Where did October Go?

I can not believe it has been over a month since my last post!  Yikes!  Alot has bappened since then, and I guess I got caught up in the busy-ness of it.  I gave up my job as a Loss Prevention Manager - just not for me.  I'm back at the Humane Society surrounded by my furry friends.   The quality of life with animals far surpasses that of the grocery world.  

When I awoke yesterday to hear the news of our new president, I felt the hopeful energy of the entire United States.  On so many levels, Obama's victory is a victory for every person in this nation.  I'm looking forward to the future of the USA.   I think this hope is shared with so many people. 

I've been hiking almost every weekend, albeit short 1-2  hour hikes.  I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite steep hikes in Hancock, Bald(or Ball?) Mtn.  The view is pictured  above.   On that afternoon, bright sunshine and a light breeze made the afternoon perfect.   I passed several hikers also taking advantage of the fall warmth.   

The following weekend, I ventured over to Bald Mtn. in Marlow, a.k.a. the "Marlow Profile".   This hike also had a steep section with large rock faces.  There were people scaling the face with ropes, and caribiners.   It looked like alot of fun.  I haven't done any rock climbing since college, but as I recall, really neat.   The view from the top of Bald Mtn. is not as breathtaking as Hancock, nevertheless a lovely view especially in fall.  Unfortunately I did not get pictures because my camera batter was 10-2!   I will go back up there again before year's end and properly photograph the area for you.

The quintessential fall foliage of New Hampshire. I think there are more reds this year. The top photo was taken along Rte 10 in Gilsum. The second photo is the hiking group that formed at the NH Tree Farm event in Stoddard. There were several hikes available during the morning and afternoon. The hike I took went to "Jefts Corner", a long since gone village outside Stoddard. There were several cellar holes, and even a cemetery out there. A relatively young stand of Red Pine also marked the rejuvenation that took place after a fire had cleared a great deal of Stoddard land in the 1800's.

The day was complete with a pig roast, and several forest resource displays. There was a man who had obviously been around forever. He had many old tools used to collect timber, using horses. I was fascinated by the "bog shoes". Bog shoes were made of wood with a single iron piece on the bottom. The shoes were about 14" square with a large hole in the middle to fit a horse hoof. Then the shoe strapped on the hoof. The idea was to keep the horses from sinking into swampy soil.

We were so lucky to avoid the rain today. The fall colors just burst forth even amidst a thick fog.

Falling forward

Wow! it has been almost a month since I last posted. This photo depicts one of the several tranquil moments at Rockywold-Deep Haven Camps, on Squam Lake. My sister and I went up there for our annual B.O.W. weekend. B.O.W. is a weekend long series of outdoor workshops designed to teach women to be outdoor enthusiasts. This time around, I took Intermediate Archery, Wilderness Survival, Mountain Biking, and Fishing. Although I am already experienced in these areas, I always find something new to learn. On Saturday night there was a raffle, as always. I won a nice L.L.Bean weather radio, and a Camo-fleece hood for hunting. The hood is heavy weight and toasty!

We made some new friends, and saw old friends we'd met at past B.O.W. I always tell people it's like "Deer Camp" for chicks. The accomodations are fabulous rustic, but well appointed cabins.

We are never disappointed with our cabins, and each year we have a different spot. Kim enjoyed getting up before everyone else and starting a fire for us. She also would start a pot of coffee. In the evenings our cabinmates of which there were at least five, would all sit around the fireplace and tell stories. One women told a ghost story that sent shivers down my spine.
It was the perfect place to tell stories, and listen to the mournful calls of Loons on the lake. The lake water was a perfect temperature for swimming too, even though it was the first weekend in September.

Now, I've started a new job as Eastern Region Loss Prevention Manager for Golub Corporation.
Golub owns all the Price Chopper stores in New England, and Pennsylvania. I am responsible for eight stores! I'm alittle overwhelmed when I try to imagine how I will do this job. I will do a great deal of travelling from Keene, to Brattleboro VT, to Rutland VT, Manchester VT, Windsor VT, and West Lebanon NH. I'm fairly tense about the whole thing right now, but I have resolved to give this new career a chance. Tomorrow, I'm off to the "Fall Show" in Hartford, CT. The Fall Show is a Price Chopper sponsored event that takes place at the Convention Ctr every year. The Loss Prevention Dept. covers security for the event.

Fall arrives tomorrow, and I'm so sad to see Summer go away.

How Creepy is This?

