Planting and Putting By

 

Yesterday I planted the third, and probably last, crop of leaf lettuce for the year. We have enjoyed many salads and sammiches with it and I will miss it come winter. I grow it in old water tubs and totes. Today I picked a bunch from the second planting for us and for Liz too. I just take the outside leaves and each day there seem to be fresh outside leaves. Going to try some butterhead type next year I think. Liz bought some at a stand earlier in the summer and it was really good. 

Today I finally remembered to bake and freeze the big butternut squash I bought for fifty cents each from some Amish folks up in Otsego County. They grow darned good squash.

I don't believe my watermelon is going to set fruit this year, but at least...so far...the deer and woodchucks have left it alone. Last year just as it started making baby melons they ate every single leaf. It is so pretty that I will continue to grow it just for the foliage!

Check out this mixer. A dear friend bought it for me once when i took care of his horse when he was out of town. That was before I even knew Ralph existed, so over forty years...way over. It still works perfectly well too. You know that old saying....they just don't make them like they used to!

Happy Anniversary to these two lovely folks. 5 Years! Congratulations!

Happy Anniversary in Heaven

 

I'll bet you are still together...

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....