Back at the Aeire

Back at the Aerie after a semi-productive several days at the Bolt Hole. The ride down was an uneventful 4-hour jaunt that has become remarkably routine--almost boring.

Arriving home, I found that there had been absolutely no rain at the Aerie at all. Terry had been watering the garden, but, perhaps, not enough. Everything (cucumbers especially) was wilting in the bright, hot, almost 90 degree sunshine. After we went through an picked (another quart) string beans and a couple of zucchinis, I watered; completely soaking the ground around the cukes and beneath the beans. Late this afternoon, everything was perking up nicely. I'll give everything another dousing in the morning as there's only a 30% chance of late afternoon T-storms on Monday while the temperatures will soar into the 90s.

While picking and watering, I noticed there were some a lot of leaves missing from the cucumber plants (although the beans right next door were untouched) and wondered what might have decided to supplement its diet with fresh greens. This evening I found out when a ground hog appeared on the lawn right in front of the garden. Being a good little horticulturalist, I grabbed by Gammo air rifle and (hopefully) put an end to that marauder's existence. I say hopefully because it wasn't a completely clean kill. While my shot rolled the critter, it managed to drag itself into the raspberry thicket where I could not get a follow up shot. Still, I believe it was a good hit and the beast will expire. I knew I should have brought the .22 home from the Bolt Hole!

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Tomorrow, Terry and I will be going blueberry picking at the nearby Murphy's U-Pick Blueberry Farm in Mansfield. We want to go early so as to avoid the heat of the day so will be there shortly after they open the gate at 8 AM. Monday is usually the best time to go because they are closed on Sunday and, therefore, the plants have a double bounty of ripe berries ready for plucking. We missed going last year because we were on the road, but two years ago we were each able to fill a two quart bucket in less than an hour. Tomorrow won't be the only time we'll get there this summer. Cousin Joe and his wife Pat want to get in on the action. They can't make it tomorrow, but might be able to do so next Monday.

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Oh yeah, the new furniture. The color is remarkably complimentary to to both the carpet and the stone work in the fireplace. The thistle green goes well with the slate-ish greens of the faux stone and the few natural stones. And the chairs are very comfortable. Just ask the cats. If Chester ever gets off the sofa, I might see how it feels to lay down on it. The old love seat was just a tad too short.

Bolt Hole, July 9, 2011

Beautiful sunny day here in the northland. Temperatures remained in the low 70s and the humidity has dropped considerably. A light breeze blowing out of the west northwest makes it even nicer.

Just got done doing 2 hours with the chainsaw. Cut up two maples and a birch that were blown down along the side of the trail on the east side a couple of years ago. Disappointed (but not surprised) that the two maples were already showing some rot in their core. Still, the logs were thick enough that losing four or five inches in the center will still yield me four to six nice pieces of firewood once it's split. The birch (the grey shaggy barked kind) displayed little rot in its core and will make some fine firewood.

What did surprise me was the amount of water that came gushing out of one of the logs. It had a hole facing upward that captured snowmelt and rain in a little interior reservoir. Got my pant legs soaked when I hit that sucker! Water literally poured from the cut surface and, propelled by the chainsaw, was thrown against my shins.

Earlier today, I did a three hour walkabout with the loppers in the woods to the west. Some real nice deer trails in there. This is where Mark and I harvested last year's firewood from three downed maple trees. I might be able to get an ATV load or two from the stumps that we left. Other than that, and except for a couple of fir trees, there aren't any new blow downs to be had for firewood. There are, however, a couple of standing cherry trees that, with all their twists and bends, are good for nothing but firewood. Problem there is that they need a year's worth of seasoning to be any good for burning.

I hesitate to bring fresh wood like that out to the yard or barn. History is not on our side with folks stealing wood from the barn which has no doors. I could cut and stack the stuff in the forest, but the shadiness of the woods will not help it cure properly. Guess I'll have to figure out how to hang some doors on the barn!

Bolt Hole, July 8, 2011

I've now got a working gas stove and oven again. I had to run down to Tractor Supply for the propane hose, regulator and gas tank; and went next door to get some necessary hardware and tools (all but the most basic tools are in the boxes in PA, of course). Got the gas tank filled up on the way back. It took me longer to go down to the store and back than it did to install the stuff once I got home. I had some 12-24" angle iron laying around that was predrilled for 1/4" bolts. Two long pieces got attached to the wall with lag bots and I used five of the shorter ones to create a platform on which the gas tank rests. A 1" hole drilled through the wall allowed me to pass the hose from the woodshed (where the gas tank is located) to the kitchen behind the stove. A little teflon tape on the joints and it was ready to be tested.

Aside from the little wait for the propane to get through the line for the first time, everything works perfectly. I can now fry up things (eggs, bacon, steaks, chops...Hey! I'm getting hungry here!) to my hearts content. I'll also be able to do a roast or bake some cookies. All I need do now is restock the larder with the necessary ingredients.

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Did a quick walkabout in the orchard but could not determine what was out there last night. There were deer tracks in the sand at the end of the driveway, however, so deer is the likely answer. No new branches bent or broken that I could tell, but the leaves and lower apples have been gnawed at.

******

Terry just called to say that the furniture we bought on Monday was delivered. Well, the sofa and chairs were delivered. The cocktail table will be coming next Wednesday. They forgot to mention that or call to tell us about that change. Terry says the color is perfect. The "Thistle" shade of green goes well with the carpet and the stones in the fireplace. Being lighter than the furniture we took out should help brighten the room, too.

Things that go bump in the night.

In walking about the yard and reclaimed apple orchard yesterday I was amazed at the number of apples that have appeared on the spindly trees--some of which have snapped or been bent over under the weight of either late snows or the apples on the topmost branches. I could also clearly see where either deer or bear had tramped through the tall grasses amongst the trees to nibble at the lower leaves and twigs. Then last night, at around midnight, something or somethings quite large were out there among those trees making quite a clatter snapping branches and shaking the trees. There was no snorting or stomping so typical of a deer even when I turned on the outside lights. Unfortunately, the foliage is so dense those outside lights did not penetrate into the area where the noise was coming from and I could not determine what it was. My best guess is that it was a bear--or several of them, as in a sow and cubs--plucking the green apples.

Aside from the ruckus, it was a nice night for sleeping as the temperatures dropped in to the low to mid 50s.

Bolt Hole, July 7, 2011

A beautiful day here at the Bolt Hole. Clear skies with just a few fair weather cumulus clouds and temperatures in the upper 70s.

I got the rest of the lawn cut once the heavy morning dew evaporated. That took a little longer than expected since the grass was so long. Additionally, some of the wild strawberries and clover were visibly transpiring water at the edges of their leaves. Still, I was able to get the mower out there around 10:30 and work in the areas that got the early sunshine before moving on to the rest. It took me two hours to cut the grass. Normally it takes about that long to do the entire lawn but...well, see what I said about length of grass and the moisture.

After lunch I went in to the woods looking for some downed trees (or standing dead ones) to use for firewood. I located six downed cherries and maples form a few years back that I can cut up. Two cherries are going to be easy to get to as they are right next to one of the easier ATV trails. Two maples are in the middle of a trailess patch and getting to them will be a chore. Too many boulders and hummocks and marshy spots to make it easy. The remaining two trees are again near a path but that path is a wee bit overgrown with cedars and hemlocks and will require some clearing and widening. Also, those last two trees are NOT on the ground but hung up at one end and it may be necessary to take the support tree down to get to them. They will be the last ones I will take, if I take them at all.

