The Best Vacation Ever

I have a problem. Not in a bad way, I‘m a problem-solver.  I guess it‘s more of a change in behavior …  I want something.  Suddenly (well, maybe not …just, culminatingly?) I want to go places. I want to see things I’ve never seen before; carry my camera and record images of things and people I’ve never experienced before.  It’s not just the Falls in South Dakota, or the butterfly pavilion;

it’s not just Ely, Minnesota.

It’s the people who were there, encouraging me, loving me, sharing with me. It’s the eyes of the grandchild … now a young man who has a heart as big as the sky under which he was conceived. It’s the 5 year old who punched me in the nose when he was three and with whom I got to share breakfast every day for nearly a week.

It’s not just the 50 and 60- somethings who grew up alongside me in time albeit in another place.  It’s not just the children, or the 20, 30 and 40 somethings that could be my children, or grandchildren.  It is also, selfishly, about me.

I was given this one life that I have lived thus far with honor; with my brains, and my body if necessary but always with my spirit guiding me onward.  I think I’ve arrived, at a time and place where I know myself and what I need to complete my journey in this space, at this time.

I need to go places, see friends and family, and friends who are family.  With my camera. With my Spirit. With a hired guide…… maybe a mule or two? Teeheehee♥

Gonna go check the MN and SD lottery tickets I bought. If I’m a winner, I’m sharing with those in whose homes I slept while on my vacation.  If I didn’t win … there will be quite a few garage sales on the horizon and medicine bags in my future ~ see ya here (time and dates TBA), on Etsy … or   ♫♫ Somewhere Out There ♫♫ (click & cry links...).  Remember, you've got a friend in Pennsylvania :-)

**********

"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better" ... Albert Einstein.  

Also the quote on the treasure box given to me this past weekend, 

by one of the most beautiful souls (and a very funny and smart woman!) I have ever come to know♥

**********

PS: The Trail cam captured NOTHING, but I did see a bear yesterday. Camera equipment still packed.  I'll be back to "normal" in a week or so, but I will never be the same♥

PSS: no winning lottery tickets. Gonna go get the garage ready for the next sale...well, maybe in a day or two. I'm still not recovered from my vacation... the best one EVER♥

Did someone say Karaoke?

Bears in love

I've got a gazillion things to do and not much time to do it in, and of course ... this is when the bears choose to do extraordinary things.  I thought it was awesome when two bears showed up, two days ago, in "courting" mode.  And since I had taken quite a few photos, I put them all together in a montage

I wasn't intending to write a blog, just share the still pics.  It's just about 9PM, and getting hard to see outside.  About an hour ago, Peg ... the maimed doe, was out at the rock but there was no food, (we're a little worried about her, she is really losing muscle mass in the shoulder of the injured leg) so hubby decided to go give her a little something.  She left after a while, leaving quite a bit of the corn.  And shortly thereafter... the love-bears were back!!! They circled the HRD a couple times in an amorous embrace, and then settled down on opposite sides of the dinner table ..but they weren't settled for long!  Boy got wind of ....bigger boy!

The boys didn't argue or fuss, however ... they kind of walked around each other for a bit, while girl bear continued her supper.  The smaller boy ambled off and the larger remained, to mark his turf...

... and claim his woman. 

Keep in mind it's dusk nearing dark, I'm 150' away and seeing these goings-on, let alone taking photos, is almost impossible!!! Anyway, girl bear was walking off with big boy riding her back and all of a sudden, they were both back at the HRD.  That too was short lived; once again he tryed to mount her but she took off running with him in hot pursuit.  

I can't wait to see what the trail cam captured...but I ain't going out in the dark to find out now. Tomorrow IS another day♥

Pennsylvania Country Summer

Time is a precious commodity these days.  Summer in NE Pa is fleeting so there is a lot to pack into a few short months.  I'm doing my best to prioritize chores, and still enjoy the smells, sights and sounds of our Country Summer.  The milkweed is in bloom, sending its sweet fragrance on the winds.  The summer warmth permeates every boulder and bone with an energy all its own; the monarchs have arrived with the milkweed and the first Japanese beetles have been sighted as well.  It's always a 'dance', trying to allow the habitat to be its natural self, and trying to grow vegetables that are NOT fodder for the wildlife. With each passing summer, the two-step becomes more familiar but never "the same".  I took a little still-photo tour of the garden and yard today,  and put some of the photos together in a montage, set to music so I can't upload it here but please go to this link:  Country Stroll

Japanese beetle traps are a necessity, because those bugs do the most damage in my garden.  Ironically, I saw last year during the bears' hyperphagia phase, they completely enjoyed eating the bugs from the traps! Of course, now I have to buy all new traps this year rather than replacement bags....