I decided to take a ride up to an old quarry I know of in Surry. I haven't ridden up there for a while, so I wanted to see if there had been more junk thrown in there. Everything has been thrown in this quarry, refrigerators, cars, plastic snowmen. Today though, I found a grisly sight.
A carcass. This carcass was large, and I'm guessing it is a deer. How the deer found its way into the quarry? Maybe it ran off the top edge which is about 20' off the water. Maybe someone tossed it? Dunno. I stood at the top edge just above this thing floating below. The smell was nasty, even from so far away. So Hal, no I wasn't going to get real close up to check it out. What if I fell in? Yuuuuuucccccck I don't have a problem with dead things, and trauma, but the smell tends to linger in ones nostrils for hours after the initial sniff. I did find this sight interesting. Things like this always make me ask myself, "What happened here?". It would be neat to just press the rewind button and see exactly what did occur.

The second picture is the same quarry from a more pleasant angle. I have no idea how deep this place is, or what many things lie at the bottom. I thought it would be cool to drain the whole thing, check out the debris, then haul it all away. This quarry could be a lovely place, at the moment though.....not so much.

Headed for the coast

So do you know where this anchor is located? Not in my front yard, and not at the lake.
I've been wanting to head for the coast for the last few months, but never got around to it until today. A perfect day for a motorcycle ride. I rode through the Northwood area where a tornado devestated several homes a couple weeks ago. You can get a bird's eye view even just passing Harvey Lake. Very eerie. You can see the swath of downed trees, and destruction. Much of it has been cleared near Rte. 4, but you can see what happened.

I drove through Portsmouth and made a stop at the Wentworth-Coolidge mansion. Clearly a yankee built creation. I tried to imagine how many additions had been completed on this house. I counted at least five. The house is opened to the public on Wednesdays, so unfortunately I could not go in. But I am really curious as to the strange tall peak in the middle of the house. It looks weird to be flat on one side like that. This side of the house faces the bay, where you can see the Portsmouth Naval shipyard. The large anchor is right next to the water. There was no plaque or information about it, or the ship it came from. In fact I didn't find any information about the house either! But I did enjoy sitting by the salt water again. I have never gotten enough of that ocean air. It IS one of my favorite things. On the way home I had to make a stop at Johnsons along Rte 4, because they have the largest small ice cream cones next to Kimball's in Jaffrey. With temps in the high 80's today, I had to get a dish to catch all the melting ice cream. The flavor? Chocolate Chip...Yum.

Fungus Fiesta

With all the rain we've been having, there have been myriad mushrooms all over the place. The beautiful clusters of orange shrooms were along the roadside on a Maple stump. At first I thought they were "Big Laughing Gyms" Gymnospilus spectablilis, but now looking closer I'm not so sure. At any rate, I'M not trying them for affect. BLG's a.k.a. Waraitake, allegedly cause laughter and hallucinations. The downside, they're bitter and will make you sick. I'm going to guess that these specimens are a type of Pleurotus, but I'd love to hear what other folks think they are.

The purple shrooms? Well, they remind me of the beautiful Pipe Corals I saw in Curacao several years ago. I couldn't find this particular fungi in my book, but I think it is from the Clavariaceae(coral fungi). There is a bright orange version of this called Clavicorona pyxidata. These fungi are short barely 3" tall, but they do catch your eye because they contrast the leaf litter.

I noticed the Blackberries have burst forth within the last day or so. While I walked my charges at the Humane Society, I made sure we stopped at the plentiful bushes. I think I ate at least two cupfuls! I'll have to make a pie for sure.

I have managed to squeak in a few mountain bike rides before, during and after the rains. I have seen MANY deer, in different spots. All does, some with their little skippers. They all look healthy and vigorous. The Moose are loose too, but I've only come across their tracks. I'm disappointed that I've not seen any bear sign this year. Not only that, they haven't bothered with my birdfeeder.

More Shrooms, more waterfalls

The mushroom, Amanita caesarea, a.k.a. Caesar's mushroom. Though it is supposedly nonpoisonous, the recommendation is not to eat ANY North American Amanita. I read this in "Mushrooms of North America- by Orson K. Miller, Jr." This particular Amanita is surreal in that it looks like something from the "Wizard of Oz". I half expected a knome to pop out from underneath. I found these specimens on an old logging road. The soil was on the dry side, lots of White Pine needles.

