The Things You See

Went to the High Peaks yesterday, hoping to experience the changing of the colors. There were some nice trees, but not what you see some years.

However.......and it's a big however for me.....we took the Sabattis Bog Rd.....not for the first time, although other times have been in the dead of winter and below zero...and we not only found the bog, but also found Grey Jays. Yippee!!!

Have seen them before, away out west in the Rockies, but to find them right here in our own Adirondacks was downright thrilling. To be fair, thanks to rare bird alerts and eBird, I knew they are often seen there, along with a number of other far north birds that venture down into NY...however, knowing they were there and actually seeing them and getting photographs is a very different matter.

There were a lot of chickadees around too and some warblers. However, the only warbler I "got" was a Yellow-rumped, and the chicks did not come out far enough for me to ascertain whether they were Black-capped or Boreal.

Still...what a day! Good company too.....and we did see moose here and there. 

I can Barely See.....

Near us in the parking garage

Oh, but it was worth every minute of it. Becky took us to see the High Kings last night at the Egg, and it was one of the best concerts I have ever attended. We have tried, literally for years, to get tickets to see them, but they always played where we couldn't go, or while we were at camp, or they were sold out. 

This was our anniversary present from her.

It was great!

Imagine if you will a theater stuffed with people, all ages and levels of fancy dress, singing along with Goodnight Irene. Hooting, clapping, foot stomping, singing along with lots of other songs too....

An a Capella song that brought cold chills with every note. I need to figure out the title of that and see if it's on one of their albums.

The rowdy Irish music had the whole crowd clapping for hours. I mentioned to Becky that I felt like I was in one of the pubs in Nora Roberts books....The only hard part was listening to that kind of music sitting still....

Some of my favorite songs were played, Whiskey in the Jar, Leaving of Liverpool, Marie's Wedding, which was the first song of theirs I ever heard..... New songs. Songs they wrote, tribute songs, including Gordon Lightfoot's Early Morning Rain. A couple of good, lively sets.

These are wildly talented young men and they worked the crowd like the pros they are. My arms are tired from clapping along with the songs and knees are kinda weak from all that foot tapping. I have a number of their songs on the main playlist on my phone and listen to them while I work all the time. However, hearing and seeing them live was an incredible experience...they are one of those rare groups that are even better live.

I could go on and on, but I am sure you would rather I don't.

So thanks, Beck for taking us and Ralph for driving. (He is not a music man, but he had a great time too.)

We got monumentally lost getting out of Albany, thanks to the b**ch-in-the-box, who has no idea where she is going, and they did not play Boolavogue, which is my favorite song if I had to pick just one, but what a night. Go see them if you get a chance

In Case you Wondered

Why I love these little birds....I give you...the Common Yellowthroat. Many of them are just this tame and will come out to look at you while you look at them. I can often click my tongue and they will answer and come visit me. 

How Now, Brain-enhancing Cow

Now and then I get a little mulish

Sometimes I whine about the research that goes into churning out 1000 words a week for the Farm Side. I've been at it since March of 1998 and there are weeks when those words are hard to find. (Funny how it's almost always easy to find something to blog about.)

However, other weeks I encounter a pile of fascinating articles that surprise and delight me, even after all those years.

Here are some from this week's round of treasure hunting.

Surprising ways milk makes us smarter....read this one even if you don't have time for the others. After the death by antibiotics of every good thing that once lived in my innards I have no problem believing the stuff lower down in the article.

Study finds cognitive function improved by drinking milk

More on the same

Cows are not eating your food

Kids doing the right thing without being asked.

Edge of My Seat

I have long followed veteran Bering Sea captain, Jack Molan, on Facebook, mostly because I quickly became enamored of his stunning Bald Eagle photos....you know if there's a bird in it, I'm on board.

However, his stories of a life of adventure are fascinating as well and I have always read whatever he shared.

I was fortunate enough a couple of weeks ago to get the opportunity to read his recently released book, You Can't Make this Stuff Up.

I have to tell you, I could barely sit still to read it, so very dramatic are the descriptions of life in the Bering Sea as a captain of a fishing vessel. I admit to having read it in a sitting and to stopping often to tell the girls, who were sitting at the table with me, all about the tales.

When it ended I wanted more. That seems to be a theme in online reviews as well. These are great stories, well told, and so darned dramatic I truly had cold chills. The gentleman's philosophies bear thought as well.....if you get a chance, don't miss it.

There really needs to be another book soon. Or maybe more.

Farmboi Landscaping

After just enough frost to nip a couple of hostas and one lilac bush we are back to what feels like summer weather...the nicest weather we have had all year I think.

Despite not feeling the greatest due to a cold that has been passed around recently we went to the Landis Arboretum plant sale on Sunday....and didn't buy one single thing. Nice plants, but if I wanted 'em, I already have 'em. It was pretty though and I would like to go down there some day to bird.

The boss has been busy getting the place spiffed up lately, taking out some of the ubiquitous Box Elder trees that spring up everywhere and grow like kudzu. I had forgotten what it was like to be able to actually see the valley without climbing 7-County Hill! Sure pretty. I stayed out on the porch until the mosquitoes drove me in.

He also dug out the weedy patch along the Long Lawn so we can see the bird bath again. It is too rough for Jade to mow so.....he uses the tools he has handy. We bought the bird bath for his mama a long time ago and still enjoy it. Hoping this cold goes away before the nice weather does.

