We got 2-3 inches yesterday (March 31) but most of that melted as the temperature rose to the upper 30s during the day. This morning (April 1) we had a little less than an inch of heavy, wet new snow on the ground and there's more falling now as I type. We might get another inch or two out of this. Still, that's better than the areas between Albany, NY and Augusta, ME will be doing. I've seen reports of from 12 to 18 inches of snow expected just west of I-95.
And the Bolt Hole is just on the west side of the big storm, too, and may see only a few inches of new snow.
Tiresome. That's what it is. Tiresome.
Friday, April 01, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
About those plans....
Remember those plans I wrote about yesterday? They got scrambled a little today.
I drove up to the Bolt Hole this morning (220 miles). The snow at the Aerie disappeared when I reached Watkins Glen. There was absolutely nothing on the ground until I got above Utica. There, I found the high land north of the Mohawk contained more and more snow. By the time I got to the Bolt Hole (elevation 1800 feet) there were huge amounts of snow still on the ground. The lawn was covered by 18 inches of snow with a nice hard crust on top. Luckily there's a group of rabbit hunters who use my yard as a staging area AND the DEC Ranger who works our area of the state also uses my yard as a place to park his vehicle with its trailer. Combined, they see to it that access to the yard and house is kept pretty clear even when neither Mark nor I are around. As a result, I could drive right up to the door.
I also found that Mark was there. His car was parked at his gate and there was smoke from his chimney.
But first, I noticed my chimney was missing its cap but there was a metal paint bucket turned upside down over the top of the chimney. Inside, all the furniture had been shoved to one end of the living room, a tarp was draped along the eastern wall, the ceiling light fixture behind the wood stove had been cut out, a blanket hung across the door to the kitchen and there was no electricity to the kitchen lights. Oh, and Mark's kerosene heater and tools lay all over the floor of the living room.
I went over to see if, perhaps, Mark could shed some light upon what the heck was going on. He could, and I was disappointed to learn that there had been another electrical mishap. Something caused a short in the section of old canvas covered wire I did not replace last fall. That happened to be on a 25 amp circuit breaker, which 1-fried a connection in a junction box in the basement, 2-caused the fluorescent bulb in the kitchen to explode, 3-resulted in Mark shutting down of the over large circuit. Mark had an electrician in to help diagnose the problem. Only cost a short cord of wood from the shed. As for the rewiring job, we can do that.
Mark also said that, in February, there were two weeks during which the temperature did not get above 0 degrees. Meltwater seeped into the living area and icicles 2 feet long hung from the log roof purlins when they dripped lots of stuff got wet. When the chimney cap blew off (he's not sure when that happened) snow and water accumulated in the stove. (He cleaned that up and dried everything out.) Frost heaving/settling has caused the old and new sections of the house to separate slightly and that helped the snow meltwater to gain access.
We concluded that we need to rewire the old section of the Bolt Hole. We walked through and made a short list of the materials needed fro the rewiring, recapping of the chimney and more. Then I decided to head home to the Aerie since I had no light and couldn't build a fire to keep warm.
So it was another 220 miles to reach home. That made 440 miles round trip. Approximately 9 hours behind the wheel and another 3 or so inspecting the Bolt Hole with Mark.
As I told Mark, I'll be back in about two weeks with tools and supplies and with a desire to 1-get the chimney capped so I can heat the place and 2-run some wire to create at least two new circuits--breaking the demand upon the one large circuit that now exists while, at the same time, restoring power to the old portion of the cabin. Hopefully, there will also be less snow and warmer temperatures come April 10th.
I drove up to the Bolt Hole this morning (220 miles). The snow at the Aerie disappeared when I reached Watkins Glen. There was absolutely nothing on the ground until I got above Utica. There, I found the high land north of the Mohawk contained more and more snow. By the time I got to the Bolt Hole (elevation 1800 feet) there were huge amounts of snow still on the ground. The lawn was covered by 18 inches of snow with a nice hard crust on top. Luckily there's a group of rabbit hunters who use my yard as a staging area AND the DEC Ranger who works our area of the state also uses my yard as a place to park his vehicle with its trailer. Combined, they see to it that access to the yard and house is kept pretty clear even when neither Mark nor I are around. As a result, I could drive right up to the door.
I also found that Mark was there. His car was parked at his gate and there was smoke from his chimney.
But first, I noticed my chimney was missing its cap but there was a metal paint bucket turned upside down over the top of the chimney. Inside, all the furniture had been shoved to one end of the living room, a tarp was draped along the eastern wall, the ceiling light fixture behind the wood stove had been cut out, a blanket hung across the door to the kitchen and there was no electricity to the kitchen lights. Oh, and Mark's kerosene heater and tools lay all over the floor of the living room.
I went over to see if, perhaps, Mark could shed some light upon what the heck was going on. He could, and I was disappointed to learn that there had been another electrical mishap. Something caused a short in the section of old canvas covered wire I did not replace last fall. That happened to be on a 25 amp circuit breaker, which 1-fried a connection in a junction box in the basement, 2-caused the fluorescent bulb in the kitchen to explode, 3-resulted in Mark shutting down of the over large circuit. Mark had an electrician in to help diagnose the problem. Only cost a short cord of wood from the shed. As for the rewiring job, we can do that.
Mark also said that, in February, there were two weeks during which the temperature did not get above 0 degrees. Meltwater seeped into the living area and icicles 2 feet long hung from the log roof purlins when they dripped lots of stuff got wet. When the chimney cap blew off (he's not sure when that happened) snow and water accumulated in the stove. (He cleaned that up and dried everything out.) Frost heaving/settling has caused the old and new sections of the house to separate slightly and that helped the snow meltwater to gain access.
We concluded that we need to rewire the old section of the Bolt Hole. We walked through and made a short list of the materials needed fro the rewiring, recapping of the chimney and more. Then I decided to head home to the Aerie since I had no light and couldn't build a fire to keep warm.
So it was another 220 miles to reach home. That made 440 miles round trip. Approximately 9 hours behind the wheel and another 3 or so inspecting the Bolt Hole with Mark.
As I told Mark, I'll be back in about two weeks with tools and supplies and with a desire to 1-get the chimney capped so I can heat the place and 2-run some wire to create at least two new circuits--breaking the demand upon the one large circuit that now exists while, at the same time, restoring power to the old portion of the cabin. Hopefully, there will also be less snow and warmer temperatures come April 10th.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Future Plans
I believe I'll take a ride on Tuesday to see if the Bolt Hole is still standing. I haven't heard a peep from my buddy Mark since he returned from taking a test down in Tennessee for a gas company job. (He did will on the test but they gave him and a bunch of others the "We'll call you" routine and sent them home.) And that was back in early January...I think. (Kinda fuzzy on just when.)