The waterfall is in Walpole, NH. A friend told me where to look, so I set out this morning on my mountain bike. This falls appears to be toward the bottom of what I believe might be Aldrich Brook? It's just off the Wentworth Rd, past where the pavement ends. Wentworth Rd is accessible from Rte 12, as well as from BlackJack Crossing Rd. I imagine that in the spring this spot is roaring. The pool at the bottom provides home to native brookies, not more than 5" long. I made my way further up the brook, and found a neat place that looked like a series of basins. Perfectly carved round bowls creating "S" turns as the brook cut its way through the granite over thousands of years. With moss growing everywhere on the rocks and ground, I could easily have mistaken this place for a rainforest.

Mushroom: Destroying Angel

The second day of this mushroom's existence proved interesting. The cap opened up to about 4" across. The gills started to turn brown, and insecting were already beginning to devour it. The stalk and cap remained ivory white. I'm going to identify the shroom as Amanita virosa, a.k.a. Destroying Angel. On the third day, the mushroom was nothing more than a black puddle of goo with a decaying stalk sticking up out of the ground. The weather has created a perfect mushroom situation. Oyster mushrooms are in abundance, I have seen them everywhere! But I won't eat them unless I have a pro-shroomer to confirm identification.

Toadstool? or Mushroom?

I read somewhere that brown fungi are "Toadstools", and white fungi are mushrooms. Who knows? I think everything with a caps, and stalks, are mushrooms. This fine speciment is growing very close to my compost pile. I don't have my shroom identification book right here, but I'm fairly certain that this mushroom is poisonous. I say that because it has a veil developing around the fringe of the cap, and a fringy ring around the stalk. I didn't want to pick the fungi just to identify it so, I will need to wait a bit longer to properly figure its true identification. One of the best ways to "I.D." a mushroom is by its spore print. Unfortunately to do a sporeprint, you have to remove the cap, destroying the mushroom. I'll take another picture when the mushroom has fully effloresced. At the moment this fungi is about 4" tall, with a thick meaty cap about 3-4" across.

There are mound after mound of these red ants on the sandy soiled hillsides in my area. In fact some of these ants are right in my front yard! Today I walked up Sheep Hill, which is due west of my house. The top of the hill has a lot of disturbed soil, with White Pines thriving. I saw many of these red ant mounds. The camera is alittle shaky because I couldn't stand in one place without the ants crawling on to my boots. I'm thinking a person, or animal could be quickly covered by ants in a matter of seconds if they stood even close to these ant hills. THAT is creepy! I didn't hang around long enough to see if they would bite, but I assume they would.
Ant bites not only hurt but if you have a tendency to be allergic to insect bites, these buggers will make you itch, and may even leave a scar.

It's been a while since I last posted. I've been busy in the woods, cleaning up my trails, cutting wood and brush. Taking wood to the lake(Granite Lake). Checking on the guys who are renovating up there. We'll soon have "indoor plumbing"! For well over 60 years, there has never been any hot water, or shower at the camp. Now we will have an artesian well, hot & cold water that we can actually drink!, a complete septic system, and washer/dryer combo. Next we need a new roof.

I have managed a few good mountain bike rides around my area. This picture of pink pond lilies is just up the road from me. I don't think I've ever seen pink lilies, but the white ones are blooming too. If you get a chance to sniff one, how sweet it is. My peonies are just about to burst forth too, and they smell very fragrant as well.

I've discovered a few bird nests, a Hairy Woodpecker family caught my attention with all the squeaking way up high. The perfectly round entrance hole gave them away. I watched as mom and dad would fly in and out of that hole every few minutes. Next while on a walk with my sister, her husband, and their dog, Ringo, we literally stumbled upon a nest full of babes on the ground. The nest was at first well hidden, and very near a brook's edge. I'm not sure what type of birds they were, but I'm going to guess thrush. I heard a thrush nearby, and that's my only basis for the guess. There were probably five chicks in the nest. They all remained very still and silent, until Ringo swooped in and grabbed the whole nest! I was horrified. I yelled for Al to grab the dog as the chicks toppled out into the brook. I was able to save only one. Al salvaged most of the nest, but the other chicks were either swept down the brook, or killed by Ringo's jaws. I set the lone chick on its nest, but fear the mother will not return. I was so, so, disappointed and sad at this dreadful situation.

Field of Daisies

Daisies, Fleabane, Hawkweed, Wild Strawberries, and more, all flourish in my front yard. When I first notice them coming up in early spring, I mow around them. Then as the days pass, this beautiful wild flower canvas appears. Perfect for someone who doesn't have a green thumb.

