Back-to-School

Waiting for the bus. Oh, the tears when the first little bus went right on by

However, that was the kindergarten bus

The Preschool bus was not far behind

The Things you See

The river in a good mood

Beauty and the Beast

Adirondack Mountain Gorilla

Man rescuing a turtle

Butterfly Kaleidoscope 

 A wee unicorn who is starting official pre-school tomorrow

Old eagle eyes turtle rescuer spotted the porcupine on a distant tree at our Rankin Grove Rd. birding spot....could not believe it that he could pick it out so far away...I think I'll keep him.

Rope Walk

Go long

Go strong

Twist it up

The end

Ta da

In the living room. Well, technically it's not a rope walk, but Becky and I make ropes there so....

Exciting

Not a warbler...a Grey Catbird

The fair wasn't. Other than seeing a couple of good friends, and some stunning cows, it was pretty dismal...

So we went to one of our swamps where we enjoyed a mini warbler fallout. Although I only could identify three species...light was terrible and they were high in the trees....it was super exciting at least for me.

The boss slept through it....which is fine....he is willing to drive and I am willing to grin from ear to ear over early migrants passing through.

Also not a warbler, although nearly as big as one.

Faithful and Strong

Today marks my parent's 67th wedding anniversary....through thick and thin they have stayed strong in their love for more years than I have been on earth. Well, one more...but still.

I hope you will join me in wishing them a very happy one.....thanks...Love you, Mom and Dad.

Something out There

 Remus Lupin singing a love song, maybe?

Blast these short days anyhow. As an early riser I resent them and bemoan the need to get back in the flashlight habit.

Especially when I'm walking a Jack Russell Terrier, still half asleep in the o'dark thirty hours, and another Jack Russell Terrier barks from the heifer barnyard.

"Why is Mack down there barking?" my sleepy mind inquired of me. But, wait, what!! "If you're right here Mack, who's down there?"

It sure wasn't this guy

I know, I know, it was probably a fox, but it did NOT sound like a fox. I've heard foxes. We have lots of foxes. This thing sounded exactly like Mack does if I make the mistake of taking Finn out first...a whiny, sharp, sad, little yippy bark...not the yarring scream of a fox.

It raised the hair on the back of my neck I'll tell you. Mack went on high alert too, tippy toes, ears pricked, body quivering like electric jello. Whatever it was he didn't like it. 

So glad this morning wasn't one of the ones when I let him out loose.

Or this one

It kept it up the whole time I was airing the dogs. I took the flashlight down in the barnyard after...it was still doing whatever it was doing....and of course there was nothing there.

Eek! 

So all you folks who know the night...what could it have been? Other then a JRT I mean? Are there night birds that sound like terriers? Strange fox calls I haven't heard yet? The dawning of the zombie apocalypse?

Asking for a friend.....

This one maybe?

Of Apples, Trees, and Show Halters

The boss and LV 

Major Moves, a pony I used to show

Liz at 6 taking Sonora, her first show calf, off the trailer at the fair

Liz 'n Lemmie...sure wish we'd kept that cow

This year....Liz and Scooby. Not a Holstein, but whadda ya gonna do?

And....the new "apple" .....not far from the tree of generations is she?

3-up in Glen

National Dog Day

And look who got a nice, new dog house. This guy lives in the house for the most part but  spends some time outside in his run too. He used to have a barrel, which he liked just fine, but we thought he should have something better so the boss bought him an igloo style house.

He was terrified of it. He is the most chickenhearted Border Collie I have ever met. He spent a whole day hovering outside it refusing to go in.

Then I threw a big biscuit inside. He HAD to go in to get it.

He turned around once or twice, peeked out the door as if to say, "Hmm, this isn't so bad after all."

And has been hanging out in there ever since.

So, Happy National Dog Day, Finn, you silly boy you.

First Bird

Carolina Wren, one of my favorite birds

Four Northern Cardinals tuning up at 5:48 AM. So much later than in early summer, and so many fewer players in what passes for dawn chorus these days.

Still, a hosanna of redbirds is a pretty nice way to start the day...and the echo off the side of the heifer barn is like surround sound for birders. Pretty soon the Carolina Wren will start complaining and the sun will get to sunning and it will be morning again for real.

Later.......

Once the sun came up I went out hunting warblers. Migration has begun even if it is kinda quiet still. Didn't see a thing atall for most of my usual walk. Even the little copse along the driveway where there is almost always something, yielded only a Downy Woodpecker. I thought about going inside for more coffee. That second cup was screaming its siren song. I persevered instead.

Terrible shot of a Blue-winged Warbler

Good thing. A Pine Warbler soon flew over my head and landed right in front of me. Life bird. New bird for the farm. New bird for me in the state and county. Alas, I only got a photo of the Blue-winged Warbler it was flocking with, but I got a great look and am comfortable with the ID. I saw one this spring actually, but it was such a fleeting look that I didn't count it. This one though was very clear and easy.

Thus a good morning all around. Bring on the warblers!

So Sorry

Spammers as I see them

I had to switch blog settings back to only users with Google accounts being able to comment. I love your feedback, immensely enjoy all the friends I've made here and all, but the viagra and male enhancement ads have crept up from the old posts....which have moderated comments...to the newest ones. And there are a lot of them.

It was either this or turn on moderation for everything, so....

If you need to email me for some reason threecollie AT yahoo.you know what will do it.

Thanks for your patience.

Cuties

Two immature Chestnut-sided Warblers were noodling around down by the driveway this morning. So cute!

The Other Cuckoo

There are three species of cuckoo available in the USA. One is the Mangrove Cuckoo, which is found only in southern Florida. The other two occur here, but they are somewhat uncommon and quite secretive.

The Black-billed Cuckoo here on the farm earlier this summer

I was lucky enough to "get" the Black-billed Cuckoo, with photos, right here on the farm. Earlier I also managed to record the sound of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo down at Schoharie Crossing SHS, but had given up on photos of the latter. Only ever seen two or three in my life.

Then this morning I was looking for herons under the aqueduct at the crossing when I heard some chickadees. I looked up, and right over my head in a dead tree was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo preening and fluffing his feathers.

He showed no fear and obliged with lots of photos. And a short video. Yay!

Product of the USA

Or maybe not. Alas, under current regulations labels on meat are allowed to contain outright lies. "Product of the USA" should mean just that, but when it comes to meat it doesn't. Imported meat can currently be marketed under that label, with no way to discover the actual country of origin. 

You can do your part to change this.

Here is a good article.

Here is the petition. It is simple to file a comment, so go for it.

I did. 

Talk around the Table

A long time friend visited for a bit yesterday and we had a nice time swapping yarns around the kitchen table. For people who live so close to town we are very cut off from local stuff and it was really nice....especially since I was done writing for the day and didn't have to be distracted by that going on in the back of my mind.

I can't relax and settle down to gardening and household chores until the Farm Side is done, so I try to get 'er finished as early in the week as I can. Tuesday is pretty good.....

Showerheads

Are the topic for this week's Farm Side.....

Swarms

Regrets

Posted

Forever

Numbers