Any how...the weather is supposed to be moderating a bit even up that way and the overnight low--there--may only be around 15-20 degrees instead of 5-10 like the last few days. With just a wee chance of snow flurries in the offing. If all is well, I'll only spend the night and head home on Wednesday. If anything is seriously amiss....
I can't wait for this bloody snow to disappear! There are a dozen things that need to be done--Out. Side. Things like setting up a garden; building a pole barn/shed to store the tractor in; cutting, hauling and splitting firewood; (re)building a shed up at the Bolt Hole (one's got to be either rebuilt or demolished and replaced); building some doors for the BH barn--finally; cutting,hauling and splitting firewood at the BH; and building covered deer stands both at the Aerie and the BH.
And I'll have to get it all done around three weddings: one on Memorial Day weekend in Milwaukee, on the 4th of July weekend in Maine, and one the Friday after Labor Day in New Jersey. oh, and then there's the clam bake in Massachusetts on Labor Day--assuming Bruce and Sue extend an invitation. Plus, somehow I've got to squeeze in two or three days a week for bird walks in April and May and--or so I've promised myself--two days of fishing each week. Add the time I'll need to improve by archery and shooting skills (something I didn't get to do last summer because we were on the road for nearly three months) and I'd say I'm going to be busy.
And once September gets here, the college football season and hunting seasons collide. This year I'm hoping for a big improvement by my Scarlet Knights of Rutgers and in my deer harvest. (They only won 4 games last year. That was 4 more than the number of deer I killed and 2 more than the number I saw. As the saying goes, "Tough to do worse.")
So those are my plans, immediate and otherwise. Ya think I'm:
1-too ambitious?
2-taking a big chance letting God know what I want to do? (After all, they do say, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.")
Any how...the weather is supposed to be moderating a bit even up that way and the overnight low--there--may only be around 15-20 degrees instead of 5-10 like the last few days. With just a wee chance of snow flurries in the offing. If all is well, I'll only spend the night and head home on Wednesday. If anything is seriously amiss....
I can't wait for this bloody snow to disappear! There are a dozen things that need to be done--Out. Side. Things like setting up a garden; building a pole barn/shed to store the tractor in; cutting, hauling and splitting firewood; (re)building a shed up at the Bolt Hole (one's got to be either rebuilt or demolished and replaced); building some doors for the BH barn--finally; cutting,hauling and splitting firewood at the BH; and building covered deer stands both at the Aerie and the BH.
And I'll have to get it all done around three weddings: one on Memorial Day weekend in Milwaukee, on the 4th of July weekend in Maine, and one the Friday after Labor Day in New Jersey. oh, and then there's the clam bake in Massachusetts on Labor Day--assuming Bruce and Sue extend an invitation. Plus, somehow I've got to squeeze in two or three days a week for bird walks in April and May and--or so I've promised myself--two days of fishing each week. Add the time I'll need to improve by archery and shooting skills (something I didn't get to do last summer because we were on the road for nearly three months) and I'd say I'm going to be busy.
And once September gets here, the college football season and hunting seasons collide. This year I'm hoping for a big improvement by my Scarlet Knights of Rutgers and in my deer harvest. (They only won 4 games last year. That was 4 more than the number of deer I killed and 2 more than the number I saw. As the saying goes, "Tough to do worse.")
So those are my plans, immediate and otherwise. Ya think I'm:
1-too ambitious?
2-taking a big chance letting God know what I want to do? (After all, they do say, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.")
More Aerie Birds
Another frequent visitor to the feeders is the Black-capped Chickadee. This one wouldn't turn around to face into the wind--and the sun--but I think it still makes a pretty picture with the neighboring birch tree.
Black-capped Chickadee
The tray feeders are often sites fro a mixed bag of birds. Some, like the Blue Jays and Mourning Doves can clear the tray of any competition. Others like the Dark-eyed Junco and Common Redpoll are slightly more tolerant and will share the bounty. (Although the Junco can get pretty territorial at times.)
Common Redpoll and Dark-eyed Junco
The little Common Redpolls are far northern breeders and should be leaving us soon--I hope. While many of the "rare bird alerts" for central PA have listed two or three of these birds at a time showing up at feeders and being "news worthy" I've had hordes of the little buggers since before Christmas. They hit the feeders like locusts on a ripening wheat field. When they decide they've had enough, there's usually very little left. Sometimes I've had to fill the feeders twice in one day which explains why I've gone through 400 pounds of sunflower seeds so far this winter.
I do like the little red beret, however.
Common Redpoll
Then there are these guys. The Little Brown Jobs (or LBJs for short). Identifying sparrows has never been my forte, but even I can name a few. This little guy and about half a dozen of his close kin showed up last week just before the latest snow storm hit. They seem to be doing all right living off the seeds the other birds and squirrels spill from the feeders. Identification is made even easier when one starts singing.
Song Sparrow
Black-capped ChickadeeThe tray feeders are often sites fro a mixed bag of birds. Some, like the Blue Jays and Mourning Doves can clear the tray of any competition. Others like the Dark-eyed Junco and Common Redpoll are slightly more tolerant and will share the bounty. (Although the Junco can get pretty territorial at times.)
Common Redpoll and Dark-eyed JuncoThe little Common Redpolls are far northern breeders and should be leaving us soon--I hope. While many of the "rare bird alerts" for central PA have listed two or three of these birds at a time showing up at feeders and being "news worthy" I've had hordes of the little buggers since before Christmas. They hit the feeders like locusts on a ripening wheat field. When they decide they've had enough, there's usually very little left. Sometimes I've had to fill the feeders twice in one day which explains why I've gone through 400 pounds of sunflower seeds so far this winter.
I do like the little red beret, however.
Common RedpollThen there are these guys. The Little Brown Jobs (or LBJs for short). Identifying sparrows has never been my forte, but even I can name a few. This little guy and about half a dozen of his close kin showed up last week just before the latest snow storm hit. They seem to be doing all right living off the seeds the other birds and squirrels spill from the feeders. Identification is made even easier when one starts singing.
Song SparrowDowny Woodpecker
Small ladder-backed woodpeckers have been with us all winter. I've counted as many as five Downy Woodpeckers and three Hairy Woodpeckers in the trees behind the feeders or along the side of the powerline right of way at one time. It can get pretty contentious at the one suet feeder I've got hanging out there!
While snapping photos of the Goldfinch, a couple of Downy WPs came calling. This male (note the red on the back of the head) was intent upon getting to the suet and didn't give a fig that I was standing on the deck 5 yards away.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
These little woodpeckers are actually quite tame. You can coax them to eat out of your hand, if you care to give it a try. I've had them come to the suet while I'm standing there refilling on of the seed feeders just a couple of feet away.
While they chase one another around the trees behind the feeders and sound pretty mean doing it, once their larger cousin, the Hairy shows up it's time for all to flee. (The hairy looks exactly the same except it's half again as large: 9 inches versus 6 for the Downy.)