Moon rock? or something else?

My mom thinks this rock is actually melted glass. I found it along a trail "up back". The area where I found it, is along my property line. There is usually at least a trickle of water flowing through. Each spring and fall, there is a more continuous stream of water, as in brook cascading down the slope. So I'm guessing this piece of "whatever" was washed down. The rock is very lightweight, and looks porous. As you can see it's not very big, but looks very lunar doesn't it?
Any guesses? I was hoping it was a meteorite, but mom says those rocks are very heavy, and magnetic. This rock is not magnetic.

Bobolink chorus

Every morning when I get up, I can hear the robotic sound of the Bobolinks in the vast pasture across the road. This photo, taken by Brian Small shows you the interesting "top-knot" on the male Bobolink's head. Seriously, the sound he makes is very much like "R2-D2" of the "Star Wars" movies.

I have seen so many neat creatures lately, unfortunately I have either not had the camera with me, or the batteries have gone dead! But I can surely describe all that I have seen. First, the neighbors Guinea Hens continue to bring their wild Turkey friends to my bird feeder. The Guineas seem to guard my back deck as if it belongs to them.

On my way to work last week I had occasion to see a litter of baby Woodchucks! That's right, three of them were next to the road near the Surry/ Walpole line. I turned the truck around and went to take a closer look. The den is under the pavement! The little Woodchucks were scurrying around in the tall grass, occasionally running up into a small enclosed field where a pair of Oxen where standing. The Woodchucks were no bigger than Guinea Pigs, in fact that's exactly what they looked like. As I watched them, a nervous elderly lady made a lap around her house, keeping a watchful eye on ME. I had to chuckle.

Further down the road, I happened to glance to my left as a flash of tawny brown upon lush green caught my eye. I saw a doe, and the smallest fawn standing there in the grass. The fawn looked so fragile, no bigger than my biggest cat! I just gasped, and thanked God for putting me there at the right moment.

What else? Yesterday while kayaking/fishing on Granite Lake, I watched a Bald Eagle soaring over the water. I hadn't ever seen a Bald Eagle there before, though I know they have nested in nearby Hancock in the past. He knew as did I, that the fishing was bad. Despite the lack of good sized lunkers, I did catch a good sunburn! After a while I paddled to shore, and hopped on my mountain bike. I pedalled up and over Twin Hill to Stoddard, via the M-S Greenway trail, then back to the lake via Rte 9. A nice long ride for a hot day. I didn't see any creatures along the way unfortunately.

As I was packing up my boat, and my bike to head back home, I saw a good sized snake slithering along the beach in front of the camp. The snake was at the water's edge, staying in the water as he went. I went closer to check him out. It was not a Garter snake, so I was thrilled to see a snake I don't usually see. He spotted me and darted into deeper water. The snake popped out further down the shoreline. I was able to get close enough to identify him as a Milk Snake. Beautiful with rusty colored diamond patterns on its back. He was probably nearly three feet long.

Grosbeak Heaven

This afternoon while I was working at my computer, I glanced up at my bird feeder occasionally. I thought it neat that a female Downy Woodpecker and a male Grackle came to the feeder, but then..... Several male and female, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, including a male in his first spring colors. Then Evening Grosbeaks, and then to my great surprise, this Blue Grosbeak! I had never seen one before. I always keep the camera at hand, so I snapped this picture. Before I posted it, I had to run it past my birding teacher from Antioch, just to make sure I was right. Meade Cadot confirmed that this bird was an adult male Blue Grosbeak. He also said that Blue Grosbeak will stop at feeders when they first arrive after their migration. I was thrilled.

Ovenbird Nest

This picture is my interpretation of the Ovenbird nest I saw last week with my friend, Robin. It looks like the bird finds a spot in the leaf litter, then begins pushing the litter up with its bill. He keeps pushing the material up until he can fit inside. Amazingly the litter with pine needles remains standing straight up, as long as nothing, and no one steps on it. So if you're out in the woods, and hear the telltale "teacher, teacher, teacher..." look around on the ground for a small mound like structure of pine needles and sticks. The nest we found had an oak leaf over the opening, kind of like a "screen door".