Speaking of the bears, our Spooky Cub is usually here early but I haven't seen him yet today.  It's supposed to be even hotter  ~ 90*+ ~ so I will keep on the lookout for a bear in the pond.  This little video is one of the best yet ... for me at least. It holds so much promise, I get a bit giddy with excitement and anticipation for the future, although I surely do not want to wish away my today; after all, who knows what it may produce :-)

PostScript:  They're back!!!! No mating going on in plain sight, but sure looks like a boy (confirmed, if it's Buddy, he's a bit more scarred and has all but lost his copper pennies above the eyes...) and a girl bear♥ 

**********

"Native American isn't blood.  It is what is in the heart.  The love for the land, the respect for it, those who inhabit it, and the respect and acknowledgement of the spirits and elders.  That is what it is to be Indian."
White Feather, Navajo Medicine Man

**********

Sunday School .... Learning to Co-exist♥

I am constantly amazed to see and learn about the animals in our "neighborhood", like Racquel Raccoon, who has learned that she gets sunflower seeds ONLY if she gets up early.  Then there are the myriad of woodpeckers including the Northern Flicker who you are more likely to flush up from the forest floor than see in a tree.



And the turkey vultures, that are the garbage cans of the carcass world, even if the carcass is a floating fish.  Nature is amazing!

Early yesterday morning, I looked out the living room window to see Annie the deer grazing on wildflowers (a/k/a, weeds) not 4 feet from me, the little stinker. Now I KNOW who ate my Asiatic Lilies, LOL♥ But it is, still, a small price to pay for having the opportunity to see these critters! My Maximillian perennial sunflowershave been left alone, so I'm good

with losing a few flowers here and there. Later in the day, she brought her fawn out to graze with her, and I now also understand just why Shadow has been taking me out to a low trail just left of the detached garage.  It's where Annie leaves her baby when she comes a'callin by herself.  I tell you, Shadow probably knows all the forest critters, and talk about co-existing ... well, except for some playthings he accidentally kills, he has tons of friends in
the woods or so it seems. I managed to revive this little bird he brought in to me yesterday, thankfully... just holding it for a bit til it's heart rate slowed and it stopped gasping, calmed it down enough that it flew out of my hand after just a few minutes.  Thank goodness both of these cats have such 'soft' mouths...

Of course, my little friend Spooky Cub has been out and about along with the other critters, he is just a sweetheart.  Cautious, and indeed spooky ... yet he sits and watches as our vehicles drive not 15 feet past him.  But he gets easily startled (blue jays seem to make him crazy!!), and when the winds were picking up yesterday, he was too jittery to stay around very long.  We have taken to putting the daily seed ration out in the early AM, so breakfast is "served" but the rest of the day, the critters need to fend for themselves.  It's working well so far ...no daylilies lost (yet) either.  Of course, there is plentiful clover and other native plants, seeds and insects to keep everyone more than well fed even without our daily offerings.  I am blessed in so many, many ways.

**********

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. ~ Unknown ~

**********

Chillin' on the Dirt Road

It's amazing to me, how different the weather can be from one year to the next, and how much the weather affects everything else in its realm.  For the past few days, our high temperatures have been in the 90's at the height of the day, while overnight temps dip into the 50's.  That creates a lot of morning fog which the snails and slugs have been enjoying to be sure.  One of the first tasks every day is to pick snails from the garden plants, which reminds me, I forgot to buy beer!!!

The trail cam hasn't been seeing a lot of overnight action, probably because of the rain and fog.  Yesterday, however, as the fog rolled in, a bunny was observed hoppily munching near the HRD.  Throughout each day, a stream of critters come by the rock; each seems to become more comfortable with the other as the summer progresses... I wonder if this would happen "naturally".