While snapping photos of the Goldfinch, a couple of Downy WPs came calling. This male (note the red on the back of the head) was intent upon getting to the suet and didn't give a fig that I was standing on the deck 5 yards away.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Downy WoodpeckerThese little woodpeckers are actually quite tame. You can coax them to eat out of your hand, if you care to give it a try. I've had them come to the suet while I'm standing there refilling on of the seed feeders just a couple of feet away.
While they chase one another around the trees behind the feeders and sound pretty mean doing it, once their larger cousin, the Hairy shows up it's time for all to flee. (The hairy looks exactly the same except it's half again as large: 9 inches versus 6 for the Downy.)
Goldfinch Photos
I mentioned that yesterday I spotted the first American Goldfinches of the spring out by the feeders mixing it up with the Common Redpolls. While I didn't get the camera out rapidly enough for the first sighting, the birds did return later in the afternoon and I was able to snap a few photos of them. Only one Goldfinch had noticeably begun to change into his mating plumage, however. The others were still rather drab except for their very black wings and very white wing bars.
Whether these birds will stay around here or fly further north to breed is academic. Like the Robins, they should have been here all winter but those that do stick around often fly further north to do their thing. And, as they fly further north, birds that flew further south often take their place on the local scene.
American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch. Note he's still got an olive-green back.
That will gradually change to bright yellow as we move through
April and into the May nesting season.
American Goldfinch stocking up on sunflower seeds at the feeder.
Whether these birds will stay around here or fly further north to breed is academic. Like the Robins, they should have been here all winter but those that do stick around often fly further north to do their thing. And, as they fly further north, birds that flew further south often take their place on the local scene.
American Goldfinch 
American Goldfinch. Note he's still got an olive-green back.That will gradually change to bright yellow as we move through
April and into the May nesting season.
American Goldfinch stocking up on sunflower seeds at the feeder.Sunday, March 27, 2011
Return of the Goldfinches?
This morning around 11 AM we got a phone call from my buddy (and Terry's cousin) Joe. It was a return call the subject of which was his son's wedding taking place this July 4th up near Portland, Maine. We were curious as to any recommendation regarding accommodations and activities and such as it is time to start making summer plans.
One thing lead to another and Joe, who moved out from NJ to an area about 60 miles south of here in southeast Clinton County near I-80 last spring, started castigating me for not warning him about how much snow there was here in central PA. I had to laugh since the area he moved to got lots more snow than the Aerie last year and we've had even more than he has this year. He says he managed to plant his strawberries and rhubarb last weekend but they are now under a blanket of white. Meanwhile his tomato and pepper seeds have sprouted and are doing real well on his windowsill. (If I were to plant either tomatoes or peppers at the Aerie, I would have to either wait until the end of May or think of cloches to guard against frost.)
Any who, we went on to talk about birds. I lamented I hadn't seen a Goldfinch since last Thanksgiving but had hordes of Redpolls and Dark-eyed Juncos raiding the feeders every day. He, on the other hand, said the Goldfinches were all over his feeders but he only had a couple of Redpolls and Juncos. This just 60 miles south of here.
We said our good-byes and wished each other well and added a prayer for a rapidly arriving spring.
I'm sitting in the living room and glance out the window at the birds at the tray on the deck expecting to see the usual crowd. But, wait! That is a Goldfinch in there with the Redpolls! Ever so slightly larger than the Redpolls with very black wings sporting two very bright, white bars. There was even a little hint of yellowish green beneath the chin. And then there was another. I got up to look over on the side where the other feeders hang and there were a couple more mixed in with the Redpolls. One was definitely a mature male just about half way through the molt into his bright yellow mating plumage.
I reached for the camera, but by the time I had retrieved it and fitted the proper lens onto it, ALL the birds had disappeared. And the Goldies did not return when the Redpolls and Juncos did.
That's okay, though. All is right with the world. The Goldfinches are still about. (Or maybe Joe just shooed a few this way.)
******
Meanwhile, it was just 12 degrees this morning at 7 AM but even that was up from yesterday. Could have been much worse since the breeze is still blowing out of the north-northwest and there wasn't a hint of a cloud in the sky all night--or today, for that matter. Bright, bright sunshine but precious little warmth (only got to 34 yesterday and 33 degrees today at 2:45 PM). Tonight will be another chilly one with 10 degrees a possibility by morning. Looking at the long range forecasts, the precip is out of Wednesday but a possibility on Friday/Saturday. Then things start warming up for the first full week of April. (By warming I mean we get back to the average high temperatures.)
One thing lead to another and Joe, who moved out from NJ to an area about 60 miles south of here in southeast Clinton County near I-80 last spring, started castigating me for not warning him about how much snow there was here in central PA. I had to laugh since the area he moved to got lots more snow than the Aerie last year and we've had even more than he has this year. He says he managed to plant his strawberries and rhubarb last weekend but they are now under a blanket of white. Meanwhile his tomato and pepper seeds have sprouted and are doing real well on his windowsill. (If I were to plant either tomatoes or peppers at the Aerie, I would have to either wait until the end of May or think of cloches to guard against frost.)
Any who, we went on to talk about birds. I lamented I hadn't seen a Goldfinch since last Thanksgiving but had hordes of Redpolls and Dark-eyed Juncos raiding the feeders every day. He, on the other hand, said the Goldfinches were all over his feeders but he only had a couple of Redpolls and Juncos. This just 60 miles south of here.
We said our good-byes and wished each other well and added a prayer for a rapidly arriving spring.
I'm sitting in the living room and glance out the window at the birds at the tray on the deck expecting to see the usual crowd. But, wait! That is a Goldfinch in there with the Redpolls! Ever so slightly larger than the Redpolls with very black wings sporting two very bright, white bars. There was even a little hint of yellowish green beneath the chin. And then there was another. I got up to look over on the side where the other feeders hang and there were a couple more mixed in with the Redpolls. One was definitely a mature male just about half way through the molt into his bright yellow mating plumage.
I reached for the camera, but by the time I had retrieved it and fitted the proper lens onto it, ALL the birds had disappeared. And the Goldies did not return when the Redpolls and Juncos did.
That's okay, though. All is right with the world. The Goldfinches are still about. (Or maybe Joe just shooed a few this way.)
******
Meanwhile, it was just 12 degrees this morning at 7 AM but even that was up from yesterday. Could have been much worse since the breeze is still blowing out of the north-northwest and there wasn't a hint of a cloud in the sky all night--or today, for that matter. Bright, bright sunshine but precious little warmth (only got to 34 yesterday and 33 degrees today at 2:45 PM). Tonight will be another chilly one with 10 degrees a possibility by morning. Looking at the long range forecasts, the precip is out of Wednesday but a possibility on Friday/Saturday. Then things start warming up for the first full week of April. (By warming I mean we get back to the average high temperatures.)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Aerie Report, March 26, 2011
Terry made it home safely from South Carolina late Thursday evening arriving at the Aerie at 8:30 PM. She drove straight through and reports that she didn't see any snow until she reached Williamsport. She was thoroughly spoiled by the 70 degree days in Columbia.
