Yippee – Daylight Savings!

So I said to myself – Yeah, Spring Ahead one hour. Maybe this will put me on a better schedule. I usually wake up at 5:00 or 6:00 AM – with an occasional 7:00 thrown in for good luck. However, I’m pretty pooped after having to teach until 9 or 10:00 PM twice a week, and then driving home for 40 minutes afterward. On Mon. and Wed., I teach at 12:00 and then at 6:00. This also interferes with my eating schedule. I eat a latish breakfast, then a late lunch and when I finally get home at night, I’ll have some left overs or something quick and small. However, that means it’s 10:30 on Mon.. or 11:30 on Wed. before I get to bed – and even later as I usually need some “down time” before I can actually go to bed to sleep. So setting the clocks ahead should have my body thinking it’s 6:00 when it’s 7:00, and so I can swing my sleeping schedule up an hour, and eventually be on a more “normal” schedule. All plans of mice and women … I woke up at 5:30 this morning (4:30, My Body Time). So I’m back on the old schedule. DST didn’t fool my Mother Nature.

Black Birds

Another HUGE flock of black birds – grackles, red-winged black birds, cow birds, etc. are in the fields again.  It is so neat to see the flock “move as one” when they take off or land or circle the field.  I large black cloud of noisy birds.  They don’t like my striped sunflower seeds either.  50# cost me $40.00 and I hate to just toss them on the ground.

Snow Geese

I’m listening to the geese in the fields, honking away right now.  The fields must be quite the attraction!  I’ve been watching their behavior, and find that interesting.  This time, there is no one large flock, but several smaller ones scattered over the fields.  I watched as several “families” (I’m assuming they’re related as I think geese do mate for life, and the flocks that flew over were 6, 7, 10 or so geese each – Mom, Dad and the latest set of kids) flew over, circling the fields a couple times and then landing in an open area.  If there was another family already on the ground nearby, a couple of them would get aggressive and run at the newly landed group, necks extended guarding their “territory” from the invaders.  Eventually, all would settle down, but there was always one or two geese not feeding – keeping watch over the rest of the family.  They stand watch with necks extended, and heads held high alert and aware of their surroundings while the rest of them feed.  A quick glance with the binoculars, and I’m seeing about 10-15 families each with 7 – 10 geese in each group, so there’s about 100 or so geese down there right now.  This changes as some will take off while others land.  Spring is a coming folks :0).  No more snow!! (There, I put in my order for the rest of the season).

WooHoo – I spotted a snow goose among the geese.  It’s an intergrade between the full white and the gray phases, according to the book.  I’m also looking for any bands – but I can’t see their feet well with my binoc’s – so may be missing some.  It is SO pretty!!

Yup – two of them – one intergrade ( could be an immature??) and one all white.  It’s getting dark out, so I missed the all white in the first view, but when I went back to look at it again, I saw the all white one too.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/360161897_0df3f5bb4a_b.jpg

Corn Fields

I had mixed feelings about letting Jim, the farmer, clear our fields and plant corn there.  He has spent years dealing with the land trying to get it to produce hay – with mixed results.  He’s trimmed back tree limbs, and gotten rid of stands of dead trees to open the fields more to the sun.  He mowed and mowed for several years hoping to get rid of the pricker bushes and other weeds he didn’t like.  Finally after three years of dealing with the fields, he did get hay two seasons ago, but only the mulch type, not the good stuff.  So he decided to plant corn this year – cow corn, not human corn.   He said that corn would get rid of the thorny bushes that seem to love the area.   He came several days digging out the drainage canals, and flattening the fields, and then plowing them.  What seemed like weeks later, he planted the corn, and it was really a beautiful sight as it grew and tasseled out, waving in the breezes and then turning golden brown.
As a biologist, however, I knew that it diminished the diversity of the area.  It drove critters out of their homes.  It made the area less likely to house a community of local wild critters.  But I also liked to go down to the river every now and then, and couldn’t if it was all grown over.  Those pricker bushes were thick and could grow to several feet tall and were impassable if not dealt with nearly every year.  The former owner had a tractor and mowed a path to the river, but Pete tried and got stuck one too many times, and had a heck of a time trying to get back up the hill to the barn.  Jim kept the fields mowed so I could go down there.  It would have cost us a pretty penny to have access to the river, something we cannot afford.

So being selfish, I let him come and use our fields for corn – and I suppose eventually for hay.

