It was just a thrill to see this morning's trail cam capture of the fawn twins and their mama, and if that was all that I saw today I would have been genuinely happy. Our home is named "Fawn Haven", and our driveway "Fawn Haven Trail", so the sight of fawns was a joy indeed, one we haven't had in years.
Because it was cool and overcast, I decided to spend some time outdoors with the camera; overcast skies sometimes afford great photographs. I took one of the balls I bought yesterday and tossed it into the pond. That gave me a few interesting shots!
Walking around the property, I also noticed some apples on one of our trees, and a bunch more on the ground after the storm last night. Down in the woods, there were a multitude of tiny apples fallen from the old trees, and I just have to believe there would be mushrooms in that area ~ if I had gotten to them at the right time and before the critters found them. But it gives me hope for next year's morel season...
A short while after coming into the house, I saw Smokey give me the "bear" look, as he was sitting in the garden window. I looked outside towards the rock and saw nothing. Note to self: look up... This looked like the cub who was here last week and got spooked by a chipmunk. The only thing I can think of that caused him to be afraid today is ... a new orange ball that I had tossed into the brush at the edge of the trail entrance near the Hard Rock Diner!! His location in the tree was over-top and to the right of the ball's location, and he seemed to be trying to get SOMETHING down below to move. Maybe orange was not such a good color for the new 'toy'??
I watched in awe as he shook tree branches, leaned over to the left, perched on the limb, and in general showed his displeasure at the new "addition" to his regularly traveled trail.
It didn't seem to bother the next visitors to the HRD though ... maybe fawns are not as fearful as newly-liberated yearling bears???!!!
So apparently, all the while I was worrying about the fat doe I called Annie who hadn't had her baby, she was just well fed, and keeping little bucky out of sight♥
So, it's been a lazy day full of fawns and balls, apples, birds and a bear ~ the kind of day that inspires me, leaves me in awe at the amazing area where I live, and reinforces the decisions made to move here 20 years ago...
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I think over again my small adventures
My fears, those small ones that seemed so big
For all the vital things I had to get and reach
And yet there is only one great thing
The only thing
To live to see the great day that dawns
And the light that fills the world. — unknown Inuit
It's early, and there hasn't been much happen so far today, but what DID, I just had to share right away. I was up at 5:30, HOPEing to see the fawns hubby saw yesterday, but there were no signs of them so I went back to bed. I'll know better tomorrow... the trail cam caught this at about 6AM
So, one wish has already come true for me today. Now, I will pray for another granted wish, and a miracle, for a very dear and special friend who goes to the Dr. today. Good luck, you-know-who♥♥♥
Today's most exciting wildlife sighting was neither made nor seen by me! I was barely awake when hubs says, "two fawns behind the greenhouse". Of course, I tried to see them, but he's taller than me, and was blocking the window to begin with, so I saw nothing.... but the trail cam showed me that Puff is coming around, so maybe they are her babies.
One of these days, we'll get pictures of the fawns with their mama(s), I HOPE.
When I checked the SD card this morning, there was also a clip of the big bear with the scraped leg who came around yesterday.
No bear sightings today ... just the squirrels, birds & chipmunks (all OUTSIDE, thankfully!), and a bit later, the raccoon mama. Tomorrow IS another day :-) While I was at WallyWorld today, I bought a couple balls. I think I'll throw one out on the pond tomorrow, and see if it gets noticed at all♥
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Two Wolves - A Cherokee Parable
An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.
"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"
It's been a busy day, and I'm pooped. So I hope you'll forgive me if this isn't much of an entry ... but I did get help with video editing and uploading, so here is what the trail cam caught, while I was busy taking 244 pictures of Notch yesterday♥
There was a bear here briefly this morning, but it ran as soon as it saw me (even though I smelled like fish emulsion ... in other words, dead fish...). And a short while ago, a larger bear was there for a bit.
I only took a few pictures (you KNOW I'm tired...) ... but enough to see it was Mama with the right leg scrape. That makes sense ... it was probably her cub who was here earlier. It's so interesting, the past two days I've been hearing the sounds of wood clapping out in the woods ... I now know it is the sounds of the bear breaking apart tree snags! I saw a furry black mass through the trees in the direction from which the sound was coming earlier today, it was there for a while and was quite busy ~ if it weren't for TICKS, I'd probably go looking for the evidence :-)
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"In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn.. all things tell of Tirawa. " - Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee
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Saw these bars, and thought of my gluten-free friends♥
My goodness, it's been 4 days since my last post (I feel like I should be in a confessional...) :-) How time flies when you're having a garage sale! Speaking of which, bright and early (7:45) Friday morning my first customer pulled up the driveway. Mind you, the sale was to start at 9 ... but what the heck, I was ready. At 8:19AM, three people were here, when little bear came looking for a snack.... (only the first 13 seconds is worth viewing ~ I MUST find a program in which to edit these clips!!)