******
The sun has been shining since noon on Thursday. It's a welcome sight after the dreary, snowy days earlier in the week. In fact, we've nothing but clear, cloudless skies.
Of course, there's a down side as well. Those clear skies are the product of an absolutely arctic air mass that has caused the temperature to plunge into the "oh my God it's cold!" range. This morning it was just 10 degrees outside at 7 AM. Daytime highs haven't gotten much above 35 degrees either. (The average highs are supposed to be around 50 degrees this time of year.)
While the sun has caused some melting where the snow has been thinned by plowing, the stuff on the lawn and in the woods has simply become ice encrusted. Mud season is on hold--or at least limited to the afternoon hours when the sun has managed to melt a wee bit of the snow along the edge of the road.
The cold and the snow cover, as you might surmise, has forced the birds to once again rely upon my largess. The common redpolls continue to hang around, perhaps instinctively fearing even colder and more sparse food supplies to the north.
The robin I saw eating a worm on the lawn last Tuesday evening is probably hunkered down somewhere mumbling about the sudden turn of events that has put his amorous activities on hold. And as for the poor Phoebe ai saw eating flies on Sunday? I hope he can find takeout somewhere.
I've seen a song sparrow or two in the yard under the feeders picking up seed tossed about by the redpolls, chickadees, and super sloppy eating blue jays and squirrels.
I'm still waiting for the goldfinches to return. They are usually wintertime visitors and have been mixed with the redpolls. Last year, when the redpolls didn't show, they were our primary visitors all winter long. I was able to judge the approach of spring by the shifting color of the goldies. This year? Nada. Zip. We haven't seen a goldie since Thanksgiving.
******
I noted the swelling of leaf buds on the aspen trees on the hill in front of the Aerie and the appearance of catkins on the birch trees this morning. I can see wet spots on the maples where the activities of woodpeckers or the rubbing of branches have caused a leakage of sap. This is the second weekend of the maple syrup open houses throughout Tioga and Potter counties and, for once, the producers have things timed things perfectly. The super cold nights and somewhat warm days must have the sap running like the streams during spring thaw. The longer the cold nights last, the happier they (the syrup crowd) will be.
Me? I'd as soon we get on with the business of Spring but these things can not be forced. The sun--and cold--will be with us until at least Wednesday when there's a slight chance of some snow flurries. Then, as we turn the calendar page to April on Friday, there's a prediction of slightly warmer weather and rain/snow showers for a a few days. Figures, New York's trout season opens on Friday as does the season in a dozen PA counties to the southeast part of the state. (The rest of Pennsylvania doesn't start trout season until the 16th.)
Until then, I'll enjoy the sun while pondering where the heck MY global warming is.
******
The sun has been shining since noon on Thursday. It's a welcome sight after the dreary, snowy days earlier in the week. In fact, we've nothing but clear, cloudless skies.
Of course, there's a down side as well. Those clear skies are the product of an absolutely arctic air mass that has caused the temperature to plunge into the "oh my God it's cold!" range. This morning it was just 10 degrees outside at 7 AM. Daytime highs haven't gotten much above 35 degrees either. (The average highs are supposed to be around 50 degrees this time of year.)
While the sun has caused some melting where the snow has been thinned by plowing, the stuff on the lawn and in the woods has simply become ice encrusted. Mud season is on hold--or at least limited to the afternoon hours when the sun has managed to melt a wee bit of the snow along the edge of the road.
The cold and the snow cover, as you might surmise, has forced the birds to once again rely upon my largess. The common redpolls continue to hang around, perhaps instinctively fearing even colder and more sparse food supplies to the north.
The robin I saw eating a worm on the lawn last Tuesday evening is probably hunkered down somewhere mumbling about the sudden turn of events that has put his amorous activities on hold. And as for the poor Phoebe ai saw eating flies on Sunday? I hope he can find takeout somewhere.
I've seen a song sparrow or two in the yard under the feeders picking up seed tossed about by the redpolls, chickadees, and super sloppy eating blue jays and squirrels.
I'm still waiting for the goldfinches to return. They are usually wintertime visitors and have been mixed with the redpolls. Last year, when the redpolls didn't show, they were our primary visitors all winter long. I was able to judge the approach of spring by the shifting color of the goldies. This year? Nada. Zip. We haven't seen a goldie since Thanksgiving.
******
I noted the swelling of leaf buds on the aspen trees on the hill in front of the Aerie and the appearance of catkins on the birch trees this morning. I can see wet spots on the maples where the activities of woodpeckers or the rubbing of branches have caused a leakage of sap. This is the second weekend of the maple syrup open houses throughout Tioga and Potter counties and, for once, the producers have things timed things perfectly. The super cold nights and somewhat warm days must have the sap running like the streams during spring thaw. The longer the cold nights last, the happier they (the syrup crowd) will be.
Me? I'd as soon we get on with the business of Spring but these things can not be forced. The sun--and cold--will be with us until at least Wednesday when there's a slight chance of some snow flurries. Then, as we turn the calendar page to April on Friday, there's a prediction of slightly warmer weather and rain/snow showers for a a few days. Figures, New York's trout season opens on Friday as does the season in a dozen PA counties to the southeast part of the state. (The rest of Pennsylvania doesn't start trout season until the 16th.)
Until then, I'll enjoy the sun while pondering where the heck MY global warming is.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
**SIGH**
Well, as Paul suggested last evening, the weathermen were wrong when they said there would be an inch of snow/sleet/wintry mix overnight. Very, very wrong.
Snow on the corner of the deck.
Snow on the deck rail and tray feeder.
Snow on the Tundra.
We got a wee bit more than the called for "inch." There's more like 8 inches of the stuff on the ground this morning. We are currently in a lull between bands of precipitation but AccuHunch says there's still 4-5 inches to come--with sleet and freezing rain this afternoon just for good measure. Winter Weather Warnings remain in effect until Thursday morning.
And we were just about free of the damn stuff. Only the greatly reduced and nearly gone heaps of snow created from plowing/blowing/shoveling remained yesterday afternoon. Now I'll have to enlarge those. Right now, I've got to go out and hang the bird feeders and clear off the deck. I shall refrain from doing the driveway until I'm relatively certain the weather gods (small "g" as a sign of disdain!) have finished their tormenting. In any event, it looks like I'll be playing with my toys again.
If this keeps up, Terry just might want to stay in South Carolina where her cousin told be they got "chilly" when the 70 degree temperatures fell to 55 the other day.
Snow on the corner of the deck.
Snow on the deck rail and tray feeder.