In all, I spent three hours mucking about in the woods with brush loppers in hand. I should have brought some surveyor's tape with me to mark likely paths to the downed trees.

Saw numerous deer tracks in the mud of the ATV trails. Nothing absolutely HUGE, but certainly a doe and at least one fawn based on the size of the tracks. I did not see any critters, however, not even a red squirrel--which is really strange since they have been very abundant in the past in the areas I explored today. Then again, there haven't been any mice around in months. I wonder if the presence of hawks (I saw a goshawk when I drove in yesterday) and fisher cats have anything to do with that.

******

I disconnected the kitchen stove from the copper pipe that carried propane into the house. Now that I've got the pieces in hand, I can more easily go to Tractor Supply and get exactly what I need to do my own hook-up. Aside from having to drill a new hole in the wall, it should* be an easy enough job.

(*I say should because nothing is ever as easy as it first appears. Nothing!)

******

As I mentioned in the update to my last report, Terry did NOT go to NJ to see her Mom. The birthday girl had plans of her own and took a senior citizens' bus down to AC to visit the casinos and sit on the boardwalk.

At the Bolt Hole, July 6, 2011

Drove up to the Bolt Hole today just to see how things are. They are just peachy-keen! If you forget the tall grass that still needs cutting (Mark did the largish area west of the cabin and in front of the barn and garage, but the rest needs mowing), the deer flies (Mark says they are horrible, I've not seen one), the need to cut firewood somewhere, and the thunderstorms that rolled through at 3:15 PM while I was doing some of the grass cutting. Those storms lasted for an hour and a half and dropped quite a bit of rain on my yard. Using the old "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three..." method, I estimated the closest lightening was about a mile away. At least the rain dropped the very warm temperatures (82 degrees) to more reasonable levels (68 degrees). (I got readings of 90 and 91 degrees on the NYS Thruway on my way up.) The rains put a halt to any plans to cut the remainder of the yard today. There's still a watch on until 9 PM tonight but the radar looks pretty tame at the moment.

I'll get out there tomorrow around 10 AM if there are no more showers and get the rest of the yard done. Might even get a little of the shooting lane and the ATV trails cut if they're not too tall for the mower. Then again, I could pull out the brush hog.

Then it's off into the woods to scout up some firewood. I've got my thoughts on some old blow downs that--in the past--were just a little too far off the ATV trails to make hauling cut wood out easy. Might have to look for a way to cut a new trail in closer to those downed trees.

I've also got to get some measurements for a new propane line. I had the energy supplier pull his tanks (two 100# hulks) since I only use about one 20# tank a year for my cooking purposes. I'll need to figure out how to run a line from the woodshed into the stove and what size fittings I'll need. I thought about using the same stuff we have on the trailer, but that's rubber hoses and mice and red squirrels trouble me on that count. There's also a metal flexible fitting available at Tractor Supply that just might do the trick if the diameter is AOK.

So those are my tasks for the next few days: cut grass, find firewood, hook up stove to a new source of propane. None of them are difficult--if the bugs remain scarce and it doesn't rain any more. (Even then, the stove stuff is indoors!)

******

Terry's off to see her Mom in NJ tomorrow. It's Mom's birthday. The Lady will be 87 88 years young. She's been complaining about some sciatic pain but it's hardly slowing her down a bit. (Well, except for begging out of the trip to Maine last weekend.)

Terry will have to return to the Aerie by Friday noon. The new furniture will be delivered "between 2 and 4 in the afternoon" they say. We hauled the old stuff out in to the garage this morning before I left and I'll take it to the dump when I get back. There are a couple of pieces here at the Bolt Hole that need discarding and I'll be taking out with me. The cats were looking around as we hauled the stuff into the garage and you could see the little cogs in their heads whirling as they thought about the loss of lounging chairs. I'm sure they will have the new stuff broken in by the time I get home Sunday night.

[UPDATE: Terry had to cancel her trip. Seems Mom was going to AC for the day, sciatica be damned! It's "only" a 2 1/2 hour bus ride. One way.]
******

It's that time of year again. Saw signs this morning for U-Pick Blueberries at our favorite farm. Guess I'll have to give Joe a call as he wants in on stocking the freezer and jam shelf. I know I'll be there come Monday morning. That's the best day of the week since they are closed on Sunday for some family time, R&R and grass cutting.

Sunday...Home again. Monday the 4th.

Terry and I headed back home again after church services (Terry attended with her cousins) and breakfast hosted by the bride's parents.

We back tracked our route and even stopped at the same diner for lunch. (Yeah, it was that good the first time.) being Sunday, July 3rd, traffic was light and the weather cooperated until we got on I-88 in New York State. Just south of Cobelskill, we ran into some torrential rain and thunderstorms. They really limited visibility and traction on the roadway, so it was a good thing there were so few other vehicles with which to share the road. We hit two such storms that lasted 20-30 minutes each and by the time we were approaching Binghamton, it was over. The roads were dry as a bone as we moved west on Route 17 and then back into PA and home. It hadn't rained here on Armenia Mountain at all.

******

Having indulged myself with the purchase of a new GPS unit, I took Terry out today to get some new living room furniture. The loveseat, chair and ottoman we have now are 2530 years old and starting to really show their age. We went up to Horseheads and the nearest Raymour and Flannagan outlet and picked out a sofa, two chairs and a cocktail table that will look and fit nicely in front of the fireplace. Best of all, they had a sale on so we saved some $$$ and delivery is promised for Friday of this week. Just in time to entertain a couple of cousins from South Carolina who should be here around the 15th.

Saturday in Maine: Water, Boat Building and Wedding

Saturday was to be the Big Day for Eliza and David but we had all morning and early afternoon for further exploration. To that end, Terry and I set off up the coast a short distance in search of the ocean waters at the end of a couple of the many protruding bits of land along the Maine coast.

We drove up to Brunswick past the campus of Bowdoin College. Having been there before, we didn't feel the need to stop at the Perry-MacMillan Arctic Museum or the Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Museum. Instead, we headed down Route 123 in search of the reversing falls at Basin Cove. Signage wasn't what it should be and we couldn't located the falls despite driving all the way to the end of the road. We turned about and headed north (inland) again then cut across Mountain Road to Route 24. This we followed out to The Lands End Gift Shop and the Lobsterman's Statue on Jaquish Gut.

Sailboat out in Casco Bay viewed from Bailey Island.

Lobsterman's Statue at then end of the road on Bailey Island.

The Due Time heads through the Jacquish Gut with lobser pots on board.
(Jacquish Island in rear.)

Terry pronounces the ocean's waters wet, cold, and saline.
Well, she was in the clean water division of the EPA, so she should know.

(Other's photos can be found here: Bailey Island, Maine.)

Having succeeded in finding the ocean, we headed back to Route 1 and up to Bath to visit the Maine Maritime Museum. Very comprehensive site that takes you through boat and shop building in the Bath area. You can even get a short (1 hour) boat cruise to see the boat works from the water. Or, there are tours of the Bath Iron Works and the massive floating dry dock used in modern steel hulled construction. We confined ourselves to the immediate grounds and strolled around the displays and workshops. Fascinating place.