I decided to try a new location for the trail cam, which captured 67 images on Saturday ... mostly cars coming and going!! I need to trim a bit more tall weeds and move the camera a bit to the left. Overnight last night, the camera caught several deer (or the same ones, a few times) eating corn at the rock. It's amazing, with all that grain, that they also saw fit to eat my Rose of Sharon, Asiatic Lilies and start on the Tiger Lilies over the past two nights. Stinkers..... I have now shredded Irish Spring and sprinkled it among the flowers including the daylilies that are just starting to bud. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...
Anyway, it's Sunday morning, and I am blessed by the presence of a young bear. I can tell you, I still have difficulty judging their age and size, although I think this is a yearling. He has some brown under-fur or so it seems, and much more brown going up his nose to the copper "eyebrows". I say "he", because as I was clicking away, I think I caught sight of his tassel but it was not a shot that I captured. What a cute little guy, and as always, I feel badly that I can't go remove those nasty ticks from him. But he's happily eating some sunflower seeds, and oblivious to the fact that he is sharing the Diner with a tiny breakfast companion...
I watched them for a while peacefully co-existing without either one seemingly caring about the other.
A short while later, and from a different vantage point, little bear actually SAW the chipmunk come scampering out of the woods and ya know what he did??? Yep, ran right up the tree! That big ferocious bear, was afraid of the oncoming chipmunk!
But that's not even the end of the story, noooo...... the bear ran off into the woods and the chipmunk disappeared back into the thicket, so I left my post at the window for another cuppa joe... only to see movement from the thicket and out rushes my mighty hunter Shadow, with a critter hanging from his mouth and two crows chasing him up the driveway. Dilemma: grab the camera, or save a critter??? I opted to fly in the face of the fur trapping law, and save whatever Shadow had found, so I was at my post at the doggie door when he came pushing through, chipmunk flailing. I grabbed Shadow, and gently held the chippy's tail (so when Shadow dropped him, he could not run into the house ... saving myself from THAT grief again!). I thumped Shadow on the head and pushed open the door with my head (yep, picture it, I'm on all fours on the floor with a squirming cat holding an even more squirming chipmunk, and trying to hold the door open with my head...). Shadow lets go, the chippy runs out the door, Shadow breaks free and runs after the Chippy.
Who said an old broad's reflexes were slow???? I grabbed that cat's tail lickity split and kept him from taking off after that dear little chipmunk. So, another rodent life saved, although Shadow had the same instinct and speed as I....
Betcha he'd love the little lizards in Florida... wish chipmunk tails re-grew :-(
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"My Creator, Let me live today with an open heart. Let me realize to be vulnerable is a strength, not a weakness. Let me realize the power of an open heart. Let me be available to truth. If I get into trouble, let me hear the whisper of your guidance. Let me make heart decisions and let my head catch up to that decision." Audrey Shenandoah, ONONDAGA
On May 12th, a beautiful Mama Bear came by with her yearling. The thing that was noticeable about her, was the large scraped off area of fur on the inside of her right rear leg.
I really have not scrutinized my pictures enough to know if she is the same one I called "Spooky Mama" ... I really need more hours in the day!! At any rate, she came by again today!!! We had such terrible rain this morning, and I went out to retrieve the trail cam SD card and put out the birdseed ration for the day, and not 5 minutes after I cam into the house, the thunder and lightning started up. One strike was so close to our house, it actually opened the electric garage door ~ I'd never had that happen before! Not long afterwards, my laptop crashed and I thought the hard drive had finally given up ... so I made a few calls and got involved in that effort. I don't know who or what ate most of the seed on the rock, but I looked outside at one point to see a rather large bear ambling over from the driveway. The scrape on her leg was apparent, and she was alone. Just a couple nights ago on the trail cam, there were two bears at one time, seemed to be a mother and cub and I could not tell which one. Close ups of this Mama today show a visible "mark" on the lower right eye lid, maybe I can go back and look at that picture and see if I can see anything that small on the black and white, infrared images (there's that "not enough hours in the day" thing again!!). But for the time being, I'm content to know the family has separated and Mama is still in the area! That means there's a chance I could see some courtship activity in the area, and maybe babies next Spring??? I can only HOPE♥
Okay, that garage is just waiting... so if ya don't hear from me again today, know I am down there working away. Sale starts Friday. Wish you were here!!
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"Mother Earth is not a resource, she is an heirloom." David Ipinia, Yurok
Coffee is always the first order of business and with it, first thing this morning I saw Buddy (I think...). It was so early, he and I were still clearing the cobwebs from our head, although for him, it was more literal, teeheehee. It's so hard to tell these bears apart! In one of the pictures, though, I think I saw that distinctive little scar on the upper right side of his nose near his eye, and he sure behaved like Buddy when I walked outside with my camera. I had a busy day ahead so didn't dally with him as long as I wanted. Back inside to cut up a roasting chicken and put it in marinade, before heading off to the grocery store for sugar and more canning jars so I could continue with the jam making.