Birding 101

This morning I went birding with my friend Robin. It's purely coincidental that her namesake is a bird. Robin is a very accomplished birder, so I was sure to see every kind of warbler possible. We saw 27 species of birds! We made a good team, as she recognized the bird songs, I located the birds. I was delighted to see a Parula Warbler, a Scarlet Tanager, and an Indigo Bunting. We also so saw Yellow-Rumped, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, and Black and White Warblers, Common Yellow-throat too. Robin showed me an Ovenbird nest which was on the ground in tree litter. She just happened upon it herself while out birding. I will have to draw a picture of it, because the photo I took really doesn't do it justice. We found an Oriole pair, busily creating their nest in a Maple sapling of all things. Usually they prefer Willows. This pair chose to make their nest relatively low, compared to the typically high placed nests in Willow trees. The photo is of the nest in progress.

Pinheads and Bearded Hen Turkeys

Another glorious spring day, and perfect for mountain biking. After I mowed my dust bowl, I hopped on my mountain bike and headed for Mine Ledge Rd.(north), then to London Rd. in Westermoreland. I located a rarely used trail that I know of. The trail travels westerly, toward a place locally known as "Windgate". In 2004, a conservation area was established there in memory of Phillip Faulkner, Jr. The trail is dotted with several cellar holes, and the ever present stone walls. I know of at least two "pinheads" out there. Pinheads are mounds of stone piles. The one in the background, was painstakingly piled to perfection. Whoever put the granite squares there knew just how to pile them, so they wouldn't topple. I found another, not pictured that was more deteriorated, and constructed of round stones like you would find in a stream bed. If you "double-click" on the photos, you can get a closer look.

The turkey photo comes to me compliments of a friend in Westmoreland. He is lucky enough to have not one, but two hens frequenting his yard. The interesting thing about these turkey hens is, that they have beards. Although not unheard of, a little rare, and unfortunately for these girls, makes them fair game for hunters. Tom turkeys are easily recognized by their longer beards, and colorful combs. Additionally, they have a beautiful display of tail feathers while courting. Bruce tells me this hen's beard was at least two inches long. Perhaps an androgenous turkey hen? :-) I would be curious to see her offspring, and how they develop.

Endless Falls

After having enough of house chores, I decided to explore a falls I noticed the other day. I was walking my bike up Joslin Rd. in Surry. I saw a beautiful falls to the west, but I had to press on because of time constraints. I returned there today. WOW! I went to the first falls, only to find yet another upslope. I walked up to that falls, and then another, and another. Each falls more impressive than the first. The ravine grew deeper and deeper. Lush with mosses and ferns. If you didn't know better, you might think you were in a rainforest. Just spectacular really.

I came upon a winter deer kill. All that was left was a huge spread of deer fur and shattered bone.
It was easy to find bone shards because they were so white against the brown leaves. The deer path was nearby. The path was well worn, and traversed the steepest parts of the ravine. These deer certainly have no fear of heights.

I found an old engine in the bed of the brook. I could only imagine how long it had been there. It was not of this era, very large, with huge pistons. I continued along hoping to find the headwaters of this beautiful place. I emerged in a pasture at the foot of a huge hill. At the top of the hill, Merriam Rd. intersects with Joslin Rd. in Surry. I found a deer stand, one of those that you can climb the tree with. I noticed a strange plastic bag hanging from a branch next to the stand. The liquid was a translucent red color, and I could only imagine what it might be. GROSS! Guys have some strange routines when it comes to using the ole deer stand.

Just a bit further and I found a snowmobile trail. This trail is accessible from the Old Walpole Rd. or from the Pond Rd. in Surry. Perhaps I'll return with my mountain bike and ride that trail. All in all a nice short hike, with beautiful waterfalls all the way. Some tricky bouldering. But if you wear rubber soled shoes, and aren't afraid of heights, it's worth the climb. Heavy hiking boots are too stiff I learned. I'll post more pictures of the falls later. I took many!

Turkey Dance

Just a while ago, I was witness to something really neat! I was pushing my vacuum around, when I noticed something up on the hill across the road. I grabbed my binoculars, and the show began.
First, I noticed a hen Turkey moving quickly across the slope. I looked around for whatever might be frightening her. I didn't see anything for several moments. Then in all his glory, Tom Turkey sauntering, if a Turkey can saunter up over the crest of the hill. Every now and then, he would spread is beautiful tail feathers out in huge fan. His comb was brilliant red. The tom seemed to be in no particular hurry really. But then, there was a second tom! A brief battle of turkey claws ensued. One jumping up feet first at the other. The hen taking this opportunity to escape, stage left. The confrontation moved over the hill, where I could no longer see. So I grabbed my binoculars, and my camera and made my way up the hill.