However, all is not lost.  The wild wills out after all.  We may have lost tons of rabbits, birds, and little fuzzy rodent friends, but we gained in other ways.  We saw a black bear mother with her three cubs come through once again after two years of not seeing a black bear.  I’m sure the corn fields had something to do with the reappearance of the bear.  What a treat that was as she nibble on my peaches and one of her babies stretched to sniff what she was eating.  Then the four of them waddled into the corn fields, I’m sure to top off their dessert of peaches with some tasty corn.   Deer have been coming through – but that’s nothing new.  Turkeys seem to have found a new source of food as there’s little nibblets of corn all over the fields waiting for the birds to find them.
When the fields were finally harvested, the machinery shucked the corn immediately as it was reaped and tossed into the large boxy trailer.  It was fun to watch as the ears of corn came flying out of the chute and into the waiting container.  From driving by on our road, I could see piles of corn kernels all over the place.  Now I’m hearing Canadian geese as they have found a new place to land and catch a quick snack to help them on their way north (yea! spring!).  As I was correcting papers this afternoon, I could hear them all gaggling away down in the fields.  I got up to watch them (no need to find a reason to procrastinate, I hate grading papers).  They were all down by the drainage canals in huge flocks of 50-100 or maybe more.  Then with some sort of signal, they would all take off in a chorus of honks, and after a few minutes or an hour another flock (or maybe the same flock returning) would descend and I’d hear them honking again.  They could very well be on the river right now – it’s too dark to see them if they are.  Some would say that geese are not welcome in their area.  I suppose walking down to the river I’ll have to dodge their “leavings” – more fertilizer for the hay.

As soon as the snow melts enough, I’ll be going back down to the river to see it in spring – to watch the trilliums, and the jack-in-the-pulpits, and dig up a May apple or two to add to my garden.  Later in the summer, I’ll eat some redcaps or blackberries and take a bunch to my mother-in-law to put on her cereal in the morning.  Or maybe I’ll watch as the spring runoff floods the fields (and wonder if that’s good for the hay or not).  Last year, the water reached 1/3 of the way up the fields.  However, my path is still OK even in the floods – it’s high and dry so I can still go down to see the swollen Plattekill Creek.

Flying Squirrel

I thought I would write about the time a flying squirrel got into the house when Didi, our greyhound was still alive.

I saw a flash of fur out of the corner of my eye and thought it was a mouse.  Didi also spotted it and took off after it.  I ran into the dining room where I thought it might have gone, and Didi took off into the library.  So I figured she knew better than I did and I followed her into the library instead.  I’m looking under the chairs, in the corners, all around, and finally was about to give up when I looked at Didi who was sitting in the middle of the library looking UP!  Well, we all know mice don’t go UP that fast, so I chided Didi and tried to cajole her into looking for the mouse, but she kept sitting there and looked UP.  I finally figured out maybe I should try that too, and when I looked up in her direction, there it was.

The cutest little stuffed toy you have ever seen.  Someone could make a mint selling them!  It was perched on top of one of our McKnight smaller pictures.  The picture was slanted from the weight.  The biggest black eyes you have ever seen, and large ears, small body – maybe the size of a chipmunk but a little bigger.  It was all brown, and a small tail.  I stood there staring at it wondering what to do about the poor thing.  Eventually I figured I’d get a towel and see if I could catch it in the towel and put it outside.

All the plans of mice and men – women – gone to pot.  As soon as I approached I got to see the piece of skin that acted as gliding wings attached from front feet to back.  The little darling leaped off the picture and flew over my head so fast, there was no way I could catch it.  I tried several times to no avail.  Finally, so as not to further scare the poor thing, I opened the front door, turned off all the lights except the front porch light and went in to watch TV hoping it would get the hint  It did, and I could hear it skitter down the hallway, and out the front door.  I turned on the lights and closed the door to a great experience here On The Brink.

Black Rat Snake

Went down into the basement today and spotted the black rat snake again.  It was hiding behind the ironing board, and I was quite surprised it didn’t take off when I looked at it – maybe it thought it was hidden?  Pete came down, took some pictures, still no movement – yup, it’s dead!  Boo hiss.   Now the mouse population will be on the increase.  Pete took some photos and I’ll send them on to you when I get them from Pete.  I picked up the snake so Pete could get some pictures, and it was longer than I am tall, and close to Pete’s height, so I’d say it was 6′ long.  So poor Blacky’s dead.  I hope one of his/her progeny takes up residence this spring and takes over the job Blacky has done so well.

A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP

I love the beginning of fall – my garden still has flowers, and the colors are so much fun to watch as they change.
I hate the end of fall when the trees are bare, and the garden is dead, and there’s so much clean up to do.

I love the beginning of winter when the first twinkling snows fall, and all the holidays brighten up everyone’s homes, and my family gets together.
I hate the end of winter with ANOTHER SNOW STORM, and all the snow is gray (or yellow), and there’s all that ice and slush (and $$$ to heat the house).

I hate the beginning of spring – SO MOTHER NATURE, GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!! It seems to take forever for her to get her act together – I’m so impatient – and I have to clean up all the winter debris (esp. the willow!!). All that mud, too.
I love the rest of spring – watching all the sprouts coming up, the daffies and other bulbs in all their glory, the return of the birds, and butterflies, watching the birds nesting and hearing little peeps from babies.  I love getting out in the garden, planting my annuals and smelling the soil as it warms up.  I love planting my vegetable garden and the anticipation I feel as I do it.

I love the beginning of summer.  The warmth and sun reaches deep inside me.  School’s over, so all my time is mine to do as I wish, which is to garden and be with friends,  watch nature as it changes and grows, watch birds and butterflies move through the garden.  I love planting new things, and collecting the first goodies in the vegetable garden.

