A funny for ya

So I noticed this morning that gas is now at $3.54/gal. for unleaded at the Citgo on West St. I'm thinking, Ok, so I can buy a little more than six gallons this week, and keep my gas spending at just a little over $21.00. Ouch! I don't think that's gonna even make a quarter of a tank. I have been riding my motorcycle to work, but now we're having rain. I don't do riding in the rain. Bummer all the way around.

They're Back!

The New Hampshire state bird....nope, not the Purple Finch. The Black Fly!

I was out in my yard doing some raking yesterday. Something about stirring up the leaves, seems to bring em out. They were just flying around my head. I don't think they are actually biting right now, but it won't be long.

The Walk to Troy

On Saturday, I joined a small group of walkers for a stroll. The walk began at the Stone arch bridge which spans the Branch River in Keene. We headed south along the old Boston railroad bed for about 8 miles, ending our journey at the restored Troy Depot. The walk was well attended with eight walkers, and a toy poodle named "Sophie". Sophie kept the pace with no problem. She was decorated with a pink, rhinestone embellished collar. The lovely rhinestones spelling out her name.

Along the way we examined old remnants of the railroad that was once a popular ride to Boston. My grandmother used to tell tale of how she and her friends would ride from Keene to Boston for a day of shopping! I think it would be nice, and more economical to have that opportunity once more. We found concrete posts with the letter "B" painted on them. Beneath the "B" which stands for Boston, we found the number "88", which signifies the number of miles to Boston. Four of us found the large nails used to attach the rails to the ties. The rails and ties have long since been uprooted. We found piles of ties scattered along the way. As we made our way through ledgy granite, we couldn't help but feel like we were in another world. The granite cliffs were dripping with spring melt, and covered with green moss. It looked like a rain forest. The temperature there was markedly cooler, and refreshing as the day was very warm.

We stopped briefly to picnic, before completing the last two or so miles. I heard stories of hiking in Tuscany, and being robbed in Spain. One man told me about his youth, growing up in Switzerland and all the great hiking there. Yes, this was a diverse group with many neat tales.

There are several more walks planned for the coming Saturdays. Though I will miss the next hike, I will definitely plan to attend the others! A fun group, and a glorious day for a walk.

Far Hills

I had a chance to take a mountain bike ride the other day. I make a point of staying on the drier trails this time of year, to keep my impact on the land at a minimum. I usually enjoy alittle bushwhacking while I explore uncovered paths. It's neat to wandered off a logging road to follow a well-worn deer trail. I found several sizable vernal pools complete with chirping frogs.

I rode around the edges of a couple large hay fields, and saw a lone deer who had seen me long before I saw him. He stood very still for a long time, then quietly bounced away, tail in the air. I took this photo facing the Vermont ski areas. You can still see the snow covered ski runs. What a great view, and so peaceful. In the distance I heard a Barred Owl calling. Perfect.

Me & Jack the Dane

First I have to tell you that I was mistaken about the absence of "Spring Peepers" in Walpole. I went for a bike ride last evening around 5 p.m. I was delighted to hear two different frogs along Mill Rd. I noticed that in some places, there was still some ice on the vernal pools, but the frogs were active. In pools where there was no ice left, different frogs were active. Their songs were more shrill, and found at the pond near the Hooper Institute.

Today I worked at Monadnock Humane Society, taking care of my boarding charges; Jack, Kuchen, Greta and Rascal. Kuchen went home in the morning, full of energy, and so excited to see her master. Greta and Jack are Great Danes, each belonging to a different person. I tried to get a picture of me and Jack, so you could get a sense of his largesse. What a big baby he is. He loves to play, and bound around. Most of all, he likes to lean into you, and coax a good long scratch on his rump. Greta is a smaller Dane, and not easy to warm up to. But Greta is also a sap, who enjoys rump scratches, so I'm happy to oblige. Rascal is a pitbull mix, and he's with us for a month. He was really timid at first, but now has settled in just fine. He also likes the rump scratch!

A breath of spring

The weatherman called for rain all weekend. But what a wonderful surprise! Temperatures in the upper 60's, and partly sunny. I'll take it. I pushed the last big chunk of ice off my deck, broke up a sizable chunk in front of my shed, and did some raking(around snow that won't give in). It's the kind of day where you just want to breathe in the fresh spring air. I did just that, and I'm not done yet. I'll probably go out for my daily jog in a bit too. The only drawback I've found is the pollen in the air. My eyes are burning from it, but it's a non-issue.

The bird is a White-throated Sparrow, and I;m pleased to say that he and many other birds are back. I spoke with a friend yesterday who saw Snow Geese flying up the Connecticut River. I've seen them there as well, but not this year...yet. In Keene, the spring peepers are singing once more, and that is truly one of my favorite sounds. Many of the vernal pools in Walpole are still partly covered with ice, so we'll have to wait a bit longer to the frogs up here. No matter, I'm just so grateful to have spring back, and winter GONE!

BAAAAA Ram you!

This is the time of the year when lambs are born, and sheep are shorn. The drawing above is my rendition of the "BAAAA Spa at nearby Longridge Farm". While I'm sure the sheep aren't getting the pampering shown, they will be getting high and tight haircuts.

It was snowing once again when I got up this morning! I'm thinking those sheep are going to want to hang on to there fleeces, and their little ones for a few more weeks. Winter is relentless. I still have two feet of snow in my front yard. Just a few miles south of here, the snow is nearly gone.

I've heard many new bird arrivals; Woodcock, Chipping Sparrow, Red Winged Blackbird, and Killdeer. I've seen Robins, Turkey Vultures, Canada Geese. The hummingbirds will be in for a big surprise when they finally come back! Hopefully their sixth sense about weather patterns will tell them to hang tight where ever they are, before venturing up here.

The snow is turning to rain, so the melt is on.