I hoped I could count on the toms being too caught up in their tussle to move quickly away. It took me several moments to climb up the hill. When I got to the top, of course the three turkeys were no where in sight. But.....I know how much they enjoy scratching in the leaves on the wooded side of the hill. I made my way over there, and began calling. It wasn't long before I heard movement in the leaves. The hen, and one tom came to within about one hundred yards before they realized I wasn't another Turkey. Unfortunately with the brush, and limited focusing capability, I couldn't get a good picture of them. Perhaps I will draw what I had seen earlier. These wild encounters are rare and cherished in these Walpole hills. AAAYYYYYAAA!

PS. the photos I took while looking for the Turkeys - Smooth Shad A. bartramiana, and Bluets H. caerulea , respectively

Blooms of spring

Rather than my usually three mile "jog", I went for a hike up back yonder, over Sheep Hill(SE) to the Rapids Rd. Rapids Rd. is a class 6 road used by hunters, snowmobiles, and wilderness wanderers like myself. I always find things to look at when I'm wandering. Today was no different. I love the spring blooms, which include the Flowering Dogwood(Viburnum acerifolium) top, and the Trillium(Trillium sessile). The dogwoods are oriental-like with their flat clusters of white flowers, and sparse green mapleleaf shaped leaves. One of these days I'll paint them in water color. I noticed the Star Flowers were aching to open up too. Star Flowers are yellow and grow in moist forest soil. The Stiff Moss was brilliant green, and many ferns were unfurling.

I didn't spy any creatures on this trip, then again I was moving right along. I have noticed more Porcupines lately, and I'm told it's because there is a shortage of Fishers! Fishers love to eat Porcupines, so now the Porkies are flourishing. Watch your outhouses! Porcupines love to munch on plywood walls!

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.

Winter Won't Let Go

We have reached the record snowfall, of I don't know 122"? Yikes! The last time we had this much snow was 19-dark hundred. This morning I awoke to a snow squall that lasted several minutes. I just shake my head at this point. Next week we are slated to have ONE, yes one warm day, before the cold comes back. So next week, for one day we could see a high temp of near 60F.

Meanwhile, I have seen the return of the Red-Winged Blackbird, Killdeer, and Robins. The Robins have flocked to the scarce bare spots on area farmland. As I drive down the road they fly up in front of me, seeming to remind me that Winter IS nearing the end.

Nevertheless, when I see more snowfall, I feel like this guy, the Komodo Dragon. Yet another beautiful creature at the Lowry Park Zoo. He is a massive lizard at least five feet long. Though not really a vicious killer, the bacteria in his mouth is so toxic that his bite could kill you!

The Honeymoon is over

Ask me how much I wish I were back at this beach! As the wind howls around outside, the sun's warmth is very much subdued. I have plenty of snow and ice left around my house. Who knows what the "windchill factor" is. So I look at my beach pictures, remembering the wonderful warm sand on Honeymoon Island last week. The wind blew there also, but the difference? about 40 degrees!

The bird, a Great Egret. This bird was stealing a fisherman's catch from his five gallon pail, while the fisherman stood in the water waist deep. Very slick thief that Egret. He could not be dissuaded or scared off. Each time the fisherman tried to scare the bird away, the bird would return. Finally the fisherman took his shirt off and spread it across the top of the pail so the bird couldn't get in.

Give me a break

The Orangutans at Lowry Park are not dissimilar to human families. The female/mom appears to be trying to sneak in a power nap, while Dad keeps track of junior. Junior on the other hand wants Mom(at the right) to pay attention to him. Dad gives up on watching junior, and goes off to the yard to play with tools, or swing from a rope.

Back to reality

This handsome bird is one of several kinds of Lorikeet. He and many others live in the aviary at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL. I went to the zoo on Friday amidst spotty showers, but it was a pleasant experience nonetheless. Many of the exhibits were being renovated so I did not get to see the Tigers, as I'd hoped. I wanted to check on the height of the fence, after the news of an attack on three people a couple months ago in another zoo. I'm convinced those fellows antagonized the tiger, so she went after them.

Anyhooo I enjoyed the zoo immensely, especially the birds. I took several pictures which I'll try to share with you if my dial-up connection cooperates. I spent a good amount of time in the J.B. Starkey wilderness park also. Starkey is just a mile and a half from my mom's house in New Port Richey, FL. There is a bike path that passes through the park for 6.5 miles. The path hooks up with the Suncoast Trail which will take you all the way to Tampa! I was wishing I had my road bike, but my mom's beach comber single speed worked just fine.