Snow on the Tundra.We got a wee bit more than the called for "inch." There's more like 8 inches of the stuff on the ground this morning. We are currently in a lull between bands of precipitation but AccuHunch says there's still 4-5 inches to come--with sleet and freezing rain this afternoon just for good measure. Winter Weather Warnings remain in effect until Thursday morning.
And we were just about free of the damn stuff. Only the greatly reduced and nearly gone heaps of snow created from plowing/blowing/shoveling remained yesterday afternoon. Now I'll have to enlarge those. Right now, I've got to go out and hang the bird feeders and clear off the deck. I shall refrain from doing the driveway until I'm relatively certain the weather gods (small "g" as a sign of disdain!) have finished their tormenting. In any event, it looks like I'll be playing with my toys again.
If this keeps up, Terry just might want to stay in South Carolina where her cousin told be they got "chilly" when the 70 degree temperatures fell to 55 the other day.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
As the saying goes:
"Don't mess with Seniors!"
From a friend in Massachusetts by way of Alaska:
A lawyer and a senior citizen are sitting n ext to each other on a long flight.
The lawyer is thinking that seniors are so dumb that he could get one over on them easily .
So, the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game.
The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks.
The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun...."I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5.00. Then you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500.00," he says.
This catches the senior's attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game.
The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the Earth to the Moon?"
The senior doesn't say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it's the senior's turn. He asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?"
The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references he can find on the Net.
He sends E-mails to all the smart friends he knows; all to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up.
He wakes the senior and hands him $500.00. The senior pockets the $500.00 and goes right back to sleep.
The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. He wakes the senior up and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep.
Oh, crap!
Why play CDs and not listen tot he radio? Well, first of all, I was traveling through a mountainous region of the state. In and out of valleys, up and over ridges, etc. makes for bad radio reception and I didn't feel like having to search for new stations along the way.
Besides, I had heard the weather forecast and didn't care to hear it repeated very often, damn it!
The Aerie will see snow and a wintery mix starting after midnight on Tuesday. A possibility of an inch by morning. Snow all day Wednesday and into Wednesday night. Three to six inches of snow possible. BUT it could be more or less. Only a slight shift in the track of the storm could make a big difference. Or so say the folks at AccuHunch.
Yeah, that 6-12 inch blob is just a tiny bit to the northeast of here. And I do mean tiny. Looks like it starts around Corning, NY which is just on the other side of the state line. I can almost see it from my front yard. (Well, I could if it weren't for those other hills in the way.) And, being at 2100 feet in elevation and one of the first places to get snow while the valley gets rain, yada, yada, yada.
Sure looks like I'll be shoveling once more.
Then again, where the heck was the "mostly sunny" they were forecasting? I saw the sun--I think--for something like 5 minutes today. If they were wrong about that....
Besides, I had heard the weather forecast and didn't care to hear it repeated very often, damn it!
The Aerie will see snow and a wintery mix starting after midnight on Tuesday. A possibility of an inch by morning. Snow all day Wednesday and into Wednesday night. Three to six inches of snow possible. BUT it could be more or less. Only a slight shift in the track of the storm could make a big difference. Or so say the folks at AccuHunch.
Yeah, that 6-12 inch blob is just a tiny bit to the northeast of here. And I do mean tiny. Looks like it starts around Corning, NY which is just on the other side of the state line. I can almost see it from my front yard. (Well, I could if it weren't for those other hills in the way.) And, being at 2100 feet in elevation and one of the first places to get snow while the valley gets rain, yada, yada, yada.
Sure looks like I'll be shoveling once more.
Then again, where the heck was the "mostly sunny" they were forecasting? I saw the sun--I think--for something like 5 minutes today. If they were wrong about that....
Traveling Music
While traveling today, I listened to a couple of CDs: The Blues Brothers, Blues Brothers 2000 and C.W. McCall's Greatest Hits. I consider all of them traveling music.
Whether on a "mission from God" or just in search of a Battle of the Bands competition outside of New Orleans, Jake, Elwood, and Mack spent a lot of time in their vehicle. Usually being chased by someone. Cops, Illinois Nazis, disgruntled and angry country bands or even more cops, it didn't seem to matter. Someone wanted them. Bad. I guess Everybody Needs Somebody. ya just gotta go Looking (for a Fox)
And the Blues Brothers' Show Band and the characters they met up with could play some mean licks, blow a hot horn, or belt out one hell of a tune. I find their songs bewitching.
And C.W. does a real fine job in the story telling line.
A prime example is this:
And this one's pretty good, too:
Whether on a "mission from God" or just in search of a Battle of the Bands competition outside of New Orleans, Jake, Elwood, and Mack spent a lot of time in their vehicle. Usually being chased by someone. Cops, Illinois Nazis, disgruntled and angry country bands or even more cops, it didn't seem to matter. Someone wanted them. Bad. I guess Everybody Needs Somebody. ya just gotta go Looking (for a Fox)
And the Blues Brothers' Show Band and the characters they met up with could play some mean licks, blow a hot horn, or belt out one hell of a tune. I find their songs bewitching.
And C.W. does a real fine job in the story telling line.
A prime example is this:
And this one's pretty good, too:
Taxi!
I went for a ride today. A 300 mile ride.
There was a need for someone to travel south to Thompsontown to meet up with a person (Julie) traveling north from Baltimore. The object of this movement was the transportation of some 30,000 tiny little glass eels from the shores of Maryland to the fish labs at Asaph. There they will be kept to grow larger and--hopefully--more robust before being released into Pine Creek in late June.
I've mentioned before how the Tiadaghton Audubon Society (TAS) has linked up with the USGS Fish Labs in Asaph for the purpose of trying to get a healthy population of eels and thence mussels (which use the eels as hosts for their larvae) to the stretches of Pine Creek that run through Tioga County. The mussels would, in turn, help keep the creek water clean for trout species to thrive. (See previous posts here and here.)
Glass eels are very small, baby eels looking to make their way back into the streams along the eastern seaboard. They travel up those streams and pack on the grams before returning to the Atlantic to meet with and mate with other eels somewhere in the great Atlantic gyre. Dams along many rivers make the upstream trip problematic. The little guys (and gals--one assumes another eel can tell the difference) cant get over the dams and shun the easy solutions such as fish ladders. Hence, the taxi service.
In the past, members of the TAS have helped transport larger eels caught below the dams on the Susquehanna River. These were outfitted with a radio tag injected beneath the skin and set free in Pine Creek. But the capture of large quantities of these larger specimens (12-18 inches in length) is now always possible. Glass eels, on the other hand, are extremely numerous along the Atlantic shore at this time of the year. Tiny little things measuring approximately an inch or inch and a half in length and about as thick as a 7 mm pencil lead, they are, with the exception of their digestive tube, nearly colorless, hence the name glass eels.