Before starting with the cooking though, I raked the last part of the garden and planted a dozen corn plants; moved rocks and planted 4 pumpkin, an eggplant and the last 3 celery roots, put together another planter and started to fill it with dirt, mulched the potatoes and changed out some water in the goldfish pond. THEN after a shower for myself and the garden (thank you Mother Nature), I sterilized jars and made 8 jars of strawberry rhubarb jam.
With the after-noon nearly gone it was time to BBQ the chicken and have a glass of wine ... and now I am pooped♥ Looks like the raccoon was tired too, or else she's taking lessons from the bears!!
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I do not think the measure of a civilization
is how tall its buildings of concrete are,
But rather how well its people have learned to relate
to their environment and fellow man.
Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe
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Monday, June 20, 2011
It's SUMMER .... well almost anyway♥ First order of business this morning was the trail cam ... had to see if the bear pair were back last night. No luck on the two, but ....
A couple cups of coffee later, and I was all set to take a cruise. That departure was postponed a bit, when I saw a bear out in the grass. I took a few photos, but ...well, strawberries wait for no one not even the bear, so I got in the car & headed down the driveway. When the bear made no attempts to move, I realized it was Buddy!! Unafraid, he sat and watched as I exited the driver side not 15 feet from him,
and took a few more pictures. I wonder how illegal it would be, to pick up a hitch-hiking bear??!!!
Anyway, I'm off on my 50 mile drive to Bainbridge, New York and those berries.
Thank goodness it was a beautiful day for a drive, because the picking was a big disappointment. The excessive rain and lack of sun made for a terrible berry season.Barely two weeks since they started harvesting, the berries are few and far between, and small. Typically, small berries are real sweet and perfect for jams. Not this year! Oh well, I'll just have to add more sugar to the recipe... ;-)
So anyway, across the Susquehanna River to Frog Pond Farms for some fruits and vegetables, and then back 50 miles home to Pa. The entire process took 4 1/2 hours. Unloading the car, I turn to see...Buddy!
I was not quick enough with the camera, but believe me when I tell you, that silly bear was laying spread eagle with his back in the thicket!! I don't know if he was there the whole time I was gone, or had just come back. But he hung around for about another hour, then he was gone...
So, I hulled the strawberries and cleaned and washed the rhubarb,
and the first batch of strawberry rhubarb jam is macerating. The peaches are similarly peeled and chopped and waiting their turn. Tomorrow should be another busy day. If I'm lucky, a BEARY busy day♥
"In our story of Creation, we talk about each one of us having our own path to travel, and our own gift to give and to share. You see, what we say is that the Creator gave us all special gifts; each one of us is special. And each one of us is a special gift to each other because we've got something to share." John Peters (Slow Turtle), WAMPANOAG
Have I told y'all how much I love the Zac Brown Band??? ♥♥♥
Today is just the opposite of yesterday, activity-wise. There are always birds flitting about; the hummers were happy for fresh nectar in their feeders and the hairy woodpecker and chickadee are taking beaks full of suet and flying off into the trees, surely feeding their nestlings. I am listening to the call of the woodpecker as I type. The mammals, however, have been few and far between.
But there was a parade of critters on the trail cam overnight, beginning just about dusk with the arrival of Annie the doe, still looking very round of belly.
The raccoon was also a guest and, about 4 AM, this video was captured:
That would make 6 bear sightings, in less than 24 hours...
Many birds have been enjoying the seeds and I generally enjoy watching them. Like everything else in these woods, the crows are thriving. I could do with a few less of them; they scare off the squirrels and other birds and eat more than their fair share. They even fly around and harass the red tail hawks in the area, which used to nest in a tree nearby before the crows became so dominant. Now I only see them fly around from time to time.
Aside from the birds, it's been a quiet Sunday, at least so far. But just like the weather here, you never know what the next 5 minutes will bring♥
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"We are not human beings here on Earth having spiritual experiences, but spiritual beings here to have human experiences." Chief Bill Burke, Umatilla
I woke this morning, aching all over. The days of preparation for the sale, on cement floors, have done me in. A very special friend suggested I take a day to relax and recoup ... and I have been amply rewarded for taking that advice. Of course, even on a day of doing "nothing", there is much to do.