But we had a wedding to attend! Back to the motel to get dressed and then off to the Old Meeting Hall in Yarmouth.

Elizabeth and David about to exchange vows and rings.

After a simple ceremony in the Old Yarmouth Meeting House, the party moved on to the bride's former home and an outdoor reception just a few blocks away.

Mr. and Mrs. Messinger have the first dance.

Elizabeth dances with her Dad, Stephan.

David dances with his Mom, Patricia.

Maddie and her parents, Joseph and Jacqueline. Baby brother arrives mid August.

High school sweethearts Alex and Danielle are next. They wed on September 9th.

Alex is a submariner and Danielle (David's cousin) will be starting her internship (pediatrics) in the fall.

A good time was had by all.

We're b-a-c-k....

A l-o-n-g weekend!

Terry and I drove up to Yarmouth, Maine on Thursday after feeding the cats and taking out the garbage. We tried to stay on the back roads and did a pretty good job of it after we got past Albany, NY. Riding through the countryside on state highways and old US Highways as we crossed Vermont and New Hampshire was far more enjoyable than speeding along at 70+ miles on the interstate with tons of other idiots drivers.

Even the interstate we took to get from Binghamton, NY to Albany (I-88) wasn't that bad as its direction of travel--northeast-southwest--is not a common one for most folks. And it too has an alternate: old New York Route 7 parallels it for nearly the entire length. Before the interstate, that must have been a lovely ride.

Back to our destination: Yarmouth, Maine. An old town along US Highway 1 that is now bursting at the seams along Interstate 295 just south of the quintessential old town bursting at the seams: Freeport, aka home of L.L. Bean.

We got to the motel around 4:30 PM after 10 1/2 hours and 475 miles on the road. Made a few phone calls to see if Terry's sister and her husband (Lucille and Doug) had arrived yet from Missouri (they had) and if they were interested in dinner (they were but were up the coast a ways). We met at the Muddy Rudder and had a lovely meal.

Friday we explored a little. Terry and I went up the road tohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the Maine Audubon Society's Mast Landing Bird Sanctuary. We walked the trails a bit and got bit quite often. Tall moist grass, damp woods, an old mill stream still sluggishly flowing surrounded by bays, rivers and sounds...yeah: Mosquito Heaven! And we didn't see anything spectacular either.

Audubon Society Mast Landing Bird Sanctuary

Oh well, back to Freeport and some shopping. I got a nice pair of Rockport shoes at Famous Brands outlet and a nice short sleeved shirt at the L.L. Bean outlet before we met up with the parents of the groom (Terry's cousin Joe and his wife Pat) for lunch.

We separated after lunch and Terry and I went into the main L.L. Bean store. Yowsers! Joe had offered to hold my wallet but that wasn't necessary. I passed on the shotguns, rifles and all the fly fishing gear. (I LIKED all that stuff, but a man's got to know his limitations. I've got gear I don't use now. In part, because I don't know I've got it!) We did pick up a house warming gift for our son, Rick and his wife, Sandy, who got the keys to their first house on Wednesday. And L.L. Bean will ship it for free.

Eventually we escaped from Freeport and drove south on Route 1 to the Delorme Map Store. Here, I would have been better off if Joe held my wallet and credit cards. I dropped about $300 on a new GPS unit, a topo map subscription for the same, and power charging options pack. (I kept telling myself the Garmin I'm currently using is broken--and it is! I wouldn't lie. The screw that holds the battery pack is broken so the batteries can work their way loose and stop powering the unit. Plus it's almost 10 years old. Bloody thing is ancient in terms of technology. It was time to get a new one. Hopefully, it won't get me lost in the woods.)

Finally, it was time for the rehearsal dinner to be held at the Royal River Grillhouse in Yarmouth. Good food lots of old and new friends and relatives.

Terry speaks with Elizabeth

The Bachelder's Stephan, Julia, Elizabeth (the bride) and Deborah Strachan

Flower girl Madeline and her Mom, Jacqueline Messinger

The dinner was held on the waters of the Royal River so, of course there were boats to look at...and drool over. I kept reminding myself, that, while I could probably afford to purchase a decent sized boat, it's the after purchase costs that would literally sink me. Boat: a hole in the water into which one pours money, time and energy.

Nice boat.

Slightly nicer boat. I could learn to like living on the water in this one.

One I could get to like if all I wanted to do was sail about.

There were bigger boats--and lots of them--both sail and motor--in the harbor and in the yard. Many of them were for sale but I left the checkbook at home.
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
The Wind in the Willows

More to come.

Traveling...again.

Must be construction season around here. Every single road between here and Sayre was either closed for construction or was reduced to one lane for bridge work/reconstruction. Even the back roads. Still, I managed to get the Tundra over to the dealer's for its oil change and checkup. Now it can sit in the driveway for a few days as we take the Jeep to Yarmouth, Maine.

We get up at the crack of doom tomorrow. Feed the cats. Take out the garbage. Pack the Jeep. Then it's off to Yarmouth for the second of four weddings this summer/fall. Most of the trip will be via back roads or rarely traveled ones. I like to see new places. (That's why today's detours didn't really bother me...too much.)

Any way. We'll take just one day to get there. Then we get to enjoy the company of family and meet the bride's as well. Maybe do a little shopping at L.L Bean, too. I know. Over priced yuppie stuff...but still....

There's a rehearsal dinner on Friday night to which we have been invited. The ceremony is on Saturday and then the bride's Mom wants to feed everyone breakfast on Sunday. We'll head for home right after and should be back at the Aerie late Sunday night.

Aerie Report, June 28, 2011

I waited all day for the rains to come and watched the forecast drop from 60% to 40% chance. The radar seemed to confirm that as there were just a few spotty and small storms down here in the Northern Tier. It was the Southern Tier in NY that was getting hammered. All the way up to the Adirondacks there were big, violent storms brewing. Not here. So, with the temps in the 80 degree range and the RH around 70% but the sun shining I went out and cut the lawn.

Got done around 4 PM and saw on the radar a line of small storms off to the west heading our way. As they approached it looked like they were going to skirt just to our north on the other side of Route 6. I prepared to go out to water the gardens. Just as I got to the door, the sky opened up. It poured for 15 minutes between 6:45 and 7 PM. Enough that I postponed my trip out with the garden hose. About an hour later, with the sun that much lower in the sky and shining under the clouds, the sky opened again for 10 minutes. It's weird to be seeing it rain like the dickens and have the sun shine at the same time.

So the grass is cut (by me) and the gardens are watered (by Him), All is right with the world.

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Tomorrow I take the Tundra over to Sayre for an oil change and check up. Haven't been that way for a bit but there are reports of construction on both Routes 6 and 220. Have to plan for detours, I guess.

Back to work!

After a lackluster weekend of overcast skies and cool verging on cold temperatures, the sun came out today and the temperature soared to 78 degrees late this afternoon. That, however, may be the last we see of the sun until Wednesday. Forecasters are saying we may get some severe thunderstorms tomorrow; the kind of storms that bring strong winds and large hail. I could do without the hail and wind, but we do need a little rain. The last two days promised some rain but didn't deliver more than a sprtiz now and then.