The ones I was helping to move upstream were swimming off the sand at Ocean City, Maryland on Monday. Scooped from the surf, they spent the night in oxygenated bags of water set inside coolers--in Baltimore. From there, Julie (USGS staff member) transported them north and handed them over to me. I, in turn, brought them to the labs in Asaph. From Ocean City, MD, to Asaph, PA is approximately 370 miles. And they made the trip in just about 36 hours. Not bad for a little worm-like creature just an inch or so in length. (We could save time and gas money, however, if the little buggers would just evolve and grow a thumb so they could hitch hike on their own.)
Not only should they be thankful for the ride, but many of them would have fallen prey to stripped bass, sea trout, blue fish, and quite a few birds as well. Not that they'll find it much easier Once released into Pine Creek. At least they will get a comfortable place to rest and grow (I was told they will probably double in size) for the next three months without having to run the gauntlet to get to the upper reaches of Pine Creek.
There was a need for someone to travel south to Thompsontown to meet up with a person (Julie) traveling north from Baltimore. The object of this movement was the transportation of some 30,000 tiny little glass eels from the shores of Maryland to the fish labs at Asaph. There they will be kept to grow larger and--hopefully--more robust before being released into Pine Creek in late June.
I've mentioned before how the Tiadaghton Audubon Society (TAS) has linked up with the USGS Fish Labs in Asaph for the purpose of trying to get a healthy population of eels and thence mussels (which use the eels as hosts for their larvae) to the stretches of Pine Creek that run through Tioga County. The mussels would, in turn, help keep the creek water clean for trout species to thrive. (See previous posts here and here.)
Glass eels are very small, baby eels looking to make their way back into the streams along the eastern seaboard. They travel up those streams and pack on the grams before returning to the Atlantic to meet with and mate with other eels somewhere in the great Atlantic gyre. Dams along many rivers make the upstream trip problematic. The little guys (and gals--one assumes another eel can tell the difference) cant get over the dams and shun the easy solutions such as fish ladders. Hence, the taxi service.
In the past, members of the TAS have helped transport larger eels caught below the dams on the Susquehanna River. These were outfitted with a radio tag injected beneath the skin and set free in Pine Creek. But the capture of large quantities of these larger specimens (12-18 inches in length) is now always possible. Glass eels, on the other hand, are extremely numerous along the Atlantic shore at this time of the year. Tiny little things measuring approximately an inch or inch and a half in length and about as thick as a 7 mm pencil lead, they are, with the exception of their digestive tube, nearly colorless, hence the name glass eels.
The ones I was helping to move upstream were swimming off the sand at Ocean City, Maryland on Monday. Scooped from the surf, they spent the night in oxygenated bags of water set inside coolers--in Baltimore. From there, Julie (USGS staff member) transported them north and handed them over to me. I, in turn, brought them to the labs in Asaph. From Ocean City, MD, to Asaph, PA is approximately 370 miles. And they made the trip in just about 36 hours. Not bad for a little worm-like creature just an inch or so in length. (We could save time and gas money, however, if the little buggers would just evolve and grow a thumb so they could hitch hike on their own.)
Not only should they be thankful for the ride, but many of them would have fallen prey to stripped bass, sea trout, blue fish, and quite a few birds as well. Not that they'll find it much easier Once released into Pine Creek. At least they will get a comfortable place to rest and grow (I was told they will probably double in size) for the next three months without having to run the gauntlet to get to the upper reaches of Pine Creek.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The 39th Iditarod Has Ended!
The 2011 Iditarod has just finished with Ellen Halverson doing something no one has ever done before. She became the first person to be the Red Lantern (final musher to cross under the Burled Arch in Nome) twice. In the previous 38 races dating back to 1972 there has been a new face in that position 38 times.
Ellen Halverson was the 47th musher of the 62 that started in Willow on March 6th to complete the journey to Nome. Nine of her 16 dogs completed the trek with her.
She and Heather Sirtola left the final checkpoint at Safety just four minutes apart at shortly before 7 AM (AKDT) this morning after an all night trip under the light of the Super Moon from White Mountain, and arrived just minutes apart in Nome just shy of 11 AM.
Congratulations to all the mushers and their dogs who participated in the 39th Iditarod.
Time for all to shower and rest before tonight's big awards banquet!
Ellen Halverson was the 47th musher of the 62 that started in Willow on March 6th to complete the journey to Nome. Nine of her 16 dogs completed the trek with her.
She and Heather Sirtola left the final checkpoint at Safety just four minutes apart at shortly before 7 AM (AKDT) this morning after an all night trip under the light of the Super Moon from White Mountain, and arrived just minutes apart in Nome just shy of 11 AM.
Congratulations to all the mushers and their dogs who participated in the 39th Iditarod.
Time for all to shower and rest before tonight's big awards banquet!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Aerie Report, March 19, 2011
Man, oh man, what a difference a day makes. Yesterday we had bright sunshine and a high temp of 69 degrees although the sun made things seem even warmer.
The temperature went down all night. The high at midnight of 43 degrees became 30 degrees this morning at 7 AM and it's only risen to 33 under a cloud sky that has, on occasion spit some snow.
Yesterday there was a Phoebe in the yard plucking errant flies out of the air. Today it would have a difficult time finding a fly willing or able to take flight. Lady bugs crawled out of the nooks and crannies in and outside the house. Today they are again napping--somewhere. The redpolls have thinned out and the robins are a little less conspicuous. (Although the juncoes--also called "snowbirds--seem to be a little more numerous.)
Forecasters were saying that the skies would clear and the temperatures would rise. Ain't gonna happen. Perhaps tomorrow the sun will come out as they promise. Even so, we won't see those teasing 68-70 degrees.
******
One thing that was the same. The bear came back last night just after dark. I had already taken the bird feeders inside, however, so he didn't get much. I did watch as he lay down on the spilled and shelled seed beneath the poles and proceeded to lick up what he could get. It must be tough to wake up after sleeping for several months and find that there's a very limited menu at the breakfast bar.
The temperature went down all night. The high at midnight of 43 degrees became 30 degrees this morning at 7 AM and it's only risen to 33 under a cloud sky that has, on occasion spit some snow.
Yesterday there was a Phoebe in the yard plucking errant flies out of the air. Today it would have a difficult time finding a fly willing or able to take flight. Lady bugs crawled out of the nooks and crannies in and outside the house. Today they are again napping--somewhere. The redpolls have thinned out and the robins are a little less conspicuous. (Although the juncoes--also called "snowbirds--seem to be a little more numerous.)
Forecasters were saying that the skies would clear and the temperatures would rise. Ain't gonna happen. Perhaps tomorrow the sun will come out as they promise. Even so, we won't see those teasing 68-70 degrees.
