Toasting the Tanks

One of the watermen said that this is 100 feet longer than a football field
with each barge being 190 feet long, plus the 1200 hp tug

We ended up at a sort of an accidental party last night and it sure was fun. We met some nice new folks, got to catch up with farmer neighbors we live a couple of miles from but rarely actually see and had a heckin good time watching skilled watermen move gigantic beer tank barges through Lock 12 in Tribes Hill.

The pros

About the company

The story of what was going on is here. And here is a list of barge terminology, which I thought was interesting. 

These young men work really hard

We had hoped to catch the barges passing by as we are right near the river, but it had kind of slipped my mind until I saw a video of them passing Amsterdam yesterday evening. I called the boss and he was willing and off we went.

We hit all our favorite river spots, and finally decided upon Lock 12 as the best vantage, with the added possibility of watching the barges.

Pretty cool that this young man could move the whole shebang closer to shore just by stepping on this line

If you would like to see the tanks yourself, here is a tentative schedule.

And here is another story about the story.

First thing this morning I went out to hang up some laundry. Came a now-familiar rumble of a really big engine. I looked down through the trees at the Mighty Mohawk and there were the barges, going right past our house.

Peep

Eastern Phoebe

Woke up to dense fog, peeping coming from the incubator, which has been rolling eggs and popping out chicks and ducklings and turkey poults for weeks, and work to do before play.

No one knows what that newly-escaped-from-the-egg birdie is, as some hen abandoned a nest and Liz brought the eggs inside to hatch. It's black and yellow though, and that is all I can tell you.

A Northern Water Snake the boss spotted on one of our walks

My mama called last night to tell me that she is giving me a ledger kind of thing from my grandfather's brother...I think. I am quite excited about this, as such things offer a window into the past that books can't equal. I vaguely remember Uncle Jakey, who maybe wasn't quite as respectable as grandpa, but quite a guy just the same. I have childish impressions of a house that smelled of kerosene, full of clutter, and interesting objects too obscure for my young mind to intemperate. And talk among men who seemed old, but probably weren't, my beloved grandpa one of them, that was as meaningless to me as the chatter of the birds outside. Time spent sitting in an unfamiliar kitchen on a stool, behaving, but bored, and slightly intimidated by it all. There was old Jake and young Jake I think, but I was too little to really remember much about all that.....

The things you see when you go for a hike

Anyhow.....


While I was proofreading the Farm Side and getting it sent the fog lifted and the sun is shining. After days of housework and bill paying and meeting writing deadlines, I think I will go out birding.

That is all....have a great day!

Update: there are too little black and yellow chickies. No wonder the peeping was so loud.

Been Farming Long?

Here in Upstate NY, it would certainly seem so.....

Grandma has a brand new Tractor

Thanks Alan and Amber

Breaking Good

Not new, but a favorite, a Savannah Sparrow

The unseasonable heat wave broke and left us with cool, bright sunshine with a brisk and vigorous breeze. After all the recent not fun we have had birding public spots, I took myself to the base of Seven-County Hill seeking new birds.
 

Hickory Tree, guarding the entrance to Hickory Tree Field

Got a couple, maybe three, but mostly just enjoyed the incredible day. It was cool enough to make the walk easy,  birds were singing, and traffic was fairly quiet for a change. I took a short video of a Cottonwood shadow dance. Turn up your sound for a taste of wild Northview. Extra points for naming the bird singing....

***Update, yes, three, including an Alder Flycatcher

Up and Down the Pony Trail

The other night at just about sunset the kids invited me to walk the newly mown paths to the pond with them. I couldn't resist the temptation....

Our fearless leader forged the trail, riding her palomino pony, intrepid and fierce in the vanguard. 

The pony is a runaway.....giddy up giddy up giddy up go.....and must be called back quite often. One of the farm dogs went along for the fun and the possibility of woodchucks and was actually a good deal more biddable than that little horse.

After that walk I was going to beg off and go birding with the boss. However, the little boss was quite upset and so we ventured on up to the Thirty-Acre Lot too, and had a look around. 

Once again that wild little pony was in the lead all the way up that great big hill and all the way back down again.

Even at the bottom that golden bronco just would not be broken....however, his tough little owner kept him in line as she explored the trail for us all over the wilds of the hay fields...