First order of business, feed the goldfish and check for any problems in the garden. Fish ~ okay and fed, three cute frogs hanging out in the little pond including the largest one that was under my wood-stove 24 hours ago. Clean the pump and fountain, snap a couple photos of the frogs, and on to the garden. There are a few weeds taller that the celery root, so I MUST do a little weeding of them, and the onions. Not too much ... I am forcing myself to see the vegetables, not the weeds today. There are tomatoes on the vine, the potatoes are popping through the straw, one artichoke is nearly two feet tall (I'm trying three different varieties). Kill a few slugs, try to take a pic of the artichoke (too close, wrong lens :-( ... ), then head in for another cup of coffee. And a peek out the window reveals a bear in the yard. So, back outside I go... I couldn't tell you which bear this was. The neighbor's new lawnmower cranked up about the same time as Bear saw me with the camera, and it bolted.
But it brought me out to the edge of the mowed yard, to a tree where a yellow-bellied sapsucker was doing a mating dance for his lady love. Amazing, and I captured it on film ...
I sometimes thing that writing this blog is self-indulgent and self-ISH, but then I realize that I re-live the experience myself, over and over, in seeing the pictures and reading my own "notes"
And I think, it's okay even if somewhat indulgent. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? Today, I saw a male and female yellow-bellied sapsucker sharing a moment. I saw a bear, however briefly. And it's only mid-morning.
Little did I know what lay in store for me today...
But I was pleasantly surprised when bear #2 arrived. I don't know this bear. It has no "pennys" above its' eyes. And it is very alert, and skittish. It doesn't stay for long either, but I got enough close up shots from the window to know it's not a bear with which I'm familiar ... and it looks like it's just been for a swim. I wonder if it's the same bear as was here earlier, but that one was too fleeting for any good ID. Whatever, it's nice to see you, new bear!
So, bear #2 ambles off past the trail cam, and I go on about the business of downloading photos when, oh my ...there's another bear!
Definitely not the same bear as a while ago, this one looks to have a small white spot of hair on her forehead (her??? just a feeling...), and has the copper penny eyebrows. She's rather small, I think a yearling ... boy there are a lot of bears around this year! Or maybe it's more that, I am actually enjoying watching and photographing them and taking time to find identifying marks, rather than chasing "that darn bear" out of my yard.
And the bear parade is not over yet...
The 4th sighting of the day happens while hubby is mowing the yard. He alerts me that there's a bear around, but it takes off past the trail cam before I get a chance to take any pictures. Shortly thereafter, it re-appears, and is not overly concerned with the mower, or the human sitting on it. It is looking for the wild strawberries.
The demeanor of this one makes me feel like it could be Buddy, but I don't know ... looks a bit too gangly... I hoped it would take a swim, but not today. I am so happy, though ... four bear sightings, at least three different ones AND, the last one was scent marking my Alberta Spruce ... the stinker... I am so blessed, and I am grateful to Dr E for suggesting I relax today!!
This FEROCIOUS looking bear was actually chewing on grasses along the pond edge....
Such a sweet face ... these are some of the most amazing and beautiful animals I have ever seen. It's been a beary special Saturday. And it's not over yet.
It's late afternoon, and I've decided to have some limeade, with a boost ♥ I don't drink a lot of liquor, preferring wine. But I try to keep a bottle of Lemoncello in the freezer. And it seems like a limeaid - kinda day. I think if I had Tequila in the house, I'd be tempted to do a shot. But Lemoncello will be good too.
I've taken and downloaded over 300 pictures today, some quite good ... some already deleted. I should come up with a system for categorizing them, so I can recall them when I want. Because the ones that come next may be really special.
And as it turns out, they were. My last photos of the day, of the Mama turkey and her hatchlings.
Well, my last photos of the day SO FAR☺
This little guy was bringing up the rear for a while ...well ...except that there was a full grown turkey in the 'way back position!!
Oh my goodness, this has been a day of rich rewards for time well wasted...
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"Those who wish to pet and baby wildlife love them, but those who respect their natures and wish to let them live their natural lives, love them more ." Edwin Way Teale
Edwin Way Teale (June 2, 1899 – October 18, 1980) was an American naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Teale's works serve as primary source material documenting environmental conditions across North America from 1930 - 1980. He is perhaps best known for his series The American Seasons, four books documenting over 75,000 miles (121,000 km) of automobile travel across North America following the changing seasons. (courtesy of WikiPedia...)
Because it was cool and overcast, I decided to spend some time outdoors with the camera; overcast skies sometimes afford great photographs. I took one of the balls I bought yesterday and tossed it into the pond. That gave me a few interesting shots!
Walking around the property, I also noticed some apples on one of our trees, and a bunch more on the ground after the storm last night. Down in the woods, there were a multitude of tiny apples fallen from the old trees, and I just have to believe there would be mushrooms in that area ~ if I had gotten to them at the right time and before the critters found them. But it gives me hope for next year's morel season...
I watched in awe as he shook tree branches, leaned over to the left, perched on the limb, and in general showed his displeasure at the new "addition" to his regularly traveled trail.