******
One thing that was the same. The bear came back last night just after dark. I had already taken the bird feeders inside, however, so he didn't get much. I did watch as he lay down on the spilled and shelled seed beneath the poles and proceeded to lick up what he could get. It must be tough to wake up after sleeping for several months and find that there's a very limited menu at the breakfast bar.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring Visitors
Yesterday was a real spring day. Lots of sun and a temperature that broke the 60 degree barrier (and didn't fall below 49.8 over night!) caused huge amounts of snow to melt, robins to appear in abundance and the earth to give off that heady aroma that promises growth--soon.
In addition to our daily horde of common redpolls (Why haven't the headed north to their boreal forest breeding grounds yet?) I had some exciting visitors. Late in the afternoon a group of five turkey vultures coasted over the hill, caught a favorable breeze and surfed their way along the ridge heading northeast. At twilight there were half a dozen male robins establishing territories nearby. I suppose I'll have to be on the lookout for their mud and straw nests on the log ends at the corners of the Aerie. I could also hear several woodcock doing their thing with their "peent" calling on the ground and the flutter/whistling of wings in the air. As the snow melts, I expect their mating flights and calls will increase.
I listened for the calls of spring peepers and American toads, but they must still be buried in the mud of the streams and marshy areas. Terry did say she heard them down in Maryland, however.
Oh yeah, about Maryland. Thursday, Terry left to travel to Maryland for a stitching class, and then to South Carolina to visit her cousins. Usually, whenever I take off for the Bolt Hole and leave Terry and the kitties to fend for themselves at the Aerie a bear shows up at the bird feeders the first night I'm away. I guess turn about is fair play as I got a visitor of the bruin persuasion just after I went to bed at 10 PM. I was wondering when I would have to start taking in the bird feeders at night and now I know.
The noise he made when he pulled one of the stick feeders off the shepherd's crook pole alerted me to his presence and I redressed in order to go save my feeders. By the time I got to the sliding door heading out onto the porch, he had yanked the full suet feeder off the crook and was trying to puzzle out how to get the suet cake out of the cage and into his mouth. This was a big fella. Somewhere in the 350-300 pound range upon emerging from his winter sleep, I imagine he could reach 350 or more before the fall hunting season. I flicked on the outside lights, shone the flashlight at his eyes and shouted. He headed off--slowly--as I walked toward where the feeders were on the ground. I heard him stop about 25 yards or less away in the darkness as I gathered up all the hanging feeders to bring them in. As I turned to head back to the porch, he let out a grunt and a "woof" that helped me move a wee bit faster. Getting the hanging feeders in, I went to the front of the deck and dumped the seed from the tray feeder on to the lawn.
I forgot about the covered tray on the lawn. Mr. Bruin didn't. This morning it was tossed and damaged. The damage isn't extensive but is certainly annoying. This is the third time I'll be rebuilding the "roof" over the tray. Between bears, raccoons and even deer sticking their heads in to get sunflower seeds, it's been taking a beating.
Bear damaged covered tray.
So the three season routine of bringing the feeders in at night will have to resume.
Today we are supposed to see the 60 degree mark again before a bit of a drop into the 40s on Saturday. Temperatures rebound a bit Sunday and then settle into the normal spring range of high 40s and low 50s for the remainder of the week. No snow is to be seen in the forecast but there are a few showers and the occasional night time lows in the 20s. Tempted as I am, the snow shovel will remain on the porch. After all, it's only March. We had to shovel snow off the deck in late April in 2006 when we were building this place.
In addition to our daily horde of common redpolls (Why haven't the headed north to their boreal forest breeding grounds yet?) I had some exciting visitors. Late in the afternoon a group of five turkey vultures coasted over the hill, caught a favorable breeze and surfed their way along the ridge heading northeast. At twilight there were half a dozen male robins establishing territories nearby. I suppose I'll have to be on the lookout for their mud and straw nests on the log ends at the corners of the Aerie. I could also hear several woodcock doing their thing with their "peent" calling on the ground and the flutter/whistling of wings in the air. As the snow melts, I expect their mating flights and calls will increase.
I listened for the calls of spring peepers and American toads, but they must still be buried in the mud of the streams and marshy areas. Terry did say she heard them down in Maryland, however.
Oh yeah, about Maryland. Thursday, Terry left to travel to Maryland for a stitching class, and then to South Carolina to visit her cousins. Usually, whenever I take off for the Bolt Hole and leave Terry and the kitties to fend for themselves at the Aerie a bear shows up at the bird feeders the first night I'm away. I guess turn about is fair play as I got a visitor of the bruin persuasion just after I went to bed at 10 PM. I was wondering when I would have to start taking in the bird feeders at night and now I know.
The noise he made when he pulled one of the stick feeders off the shepherd's crook pole alerted me to his presence and I redressed in order to go save my feeders. By the time I got to the sliding door heading out onto the porch, he had yanked the full suet feeder off the crook and was trying to puzzle out how to get the suet cake out of the cage and into his mouth. This was a big fella. Somewhere in the 350-300 pound range upon emerging from his winter sleep, I imagine he could reach 350 or more before the fall hunting season. I flicked on the outside lights, shone the flashlight at his eyes and shouted. He headed off--slowly--as I walked toward where the feeders were on the ground. I heard him stop about 25 yards or less away in the darkness as I gathered up all the hanging feeders to bring them in. As I turned to head back to the porch, he let out a grunt and a "woof" that helped me move a wee bit faster. Getting the hanging feeders in, I went to the front of the deck and dumped the seed from the tray feeder on to the lawn.
I forgot about the covered tray on the lawn. Mr. Bruin didn't. This morning it was tossed and damaged. The damage isn't extensive but is certainly annoying. This is the third time I'll be rebuilding the "roof" over the tray. Between bears, raccoons and even deer sticking their heads in to get sunflower seeds, it's been taking a beating.
Bear damaged covered tray.So the three season routine of bringing the feeders in at night will have to resume.
Today we are supposed to see the 60 degree mark again before a bit of a drop into the 40s on Saturday. Temperatures rebound a bit Sunday and then settle into the normal spring range of high 40s and low 50s for the remainder of the week. No snow is to be seen in the forecast but there are a few showers and the occasional night time lows in the 20s. Tempted as I am, the snow shovel will remain on the porch. After all, it's only March. We had to shovel snow off the deck in late April in 2006 when we were building this place.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Irish Technology
From an email my Florida cousins sent:
Ancient Phone Networks!
After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, Scottish scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the Scots, in the weeks that followed, English scientists dug to a depth of 20 meters, and shortly after, headlines in the English newspapers read: "English archaeologists have found traces of 200-year-old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the Scots."
One week later, "The Kerrymen," a southwest Irish newsletter, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 meters in peat bog near Tralee, Paddy O'Droll, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Paddy has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Ireland had already gone wireless."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Iditarod 2011
I spent this morning following the Iditarod...again. It looked to be an exciting finish with John Baker leaving White Mountain and heading to Nome (about 77 miles) followed closely by Ramey Smyth 51 minutes later. In the past, Smyth had average times during this stretch that was faster than Baker's. If the averages played out, then the two of them would be getting off the ice and into Nome at just about the same time.