I Hate to Complain

Should have known when we saw this thunder cloud gesturing at Heaven that we were in for trouble

Oh, who am I trying to kid? I am a whiner from way back.

However, there is something wrong when you can't go to a public park and not have the experiences we have experienced lately. Last week it was pervs in the park for Mother's Day. In broad daylight. On a picnic table.

Yeah, you can't unsee that. Haven't had much desire to go back there...

Then last night we went to our other park, minding our own and not bothering anybody.

The boss went to sit at a picnic table while I wandered around taking photos and looking for interesting birdies.

There were a couple of dogs along the bank, on leashes. I didn't pay any attention. There are always dogs. Some of them are real sweeties. One old lab comes by to visit us every time we are there and we give him a pet or two and then he is on his way.

This time there was a cute little yellow mix at one table and not too far away a barking pitbull. At first I didn't pay any attention. Just another dog.

I walked over to join the boss to look for Bank Swallows on the river.

Suddenly, for some reason that second dog took a heckin' hate to me. She lunged to the end of the much knotted and patched retractable leash to which she was attached, clopping her jaws, flinging spit, and snarling ferociously. Her owner was sitting on the ground with a tenuous hold on the handle and was pulled right over backwards on the ground..... just a couple fingers between me and those teeth.

The owner gathered her back up and I sat down kind of tentatively near the boss. The dog stared right at me and went on with the show. I said, "There is no bird worth this, let's get out of here, " and we rose to leave. I don't mind dogs at all but.....

This one again pulled her owner over backwards on the grass. Fingers on the leash handle....just fingers mind you, no thumb...were again all that separated me from those teeth.

We headed for the car. The lady, still being hauled around by the dog, hollered at us, "She doesn't bite."

Um, well, maybe not, but I wasn't waiting around to see. Words were exchanged, mostly between the "lady" and my protector...and we went away.

I was honestly afraid of that dog. Worked for a vet for 8 years, handling all manner of beasts...and that dog wanted me, I know it. I would wish away the harsh words that were exchanged. Better to have left them unsaid. The nice lady told us that the dog didn't like my ugly face. I guess you can't ask a man to let someone say that to his wife. 

I am still wondering what would have been the right thing to do in that situation....

I think I'll just chase birds here on the farm for a while.

The kids' dog, Ren

Wild Water

Blue-winged Teal 

We braved the Thruway yesterday, without our boy as chauffeur, to go to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The boss did great driving in all that nuttiness, although we took Route 20 home. That took a while, but turned out to be a good choice, as there was a terrible accident right where we might-coulda been if we hadn't.

One of three Snow Geese that we saw...it's a wonder that they didn't melt

It was kind of overwhelming, mostly because it was so hot and there aren't a whole lot of places to get food on 20.

We watched this Great Blue Heron try to choke down this big bullhead.
He was still working on it when we had to move on

His eyes were definitely bigger and all

However, it was a treat to see Ruddy Ducks quite close and a number of other ducks and wading birds.

Ruddies are like improbably bathtub toys bobbing on the pool

Recent rains have the place unbelievably full of water though. Many of the pools where we normally count Trumpeter Swans and Sandhill Cranes were completely flooded so no nests or colts or chicks there.

Common Gallinule

Two new birds showed up here at the farm today. I didn't even have to chase them. Two Willow Flycatchers were calling at dawn and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are back and on the feeder....finally.....

Punctuation

Workin' at the Drivethru

There isn't any today. Things just keep on coming.

So far we have been writingtheFarmSideCountingbirdsRototillinggardensPuttingthedogsoutBringingthedogsinTakingtheplasticoffthedoorMovingplantsoutsideandfertiliztingthemGettingthehaycustomerwhocameupthewrongdrivewayturnedaroundandredirected....

So far that is....and it isn't even noon yet.

Now the other folks are going over to load out hay while Peggy stays with me. Later it is school budget vote day and time to visit the second annual FFCS Ag Fair. There is said to be cow chip bingo.

Big Day

The weather forecast for this week's Global Big Day was plumb discouraging. Last year's event fell on a gorgeous spring day, with migration well advanced and Becky and Alan both home to help.