I hate the end of summer.  Weeds have taken over the garden as my energy and enthusiasm have waned.  It gets very hot and usually very humid so I’m often indoor once again.  We usually have a drought at this time, and the plants need watering every day.  My sun room is too hot to enjoy, and the mylar shades are down so I can’t see the fields in the back yard very well.  They make the sky look ominous – like it’s going to rain any moment even if it isn’t.  I start to see that I am losing birds as they move south, and school starts again so I have less time for me and mine.

So I guess I don’t have a favorite season because I have a love/hate relationship with them all.

Mama Bear

Once again – bears came to visit.  When Pete woke up he yelled down to me that there were bear cubs near the deck.  I looked out the sun room and there Mama was with THREE cubs trailing along behind.  At first it looked like just two cubs, but a straggler came along after.  She walked along the front of the garage and over to my peach tree.  She ate a peach, and one of her cubs looked interested and reached up for a sniff.  Then she walked along the front of the barn, turned around, headed back to the peach tree and then went out behind the barn – where the corn is.  She was showing very large teats.  She seemed like she was small  – or my imagination enlarges them when I see them at night.  So now I’m up to 11 bears in 6+ years.

Amazing Insects

It was a really cool night :0) maybe in the 50’s, so this morning when I opened the kitchen door to let Cocoa out, I saw something I have never seen together before – a huge Dobson fly and a luna moth.  The Dobson fly had to be 5″ long, and the luna moth about the same.
The fly is quite a shock to see – all black with lacy wings and very large pincer-like mouth parts.  Apparently not dangerous as adults, but the larva (Helgramite) can nip you.  They are favorites of fishermen as bait.  The luna moth (this is the 2nd one I’ve seen since we’ve moved here) is a pale lime green with dots on the wings.  A huge beautiful moth and well named.  I flicked the Dobson fly off the screen.  Cocoa was very good and obeyed me when I told her NO – she loves to eat insects and chases them.  I’ve had to stop her from eating Monarch butterflies as well (she can eat all the mosquitoes she wants!!!).  Both the luna moth and Dobson fly must have been attracted to the outside light which is automatic on/off at dusk and dawn.  I left the luna moth near the light – when it warms up enough it’ll take off and I hope make more luna moths.  They’re so big, I imagine they don’t last long in flight – tasty treat for birds.

Luna Moth
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/islandcreekes/ecology/Insects/Luna%2520Moth/lunasweetgum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/luna_moth.htm&h=370&w=500&sz=35&tbnid=Dj3U3schn9cJ::&tbnh=96&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphoto%2Bluna%2Bmoth&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&cd=1

Dobsonfly larva
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scientificillustrator.com/art/insects/dobsonfly_larva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.scientificillustrator.com/illustration/insect/dobsonfly-larva.html&h=500&w=264&sz=68&tbnid=BUTZB7JxhqAJ::&tbnh=130&tbnw=69&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphoto%2Bdobson%2Bfly&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&cd=1

Male Dobson fly – 4″-5″ long
<http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.unl.edu/agnicpls/slide51.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.unl.edu/agnicpls/dobsonfly.html&h=357&w=533&sz=53&tbnid=SGskOdokyewJ::&tbnh=88&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphoto%2BDobson%2Bfly&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1>

Fireflies

‘Tis peak firefly season here on the Brink.  Since moving here I have seen more firefly displays than anywhere I have ever lived and wonder if Mother Nature is trying her best to outdo any Fourth of July celebrations in the area. I turn off all the house lights, let my eyes adjust to the darkness and then Cocoa and I go out in the sun room and watch the razzle dazzle of the mating rituals of these wondrous little critters.  I wonder if Cocoa is at all enthralled with them, but I think her attentions go to fuzzy wabbits rather than blinking insects.  I’ve never seen a glow worm, but I think that’s what the larval form is called, and they also glow in the dark.  I’ve never gone out digging at night so wouldn’t know.  During the day these little lamps have no special qualities but they are not surpassed at night.

As I watch, some of the fireflies fly past horizontally and leave a comet-like glowing tail behind them.  Other lights pass squiggling in the night leaving little commas in the air.  Sometimes I try to follow a single light and I try to guess where it will blink again further away from its last blink. I understand the females are on the ground blinking their hearts delight and males are above signaling their desires.

All this verbiage is way too fancy for such a simple, down-to-earth kind of show.  There are hundreds of them outside my house and its times like these I wish I had grandchildren or youngsters in my life to take outside late at night hunting – or should I say easy pickings – for fireflies to put in a jar for them to watch as they fell asleep.  I did this ritual when I was a child and my children did it once or twice when they were little.  At our previous home the fireflies weren’t quite so plentiful and it seemed the mosquitoes way outnumbered them so hunting fireflies there was an on-going battle which drew blood and resulted in many itches – not worth the battle.  I’m sure mosquitoes are here, too, but the great number of blinking prey would easily fill a bottle.  It’s so exciting as a child to be awakened late at night and to run out in sneakers and PJ’s to capture a night light. It’s so difficult to add another blinker to the bottle when there already are several in the jar without letting any of prisoners get away.  Maybe Cocoa and I will go out tonight and relive my childhood.