This morning began with a bear sighting ~ SC (Spooky's Cub) was outside but as his name would suggest, he was being very spooky about something in the thicket, most likely Shadow.  He didn't stay very long. A bit later, I went outside and looked over to the bed pine tree...sure enough, he was up there sleeping!  So I suited up for a walk in the woods.  I thought about wearing my new boots but decided against it since it is so wet outside ... thank goodness for that decision as one of the first things I did in the woods, was walk into a pile of very wet bear scat!! My aim today was to see if I could get better pictures of SC up in the tree, and I had un-knowingly gone out with a 1G SD card in the camera.  It took me all of 10 minutes to fill that up, so a return to the house was in order... would SC still be up there when I returned??  

I'd had the 50mm lens on the camera, and decided to switch back to the telephoto.  I am so glad, because SC was very accommodating today.  Not only did he remain in the big pine for a while, he seemed to pose (ok, he was actually checking me out and being very alert to his surroundings) ... but he IS a very photogenic cub♥ I traipsed around the tree and took photographs from several angles (500+ photos today, oh my...); I thanked my resident cub for his time, then left the woods.  Walking out, I came upon Mama turkey and her lone remaining baby walking along the driveway so of course that demanded a few photographs, and then I realized that what I thought were additional turkeys near the pond were actually a pair of turkey

 vultures, trying to retrieve the dead bass the Heron had grabbed, then dropped a day before.  Dispite the fact that I hadn't had breakfast, and was functioning on only one cup of coffee, I decided to stay outside for a while and see what SC did after I left the woods.  Another great decision ... Mother Nature is certainly directing me today! Not 15 minutes elapsed before I heard the scrape of paws on pine, and saw the black shadow moving down the trunk of the tree.  There was still some corn at the HRD so I figured SC would be over shortly for a nosh.  How thrilled was I, to hear logs being torn apart instead!

Yes, there are treats here for this cub and all of his friends, neighbors and relatives.  But he is a bear,

and he is doing his bear thing!  I so wanted to sneak off and photograph his efforts but feared he'd run off (he IS Spooky, after all...), so I stayed put in the shadows for a bit and then went inside.  The bluejays have been dive bombing and dancing with one another, so I thought I'd take a few peanuts out to them ~ another great-timing decision.  Turns out, SC likes peanuts too.... although he did go through some cautionary exercises before he came out to partake of the new victuals.  I spoke softly to him and tossed a few peanuts in his direction, and he blessed me by moving closer and allowing me to take some amazing photos of him.  As usual, I wanted to reach over and pull the ticks off his head; I wanted to feed him a handful of peanuts and sunflower seeds; I wanted to be close enough to touch this amazing 

and beautiful little bear.  But I know the risks are far greater for him, than for me, if I were to indulge those desires ... so I remain content and grateful for the opportunity to be as close as he came to me and for the mutual trust and respect we share. I hope the little white shock of hair between his ears remains, as it is the identifier I am using for him at the moment.  If his presence mimics that of Buddy last year, he will be a frequent guest through early next year and then widen his "territory" greatly.  For now, I am so pleased he seems to have chosen "Fawn Haven" as his haven too.

I wonder if he will use the den below the pond that I stumbled upon earlier this year?  That would be a dream come true for me... in the meanwhile, I will just enjoy his frequent visits.  This one seemed to be shorter than usual, and I suspect I now know why.  When I went inside he was lying in the grass eating peanuts; by the time I got inside the house, removed my boots and grabbed a cup of coffee, the larger bear had taken his place at the HRD.  

Big Bear didn't stay long enough for me to make any identification, guess (s)he was just doing a walk-about and dropped in for a quick bite.  I have a suspicion it was Spooky and if that is the case, then maybe, just maybe, there are cubs in my future.  What a wonderful possibility..... and although I take each day as it comes and am unwilling to wish them away, I cannot help but look forward to what next spring may hold in store here on the hillside, in the mist, in the midst of some of the most abundant, healthy and awesome wildlife Mother Nature has to offer.