******

Looking at the forecast, the Tundra needing an oil change on Wednesday (1:00 PM), and our departure for Yarmouth, Maine for this weekend's wedding on Thursday morning, I decided it was time to fire up the log splitter and go through the wood I had stacked on the side of the house. I checked the motor oil and hydrolic fluid in the machine and then gassed it up. The splitter fired up on the second pull of the cord. It then ran like a dream for five hours as I got all the large logs split into smaller pieces. There were lots of pieces that didn't need splitting as they were skinny wood. And a lot of the old stuff was dry and split easily, but all the grey birch--blown down in a spring wind storm--needed to be split so it can dry before I need to burn it this winter. That birch wood was the largest in diameter and, naturally, the heaviest because of its water weight.

Split wood at the Aerie 2011_06_27

I worked up quite a sweat despite the low temperatures and being in the shade for all but the last hour or so. I also made an enemy in the robin which nested on that corner of the house. Let us say the bird was NOT pleased with either my presence or the noise form the splitter. I half expected to get dive-bombed at any moment. If it had been a blue jay I'm sure I would have scars on my head this evening. As it was, I would take a ten minute break every hour (union rules) so as to give the adult a chance to get back to the nest and set for a while. I didn't hear any cheeps coming from the nest, so I'm assuming that there are eggs and not baby birds up there.

Somewhere, however, there is a robin's nest with babies for I've watched an adult bird collect worms from the lawn before flying off with them dangling from its beak. We seem to have a huge number of robins on our little patch of grass. I can stand on the deck and watch five or more hopping about or chasing one another off a particularly promising patch. While watching those five on the lawn, there may be two or more flitting about in the trees either chasing or foraging on caterpillars or shadbush berries. I've watched birds collect nesting materials and head off into the woods. Makes me wonder what's wrong with the other corners of the Aerie. We've had three different nests in the past but this year we've only got one.

Aerie Plans

No work in the woods today. I may head back out tomorrow to cut some more firewood. And it was such a lovely day to be outdoors, too. Clouds hid the sun fro much of the day but they didn't produce more than a few little sprinkles. And the clouds helped keep the temperatures in the low 70s all day, too. The slight breeze made it feel even cooler.

But, today I did some shopping and played with the tractor for the afternoon. I've got a considerable amount of firewood in the yard all ready for splitting. Any additional wood that I cut will probably be left stacked in the woods until next year. Remember, part of this cutting process is to get the smaller limbs on the ground where they can decay and where they will be out of the line of sight for any stray deer and/or bear come hunting season. And by taking the ATV through the woods I'm also opening trails the deer and bears will walk.

Wood Pile

This morning I went down to A.J.'s Outdoor Power Equipment and asked about the prefab metal roofed car ports they sell. (Terry wants one of the slots in the garage back. Right now I've the ATV in one and the tractor in the other.) This seems like a sensible alternative to building a pole barn in which to store the tractor. They are made by Carolina Carports, Inc.

The price is a fraction of what a pole barn would cost and includes the cost of a crew to erect the structure. All I would need to do is have a level, open site on which the thing could be put. I looked over the information and figure a 21' long by 12' wide structure would suit my needs. For an extra $50 I can have the sides raised from the standard 6' height to 7' which would provide added headroom on the sides as well as in the center. You can get the sides enclosed for an additional cost. On a 21' long building with 7' sides that would be $350. Because they are "temporary' structures that can be taken down and moved, most places do not require building permits nor do they tax them.

******

I got so psyched by the idea, I came home and started leveling a place for the car port using my tractor. I had already figured it would have to go in the area near the garage and where I had been stacking firewood. In fact, I had used the front loader of the tractor to move some of the slash (mostly bark and a few branches and such) that had been heaped up there from previous years of splitting wood and cleaning up around the yard. Today I went in with the idea of taking the slightly sloping area and making it more level.

First problem: hard packed clay and stones.
Solution: instead of using the front end loader like a grader, I turned the tractor around and used the backhoe to break up the ground and remove any larger rocks.

Second problem: buried logs that hadn't rotted
Solution: I grubbed them up with the backhoe and moved them to the rear of the site to form a weak retaining wall of sorts.

Third problem: what the hell is that?

Windmill?

I hooked this thing with one of the teeth on the backhoe and it was like I had hooked a whale while fishing from a 12' dory. It wasn't coming out of the ground. No way. No how. I think it was the windmill the previous owner had on the property. The telephone poles and concrete anchors for the windmill are on the west side of the yard...the other side of the cabin. I assumed they had taken the damn thing out to the dump when they demolished the camp that was here leaving only a few cinder blocks that once were the foundation. Well, you know what they say about never assume anything.

Solution: dig. Dig. Dig. I went down a couple of feet around this thing and then got out my Sawzall. Couldn't find my long enough extension cord, however, so I called Terry--who was down at the Mansfield Farmers' Market--and told her to pick me up a 14 ga. 50' cord. Then I waited. And as time went on I started rearranging the stuff in the shed so I could get to my archery target block. And there was a 50' extension. Was it the one I fried in the campground last year? Didn't look fried, so I gave it a try. It worked without tripping any circuits so I was about to use it when Terry arrived. Rather than use the smaller (in diameter) cord, I plugged in the new cord and in minutes had cut the head off the windmill. I removed my tools and hopped on the tractor to use the backhoe bucket as a hammer and pound the ends of the remaining windmill into the earth. (Or at least 2-1/2 feet of it.)

I then did my leveling best with the loose soil I had created. The front loader going forward to scoop up the soil and put it where needed. The front loader as a scraper as I backed up to level things out. And the weight of the tractor as a compactor. Not too bad. I'll take a rake to it and try to make it even better.

Carport site.

Then I've got to get the firewood out of there. Oh well, most of it has to be split anyway. And I've got a couple of days before we have to leave for the next wedding.

Oh, almost forgot. When I went to put the Sawzall away, I found by heavy duty extension cord in the workshop. When I hadn't seen it earlier, I had assumed they were all in the trailer from last year's trip. (There's that "assume" word again.) Hey! It's green, not orange or red or bright yellow. It was easy to miss. Honest.

Woods Work Again--still.

with the forecast calling for scattered T-storms and showers, the temperatures in the high 70s and a humidity to match, it was back to the woods this morning to haul out the wood I had cut the other day as wells as some that I had cut last September. Many trips up and down the hill with the ATV got me a pile of firewood--most of which needs splitting. I do believe I've got enough to get us through the winter now. We only burn to supplement the propane heat when the outside temperature remains below the freezing mark for a day or two. Last year, that amounted to about two cords of wood. I've still got one left from the 2010 vintage and I estimate two-plus in the round, so to speak. (I'll try to remember to take a picture of my accomplishment tomorrow.)

I also hauled out nearly all of the skinny hickory poles, too. The trees had been knocked down by the loggers back in the summer of 2009 but the wood is dry and hard with nary an insect bore hole in sight. I'll have to take a close look at it for signs of branches and such to see if I can cut some three or four foot lengths for splitting into table or chair legs or some other project. I might even be able to use the band saw to turn the pieces with the largest diameter into narrow boards.

