. I need to work on the farm list. I think I am missing some that I actually did see.....

Northern Rough-winged Swallow posing for his shadow

An Important Discussion

I had occasion to sit in the truck with Peggy yesterday while her folks were busy getting hay and loading a garden tractor on the trailer. We talked of birds, her new toy camera, which takes real pictures, and a number of other important topics including lilacs and tulips and cows and her new birthday horse from Miss Amber.

We had a fine time.

Rude

We had a rude awakening last night...well, we weren't all asleep yet, but everyone was winding down for the day.

Suddenly horrible winds came up. The whole house shuddered and shook. Rain flew sideways and lashed the windows like pebbles flung from a slingshot.

I guess damage was done around the region, trees down, power out, but other than the lights flickering and the lawn chair....a vintage metal one btw...being tossed over for the hundredth time, everything seems fine so far.

Sure was wild though.
 

GatorQuest, success at last!

May Day Almanac

Party person partaking of pretzels

I have work to do today, aplenty, but with the Farm Side only half-written and not one single other thing accomplished, I was lured outside for a walk. Yellow Warblers were singing as were White-crowned Sparrows...not to mention migration, migration, migration. I couldn't stay in but....

I felt guilty every step.

Yesterday the kids had a birthday party for Peggy. She really wanted an outdoor party and she was born in March so they postponed until April. It was pretty near March cold, but a nice party all the same.

Thus I didn't get much done and felt that I need to make up.

Still, migration.....

I was glad I went out. 

White-crowned Sparrow passing through on its way north

As I stood on the bridge between the farms a Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew right up to me and sat among the fresh, green, baby leaves, preening.

An Eastern Bluebird from yesterday...
what, you didn't think I would go to a party and not count birds did you?

Grandma Peggy's cherry tree that came up from its flowering crab root stock is coming into bloom. Three quarters of the tree is full of pale pink buds and the other fourth nearly magenta. A Song Sparrow and a Yellow Warbler were singing in it.

American Goldfinches, ditto

The grass is impossibly bright, bright green, that fairly glows against the stormy sky. It is kinda, sorta, cold and clammy, but the call of the outdoors is nearly irresistible. 

Garden marauder Woodchuck next to the driveway. Either my grey on grey clothing
made good camo or he thought I couldn't see him

Good thing there is a window over the sink and we can keep the back door open.

And yesterday I saw an Osprey from the bottom of the driveway. It is only the second one I have ever seen on the farm, although we see them often up at Montezuma. I was plumb delighted and hope he flies past again sometime soon.

An Eye for an....

A nifty little driftwood camp, snuggled under some Box Elder trees...
as ephemeral as the Killdeer nests once the water rises

We went down to Schoharie Crossing the other night to see what we could see. No new birds, but the river was about as low as I have ever seen it; I got carried away walking.

I walked all the way down to the Mohawk, enjoying the antics of Killdeers trying to lure me away from hidden nests. I am no danger atall to them, but the rising of the river is something they should have planned for. Heavy rains, or the closing of the locks will doom any eggs laid among the small stones that are normally well below the water line.

I felt kinda bad about walking so far, since the boss was sitting at a pic-a-nic table with nothing interesting to do. I couldn't resist though. That may have been the last time until winter that it was possible to walk so far, and river bank walks are not so appealing in snow and ice.

When I returned, rather than being irritated, he had a tale to tell. A giant snapping turtle had started to climb out of the river and then changed her mind. He much enjoyed describing just how large she was.

See that speck?

And then he pointed out into the Schoharie, "I think that's her right there."

I saw the thing he was looking at. Even through the binoculars it looked like a stick. There are lots of sticks in the river....

A little better look

And then it vanished from sight. Wow! That was one huge turtle! And what an eye that guy has!

The Sprout Brook Auction is Today

If you see the boss tell him hi for me.

There is Nothing Worse

Than a sexist farm mom. This was firmly pointed out to me in reference to my posts about farm girls. Thus here is a farm boy in all his glory......

Farm Girls

You may have seen yesterday's post about two generations of farm girls doing what farm girls do. I wish I had seen Peggy's reaction to that barn full of wonderful cows, not to mention baby goats, and human kids to play with as well. 

Here are a couple more....farm girls of another era...the taller girl is the Boss's mom, an amazing person I wish you could have known. The smaller blond is his auntie, 97 years old now and darned near as sharp as ever. They were farm girls too, on that little place up on Fiery Hill, before loss and hard times sent them other ways. 

Our Peggy is named after both of them...Peggy and Ann...she even has the same last initial as they did when they were young girls.

Of course the Boss's mom ended up here on this farm and named the place and showed it love. So many things are still hers...your mama's apple tree...your mama's garden....your mama's sitting porch....sometimes you leave a mark on a place and she sure did. I still have almost all of her houseplants and tend them faithfully and with love. We surely miss her.