For whatever reason (Maybe because I added a music track??), it seems I can't insert this youtube video here, so you'll need to click the link to see me and SC today ...

video of SC & me 7.7.2011

**********

"There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled,

which leads to an unknown, secret place.The old people came literally to love the soil,and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power.Their teepees were built upon the earthand their altars were made of earth.The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life giving forces.For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him."        Chief Luther Standing Bear 

**********

Please check out my ETSY store for handmade one-of-a-kind medicine bags
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mycherokee

Deerly Beloved

Fawn Haven, this hillside I call home, is prime real estate for local wildlife.  There are old-growth pines, mature oak, maple, locust, ash, elm, quaking aspen (poplar) and more ~ an understory of old heirloom roses, elderberries, choke cherry, raspberries, blueberries, and a forest floor that holds more nutrition for wildlife than I'd even imagined.  While we have tried to "tame' a small portion of the area for our homestead, the majority is as it was hundreds of years ago ... with only the addition of a 'farm pond' that serves the wildlife as well.  I know, I watched the Great Blue Heron fly off with a bass fry yesterday.  I also find the shells from fresh-water mussels from time to time... near the pond, on the top of rocks, and even in my flower bed.  Hmmm, maybe it was a raccoon eating the lily buds too? Of course, it may be the fawns ... after all, there is a steady stream of deer here on the hill!! Peg has been coming around often and seems to be doing okay. A bit thin possibly, but she is putting a bit of weight on that maimed leg, and has no difficulties walking, or running, if she feels the need.

Having lived here more than 20 years, I know diversionary feeding helps keep the critters away from the garden which is fenced though not electrified. I also employ other tactics, including planting mint (oops, mistake: shoulda contained that ...) & garlic, and shredding Irish Spring soap into some of the perennials that the deer love to eat.

Some shrubs must be fenced in especially over winter though. The cats help keep small critters out of the garden and flower beds too, as much as I sometimes dislike that fact. The cub is aware of Shadow's presence in the thicket, but they seem to co-exist pretty well!

Anyhow, my point is that the wildlife that lives here takes advantage of the amenities I provide, but they would be and indeed were here without them.  My effort is to try to carve out a bit of room for humans in an area of abundant, healthy wildlife.  Buddy's appearance last year may have been a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience to that end.  He was here almost daily, for most of the summer months and returned early this spring.  But I have not seen him in several weeks now.  He is doing what healthy male bears do ... roaming wild and free and hopefully mating for the first time this summer.  I hope I see him again this year, and I hope I can recognize him when I do!

This year's cub is similarly appearing almost daily.  I think he originally came around with his Mama, so he is more at home from the get-go.  I don't know if it is his Mama, or another BIG bear that stopped by last night, but it was just dusk when I saw the large black shape, which I was not able to capture well from the living room window in very low light, but which the trail cam caught in infrared.

I am grateful that the bears bless me with their presence, and their good behavior.  As I have said on many occasions,  were they to devour my garden entirely, I would not be angry with the critters.  They were here first.  I've documented at least six different bears so far this year, and have also observed fox and rabbits on the trail camera videos.  I'm still HOPEing to catch something more unusual (like, a bobcat, or cougar??) but with the grace of the Almighty I have lots of time; with the blessing of Mother Nature, I'll have plenty of guests at the Hard Rock Diner.

**********  

"We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and the winding streams with tangled growth, as 'wild'. Only to the white man was nature a 'wilderness' and only to him was the land 'infested' with 'wild' animals and 'savage' people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with blessings of the Great Mystery..."

-Chief Luther Standing Bear of the Oglala band of Sioux 

**********

click here for my Etsy shop/Medicine bags♥

Raining Bear

Enlarge to see why I called this "Drops of Jupiter" ...
it is in actuality an asparagus fern in yesterday morning's dew.

I have a serious problem.... no really...
I take so many photos of nature and the wildlife around me, that I could spend all day in shooting, reviewing, editing and printing.  But that's not the problem!  The problem is, the guilt I feel when I spend so much time shooting, reviewing, editing and uploading♥  I've got to let go of the guilt!!! This clip took me a few tries ... it's a composite of three video clips from this morning, including Smokey's view from the window...

This was the second bear sighting of the day ... the first was prior to the onset of the downpours ~ I didn't get enough opportunity to determine just who this big bear was... Yesterday, the cub who was here was very afraid of the ball but finally overcame that fear and went about munching some seeds.  He even paid little attention to the mowing of the lawn although his attention was diverted by the deer Mama who did NOT like the noise of the lawnmower, and moved her twins across the driveway and into the woods, far away from the lawn mower. You can barely see the deer in the darkness of the shade, but if you look closely at the sunny 'opening' center top, you can see Mama go through, followed by the two babies...