One thing I noticed as I worked in the woods is that there are a lot of youngish hickory trees still standing in my work area. The loggers took maples, beeches, a couple of cherries and lots of ash which opened the forest considerably. The tops of those trees have shown very little sign of decay which is why I'm happy to cut them up for firewood even two years later. Unfortunately, even the smaller branches which I've left in slash piles have shown little decay.

There are still a few large (12"+ diameter) logs in the area that I want to cut into firewood lengths which I will leave stacked in dry spots along an access trail for next year. THEN I will move to the other side of the property and see what I can do about the tree tops still present over there.

Oh, yeah. Those showers finally arrived around 2 PM when I was finished working outside. It poured for all of 30 minutes. Then at 8 PM a weak line of T-storms approached from the west-southwest, reached Route 15 and the end of Armenia Mountain and promptly divided like the Red Sea. One strong storm cell traveled eastward along Route 6 to our north while the rest followed the south side of Armenia Mountain. We might have got a dozen drops--maybe--before they moved on. I see on the radar that there are similar little stormlets all over the map out into the Ohio Valley so we may still get more rain overnight and tomorrow. As the radio announcer said yesterday, "The forecast through Sunday is like a broken record. Highs around 80 with scattered showers and T-storms possible in the afternoon and evening." Seems to be a pattern for now.

Eel Release in Pine Creek

Overnight we had a little more thunder and lightning but hardly any rain fell on the Aerie. There was just 0.05 inches in the rain gauge when I checked it at 3 PM.

I got off to the eel release this morning at around 8 AM and ran into a few showers (and lots and lots of trucks) as I headed out to Wellsboro and on to Asaph and the USGS Research Facility (aka The Fish Labs). What normally takes me just 35-40 minutes ended up being a 50 minute ride because of all the tankers carrying fracking fluids or water and the flatbed semis hauling heavy equipment. But, being a US Govt. run operation, the fact that I arrived a wee bit late meant that I was still early.

Eight of us were going to participate in this release of eels--besides the thousands and thousands of eels, that is.

Baby eels await release.

We had three folks from the Fish Labs who had been raising these eels from the tiny glass eel stage. Captured off the Maryland shore and shipped north via auto and truck relay in which I participated, they were only an inch to an inch and a half in length, completely colorless and had a mass of just 0.01 gram. Today, most were in the three inch range, were darkly pigmented and massed out at around 0.5 grams. Okay, the last isn't so impressive, but that's a fivefold increase in their body mass in a little over two months. You try it!

Robert Deems (USGS)

Heather Galbraith and Carrie Blakeslee (USGS)

All three were probably very happy to see these eels out in the wild. Caring for tens of thousands of the little guys can be tiresome. First, as with any aquarium, you've got to keep the water clean and cool. (Around 20 degrees C is what these eels like.) You've got to feed 'em. Then, as they get older, you've got to watch out for any that grow too big. See, they are cannibals. Big guys eat little guys. Quickly. And often. So any "big" eel has to be put in a tank with other eels that are the same size. Luckily, since these were only held for a few months, the sizing was not a real issue, but they have some eels in tanks that have grown to fifteen to eighteen inches in captivity.

Down in Maryland, the USFWS provided the eels from the ocean and started the relay to bring them north above the dams. Presnet for today's release was Steve Minkkinen (no photo) who leads the project and Julie Devers who helped to transport the eels north.

Julie Devers (USFWS)

Finally, there were three of us there from the Tiadaghton Audubon Society (TAS). Only Bob Ross donned waders and put eels in the water. I stayed behind the camera and Phil Krajewski, who was responsible for obtaining grant money to fund this particular project, observed.

Robert Deems (USGS) and Bob Ross (TAS and formerly of the USGS)

Casual observation showed that the women did most of the releasing. With Robert D. doing much of the rest. Bob R. handled three or four bags of eels.

Julie Devers (USFWS), Heather Galbraith (USGS), and Carrie Blakeslee (USGS)

Here's a shot of everyone except yours truly.



Approximately 50,000 eels went free today. As many went out into Buffalo Creek south of Lewisburg yesterday. hopefully they will live long and prosper in these headwaters of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay Watershed. And with their success, may they also prove to be hospitable hosts for the larvae of mussels who will in turn keep the water clean for trout and smallmouth bass.

No Woods, Just the Lawn Today

Happy Summer!

We had 1.35 inches of rain from yesterday at 4 PM until sometime just before 6 AM this morning. Needless to say everything outside was drenched this morning. And, with temperatures forecast for the low 80s and the humidity between 75 and 80%--although it did drop all the way to 65% as the temps went up, I opted to give the ATV and chainsaw a rest. (My knees and back thanked me as well.)

Instead, I spent a (small) part of the day just lounging around and checking the internet. Not a hell of a lot there to keep me glued to the lap top.

Weatherman said we might get more T-storms late this afternoon and through the night so when the sky cleared a bit, I went out this afternoon to cut the grass. I could tell it needed cutting because the plantain seed heads and clover flowers were abundant. The former stuck some five or six inches into the air and the latter dotted the lawn with their creamy white goodness. My knees protested but they were overruled by the long range forecast. (In a word: "wet") didn't take me long to get the lawn done but once more, I was soaked to the skin--or maybe that should be "from the skin" as it came out of me and not the sky.

Deer flies were a bit of a problem but the successful biters must have had snorkling gear or been able to hold their breath for a really long time. Luckily, the allergy shots I once got (Worth. Every. Penny!) mean that I'm not as sensitive to their bite as I was as a kid. Now it just hurts when they bite and as the blood seeps out of the wound. Moments later there is no swelling or itching.

******

Tomorrow I'll be participating in the eel release along Pine Creek in the western part of the county. Those thousands and thousands of eels caught off the Maryland shore and fostered by the Asaph USGS Fish Labs will be set free to forage on their own. It will be interesting to see where they are turned loose. Four sites are to receive a portion of Pine Creek's allotment. More will go down to Buffalo Creek south of Lewisburg near Bucknell University.

Terry has a group of her lady friends coming over around 10 for a sit-and-stitch. They will be here fore several hours so even if the eel thing doesn't take that long (we meet at the labs at 8:45 AM--I will find something to do away from the house until at least 2 PM. That's why I've got a backpack with fishing ear and my camera sitting by the door. Plus, there's a set of binoculars and my bird books in the truck. I'm good to go!

Now all we need is some cooperation from the Big Guy upstairs. Little or no rain would be nice. Widely scattered showers are okay--as long as they're over yonder from wherever we will be. Since we'll be moving around, it doesn't mean You can't hit a spot earlier or come back later to hit a spot we will/have visited. Okay?

More Work In the Woods

I ventured into the woods again today. Not with the .44 mag, but a chainsaw and an ATV. I figured if that big bear wasn't put off by the sound of the ATV, then at least I could cut him into manageable pieces. He didnt show.

I made 8 or 9 trips up and down hauling most of the wood that I had cut the Friday and Saturday as well as some of the stuff I left in the woods last fall. Then I went back with the chainsaw to cut some more and put some of the smaller branches on the ground into slash piles.

I worked until 4 o'clock when the rains showed up...just as the TV forecaster had said they would. By the time I packed my gear up and got back to the house, I was soaked. Weather permitting, I'll be back in the woods again tomorrow doing more cutting in the morning then hauling in the afternoon. I'm getting pretty close to the pont where I'm satisfied I've got enough wood for the winter.

