It Always Rains

 

On the first day of the fair...or so Ralph has frequently said. 

It is certainly raining today. It rained all night and then between 3 and 4 AM it began to thunder continuously. It was not all that loud, no massive cracks and booms that shook the house, but no pauses either. I woke up thinking of that Garth Brooks song. Country music fans will know the one I mean. It sure was rolling.

Iron Cat hides in the Hysssss....op....

I wanted to get up before the house awoke and get a peaceful shower. Nope. Now it is at it again. I feel sorry for all dogs that are horrified by thunder, especially Jill, who is in the kitchen panting and shivering.

I rejoice:

A) that the rain is supposed to stop in about an hour, so they may be able to hold the tractor pull, a major local event, much anticipated all year by many. Fair skies predicted until Friday. I suspect the weather wizards are high on something, but hey, you never know. Maybe we won't catch the tail end of that terrible storm down south. Also prayers for the many friends and family we have in the Sunshine State. Stay safe!

B) that I am not the one washing ponies, sheep, cows, etc. in the rain, in a thunderstorm. I have been there and done that and qualify for many, many tee shirts. I'm over it now.

C), that I actually like the song above and listen to it all the way through every time I have to go find a link for it. Admire the dancing too. Such agility should be respected.

@Linda Brown

Terribly Neglectful

 

Cute little Magnolia Warbler
right in the backyard

Of this poor blog, and I'm sorry. It is just too easy to throw a couple of pictures on Facebook and go back outdoors or get back to taming this disaster area of a house.

Ralph seems somewhat better. Time will tell. At least he feels a little bit more like doing things, which was not the case before.

Immature Gray Catbird, already showing his sassy side

Birding has been sporadic. With the schedule he needs to follow for food and medicine it is a project to get out early in the morning, so that has not been happening much. Also it rains every day just about and sometimes a lot. I washed out the plastic tote I keep sunflower seeds in yesterday, laid it down to drain, then turned it up to the sun to dry. Hah! It had an inch and a half of water in it last time I checked.

Kid Rock (s)
I find pretty rocks and let the kids take what they want
when they are here.

We did our own little nighthawk watch last week. Common Nighthawks, which are anything but, are migrating through right now. We usually go down to the Schoharie/Schenectady County line where we join our good friend, George Steele, for a nice nighthawk watch. He is really good at predicting when they will come by and where.

Warbling Vireo

However, my deepest birding goal is to find as many birds in Montgomery County as is possible. With that in mind we ventured down to the Overlook Bridge in Amsterdam just before dusk to have a look. Becky came with us to get some steps in in a prettier place than looping through the house. 

The bridge did not disappoint. We were no more than halfway across when I heard an interesting call, looked up, and there were two nighthawks. We were less impressed by this idiot who chose to climb the sculpture in the park and to encourage the small children accompanying him to do the same. A little girl that was with them came up to where we were standing and concealed herself behind the hydrangeas, so as not to be associated with such disrespectful behavior. On the way home, Ralph suggested we take Queen Ann St. rather than the main road. We were halfway down when he pointed left and said, "What are those?"

Outlaw goats. 
They were in the road when we came upon them.
Thought they were deer at first but...

"Those" were 24 nighthawks...or maybe more...swooping and swirling through the dusky light. How cool is that!

Also in the road at dusk
Amish kids with wagons

Here at home, where I have been doing my early morning birding, I have been seeing the same eighteen or twenty species every day for weeks. Not boring or anything, as it is always fun or I wouldn't be doing it, but a bit disappointing, as I read reports of other folks finding dozens of warblers and wonders of waterfowl and shorebirds.

That kinda changed yesterday when I spotted first a Canada Warbler, and then a Nashville in the old Honey Locust tree. It was scheduled to be cut down years ago but the deal fell through. I am sorta glad it did. It is a danger to one and all, but the birds love the way it catches the early sun and warms up the bugs so that they can catch them.

Great Blue Heron, foggy morning

Anyhow, we are still here and on the right side of the dirt and I thought you should know. The fair starts this week...hoping the track dries out by tomorrow afternoon so the guys can enjoy the tractor pull

Member of Congress

I may or may not go over. I used to get really excited for the fair, entered everything from art to animals of all sorts, and went every day and night. Now I am just as contented to listen to the roar of the trucks and tractors and the distant jingle of the announcer's voice from right here in the living room or on the sitting porch, and call it close enough...it is right across the river.