The ball didn't seem to be an issue for the turkeys; it was still outside by the HRD this morning, and cubby was rather cautious of it again ... and then of course, the rain came and he took to 'higher ground'.  We watched through the window from time to time to see if we had any additional visitors, but saw nothing special. "Maybe you should move that ball", hubby suggested just before we made ourselves some lunch.  "I'll do that after lunch", said I, and we ate our hotdogs.  Not five minutes later, hubby asked where I had moved the ball to... "Huh???"  I'll be danged, the ball was gone and I hadn't been outside!  So, off I went to retrieve the trail cam SD card.

Everyone thinks their children (two, three or four legged) are the smartest, right?  I have some incredibly smart bears ... they do not want me to become the America's Funniest Home Video $100,000 winner, not on their backs.  Somehow, right under the nose of the trail cam, someone again confiscated the ball without capture.  The clip below suggests who the culprit WAS, but we have no evidence.  

Hubby and I retrieved about 1/2 of the purple plastic, off to the right of the driveway down the beaten path.  Wanna bet we find the other half in a den someday?

Oh, and since Smokey got some "air time", Shadow wanted to know where HIS equal time was .... so here is the mighty hunter, launching himself at the turkeys.... you may need to watch this more than once to see him, LOL♥  I think the deer said, "WTH???"

**********

“The most common trait of all primitive peoples is a reverence for the life-giving earth, and the Native American shared this elemental ethic: The land was alive to his loving touch, and he, its son, was brother to all creatures" Stewart L. Udall

**********

Hahahaaaaaa, this may be the answer...

The Bed Tree

Yesterday was a very busy day and then we went out for dinner, so I had little time for blogging.  Naturally, I did take pictures♥  One of the cutest things that happened yesterday, was the early appearance of the light-faced raccoon, and the turkeys, including a baby chick.  

It seems Mama turkey decided to teach the little one all about dust-baths, in the driveway. Seriously cute, to be sure...


The squirrels were also having a fun day, chasing one another all over the trees!  One of the squirrels has a very reddish tone to its fur, almost looks like a cross between a gray and a red squirrel.  I guess stranger things have happened!

So why is it, no matter how much time you spend watching, and waiting, you always manage to miss the $100,000 video clip??? Little bear, who I believe to be the cub of Spooky Mama, came out this morning and allowed me to take a bit of video.  He was very tolerant of me and the camera, but when the cat walked outside, he became spooked... guess the cub doesn't fall far from the tree!!

Speaking of which, after Spooky the Cub ran off, I heard the familiar sounds of claws on bark. Could he be tearing apart logs?? Considering that the battery on the video camera had run dry, I went back inside and brought out the Canon on it's tripod, and took a little hike.  I didn't have to go far before I realized where the cub had gone, and he wasn't tearing up logs.  He was sawing wood ...up in one of the big white pines.

I had long suspected the pines on this land were excellent "bed" trees, and it seems I was right.  This little guy was right at home, about 40' up and wrapped around the trunk.  It was obvious, he'd used this spot before.

I stayed outside taking photos of the sleepy cub in the tree, and the squirrels and deer, for about 3 hours before the little guy decided nap time was over and came back to the HRD. In the process, I took 450 photographs. (I've since whittled it down to just over 200 ... I'm gonna need a bigger hard drive!!).  I just can't help myself .... the critters are so photogenic and I would obviously much rather be outdoors than in ~  any excuse to NOT do housework is welcomed!!  It's really a shame I don't know how to make a living off the addiction to photography and bears ...

So, as the little cub enjoyed his sunflower seeds, I went in to download photos and clean the bathroom ... not necessarily in that order.  A short time later, I looked outside and a flash of color caught my eye, out in the woods.  "What was that?", I wondered...  Looking over towards the Hard Rock Diner, I noticed something missing ... the BALL!  The orange ball had been there just a while ago, and now was over in the woods! Hoping against hope, I went out to retrieve the trail camera SD card ... would it show me what had happened?    NOOOOOOOOOO.

All I know is, there was a different bear at the rock, and the ball was on the ground.  

Eight minutes after that trail cam clip ended, another began when a deer came by.  The ball was no longer there.  I retrieved it from the woods, with a large gash.... just another piece of plastic destined for the trash pile.  It revealed no secrets ...no insight into what had transpired.  Darn. Another opportunity for "America's Funniest Home Video's" fame, dashed. Oh well, I have another ball, and tomorrow IS another day♥

**********

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. " -- Helen Keller

**********