Whenever I am in Starkey, I see wildlife, without fail. I was able to approach a deer, and take a video clip within about 15 yards. She was very small, as are most Florida White Tail deer. I thought about how comfortable she seemed to be despite my approaching on a bicycle. I wonder if the rangers feed the deer? I have found deer feeding stations in the past, just beyond the park boundary. Those feeding stations were privately owned, and not by the rangers.

I saw several Armadillos meandering through the Palmettos. Armadillo have both bad eyesight, and hearing, so it's very easy to approach them, and even touch them.

I'm back home now. Back to the snow, ice, and mud. Spring is fast approaching. I can hardly wait to smell those Lilacs, and hear the Spring Peepers.

I'm not blue

This is "Blue", he is a Blue Macaw. What a beauty. He keeps track of folks coming in and going out of "The Crab Shack" in New Port Richey, Florida. I'm down here on Spring Break, chilling with my mom and stepdad. My mom likes to "do lunch" out alot, so we go to little places anywhere near the water. The Crab Shack is along the Pithlascotee River. Boats use this waterway to get out to Tampa Bay.

We tried the beach this morning but it was pretty chilly, and overcast. The water temperature is about 60 degrees F, but that's nothing compared to Maine. I did wade along the beach at Anclote Key, a beautiful spot for swimming or fishing from the shore. The sun came out this afternoon, so I caught some rays in mom's backyard. Tommorow we're headed to "Honeymoon Island". The beach there is made up mostly of coral that has broken off, and washed ashore. People love the shells you can find. Who knows maybe we can find a Megalodon tooth! A nine year old boy found one just the other day. Across the water is Caladesi Island, which is one of the top beaches in the world. You can swim among large skates without fear of being stung. Don't step on one though, THAT really hurts like hell. Take it from one who has experienced it!

Coming In for a landing

I took this clip while attending the B.O.W.(Becoming an OutdoorsWoman) weekend at Squam Lake last September '07. One of the seminars I attended was Falconry. This bird is a Marsh Hawk.
We each took a turn feeding the various birds of prey on hand. There were several; Marsh Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons. Because the weather was hot, we could only allow the birds a few runs at our baited gloves. The bird would fly up into a tree, then we would hold a piece of bait in a thick leather glove. The bait was baby chicks raised just for this purpose.

The bird of prey would see the bait, then swoop down from its lofty perch. It was amazing to watch and experience. The instructor told us that birds of prey are opportunistic hunters that are not actually "trained" to respond to a glove with bait. The birds are simply following their instinct and need for food. The birds tired quickly after landing on many gloved hands. They began to pant, their bills agape.

In order to be a falconer and hunt as such, you have to jump through several complicated governmental hoops. You can't simply go out and catch yourself a Marsh Hawk and start hunting. There are federal and state laws that govern both catching and using your winged hunting partner.

Twy-linator

I had intended to attach a video clip of my recent snow shoe hike. However, I have "dial-up" and even after several hours, the clip would download! So I decided I will have to go out and get more "stills", and give up on the video until DSl gets to the hinterlands of Walpole.

This is Twyla, my newest cat. My mom says Twyla is a Norwegian Forest cat. I'll have to take her word for it. I looked up NFC in my cat encyclopedia, and found that Twyla does have many of the characteristics. The ears sit high on the head. She has a beautiful full mane, and tail. Her back legs are longer than her front legs. Her eyes have a beautiful green tinge to them, and are distinctly more almond shaped than my other cats. Twyla has white whiskers, and on her feet, the toe pads are pink while the big pads are black!

We got a lot more snow last night, so I will head out on the snow shoes again. Now that March is here, hopefully some signs of spring will begin to show. Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Gram

My grandmother's birthday is today. She would have been ninety-six. Gram died last June in a nursing home. She battled cancer several times throughout her life, and won. She had a heart attack and numerous broken bones. But her indominable spirit always touched everyone she met. Gram, Florence, a.k.a "Mac"(McCann) always had a positive attitude, but she worried about people incessantly. Gram greeted her family and friends with a smile, always. She was one of the most stoic people I've ever known. If she was hurting she really never complained, she just dealt with it as part of life. Arthritis bent her body, and she kept right on trucking like the "energizer bunny". Often she would try to take care of chores, even the hard stuff, rather than ask for help. We would scold her for not calling. I think she got a kick out it, as if she had gotten away with something. Gram was a really bad "fibber" too. She would fib about little fender-bender she got into, despite the evidence on her car's bumpers. She would fib about eating this or that. She would fib about knowing about something. Gram would have been terrible at Texas Hold'em.