Other side of the aisle

Of course most years I change my mind and at least take one walk around to say hi to all our friends and neighbors and look at all the good livestock. Mebbe I'll see you there.

Then again, mebbe not. 

Comments

 

Will be moderated for a little while. Sorry about that.

A spammer nailed Northview last night with 15 useless comments spread back into last year. Past history tells me that they will be back until they get tired of being denied.

So....wish it didn't have to be that way, but I guess it does.

Oh, and it's raining again. I saw a post where a neighbor farm worked all night to beat it getting in their 4th cutting. Sure gets old.

Big Stuff

 

Blue Jay

Ralph has not been feeling well so I finally convinced him to go to Urgent Care about a week and a half ago.

 

Eastern Kingbird

Great Egret

Fledgling Carolina Wren

Good thing. His blood sugar was nearly off the charts. Turns out he was diagnosed with diabetes thirty years ago and either wasn't told or didn't understand. Whenever he was hospitalized in those days I had to run the farm in his absence so I wasn't there to listen to advice...

Alder/Willow Flycatcher

Female Northern Cardinal

Quavontavius

He seems markedly better now that he is getting treatment, but I am astonished that he soldiered on all those years, running a dairy farm, growing the crops to feed the cows and caring for them, and doing things with our family, and none of us, including him, had any idea. Only recently has he had any noticeable effects from it.

Red-eyed Vireo

Cedar Waxwing

Great Egret

Anyhow, he had to give up his beloved Mt. Dew and go on a low carb diet. Rough on rats for everyone. I was already eating pretty carefully, but it is downright hard to cook for him. I LIKE vegetables and usually have a complex salad for supper. Him not so much.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Purple Finch

One of twin fawns that were probably orphaned

We go tomorrow to learn more about coping. Meanwhile, we have done a small amount of birding on the road, and of course I chase here at the house just to maintain a small level of sanity. That is all, thanks.

Adventuring

 

Laughing Gull

Over the past two weeks I walked thirty miles in the Adirondacks, swam and fished in one of the cool, clear, lakes there, set my feet in the Atlantic (or at least the Chesapeake) crossed the bay bridge tunnel twice, saw 99 species of birds, attended a really cool farm show, where I got to enjoy the pleasant manners and genuine friendliness of farmers from our South, and was terrified by horrendous violence in the motel room above ours.

 I spent time with both our daughters and granddaughter, Peg, and had some amazing times. I am kinda tired, but not too bad, and only missed one day in my 10000 steps a day quests...8000+ that day, and 13 thou the next...

Not bad for an antique vintage individual I guess.....

Willet...I do love Willets!

I feel Cheated

 That Stan Rogers died before I discovered...or perhaps grew into...his music.

It speaks to me these days.

Mom and Dad always listened to him, but I never paid any attention until I was riding in the truck with my brother, Matthew, one day, and the Irish Descendants came on his music service. They were playing Barrett's Privateers.

I was instantly sold and had that song on my Amazon playlist before the day was out.

And because that is how I am wired, I looked into its origin and discovered that one of my parents' favorite artists had written and performed it.

So I added that version to my list as well.

Then I found more songs...and more...and more...that I liked.

I ended up adding all the albums I could find. I really like the song Tiny Fish for Japan.

He had such an incredible talent with words and melody. It is such a shame that he passed away in an airplane accident at only 34. Imagine the songs he could have written between then and now....

Should have been posted last week

Wrote this last week, but was too busy to edit.

 Spent the week packing for camp. We haven't been since 2019 so a lot of camp things had melted away into household use or been spoiled by dead batteries or are just among the missing.

However, as I delved into the totes and stacks of stuff from previous years I realized that despite my actual 4-H background I may have been a boy scout in a previous life.

I mean, there are ropes. All kinds of ropes. Despite the fact that we will be staying in a reasonably civilized cabin, I HAVE to have ropes. I have paracord, dock rope, heavy twine, camo cord, rope we used to use to tie down the canoe on the dock when it stormed...and a dog leash. We are not taking a dog, but hey, you never know, so in it went.