Montgomery County Sundae on the Farm 2017

Pics from previous SoF. We rode the school bus with this guy.
Don't you just love Shorthorns?

This is from a couple of years ago, but there will be free wagon rides today, also

Is today. It's free, it's fun, go ahead, you know you want to. I've been told everyone needs to enter from the Route 10 side. 

It's going to be a gorgeous day....enjoy! Info here.

Happy Birthday, Mama

How bout that smile!

Four Gen, pretty cool, huh?

And......last, but not least, A birthday goose for you

The Things you See

Peggy painstakingly put her glove on the door knob
and proceeded to high five it every time she went past.
School day and all....she loves school

I had noticed that all the tiny fathead minnows had vanished from the pond

Where they were spawned

Liz caught one of them but the other was too quick. Who knew that Garter Snakes fished?
They leave their tails on top of the leaves, evidently as anchors, while their front ends gobble fishies.
Dagnabbit

My aunt sent Becky some yarn her late sister left....
Becky crocheted this doll partly from that yarn and sent it to her

And, I think this link will work if you want to read this week's Farm Side

Pretty pups playing at the park

If you see this Guy today

Wish him a very happy birthday.....

Central NY Farm Progress Days

We went over yesterday morning. Pretty spot....lots of shiny metal. Only saw a couple of people that we knew though.

Odd

Funny little beaver dam at the outlet of Weaver Lake near Richfield Springs. Usually one would expect at least a good-sized stick or two in such a structure. Maybe even a real log. However, this beaver, evidently an amateur, chose to find.....a shrubbery....or several. I see some Red Osier Dogwood in there and some other odds and ends from the stream bank.

There was quite a well-defined path to this tiny structure, whether made by beaver or fisherman I do not know. I will be most surprised if this is still here the next time we visit.

Venison Stew

We are between beeves right now. Just a couple of packages left from the last one. Next one still out on the hill eating grass. 

However, everyone is working outside today and will want a hearty meal....so...

Venison stew. This is how I do it....

Toss some cubed venison into melted butter, in the right sized pot for the mob. Five-quart today. Or into oil. Or your choice of fat du jour. Venison is lean; it needs the enhancement of some fat or oil.

Next mince some garlic and toss it in there too. Or garlic powder if you don't have fresh. Onion if you want it.

Summer time-pick some thyme, oregano, orange mint, top onions, etc. ...whatever is out in the garden. Chop and add.

Winter time-Italian seasoning works fine. I also have a big jar of basil, thyme, oregano and orange mint that I grew and dried a couple of years ago. That goes good too.

Saute slowly until the meat is good and brown. This is an all day dish.

Add a couple tablespoons of vinegar and cook a bit longer. Vinegar tenderizes and smooths out the potentially gamy flavor of wild meat. I am lucky enough to cook after a  talented butcher, so gaminess is rarely an issue but.....

Add water enough to cook some carrots and potatoes, cubed the way you like them. Toss in a couple of beef bouillon cubes if you need a little saltiness. Add a little of whatever is in the garden or freezer if you wish. This batch will get some mature green beans, as the garden is full of them. Even a couple of diced tomatoes can be good. 

Simmer slowly for a couple of ages, hours or so until everything is tender. If you are a dairy farm mom like I used to be, you can cover the pot and do this in the oven on moderate heat...say 325 or 350. I even made soup in the oven back when the house was where we came when the work was done. 

There are a lot of ways to thicken this. I generally add a large can of cream of mushroom soup. Not exactly gourmet, but, hey, we like it. Then if when nearly ready to serve it is still not thick enough I add some instant mashed potatoes. Or flour and water. Or Bisquick and water. Adaptable. Yep.

Beef is done in pretty much the same way....when we have beef. With it already feeling so much like fall, I expect this will make a pretty popular supper for 7 tonight. Or maybe 6 if Peggy wants chicken tenders instead. 

Owling at the Moon

Ren, baby sitter, ratter, and owl hound

I wake up like a mother, quick and worried. Thus when the soft, scratchy, tap-tapping came at the bedroom door last night at about half past midnight, it didn't take me long to find out what was up.

Turned out the kids' dog, Ren, had been growling and waking them up for a while downstairs where their place is. When they finally woke up enough to realize what was going on they heard an owl right outside their window. 

I have left instructions to awaken me if ever an owl is heard.....

So, once downstairs I went to their room, where of course not a sound could be heard.

Figures.

However, I went outside to watch and listen....maybe....just maybe....

The moon was silvering up the place, shiny and bright as day almost. I would have been happy to be awakened just to go outside to enjoy it.

However, there it was....from up in the old apple orchard came a distant, Hoo Hoo, Hoo, hoo, hoo...

I hooted back. From in front of the house came a much louder response and then another call from the backyard where the first bird had flown. 

I stood and listened for a bit, reveling in the wildness and smelling their probable target species all around.

Not one, but TWO, Great Horned Owls right in the house yard. We knew we had them....feathers almost every year up in the Heifer Woods. But hearing them was amazing. Probably if I had wanted to stay out in the gleaming midnight I could have seen them too, but I really didn't want to disturb their hunt. 

Plus....I am not exactly a night owl myself....