We all love Gram even though she is gone. There is barely a day I don't think of her and remember her. She had some funny coloquisms. I wish I could remember them all. Let's see if she got mad at someone, she'd "Lay them out in Lavender". If she saw someone speeding, they were "Hell bent for election". She told me if someone was getting the best of me, I should tell them to "run up a gum tree, and stick there!". That was my favorite.

Busy, busy, busy

It's been a hideously busy week for Anatomy & Physiology II! I had to do a life size drawing of the major blood vessels. It was alittle difficult to trace my own outline. Of course I took artistic license and made myself thin. Not that I'm huge, but you know... I have to write up a case study that I have been working on with four other students. Tomorrow is a huge lab practical exam, so I will have to be able to identify various tissues, blood vessels, formed elements in blood. I have to gather up all the lab sheets, complete with drawings of those pesky cardiac muscle fibers, and maps of both the systemic and pulmonary circulation.

Last week I asked my instructor if she would be interested in having me bring in the deer fetus I collected. She was totally psyched, so I'll bring that into class tomorrow night also. It's been in my freezer. I know what you're thinking. I have other frozen creatures in there too..... If some unwitting person went looking for something to thaw for dinner, they might be alittle surprised! I promise no human remains!

Unfortunately I have not had time to go out exploring in the natural world. But I will soon!

Who Let the Dogs Out?

I went back to the site where the doe had been killed. No more canine activity, which leads me to believe that it was dogs that took the doe down. I don't think coyotes would leave a kill like this. There is still so much left of the carcass. I noticed a lot of bird tracks around the carcass, crows I imagine. I took a hemlock bough and swept over all the footprints, so that I can return tomorrow to see what comes by.

The photo is also from yesterday, these are Fisher tracks.....not Fisher Cat, since Fisher's are not cats, but members of the Mustelidae (Marten)family. I would expect Fisher traffic to the dead deer as well. This picture was taken farther a field, during my hike. Notice the prints show five pads which Fisher have on both their front and hind feet. One night while I was hiking, I surprised a Fisher who was in a tree along the trail. We exchanged pleasantries and I continued on down the trail. Wearing a headlamp often provides these great opportunities on night time hikes. Try it!

Not For the Squeamish

I've not been out on my snowshoes for forever it seems. There has been so much ice lately, I've been relegated to the treadmill for my exercise. But today I got out after a light snowfall yesterday. I was out over three hours, and keeping my eyes open for things to take pictures of. I flushed two owls, found skads of tracks, grouse, fisher, coyote, fox, snowshoe hare. I recently "pecked" tree, demolished by a Pileated Woodpecker. I took photos of the Fisher and Grouse tracks, fearing I wouldn't find anything really interesting. Then not more than about 15o yards up behind my house, I came upon a horrible sight! A freshly killed doe.

Last night on my way home from class, at about 8:30 p.m. three deer crossed the road near my house. I thought it somewhat odd, considering they don't like to travel much through crusty snow. Today it added up. I had noticed so many canid tracks on my way out, many tracks appeared to be of the animal skidding and quickly braking.

So I did the math on the way back when I found the carass. There was plenty of it left, which makes me wonder if dogs were responsible. Tracks of all sizes all around. And blood, like a massacre had taken place. I can only imagine an arterial bleed would cause such a mess. What's worse is I found two fetuses, completely developed and about 5" long. There was a female and a male. The trail of death was evidenced by the very lengthy drag mark from upslope. I found the spot where she fought for her life. She had been chased, and tired through the crusty snow. Finally she fell, and soon after, the arterial blood spatter literally everywhere.
I can only hope that death came swiftly.

I had hoped for an interesting day, I had no idea how interesting it would become.

Hors d'Oeuvres Anyone?

A gourmet hors d'oeuvres you ask? Nay, it's an owl pellet. I found the owl pellet on a recent snow shoe hike. The pellet was found at the base of a tree, near some bird droppings. The bird, an owl. Owls regurgitate undigestable animal tissues. Fur, bones, etc. is burped back up from the bird's crop, in the shape of a ball. Kind of like a hairball my cat might "upchuck". This pellet is a smaller one, but it clearly contained gray fur, and bone pieces. If I were to break into it, I might find some teeth. Most likely this pellet used to be a mouse! Yum