Time for a PSA (Public Service Announcement)

Don't know about you, but *I* am switching!
This is something we all should know! Beware!

Shampoo Warning:

I figured out why I have been gaining weight. The shampoo I use in the shower, which runs down my body, says: “for more volume & extra body."

So now, I am going to switch to dishwashing liquid. It says: "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."

So glad I figured this all out

We Had Another Visitor at the Aerie

We had a new visitor last evening. A BIG black bear. And I mean HUGE.

It came down the powerline right of way just at dark--around 8:50 or so. Julie and Shadow were sitting at the screen door watching the fireflies in the yard and suddenly went on point. I was sitting at the dining room table and turned to see what had their attention just as the bear stood up and scratched on the telephone pole--the one of three in the yard that actually has power lines on it.

The head was the size of a basketball and the ears were round and on the side of the head in the 10-2 positions. Unlike other bears that have come into the yard and had a white V between their front legs, this one was all black. His snout was dark and a bit pushed in instead of pointed and he was at least twice as wide as I am but just as tall. The scratches he left on the pole and plastic conduit that carries our power down underground and to the house, were just above where I can reach.

When I called for Terry to look out the window, the bear dropped to all fours and looked at me. He didn't run away or bolt for the woods. He just looked. Then he turned and walked back up the powerline. Did I mention that he looked HUGE! and very, very healthy. He had beautiful, glossy, jet balck coat of fur

I've never seen a black bear in the wild as large as this one. I'd estimate his weight to be some where between 450 and 500 pounds. A big ole boy for sure. And with all the blackberries ripening on the hillside, he's sure to get a good deal bigger in the coming months.

Maybe it's time to get a holster for my .44 mag Redhawk. Just in case.

Another Day Sawing Logs.

Did I miss anything?

I spent another six hours in the woods today cutting up some maple and oak tops from the logging two years ago. The difficulty is that these tree tops all have lots of undersized branches that I've got to get out of the way. I spend half the time just trimming the small stuff and stacking it out of the way so I can get to the branches that are 4" in diameter or more. Then, once I've gotten to the larger stuff, I have to stack the cut pieces for later pickup.

Today's weather was a little warmer than yesterday but still pretty nice for working in the shaded woods. No rain showers in the area and just the slightest of breezes. Don't know if it was the lack of breeze or the slightly higher temperatures, but the mosquitoes were out today. I don't think any of them got up the nerve to bite me--probably took one whiff and said, "I'll pass!"--but I could hear them buzzing around my head even when I was wearing ear plugs. (That's a safety device I forgot to wear yesterday--ear plugs. Ears were buzzing, even without mosquitoes, all night long.)

Chainsaws didn't behave well today at all. The Homelite doesn't have a working oil pump for the chainbar oil and today it started to really over heat the bar. I finally figured out that I had to use my little oil can every 15 minutes and give the saw a chance to cool down for at least 5 minutes before returning it to service. As for the Sears Craftsman saw.... It ran for 30 minutes and then quit. Could not get it to restart.

I had both saws in the shop last month. That's when the repairman told me I had no working pump on the Homelite and he couldn't locate a source for one.

Maybe it's time to go get that Husqvarna Rancher. Three sources here in the area and every one of them had it for $399.

Well, I'm pooped after two days of saw work and tossing logs sections about. (Must be the Scots-Irish from my Mom. Every once in a while I get the urge to go out and toss telephone poles around. I do this despite the bad back. Stubborn.... That's the Scots, too, plus the Dutch from my Dad.) I think I'll just have another Yuengling and follow the Mets on the internet. Might even be able to stay awake until the ninth inning. Maybe.

No, it doesn't warm you twice...

...more like three or four times by the time it's cut, hauled out of the woods, split, stacked, hauled into the house....

Got a bit of work done out in the woods today. Since the chainsaw was sharpened and running, the ATV ran like a charm once I checked the air in all the tires (one was quite low), the widely scattered rains were happening elsewhere for the most part, and the temperatures never got much above 70 degrees, it was a good day for outdoor work.

I found a recently blown down beech that was some 18" plus in diameter at breast height. The part that I could reach--it was snapped off and still hung up at about 5 feet off the ground at the stump end--was a wee bit less. Still, it was big and long and I got considerable amount of potential firewood out of it. Cut it all into 16" lengths and left it stacked where I cut it for future hauling out. There was also a small maple that came down with it and I cut that up too. Anything over 4" in diameter is fuel for my fire. The rest gets heaped into one of the many depressions created by past uprooted trees.

I cut two long, straight hickories into manageable lengths for transport back to the cabin. I got three or four 8 to 10 foot poles out of those two. They measure from the minimum of 4" in diameter to about 6" or 7" at the thickest. I hate to burn this hard wood since it can be used in so many other ways.

There was also one larger maple felled by the loggers two years ago. They took the long straight portion of the lower trunk but left the branched upper sections that was still well over my 4" limit. I started cutting that up but will have to go back for more.

And speaking of more.... There are several other tops of felled trees in this one small area that I can cut for firewood plus wood that I cut and stacked but didn't haul down last year.

Then there's even more on a steep, steep slope on the other side of the property. All I have to do is figure a way to cut it up and haul it out. Problem is that most of it is on the downhill side of the logging trail. Tough to pull it up even with the tractor and sorta dangerous to cut where it lays. What I need is a couple of big honking pulleys, a stout rope and a winch.

I'll be back in the woods again tomorrow afternoon. Chainsaw in hand cutting and stacking more wood for the fire. Hauling, splitting and final stacking in the yard will be for another day.

Suddenly...

...TOFU burgers don't sound so bad. This story has been making the rounds of the interweb today. Haven't seen anyone comment positively about it yet.

Japan scientist synthesizes meat from human feces

Mitsuyuki Ikeda, a researcher from the Okayama Laboratory, has developed steaks based on proteins from human excrement. Tokyo Sewage approached the scientist because of an overabundance of sewage mud. They asked him to explore the possible uses of the sewage and Ikeda found that the mud contained a great deal of protein because of all the bacteria.

YUK!!

I believe I will stick with beef, pork, chicken, fish, venison, squirrel, and any other game meat I can bag. Thank you very much!

Oh, My!

From a Drudge link:

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana resident says an energy company has identified the cause of a brief power outage as "deer with wings."

Bad enough the sneaky critters can slip through the woods unseen, now they can take to the air?

Read the rest of the story (as Paul Harvey used to say) here.

Bleech.

Blah day. Overcast all day with a spritz of rain every now and again. The temperature never got much above 65 with a breeze that made it feel cooler all day. Call it another down swing on the rollercoaster of a weather pattern we've been having.

******

Terry has headed off to New Jersey so the cats and I will be tolerant of one another. Julie will hunker down in the chair next to me looking for human contact (and warmth) while the other two will dog my steps every time I go over to the kitchen sink and/or coffee pot in the hopes that I will 1) fill their food bowls or 2) at least give them a crunchy treat. Then they will gather at the bedroom door tomorrow to awaken me around 6 AM so they can get their breakfast rations. Then they'll go back to the bedroom door hoping to get Terry (who isn't there, remember) to come down and give them some more.