Found my hatchet, which by an amazing coincidence, has been missing since 2019....because it was still packed. Can't camp without a hatchet. 

Discovered that I don't have to buy matches, as I have a brand new (in 2019) box of strike-on- box, plus a pack of waterproof ones. Plus there's a lighter or two in my quick travel tote that goes everywhere we do. I had to read Jack London's To Build a Fire in high school (unforgettable story, but no fun) and I rarely go anywhere without a source of ignition. After a lifetime of heating with wood most of the time I am good at producing flame.

The list of guy things goes on and on...a knock-off Leatherman tool, needle-nose pliers, heavy side cutters, extra fishing line, ninety-pound tackle box...or at least it feels like it....even though I predominantly fish with worms. When Dad passed I ended up with some of his lures and they are in there too. As a preschooler, taken along on evening trips to this very lake, I loved to sit and peer into Dad's tackle box admiring the lures (while fishing with worms.). I always coveted his River Runt Spook.

People bike across the county with a couple saddlebags and a backpack. I fill the car to groaning with things we "might need." 

I cannot lie, I am tired of packing. It is the worst part of the trip, other than packing to go home, which is mildly worse. We always seem to have more stuff than we came with.

However, I cannot wait to baptize the fishing license part of the lifetime hunting and fishing license I bought myself last year...already used the hunting part...

And to swim and look for mountain birds and maybe go out rowing. See you next week with another adventure in store.

***Update: We had a nice week! I walked thirty miles, saw 61 species of birds, only caught three Rock Bass, but one was a nice size. Hopefully we can do it again next year. 

Summer of Storms

Liz and Peg 2015
In the Cellar

 I can't recall any recent years where every single ten-day forecast shows thunder storms every day but maybe one or two. Not that this isn't the time for thunderstorms, but five or six a week seems excessive. I don't know how the farmers are getting any dry hay. A single day without rain is rare, let alone three consecutive ones.

Last evening we were all in the house doing stuff and talking when my phone started screaming...a tornado warning.

The ominous edge of the front

We scurried around getting dogs in, moving the car away from trees, and getting ready to hit the cellar if we needed to. Liz and I spent the next hour checking the sky for the wrong kind of cloud formation. The cellar is not a place we want to go if we don't have to. The birds all went silent....

Storm bird

We got some vicious winds and green skies, a bit of the now all-too-familiar torrential rain, but not much that hasn't come with every storm since the beginning of June. I guess other places saw much worse with trees down and at least one house hit by lightning, probably two, but we were okay.

I know complaining about the weather is about as productive as trying to teach a chicken to line dance, but dang, it's getting ridiculous!

I don't LIKE the cellar and I don't want to go there!

On the other hand it is a lot cooler today.

A captive tornado at the Fonda Fair Model Railroad
Display

My Washing Machine plays Schubert

 

Anyone know what this plant is?
It grows at the edge of a swamp we know and it seems really pretty.

I am not sure if that makes me special in some way or not. However, it does drive me nuts* (not a long trip), as it reminds me of the old song, Convoy, which then gets stuck in my head for hours...or even days. Thanks Samsung, just what I needed.

***Merci to Becky for discovering this useless but interesting bit of trivia.

Speaking of audio delusions, we have the usual adult House Wren making an endless racket on the sitting porch...I think they are going to go for a third brood this summer. We also have its enthusiastic but not particularly talented offspring. (I assume it's its kid because it tolerates its presence and lousy singing there). Big wren sounds like a wren. Baby wren sounds like a screechy Black-throated Blue Warbler. I need one for my year list, so I sit up and take notice every time. See above for the general effect of this*.

Two pics of Long Lake in happier times

Meanwhile, it is nice today for a change, although it has managed to rain twice. 

On an ongoing basis however, it rains a lot every week, and almost every day. One of my favorite towns in the 'Dacks, Long Lake, pretty much washed away due to a dam failure under the onslaught of the ridiculous rains we've been having. It makes me really sad, as I love the place.

Our driveway tried to for a dip in the river too, but Ralph managed to catch it and haul it back up the hill with the skid steer. The rain can slow down a bit anytime now and I won't get mad. In fact.....

Go home and dry out Mother Nature, yer drunk.

YOY
Young of the year
An immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird
and the first flower on the one of the geraniums I started from seed
last winter