This year it rained, almost all day but I decided to do my best and went out at five for dawn chorus. That netted 22 species and a lovely time watching the light slowly pour across the land like thin silver.

Then a walk to the middle of the farm to see what was shaking out on the land. Bobolink numbers are terribly low this year. Dunno if it is that the season has been slow or that the grass is short and the crows are giving the Bobs hell, but there are a lot fewer than normal.

However, I heard an oriole singing as I came back down that was not a Baltimore, our commonest of that clan. I pulled out my phone to check iBird to be sure how an Orchard Oriole sings. Bingo.

And then it flew right to a treetop and sang for me to get a good look, although alas, I missed a photo.

That is when the rain started. Mappy and I dug lilacs and peonies anyhow. And rhubarb too.

Later, the boss, Becky, and I chased all over a couple other counties grabbing birds...figuratively.... We ended up with 52 species, ten up from last year. Last year I only looked on the farm though....

It poured to varying degrees most of the day. We went through a couple of changes of clothes and got very wet.

But man, was it ever fun! At the end of the day, last tick off the list of the day, one of my two favorite birds of all, Carolina Wrens, were counted in the driveway. Multiple Carolina Wrens, as the adults have already raise a brood. The driveway was scattered with tiny, fluttering, just-fledged babies, the color of cinnamon toast and cuter than kittens.

What a day..... Thanks Ralph for a really nice Mother's Day gift.

Happy Mother's Day

To my mama, who gave me my bright side, amongst all the traditional family gloom....and to all the mamas out there who are doing their best to unleash good citizens upon the world.

And to Liz as well, who is helping our Peg to be the funny, bossy, clever, little wonder that she is.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

A Near Disaster

The boss and I ran over to Sunnycrest to get a plant for my mama today..... I am lucky enough to be an old fogy myself and still have a wonderful mom and dad.

I hope it brightens her days a little.....we took it up this afternoon and Becky hung it for her and got it all watered up and ready to go.

On the way to the greenhouse, we always take a narrow back road that runs past a farm that used to belong to friends of ours. Now it is owned by some Amish.

As we approached I noticed a furor to our right, partly behind some buildings and well down off the road.

"Watch out, Ralph," I said to the boss. "There's a fired up team coming up the hill."

He couldn't have seen them and didn't really have time to look, as there, in the center of our lane on the road proper, were a Border Collie and two little blonde children, past toddler size but not by much. They were right in front of us, and directly in the path of a three-up of half-crazed chestnut light horses hooked to a farm implement, charging towards the road.

The farmer was screaming something at the kids, who totally ignored him, and standing up on the machine, leaning his whole weight on the reins to little avail. The muscles in his arms stood out like cords, but the horses were flinging sweat, throwing their heads fighting the bits, rearing, and hopping, and not really stopping. He finally managed to drag them to a bouncing halt maybe twenty feet from the kids, who still didn't move.

Egads.

The youngsters finally caught on and stepped out of our way, but were still partly in front of the team. We would have waited, but the father gestured impatiently for us to move, so we did.

I don't know what happened next....but I guess things turned out okay. Didn't hear otherwise at least. I swear it took at least a day or two off my life. I literally had a stomach ache as we drove off over the hill.

It was too darned easy to imagine several other outcomes....

Cows are Out to Pasture

The two old retired cows we kept when we sold the milking herd went to pasture this morning, along with the big beef heifer. 

I wish I had paid more attention to them this spring. In winter they are kept down in the old heifer barn, which the kids use for their operations, and I hadn't gone in lately to look at them.

We wanted to send the big heifer to freezer camp last fall but didn't get it done. Figured this spring she'd need a couple weeks at grass to finish. 

If only I had looked at her. She is coming off winter as fat as a hog on just good hay. Now we are going to have to catch her when we are ready to send her.

Mad props to Liz for keeping them looking so good all winter...the old cows look pretty darned good too, especially since they are 10 or 11 years old....and to the boss for making such good hay.

100

Hit 100 birds today in our home county. Number 100 was a male Indigo Bunting chipping at me from Roger's Folly (a hole in the lawn left behind a somewhat less than perfect construction project bitd.)

Yesterday we added that Common Loon, Ovenbird, and Spotted Sandpiper to get to 99.

This sure is a lot of fun.