******

I could have/should have gone out to do some firewood gathering today. The cool temperatures were perfect for that sort of work. However, I've got a strong case of the blahs. One might almost say a crippling case. So I sat around a read some Lindsey Davis (I'm half way through See Delphi and Die and have read all the others in the series up to that point) and worked crossword puzzles.

Tomorrow, if the weather permits and the ATV starts, I shall go cut and haul some firewood. If not I'll go into the workshop and build something to hold my fishing rods or fed the birds. Maybe both.

Chores and Critters at the Aerie

Well, the forecasters got the weather correct to day. (Insert comment here about a stopped clock and all that.) The sun did stay out all day and the temperatures did rise to 80 degrees late this afternoon. Turned out to be a beautiful day and I spent nearly all of it outside in the yard with the tractor.

Kubota and I moved stones from the several piles I had around the edge of the yard and the huge pile I had built in the center where I once planned to build another raised bed garden. Those plans fizzled when I ran out of soil to fill the bed with. They may be resurrected again, however, as a small slump and the digging out of the slope to build the stairs last month have left me with a pretty good heaping pile of soil. Digging out the bank to create another raised bed would provide even more soil (and stone). And the digging would be much easier with the use of Kubota's backhoe.

This afternoon, I was in the process of moving some of the slumped soil and noticed one of Kubota's front tires was flat. I wrestled it off the tractor and hauled it down to the tire shop to get it repaired. Somewhere along the line today, I had run over a nail. That's not hard to imagine as even before we built the Aerie, there had been a structure here that had been removed. I'm not sure how it was removed, but it was gone when we viewed the property. Could be it was demolished on site. Could be it was hauled away. (It was a mobile home of some kind.) Could be I ran over a nail from that demolition or it could have been something from our construction process. I don't know for sure as the only evidence was a hole in the tire with nothing in it.

Any way...Got the tire fixed and put it back on the tractor and was back to work moving the soil and rocks that slumped in the heavy rains/snow melt of March and April. I'll have to think about some way of constructing a low retaining wall to hold back/slow future slumps.

******

After dinner, I stepped out on the porch to enjoy the cool breeze. There were some birds going a little nuts and I assumed they were screaming about a hawk or one of the neighbor's cats. Then, around the corner of the house where I had been digging up the slumping soil, came a black bear. I estimate his weight to be 250-300 pounds. I shouted to alert Terry and the bear bolted twenty yards into the woods. Then it looked back and slowly wandered off, totally unconcerned with my presence on the deck. Sure, my shout had startled him, but no more than my sneaking up on one of the cats and shouting, "BOO!"

So that's a deer this morning and a bear this evening. We also spotted a new neighbor's cat. That brings the number of different cats to five...or is it six? We had the usual birds in the yard despite not having any feeders out. But I did see an Oriole fly across the yard while I was moving one of the vehicle out of the way of the Kubota.

WARNING: Weather Rant Ahead

Was it just a few short weeks ago we were complaining about temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s? After the sun never made an appearance on a chilly, raw Tuesday, the sky cleared overnight. The light breeze continued to blow out of the north bringing some cool air to these here parts. The result? This morning it was 47 degrees at 7 AM. FORTY SEVEN DEGREES! On June 15th, one week from the longest day of the year. Sheesh! Talk about your yo-yo temperatures.

Must be very dull to live in places like San Diego or Hawaii where you get the same damn weather every single freakin' day. Dull. Dull. Dull. Around here, you can't be sure what it's going to be like in the next four or five hours. Forget tomorrow or next week.

******

I woke up to the sound of a doe deer snorting out in the yard at 7 AM. (Okay, I woke up the SECOND time. Chester and Shadow woke me up at 6 AM the first time but I ignored them and let Terry go feed them.) No idea what got her upset unless she caught sight of Terry moving around in the house.

On the deck looking around at 7:30 AM I heard and saw a pileated woodpecker flying over. Robins were setting in the trees and giving alarm calls. The wrens were chattering away. And an ovenbird kept screaming "Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!" like an impatient know-it-all student.

Down the hill, two rifle shots rang out and--I assume--another ground hog met its fate. Which reminds me the one I saw around here in the early spring has...well...disappeared. That is good!

A few cars and pick-up trucks went up the hill heading for construction and/or energy jobs on the wind farm or gas wells.

I guess I'll have to get out and do some firewood or stone work today. Just to get warm. (Kidding. The forecasters say we should get up to 80 degrees since the SUN is out. We shall see.)

Maybe after another cup of coffee.

Forget Global Warming (a hoax) and Start Worrying About Global COOLING!

Anthony Watts of Watts Up With That? has a breaking story from the AAS (American Astronomical Society): Sun’s Fading Spots Signal Big Drop in Solar Activity

Mr. Watts quotes Space.com on the three (3) studies which indicate that wee could be in for some global cooling and NOT warming because, you know, the SUN provides us with heat and it will be taking a nap for a short period if the researchers are correct.

Some unusual solar readings, including fading sunspots and weakening magnetic activity near the poles, could be indications that our sun is preparing to be less active in the coming years.

The results of three separate studies seem to show that even as the current sunspot cycle swells toward the solar maximum, the sun could be heading into a more-dormant period, with activity during the next 11-year sunspot cycle greatly reduced or even eliminated.

******
The Maunder Minimum, a period roughly spanning 1645 to 1715 when sunspots were extremely rare, is believed to have triggered The Little Ice Age. Alpine glaciers swept down valleys creating refugees out of the mountain people. And Hans Brinker skating on the Dutch canals?

How about the Dalton Minimum (1790-1830)? It too produced lower temperatures and, with the increase of volcanic activity, produced the Year Without a Summer, 1816.

So start knitting your sweaters now. Drive your SUVs as much as you want. Store up on 100W incandescent light bulbs. We may need all the warmth we can muster.

Early Report from the Aerie 06/14/2011w/thoughts on GOP Debate.

Flag Day. Fly 'em if you got 'em!

******

Were there any lamer questions than those asked at the CNN hosted New Hampshire "debate" last night? "Coke or Pepsi?" "Johnny Cash or Elvis?" Really? That was germane to a political debate? BTW: Who the heck is John King? And why in the world did the GOP agree to a CNN hosted "debate?"

I find "debates" like these tedious enough without some yahoo like King trying to sound cool. And the 30 second time limit may work in a quiz show but when dealing with complex matters it produces either truncated meaningless responses or equally meaningless sound bites.

******

I mentioned last evening that there had been little rain at the Aerie while I was up north. That has changed. We've had a gentle rain for much of the AM so far. A nice soaking, gentle rain that is sure to cause all sorts of growth int he garden and the grass. Now all it has to do is warm up a bit. It's just 51 degrees at 9:30 AM.

******

The chilly rain has put a damper on today's plans for outdoor work. Even if it should stop raining soon, everything is so wet and the temperature is so low, that even a walk in the woods would be uncomfortable to say the least. And the footing on wet leaves, rocks and logs would be quite slippery.

So it looks like it will be a day to do some indoor stuff. Decluttering is a full time job around here anyway. So many boxes of "stuff" to go through and what were once thought to be important essentials to discard. (Sort of like the candidates on the stage last night.) And there are boxes yet to be opened since our move with things lost or forgotten that may still be found and cherished.(Sorta like those NOT on the stage last night.)