It didn't work out that way. Smyth pushed Baker early on, but Baker and his team kicked it into a higher gear and opened up his lead from just five or so miles at the start to nearly 8 miles by the time they reached Safety, 55 miles from White Mountain. The last 22 miles was a formality. John Baker of Kotzebue, AK finished just over one hour ahead of Smyth as he set a new record of 8 days, 18 hours, 46 minutes, 39 seconds. That eclipsed Martin Burser's record by over 3 hours. (Story here.)
That doesn't end the race, however. What it does is mark the beginning of the end. The race continues until the last musher and his/her team crosses the finish line under the burled arch in Nome. They will be several days in getting there. Eleven mushers and their teams have scratched.
You can see who is finished and who's still out on the trail by checking the current standings here.
It didn't work out that way. Smyth pushed Baker early on, but Baker and his team kicked it into a higher gear and opened up his lead from just five or so miles at the start to nearly 8 miles by the time they reached Safety, 55 miles from White Mountain. The last 22 miles was a formality. John Baker of Kotzebue, AK finished just over one hour ahead of Smyth as he set a new record of 8 days, 18 hours, 46 minutes, 39 seconds. That eclipsed Martin Burser's record by over 3 hours. (Story here.)
That doesn't end the race, however. What it does is mark the beginning of the end. The race continues until the last musher and his/her team crosses the finish line under the burled arch in Nome. They will be several days in getting there. Eleven mushers and their teams have scratched.
You can see who is finished and who's still out on the trail by checking the current standings here.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The 2011 Iditarod's unseen musher
The Iditarod is often about much more than the hopes and dreams of the mushers and their dogs. Sometimes there's a real, heartrending story. Such as this one about the Iditarod's unseen musher.
Go read the rest of the story. Dallas Seavey is running 4th as he approches the next to last checkpoint (White House) with an 8 hour mandatory layover and about 77 miles to go.
Hagen, the Seavey family's veteran dog handler, died in his sleep two weeks before the start of the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, an arduous 900-mile journey across the wilds of the 49th state. His death came as a shock to everyone in the Seavey family. They had all expected Hagen to be joining their post-Iditarod celebration in Nome.
For all of the hard work Hagen did around the Seavey kennel in Sterling, one of his rewards each year was a vacation to Nome to watch the Iditarod mushers cross the finish line. It was a trip Hagen had planned to make again this year, Seavey said.
...
"He was one of the unsung heroes of the Iditarod," Seavey said, noting all of the behind-the-scenes work it takes on the part of dog handlers and kennel managers to help mushers do what they do. Seavey worried not only about his finger in Ophir, but about what would become of Hagen's ashes if the musher dropped out of the race.
Fortunately, about an hour after Seavey cut himself, a musher arrived who Seavey knew could take over the mission to get Hagen's ashes safely to Nome -- Seavey's son, Dallas. Mitch carefully turned over to Dallas the responsibility of getting Hagen's remains up the trail.
"He's now continuing his journey with Dallas," Seavey said.
A fifth-year Idiatrod musher, Dallas is the winner of this year's 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada to Fairbanks. The 24-year-old dog driver was flirting with a top-10 Iditarod finish on Sunday as he steadily moved Hagen's ashes ever closer to Nome.
"The bugger's going to get there again,” the elder Seavey said. “We're gonna miss him."
Go read the rest of the story. Dallas Seavey is running 4th as he approches the next to last checkpoint (White House) with an 8 hour mandatory layover and about 77 miles to go.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Aerie Report, March 12, 2011
Not much going on around here. The rain stopped Thursday night. The sun came out for a short time Friday allowing the temperatures to rise into the mid 30s while the winds blew some light snow this way from the west-northwest. You could actually follow the snow on radar as it swept down over Lake Huron and across Lake Erie into Ohio and then east to PA.
Today the temperatures rose to near 50 degrees although we had little sunlight and even a brief flurry around 1 PM. Even so, there's a great deal of melting going on--again. The fields in the valley are all brown once more and the only snow is above the 1900 foot line on the northwest side of the hill--which is exactly where the Aerie is located. Aside from the mounds of snow piled o the side of the parking area, driveway and edges of the deck where it has been placed by thrower, shovel and tractor, there's about a six inch compacted layer on the lawn. If the sun comes out tomorrow, even that may disappear leaving only the mounds.
******
I'm amazed at the number of Common Redpolls that are still hanging around. Perhaps they're waiting for Daylight Savings Time. (PSA: Tonight, Saturday, March 12th, turn your clocks ahead one hour as you go to bed!) I've got flocks numbering approximately one hundred of the little guys swarming about the feeders like locusts on a ripening wheat field.
Today I saw my first Turkey Vulture soaring over the hillside. That puts me three days ahead of Hinckley, Ohio. The "buzzards" don't officially return there until the Ides of March. (That's the 15th for those of you from Yorba Lindo.)
******
Well, that's about all for now, Got to get back to following the Iditarod. The leader, one John Baker, of Kotzebue, AK, has traveled some 772 miles and is currently at Kaltag, AK.
The race is getting real interesting for both the leaders and the guys and gals to the rear. And for those of us following it on the Discussion Boards.
Mush! Dogs! MUSH!
(Come to think about it, we have a lot of that around here. Mush, I mean.)
Later.
Today the temperatures rose to near 50 degrees although we had little sunlight and even a brief flurry around 1 PM. Even so, there's a great deal of melting going on--again. The fields in the valley are all brown once more and the only snow is above the 1900 foot line on the northwest side of the hill--which is exactly where the Aerie is located. Aside from the mounds of snow piled o the side of the parking area, driveway and edges of the deck where it has been placed by thrower, shovel and tractor, there's about a six inch compacted layer on the lawn. If the sun comes out tomorrow, even that may disappear leaving only the mounds.
******
I'm amazed at the number of Common Redpolls that are still hanging around. Perhaps they're waiting for Daylight Savings Time. (PSA: Tonight, Saturday, March 12th, turn your clocks ahead one hour as you go to bed!) I've got flocks numbering approximately one hundred of the little guys swarming about the feeders like locusts on a ripening wheat field.
Today I saw my first Turkey Vulture soaring over the hillside. That puts me three days ahead of Hinckley, Ohio. The "buzzards" don't officially return there until the Ides of March. (That's the 15th for those of you from Yorba Lindo.)
******
Well, that's about all for now, Got to get back to following the Iditarod. The leader, one John Baker, of Kotzebue, AK, has traveled some 772 miles and is currently at Kaltag, AK.
The race is getting real interesting for both the leaders and the guys and gals to the rear. And for those of us following it on the Discussion Boards.
Mush! Dogs! MUSH!
(Come to think about it, we have a lot of that around here. Mush, I mean.)
Later.
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