Fireflies

One of the cool things about stepping out on the porch of the Aerie just after dark in the late spring/early summer is the number of lightning bugs or fireflies that can be seen over the lawn and in the tall weeds growing along its edges. Dozens and dozens of them are blinking their yellow-green tails on and off in hopes of attracting another firefly. Most are looking to mate. Some are looking to eat.

eNature lists two fireflies and both can be found in Pennsylvania. They are the Pennsylvania Firefly and the Pyralis Firefly. Its the former (the Pennsylvania Firefly) that will eat its own kind if the mood strikes it. The Pyralis adult doesn't eat at all. Interestingly, it's only the mated females that become cannibalistic. Guess they never heard of divorce lawyers!

When I was much, much younger, I and my cousins would run about and collect as many fireflies as we could. Forty or fifty of the little bugs make a nice--if somewhat flickering and short lived--night light. We would also take one of the bugs and squish its tail across the back of our hands just to see the glow of the phosphorescent chemicals appear and slowly fade. (Yeah, we were a blood thirsty bunch!)

Aerie Report, June 13, 2011

I made it back to the Aerie in time for lunch. Not a difficult thing to do when you wake up at 4 freakin' AM! A combination of restless and aching legs from running around with the brush hog between rain showers on Sunday and pushing the lawn mower through heavy wet grass--between rain showers--on Saturday. That, and having a list of things I needed to do and pack before I left running through my head, got me going early.

I was on the road south by 7:30 AM. Traffic was light and, despite staying (mostly) at the speed limit and making one stop along the way, I got home around noon.

Crazy thing is that even though the radar maps showed there should have been considerable amount of rain at the Aerie there was only 0.02 inches in the rain gauge. Terry said her friends said it rained hard down in Mansfield but up here on the hill we got squat. Terry watered the garden last night and the zucchini and cukes are really starting to look good. Some of the onions started from sets have developed flower heads which I told Terry to cut off. We need them to put their energy into the bulbs not the flowers.

It was mostly cloudy this afternoon with just a few moments of sunshine. Then, around 8 PM a few darker clouds came out of the north and we got half an hour of pretty heavy rain. I'll selectively water a few shrubs tomorrow morning IF we don't get any more rain. They say there's a chance of some through noon on Tuesday. Then it will clear and we'll have a couple of nice days--until Friday. I'm glad I don't have to depend on the weekend for out door chores.

I'll be looking to get the ATV and/or tractor out to cut/haul firewood and move some stone about during the next few days. With the temperatures staying in the low to mid 70s I should get some good exercise. Got to be better than running around behind a mower and brush hog in the rain.

Terry has a bridal shower in New Jersey on Saturday, but one of her old smocking groups is meeting on Thursday night so she may be heading east early. She'll stay at her Mom's though Sunday and come back after church services and, probably, one of her Mom's Sunday dinners.

Bolt Hole, June 12, 2011 (10 PM update)

Managed to get the grass raked up between the rain drops late this afternoon. (Had to follow the Mets 7-0 defeat of the Pirates first.) Yard looks like it got a haircut from a 2-year old--with dull scissors.

Oh, and the patches in the ceiling are sanded smooth as a baby's butt. All praise the inventor of the sanding sponge for the ability to keep the spackle dust to zero!

All in all a pretty good--if wet--day.

I'll be departing the Bolt Hole (NY) for the Aerie (PA) tomorrow after breakfast--and coffee.

Color at the Bolt Hole

When we bought the Bolt Hole in the '80s the previous owners had put in quite a few perennials an were kind enough to leave a map of what they had planted and where. Unfortunately, they had left the place vacant for nearly two years and the deer, groundhogs and weather had done a fine job of removing many of their plantings. The goldenrod and other native plants had taken over the "lawn" and come spring, it was pretty near impossible to locate much of the work done by the previous owners.

One group of plants that could be easily spotted and which survived any depredation, were the poppies. Large, showy, orange flowers appeared in mid to late May and lasted about a month before the petals fell off revealing a pepper shaker of a seed head.

Despite my best efforts (not intentional, mind you) to kill them off, they continue to provide a springtime burst of color. The flowers are just about finished for this year, as can be seen from the photos, but they will continue to spread if left alone.

Full Poppy Flower Note the tinge of faded color on the lips of the petals.

Heavy rains have begun to take their toll on the large petals.

Almost bereft of petals, the seed head is exposed.

When ripe, the dried seed head develops holes along the top. Through these holes the seeds will be shaken about by strong winds and scattered about the parent plant. Self-seeding will take place and additional poppy plants will appear next spring. Or, I could harvest those seed heads and seeds and plant a new bed of poppies wherever I want.

Company at the Bolt Hole

I had a couple of lady visitors at the Bolt Hole last night. They hung around ont he porch this morning. Probably happy to get out of the rain.

The first one I noticed was the large, pale, delicate looking Luna Moth.

Luna Moth

As I went out to photograph the Luna, I discovered a second visitor. I believe this is a Blind Sphinx Moth.

Blind Sphinx Moth

Both moths are quite large and both have caterpillars that like to nibble on Birch trees. The forest around the Bolt Hole has many gray birches.

The Luna also eats hickory which can be found around the Aerie along with the white or paper birch. The Blind Sphinx also nibbles apple which ought to make it a fan of our orchard reclamation project here at the Bolt Hole.

I wonder if there will be many more of these lovely large moths flitting about since we've lost so many bats to the white nose fungus? If it weren't for the number of mosquitoes the bats eat in a single night, it might be worth it.

Bolt Hole, June 12, 2011

So. This morning at 8 AM I checked the weather.com site to see if there was any rain in the area. Forecast said 60% chance of showers but the radar looked clear. (Couldn't get to the interactive map. Slow connection? Or lots of folks trying?)

With the prospect of having a fair chance of getting some more mowing done, I downed a couple cups of coffee, laced up my boots, sprayed on some Deep Woods OFF, and headed out to the garage. The brush hog started up right away but the set screw on the choke/throttle keeps vibrating out of position. Constant attention to its position and things ran fine. (Note to Paul: Checked the air filter and it was as clean as a baby's bottom AFTER a bath. I think I just flooded things a bit when first starting the engine yesterday.)

And "ran" is the proper term. The D&R brush hog is a self propelled unit and runs best on high. Forget the boots, I need track shoes! At least at these speeds, I thought, the bugs can't even catch me!

Worked for two hours and wrestled 3/4 of the knee deep stuff into submission when it started to rain. WTF? Where was this when I checked the radar? Apparently just lurking off the screen to the southwest. I got the brush hog back to the garage and myself into the cabin just as it started to pour.

An hour later, it had stopped so I went out to finish up. An hour later, I had just managed to do that when it started to rain again. Now I've got windrows of grass forming lines across the backyard looking like newly mowed hay. A perfect place for insects and their predators to play hide and seek. Of course those piles of grass will also damage the grass trying to grow beneath them if not moved and they also harbor some matted down grass that didn't get cut at all because of the wet conditions. (Note to self: Take a flat file to the blades of the brush hog. Its easier to cut rather than beat the grass to death.)

Ah, rain. You need it for things to grow, but there are times you want to say, "Enough all ready!" Still 60% chance of rain through 5 PM today. I don't care if it stops. I'm soaked to the skin and have had it. I'll find something to do inside.

Makes me empathize with this kid: