~
Thursday, March 31, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
35 degrees, calm, overcast, flurries
A fresh dusting of wet snow sticks to every
outdoor surface, and imparts a taste
of Yuletide festivity to the scene. Too bad it’s the
end of March. No doubt, as the day
continues to warm up, the new snow will all slide down to
join the mass that remains. Although
it took Old Man Winter a long time to finally arrive, and
we had much less snow than usual, he is
taking his own sweet time getting out of Dodge. There is
talk of more snow arriving over the next
few days, a bit of an April Fool’s prank. The
redwing blackbirds that sing their hearts out all across
Gomer Hill are responding to the increasing length of day,
ignoring the weather altogether as they pre-
pare to carry on the species. Robins are more
conservative, and I have yet to hear one in full-throated
mating warble; they continue to utter a musical chirp
from time to time, but no connubial shenanigans have
ensued. Yesterday I traveled with friends to Lyonsdale,
as we had heard that Lewis County had groomed
some ATV trails for cross-country skiing. There was an
amazing amount of snow in that neck of the woods,
across the Moose River We parked at a plowed turnout, and
started following orange tree markers, and
soon found ourselves a couple of miles into the woods
when the markers suddenly stopped. One friend
was familiar with the trails from hunting on them in
years past, and soon had us skiing in what he assured
us was the right direction. Since it was early in the
afternoon, the weather was gorgeous, and we were all
in fine form, we followed his lead, zipping along through
the pine forest on crystalline corn snow, as good
as skiing ever gets. At some point, we found a yellow
sign with the image of a skier in black nailed to a
tree, with what appeared to be old snowmobile tracks, so
we figured that we had found the official trail.
The orange safety tape that we had been following at the
outset apparently wasn’t part of the trail sys-
tem. We were nearing the place where we parked the truck,
so we spent some time climbing up and
skiing down hills just for the fun of it. The actual
parking lot for the ski trails is at the corner of Fow-
ler and Fowlerville Roads; the entire loop is five miles,
but I know we went farther than that. The af-
ternoon was so warm and beautiful that I walked a few
miles with the dog after I returned home, and
was rewarded with the sight of several bluebirds perched
high on the wires near our barn. Yesterday
I had the best of all possible worlds, laundry hung on
the lines, a fine outing with friends, a great
walk with the dog, bluebirds, and a tasty supper at the
end of the day with my lifemate.
A perfect day!
Have your own perfect day,
Daisy
Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
35 degrees, breezy, sunny
A low shelf of clouds rolls across the southeastern
horizon, but the rest of the sky is a blue as can be.
It is time to put the clotheslines back up; we took them
down for the winter in order to plow the yard
more easily. The brisk western breeze should blow
garments nice and smooth if I hang them out today;
later I can bring in the wonderful fresh outdoorsy smell,
rich with the frosty hint of both springtime mud
and lingering winter snow. The plan is to wrap up chores
before noon and then head into the woods on
skis, taking advantage of every last bit of fun we can
wring out of the long winter sport season. I imagine
these easy-gliding days are numbered, as rain is in the
forecast for the end of the week. With the temp-
erature above freezing for the first time in days, and a
hot sun and west wind, I expect the size of
the meadows’ bare spots to increase by leaps and
bounds before sunset. Snow will linger in
the woods much longer, protected from the sultry breezes
that April will offer. I rejoice
in another change of seasons, lovely to behold and
surprising in its infinite variety.
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
24 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
A band of snow drifted southward an hour ago, big
fat flakes that looked like they might pile up
on the frozen ground, but the flurries left as quickly as
they arrived. The snow seems to have stalled
out over northern Oneida county; perhaps I will run into
it later when I travel to Boonville. Yesterday
was sunny but the northwest wind was bitter. I walked
around the east meadow with the dog, needing
no skis needed to stay on top of the frozen snowpack. We
had only been out for about ten minutes before
he sat down with his back to the wind and refused to go
another step. I bundled him into my scarf and carried
him for a bit, and as we neared the house I put him back
down and he hightailed it into the woodshed. I let him
in and wandered around the west meadow, noticing that our
pussy willows by the hedgerow are in full-tilt fuzz,
even though the weather hasn’t been very spring-like.
One of the bluebird nesting boxes has a few dried blades
of grass, indicating a deposit has been made for future
occupancy. Our garlic is still under about a foot of snow,
which is fortunate, as the snowdrops that bloomed a week
ago froze solid when the overnight temperature drop-
ped into single digits last weekend. Most of the spring
birdsong has come to a screeching halt; only the redwings
persevere in the teeth of this frosty north wind. The
only other signs of winter’s end have been the flies
and lady-
bugs that appear in sunny windows on a daily basis. It is
important to vacuum them up regularly, or else they
re-emerge at night to buzz sluggishly around the reading
lamp and occasionally land on one’s nose. Ugh.
Now the flurries have returned; just another typical
March day in the North Country.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, March 28, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
21 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
A beautiful sunrise formed a colorful background
to the starlings and redwings that swooped
across the east meadow first thing this morning. A few
stragglers have remained to ring in the day,
but for the most part it is quiet and still on Gomer Hill.
Our fields are still 95% covered in snow, and
what water has appeared from the springbox runoff has
been frozen for days; the turkeys and deer that
usually stroll across our springtime view to sip at the
seeps have not been seen lately. Yesterday we headed
up the Smith Road on skis for the afternoon. The
snowmobile trail was very uneven with frozen tracks and
ruts,
so we headed into the woods at the first opportunity and
skied on virgin snow for most of the trek. Conditions
were absolutely perfect, with about an inch of fresh
sugar snow providing enough bite for a great kick and
glide. Our route didn’t take us up or down any steep
hills, so our technical skills were not tested at all.
The
sky was a deep clear blue, and although the north wind
permeated even the densest part of the forest, we
moved at a good clip and generated a lot of heat from the
inside out. We reached a chain of beaver ponds,
all still frozen solid and covered with snow, but caution
kept us skirting the edges rather than traversing the
ice. Years ago I broke through the ice of a different
beaver flow and ended up waist deep in icewater, an
experience I don’t care to repeat. We searched the
standing dead trees for herons’ nests, but
didn’t find
any. There was no sign that the ponds are actively in use
by beavers either, no freshly chewed saplings
or web-footed prints in the snow. We saw sign of rabbits,
fox, skunks, fishers, coyotes, and big dog
(wolf?) but no deer, which was odd. Perhaps they have
gathered down on the flatlands, where more
vegetation has been exposed for browsing. I skied with a
friend who had covered the same territory
with me on our bicycles, and we noted the fact that in
about a month’s time we will be seeing tiny
spring beauties and sunny yellow coltsfoot in the same
places we flew across on our skis. Tug
Hill is a beautiful place, no matter what time of year;
the common thread that links the seasons
is the fact that so many wonderful things are just
waiting for us to discover them. The only pro-
vision is that we must be willing to adapt to the
diversity of weather conditions. If we venture
out only on “perfect” days (like yesterday) we
will miss the full range of experiences that
a blustery wind, driving snowstorm, scorching dusty sun,
or hearty deluge provide.
Trust me when I say, it’s all good!
Have a fabulous day,
Daisy
Sunday, March 27, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
20 degrees, breezy, sunny
What a beautiful morning ! Sunny but a bit chilly from
the breeze,
the day stretches before us filled with infinite
possibilities. Yesterday
I spent some time skiing in the woods, and then I took
the dog to the back
meadow so he could run off-leash for a half hour or so.
He was so happy to be
running free, and the sight of his ears flying backwards
as he bounded from place to
place made my heart soar along with him. The snow is firm
and crusty, but not impossible
for an experienced skier. I wouldn’t want to make
any steep descents, as braking power
is difficult even with a good strong edged snowplow
maneuver. We plan to ski back to
the big beaver ponds near the Plummer Road after the sun
gets higher in the sky after
lunch. Yesterday the trees in the woods were filled with
all kinds of birds, mostly chicka-
dees, blackbirds, crows, and two species of woodpeckers (downy
and pileated). The water
in Horsie Creek is beginning to undermine the banks a bit,
but deep in the larger gorge there isn’t
yet any flow showing. I went into the woodlot to try and
find owl pellets, as I have heard a barred
owl calling from that area all winter long. I searched
under every likely tree, but no luck finding those
amazing little regurgitated bits of fur and bone that
show what the owl has been eating. We had a little
flurry of snow last night, which has blown away from the
meadows, but perhaps it has remained in
the deep woods, where every little animal that has trod
on it will leave a print. I look forward
to today’s adventure; I never know what I will find,
right outside our back door !
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Saturday, March 26, 2011, 7:00 a.m.
10 degrees, calm, sunny
It is sunny and calm, and very cold, even for March. As
long as the wind doesn’t pick up,
we should be able to enjoy ourselves outdoors when the
sun gets a bit higher in the sky. We
have had a string of gorgeous days but the icy wind has
been daunting. Luckily we have access
to wooded areas and swamplands that are protected from
the biting cold breezes that have swept
the sun’s heat right away from the land. Snow
hasn’t melted much and we still have nearly 100%
coverage except where it has been plowed away. Geese are
on the move, although I swear I
saw a flock headed south yesterday. A huge group of crows
passed through our yard earlier
this morning; there must have been three dozen of them,
silently coursing in a tight little mass.
They paused for a few minutes in the trees out front,
then headed into the forest. I haven’t
seen that many crows all together on Tug Hill; they
usually spread themselves out and
keep to their family groups. In the city, they
haven’t any choice but to gather in large
flocks because the habitat isn’t ideal, but up here
they can roam pretty much wherever
they choose. Now the other blackbirds are moving in,
redwings, starlings, and grackles.
The ravens have been missing lately, which tells me their
eggs may have hatched. It is a
fulltime job for both parents to feed the young and keep
them warm this time of year.
We likely won’t see them again until the young have
fledged in a month or so.
I’m happy that ravens have remained in our
neighborhood,
I love their mysterious ways.
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Friday, March 25, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
15 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
There are some clouds in the southeastern part of
the sky, but the rest of it is as blue as can be,
the color of a sky-blue Crayola. Yesterday we removed two
panels from the back porch, anticipat-
ing how lovely it would be to sit out there with our
coffee this morning. I lasted about three minutes,
and came indoors to finish it; the brew had changed into
iced coffee in no time at all, so I popped it
in the microwave. During my brief stay on the porch, I
was able to enjoy watching a dozen turkeys
slowly walking along one of the open strips of water, but
they didn’t stop to drink; it is probably
all iced over. They maintained a slow trudge, heads down,
single file like schoolchildren headed
towards the nurse’s office for their tetanus
boosters. A redwing blackbird sang his heart out from
a birch tree branch, and soon others joined in the chorus.
Yesterday we walked up the Smith Road;
I saw more fresh skunk tracks than at any other time in
my life. There are either a whole lot of skunks
on the move, or one skunk training for a marathon. The
trails meandered all over the meadows, to and
from the creek, and through every culvert. I kept the dog
tight by my side every time we passed a culvert,
imagining each one to be sheltering a family of stinky
little polecats. The highway between Turin and Boon-
ville is littered with dead skunks, and the air is rich
with their perfume just about everywhere we go. Per-
haps the mild winter has spared them starvation, only to
get whacked by a vehicle. The next week
holds beautiful sunny days, but cold temperatures, due to
the fact that the Jet Stream has
abandoned the North Country for a while. Although there
is an arctic chill to the
air the sun is strong this tie of year, so dress in
layers for any outdoor fun.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, March 24, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
23 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
We received a slight amount of snow late yesterday
afternoon, not really enough to
measure but still it imparts a pleasant sparkle to the
morning view. This is the time of
year that precedes true spring, the not-yet mud season
but not yet time to put away the
winter gear and garments. Last year at this time,
crocuses and snowdrops were blooming
already, and all of the other bulbs, including garlic,
had poked up from the soil a couple of in-
ches. We still have a good layer of snow just about
everywhere here on Tug Hill, but the snow-
drops closest to the house have made a good start at
showing their graceful nodding blooms. I
haven’t been able to get out to ski the past two
days, but friends report that the backcountry
gliding has been very good; they have discovered several
new places that I can’t wait to ex-
plore with them. We should have several weeks of great
nordic skiing ahead of us; even
when all of the snow is gone from the valleys, there is
usually still enough left in our neck
of the woods to keep us going through much of April.
Spring skiing is the best, the sun
warmer, birds everywhere, and no need to scurry home too
quickly, thanks to Day-
light Savings Time. Every outing provides new delights,
and even if we travel
the same trails many times, no two adventures are the
same.
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 9:30 a.m.
19 degrees, overcast, breezy
After a beautiful red sunrise, clouds enfolded the
glow and the sun hasn’t been seen since.
Nexrad radar shows a wall of snow that stops somewhat
south of our neighborhood, with a
larger mass over Lake Ontario that seems to be headed
right for us. Snow Ridge has decided
to open for the weekend, so additional snow would be most
welcome. Cross country skiing will
also benefit from a fresh coating of snow; it looks like
we can head out into the outback for many
weeks before trading in the skis for bicycles. This
morning’s entertainment included the sight of
dozens of blackbirds pecking at something on top of our
garage roof, which baffled me until I
realized that they must be eating honeybees that had left
the hive too soon. We have noticed
dead bees under the hive tree nearly every time there has
been a warming trend. They come
out to explore, but the air is still too cold for them
and they die within minutes. The last time
we shoveled the garage roof there were hundreds of dead
bees on top of the snow. This is
a wild hive, that arrived early last summer. Years ago,
when a friend kept a beehive colony
over by the woodlot, there were literally thousands of
dead bees spread all over the west
meadow snowfield every march, yet there were still plenty
left in the hives to produce
a bumper crop of honey. Maybe this is one means of
natural selection;
only the smartest bees remain in the hive until true
spring arrives.
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
30 degrees, overcast, windy
A north wind brings back the scent of winter;
fortunately it isn’t too steady, arriving in short
bursts
of frosty goodness. A large flock of redwing blackbirds
roosted in one of our biggest trees, and their
massed voices at daybreak just about rattled the windows
with not only volume but sincerity. Mourn-
ing doves have been cooing since the blackbirds departed
an hour ago; I think it is just one pair, as I
can hear them clearly but haven’t been able to
locate them visually. A light mist filled the air earlier
as
well, and left a bit of crunchy wintry mix on the
pavement, so until it warms up a bit, we need to tread
lightly. The snowpack is frozen hard enough that the dog
could walk right on top of it this morning,
and he was hot on the trail of something... I remembered
all of the skunks that I have seen out and
about lately, so I called him back to the yard. Perhaps
later this morning I can take him around the
meadows, me on skis and him afoot; this time of year our
pets need supervision to protect them
from the wild critters that are competing for a pretty
scarce food supply. A little nine pound dog
wouldn’t stand a chance against a porcupine. I
wonder if the black bears are starting to wake
up ? Although there have been bear sightings in our
neighborhood, I have never seen one. Yet.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, March 21, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, overcast, snow
It never fails; shortly after our snowdrops bloom, we
have a snowstorm.
This is typical for the first full day of spring, at
least here in the North Country.
It has been snowing sideways since dawn, and doesn’t
seem to show signs of slowing
down any time soon. The wind has kept all of the birds
from the yard except for three crows,
who are hanging out in the biggest spruce tree. Yesterday
we skied all afternoon, traveling through
meadows, swamps, and woodlands, staying right on top of
lovely corn snow and going wherever we
wanted. Corn snow isn’t mushy and sticky like you
would expect; rather, it is snow that has frozen and
then re-shaped itself into round icy balls roughly the
size of corn kernels. It is an ideal surface for both
alpine and nordic skiing, providing an excellent gliding
surface that will still allow good edge control
for making turns. We gathered some pussy willows, which
are still not fully emerged but are farther
along than they were last week. We skied until nearly
suppertime, and headed home only when the
wind turned chilly and the snow started to turn back into
ice. A flock of turkeys was gathered in a
perfect circle in our back field, the first I have seen
on Gomer Hill in months. It looked like a group
of hens; soon the toms will be parading around in their
full-feathered glory, but probably not today.
I will be surprised to see any wildlife at all in this
blustery storm.
Tuck in, and enjoy your day,
Daisy
Sunday, March 20, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
32 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
As the air warms up from the overnight low of
nineteen degrees, the birds turn up the volume
on their morning conversations. A few grackles have
joined the gang, the first I have seen on the Hill
this year. The redwings are the only birds that are in
full-tilt mating mode. The crows and ravens are al-
ready finished with their ritual, and have probably begun
to incubate their eggs. Robins are still singing the
pre-mating blues, and since grackles sound the same all
year, which is not exactly musical, their mating be-
havior is notable for the way several males will follow
around one female until she chooses her favorite. This
interesting promenade usually happens sometime in May in
our neighborhood. Geese have been very vocal
as they fly over the house, and I imagine the snow
buntings have packed up and headed to their breeding
ground in northern Canada. It has been about a week since
I saw those beautiful little black-and-white
birds. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, and I was
able to enjoy the weather from the viewpoint of
my car as I traveled to three separate indoor gatherings,
the farthest of which was in Lee Center. The
snow is mostly gone from that area, and it looked like
springtime down there. Of course, the closer
I drew to Turin, the less bare ground appeared; it will
take more than a couple of sunny days to melt
this snowpack. Today marks the vernal equinox, with
spring officially arriving later today. It is time to
start your tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants, if you
haven’t already. Our tomato seeds have all sprout-
ed nicely; they are basking in the sunporch windows, and
every afternoon I move the trays to the western-
facing kitchen window to catch the afternoon sun. I
planted celery, basil, and a huge tray of mixed lettuce
on Friday, hoping to get a jump on spring salad season.
All of our windowsill geraniums have started to
bloom, so I gave them a good drink of high-phosphorus
fertilizer to encourage the buds. Today is the
last day that Snow Ridge will be open for this season,
and it looks like a great day for all kinds of
winter sports. For sure, a back-country ski trek is in my
plan as soon as the snow softens up a bit.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, March 19, 2011, 7:00 a.m.
23 degrees, windy, cloudy
The merest hint of snow fell overnight, scarcely
enough to hide the dirt that permeates
the layers of plowed-up bank cliffs. The sun is due to
rise any minute, but I can’t tell where
it will be coming up, as the sky is very dense with
clouds. For sure, there is no rosy glow any-
where this morning. The gloomy pre-dawn aspect
doesn’t keep the robins and redwings from
calling to each other. Robins still have not begun to
sing their beautiful pure mating songs yet,
but they are chirping up a storm. The clouds are supposed
to part later, but don’t look for the
balmy temps that we have enjoyed the past few days. The
sun should still warm us nicely, no
matter if we barely rise above the freezing point. Look
for a very special moonrise at 7:36 to-
night. We will be treated to the sight of a super moon,
which is the fullest of the year, and it is
the closest to Earth that it has been for eighteen years,
so it will appear very large. Bundle up
if you venture outdoors to admire it; the temperature
will be dropping into the teens tonight.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, March 18, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
46 degrees, mostly cloudy, windy
The wind is so stiff that I watched three crows flapping
their wings extra hard just
to stay in one place. They finally gave up, turned their
backs to the wind and zipped
across the east meadow at a high rate of speed. A brief
period of hard rain during the
night has melted some of the snowpack to reveal a few
grassy spots in the fields. Soon
deer and turkeys will be roaming to dig at sparse
vegetation slowly exposed, old weeds,
seeds, and dry grass that they missed last autumn.
Yesterday was warm and sunny for the
most part, and we headed off on our skis before lunch to
explore the old farmland that brack-
ets the Evans Road. Our first order of business was to
traverse our own meadows to clear win-
ter’s detritus from the nesting boxes. Most
contained abandoned mouse nests, comfy looking with
their soft layers of cattail fluff and milkweed down.
Now the shelters are all clean and waiting for new
tenants, most likely tree swallows and eastern bluebirds.
We sped along the treeline and neighbor’s
cornfield and passed into some open swampland, where we
saw a wealth of animal tracks. Some
faded prints as round as our ski pole baskets, only
bigger, were spaced about two feet apart in
a perfectly straight line, indicating the trail of a
large cat. It is hard to determine the species, as
the tracks were at least a day old; we suspect a lynx, or
perhaps the local cougar. We saw
some fresh coyote prints overlain by those of a large dog,
and a wandering snowmobile track
suggested that coyote hunters had been at work in this
area. We skied to a ruined barn, and then
down a marshy hill to a small pond, which hadn’t
even begun to thaw. Snow cover was 100% every-
where we skied, although enough water holes have opened
up to lure all kinds of critters to take advan-
tage of them for a long cool drink. We both drained our
own water bottles, as we generated quite a bit
of body heat under the strong March sunshine. We could
have skied all afternoon, but I needed to get
cleaned up for work. This weekend looks like it will be
beautiful, so make a plan to get out one or
both days to enjoy the turn of seasons. Spring arrives
officially on Sunday afternoon, but that
doesn’t usually mean we have seen the last of Old
Man Winter, not here in the North Country.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, March 17, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
41 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
Sheets of milky cloud drape across parts of the
sky, and the sunlight is diffused through them at times.
For the most part, the morning is warm, although the west
wind carries some chill with it, picked up from
the snowpack as it shuffles over the drifts. The trees
are full of life, including several robins chirping their
pure
throaty tones. They have not yet begun to warble their
mating call, and I would not have thought to look in the
trees for them but for the cheerful chirps they uttered.
There is darned little bare ground showing here on Gomer
Hill, scarcely enough for them to go bob-bob-bobbin’
along. Redwing blackbirds are in fine voice this morning,
as are mourning doves, starlings, and crows. Several
flocks of geese have passed over our home this morning;
they began to move in earnest yesterday. We generally see
and hear more geese in the fall than in the spring,
but yesterday afternoon the sky was filled with them. We
had snow and rain off and on for much of the day,
but as the precipitation waned the geese started showing
up. By dinnertime the trees were filled with red-
wing blackbirds and the sky was dotted with geese, and
the sound of springtime was everywhere
at once; surround-sound, courtesy of Mother Nature. We
have several fine spring-like days
ahead of us; get out and discover some signs of spring in
your own neighborhood.
Have a grand day,
Daisy
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
34 degrees, breezy, overcast
About an inch of snow fell during the wee hours, but that
hasn’t stopped various blackbirds
from singing their hearts out this morning; starlings,
crows, and redwings are all in full voice. Despite
the wintry view, they sing of spring. Yesterday I was
looking out the kitchen window admiring our ski
tracks, and saw a bird enter one of our nesting boxes. I
grabbed the binoculars, and as I watched a male
bluebird came out of the hole. Two more bluebirds perched
on a nearby pole, what a wonderful sight! I still
haven’t cleaned out all of our nesting boxes; I know
several of them have served as winter homes for deermice,
and a ground squirrel has stored seeds in the two by the
back garden. Yesterday was such a beautiful day that
I spent most of it outdoors. A friend came up with her
dog and we went for a long walk before lunch under a
bright blue sky. The breeze was chilly, and the higher in
elevation we walked the colder it became. Up by the
Mackay Road, the roadway became solid ice and footing was
tricky, so we turned around and headed back.
After lunch I skied with another friend through the
forest along the Slivka Road. Several slushy spots had ap-
peared in swampy areas, but we still found a good place
to cross the creek and headed up to the state ski
trails. When we got to the Mill Creek trail, a couple of
snowmobiles had beat us to it. Are the No Motorized
Vehicles signs that bracket the trailheads in some
way unclear? Dolts. We skied to Jack’s Track, and I
notic-
ed that the water is flowing quite freely in Mill Creek;
a week ago snow covered most of the stream completely.
As the afternoon progressed, the sun turned the snow to
mush, and if we didn’t maintain some forward momen-
tum the sticky stuff grabbed our skis like paste. Our
last half mile was pretty slow going, but a raven
distracted
me with a low murmur, urging me to appreciate the day no
matter what. I composed a haiku while trudging up
the last long hill, and will include it at the end of
this entry. We arrived home just in time for me to get
ready
for work, and the drive to Boonville was filled with
geese, doves, blackbirds, and starlings, all swooping
gracefully, good company for my ride. I had the best of
all worlds in one single day, good friends,
signs of spring, and at the end of the day, a tasty
supper and a great night’s sleep. Life is good !
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Snow whiter than snow
Shadows black as raven's wings
Raven watches all
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
24 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
A cold and sunny morning will soon become a warm and
sunny day,
but for now it is a frosty scene with sparkles all around,
and three sets
of ski tracks decorating the east meadow. Yesterday we
headed into the
forest, old orchards, and swamps that bracket the Smith
Road yesterday,
on some of the best snow we have seen all season. The
glide was fast and
we only sank in about an inch, with a firm base and
virtually no wet spots to
avoid. We saw tracks of just about every kind of critter
that wanders Tug Hill,
with the exception of big cats. We went back to a
secluded hayfield and picked
the first pussy willows of the year, their little fuzzy
heads just beginning to unfold.
Varying hare prints were abundant whenever the food
source was ample, and we
were delighted to see fisher tracks in almost the exact
same place we found them a
year ago. We came across a few coyote tracks overlaid by
dog prints, and soon saw
evidence that coyote hunters had been busy at their
“sport”, with snowmobile tracks
on state land and posted private property as well as
blood stains from the slaughter.
We passed one guy sitting on his sled with his rifle, he
said “Nice day for it,” but I
don’t believe it is ever a nice day for that kind of
“sport”. Kill for food, yes; kill
for fun, never. We continued on with our trek, a bit
disheartened but soon once
again lost in the beauty of the day. It was a mostly
cloudy afternoon, but when
the sky did show itself it was a bright turquoise blue,
very memorable. We
hope to get out again today, and explore a different part
of Gomer Hill.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, March 14, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
26 degrees, overcast, breezy
A little breeze stirs the trees but not enough to
dislodge the fine coating of snow that frosts the
branches.
The new skim-coat of snow will provide a wonderful
surface for backcountry skiing, and it would be best
to get out early in the day, before the sun comes out and
softens it up too much. Yesterday I planted tomato
and pepper seeds, and now the trays sit on the warming
shelf above the kitchen range, basking in the warmth
which will help germinate the sprouts. This year we have
resolved to have a smaller garden, but I can’t avoid
starting dozens of seedlings. If I only want a half dozen
tomato plants, why do they put fifty seeds in every
packet? I sow thirty seeds of each variety, in case they
don’t all germinate, and of course they all do
germ-
inate, so I end up with far too many plants. Last year we
only had thirteen tomato plants in the garden, and
I ended up selling the ripe fruit by the peck, as I
already have plenty of sauce, soup, and salsa stored in
jars
in the cellar for our own use. We love fresh tomatoes,
but there is a limit to how many a person can eat in
one day. A vine-ripened tomato sure would be tasty right
about now, though, wouldn’t it? Today I will
start a few flats of assorted lettuces, to get a jump on
early salads. It is possible that we could set out
some lettuce seedlings in a month’s time; we have
often been able to work the soil in mid-April.
The big wheel is turning towards spring; we see that in
the amount of houseflies that have
appeared in the windowpanes, a cheerful nuisance that
spells the end of winter.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, March 13, 2011, 9:30 a.m.
29 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy, flurries
Four inches of fresh snow has fallen pretty steadily
since yesterday morning,
with a small break in the afternoon where a peek of blue
sky made a brief appearance.
A minor injury kept me off my skis for the day, but I did
enjoy a walk up the plowed road,
where I viewed a few flocks of redwing blackbirds being
buffeted about by the wind. Ravens
and crows kept pace with me for a while, and snow
buntings are still hanging around the neigh-
bor’s bird feeder. A pileated woodpecker flew out of
the pines, low enough that I could easily
see its crimson crest as it passed in front of me.
Pigeons have returned to the nearby cornfield,
even though most of the stalks show scores of naked red
cobs hanging askew, previously raid-
ed by all manner of wild thing, fourfooted furry critters
and feathered friends alike. That aban-
doned field corn has been a great source of forage during
the lean months, when twigs and
buds are the usual fare. The sun has just cone out from
behind a cloud, and it looks like
a great day for just about anything! Since Daylight
Savings Time returned earlier this
morning, we will be able to enjoy being outdoors for an
additional hour.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, March 12, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, overcast, snowing
The wind picked up just before dawn and brought
along a nice tidy package of snow,
and now all of the frozen crud has a fresh inch of white
covering the mess. Perfect flakes
continue to fall, and the scene is pretty as a Christmas
morn; I’ll bet x-c ski conditions will
be close to perfect later today. Yesterday we traveled to
Little Falls and Utica, and saw lots
of bare ground once we got south of Barneveld. The sun
felt wonderful, and we shopped in our
sweaters, leaving our jackets in the car. We saw
starlings, geese, and ducks, but no robins. When
we returned to Gomer Hill the clouds had rolled in and
the breeze was brisk, but I headed up the Smith
Road for a walk, dressed once again for winter. Water had
filled the drainage ditches to the brim, and some
had washed across the road at several points. The dirt
was very soft, and I should have worn boots instead
of sneakers. Horsie Creek is still mostly enclosed with
snow, but the water runs swift in the few open stretch-
es that I could see. As we walked back to the house,
dozens of snowmobiles passed us, kicking up slush and
mud in their wake; that can’t be good for the sleds.
A few four-wheelers went up our road as well, ignoring
the fact that our road is (supposedly) closed to ATVs. Be
careful if you are out on the trails this weekend;
don’t stray from them, as last week saw several
riders stranded in the middle of vast vernal ponds, con-
cealed beneath a layer of snow. A memorable sight is that
of a snowmobiler standing on top of his
submerged sled, cell phone in hand, feeling, I am certain,
as foolish as he looked. Don’t forget,
we had a few inches of rain before it snowed last Sunday,
and it hasn’t been cold enough
for all of that water to freeze up. That is something for
the backcountry skier to
consider as well; stick to familiar terrain, and avoid
flood plains.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, March 11, 2011, 7:45 a.m.
42 degrees, windy, overcast
Rain has abated for now, after a nonstop twenty-four hour
deluge that was accompanied by horrific
battering winds. After snow, sleet, and grauple fought it
out for much of yesterday morning, rain final-
ly overruled all other choices. Huge puddles standing in
meadows and parking lots had whitecaps, and
driving anywhere was difficult because of the wind. This
morning I went out with the dog and was greeted
by hundreds of redwing blackbirds roosting in our big
maple trees, all singing madly, tuneless and chaotic
yet lovelier than any songbird’s riff, simply
because theirs is the official sound of spring. The
redwings
were so loud I could hardly hear the crows calling, but
there were dozens of them in the neighbor-
hood as well. As more snow melts and patches of bare
ground appear, we should see robins in
the hood any time now. This is also the season that
bluebirds return to check out prospective
homes, so I will have to ski around to the nesting boxes
and clear out the mouse nests. There
will be a slight break in the weather today, with a
return to rain and snow later. At least the
wind will be less fierce. We are headed to the Valley to
stock up on staples, planning to
get home in time for a nice long walk, to see if other
spring birds are visiting Gomer Hill.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, March 10, 2011, 8:45 a.m.
32 degrees, windy, overcast, rain/snow/sleet
Blustery south wind has shoved a mess of snow
under the back porch door,
and there is a significant drift between the kitchen and
the woodpile that fills the old
outhouse. It is rare to have to shovel snow indoors, but
I will have to before bringing in
more wood for the kitchen range. Of course, since the
wind is from the southeast, the satel-
lite dish is once again useless, crusted over with ice
and snow. I’ll bet we have trudged through
the drifts twenty times this winter to scrape that
confounded contraption; if we get much more snow
it will be buried anyway, the snow is already up to the
bottom of the disc. The installer wanted to put
it on the roof; can you imagine having to climb up there
every time it snows? At any rate, yesterday af-
ternoon was mild but extremely windy, and I walked with
the dog through some (literally) breathtaking
gusts. His ears blew backwards and my coattails flapped;
we could hear branches falling as we passed
the forest. All of the ice had melted from the trees;
this morning all is once again encrusted. This ice is
opaque, a combination of rain, sleet, and snow that has
wrapped itself around everything outdoors.
The stuff that is whipping through the air changes in
texture and size every few minutes, morphing
from rain into big fat snowflakes and then into pencil-thin
streaks of sleet at the drop of a hat.
There is about four inches of frozen snow in the yard,
like a big flat snowcone, impossible
to move with the plowtruck. We will wait until it warms
up a bit before even trying to
clear a swath to the road. Our area is under a wind
advisory until tomorrow night,
as well as a flood watch; tie down your dumpsters,
and get out your snorkels.
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
Dawn was very colorful, but big flat sheets of
cloud cover have moved in and the sun is history for now.
The wind is a bit brisk, and by nightfall a real change
in weather is expected. Yesterday was sunny and calm,
and we put up a clothesline so I could hang out sheets
and towels to dry. That is one of the best things about
of March, it is part winter and part spring, giving us
the best (and worst) features of both seasons. While the
laundry dried and bread dough rose in the bowl, we walked
our dogs a few miles and admired the frozen
lakes that had formed as a result of Saturday’s
rainfall. We saw a flock of snow buntings by the neigh-
bor’s bird feeder, and several bluejays near the
pine plantation. Chickadees are beginning to leave the
deep forest and hang out closer to humanity; they are so
cute with their cocked heads and glittering
beady eyes, as if they are observing us, putting us down
on their life-list of species. The dirt road was
soft, and the ditches ran with snowmelt under a layer of
ice and frozen snirt. The town crew came up
again yesterday to open up pathways into the ditches and
culverts, in anticipation of more rain later
this week. likewise, the state snowblower was at work on
route 12D, pushing back the banks, get-
ting ready for a thaw. There is plenty of standing water
in the lowlands, and soon these vernal ponds
will be teeming with geese on their way back to the North
Country. I saw three ducks last evening,
a good start for this year’s spring migration. And
now, off to the dentist, where I get to relax
with my feet up for an hour or so, hoping to get home
before the real wind arrives.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
25 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
The strong late winter sun has melted most of the
snow from the roads, and it is no longer
a slick and tricky walk from the house to the barn. There
is still some snow out there but the
ice that formed on Sunday has thawed and re-frozen,
changing texture from ice-cube-y treachery
to a more pitted grauple-y grip. We have put up a
temporary clothesline and I will hang out fresh-
washed linens to dry on this fine morning. Our regular
clothesline has a four-foot snowbank plowed
underneath it; I suppose I could hang facecloths and
hankies on that one. Yesterday’s plan to start my
seedlings was ditched when a friend called after lunch to
see if I could get away for a few hours to ski.
So that is what we did, even though the conditions were
challenging. The snow was variable depths in
the meadows, from bare boilerplate to two feet of thick
powder. We went from our house to the old
barn up the road cross-lots, and ended up on the Smith
Road snowmobile trail. Since schools were
closed, there was more than the usual amount of sled
traffic for a Monday, but still not as bad as on
a weekend day. Even when we skied in a sled track, the
snow was soft and unstable, so our forward
glide was minimal and we worked pretty hard to cover
about six miles. The payoff was in the spectacu-
lar scenery under a deep blue sky. Every deciduous tree
had a glistening pearl of ice hanging where before
had hung colorful autumn leaves. Every evergreen sported
an array of icicles, ranging in size from matchstick
to brand-new pencil. When the sun hit all of that ice, it
was breathtakingly beautiful! We saw no animal tracks,
and birds were scarce, with only a few crows keeping tabs
on us from time to time. We headed off into the
woods for a little while, but the snow was even deeper
and heavier than in the meadows, so we will save
that venue for a time when the snow has settled. There
were about eighteen inches of new snow in places
where the wind hadn’t stirred it around. We found a
few pussy willows that had started to swell in the bud,
but the entire branch was encased in ice. By the time we
returned home, our shadows were long and skinny,
and the heat had gone from the sun; we were surprised
that it was so late. After our return to Daylight Sav-
ings Time this weekend, we will be able to play outdoors
even longer! I imagine that today’s sun will melt
all of that beautiful ice from the trees; we are so
fortunate to have been there yesterday for the
unveiling of one of Mother Nature’s best ethereal
masterpieces. That is a memory to conjure
up some hot July day, those cool diamonds of ice the
antithesis of beads of summer sweat.
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
Monday, March 7, 2011, 11:00 a.m.
18 degrees, windy, partly sunny
The storm has pushed off to the east, after dropping
about a foot of heavy wet snow.
It is hard to get an accurate measurement because the
wind is playing havoc. A weekend
guest had left her car parked by the barn; snow drifted
up past the windows on one side, and
was piled nearly to the roof on the other. The snow
finally stopped falling around 10:00, but the
wind continues to push it around into fantastic drifts.
Yesterday was rainy in the morning and very
windy, but as the temperature dropped and the rain
morphed into snow, we saw a quick return to
winter. Skiing along the Smith Road was fine, with
minimal snowmobile traffic. There were several
really deep muddy stretches of trail, and plenty of water
standing on the hollow parts of the road,
but last night’s arctic temperature and good snow
cover will have taken care of that by now.
Our neighbor heard some geese on the wing during the
night, and friends on the flats report
hearing redwing blackbirds; we are fast approaching the
season of miraculous returns
and renewals. I believe I will start my tomato and pepper
plants today.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, March 6, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
22 degrees, overcast, windy, snow
The weather has run the full gamut, from sunny and
fine on Friday, through spitting rain and heavy
deluge yesterday, and now the temperature has dropped
twenty degrees and it is snowing sideways.
We skied Friday for a few hours, and the snow was perfect
on top of a frozen base, although the strong
spring sunshine created a few slow sticky spots. Since we
stayed mostly in the forest, the dappled shade
kept conditions as good as they ever get. We laid down a
couple of miles of trail through the pine planta-
tion by Slivka Road to Jack’s Track; no one had been
on the state trails since Wednesday’s snowfall.
Our return trip was much easier, and even through the
sunny glades we had good glide as long as we
stayed in our old tracks. Yesterday I hosted an outdoor
adventure for a dozen women, and all were
prepared to ski no matter what the weather. Dressed in
layers of silk, wool, and insulating synthetics,
we set off into the big field catawampus from our barn.
It was raining off and on, but the wind had not
yet kicked in, so we enjoyed a zippy trip through very
juicy snow for the first hour. We visited a neigh-
bor’s farm, and were treated to the sight of a flock
of snow buntings frolicking around the bird feeder.
We are at the southern edge of their range; isn’t it
strange to think that there are birds that fly south to
here for the winter? We skied through the woods
for our return trek, as the wind had begun to roar
and the rain became heavier. We saw some mink or ermine
tracks in the woods, as well as plenty
of varying hare and coyote prints. By the time we were
home, snug and warm, and changed into
dry garb, all agreed that a good hard rain just adds one
more dimension to any activity, not nec-
essarily making it any better or worse, just different.
For sure, yesterday’s outing will be mem-
or able as the years roll on. Our faces were tingly as
they warmed up, and the negative ions
produced by all of that free-flowing water served to
elevate our enjoyment of an already
enjoyable party. If you have never spent time immersed in
a good rainstorm, I urge you
to get out and enjoy the benefits that are out there,
free for the taking. You won’t melt.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, March 4, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
26 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
This might be the last we see of the sun for a few days,
and indeed the weekend is supposed to become quite juicy,
with flood warnings in effect for much of our area
through Sunday.
We are headed out on skis to the woodlot along the Slivka
Road, to
see if there is still a good crossing across the creek to
the state trails.
We have a big ski trek planned for tomorrow, which will
surely sep-
arate the thrill-seekers from the timid, as the weather
shifts into rain
and gale force winds. Or, just possibly, it will separate
the foolhardy
from the wise; whichever, it will be an adventure to be
remembered !
Have a great day, Daisy
Stay tuned, I’ll be back on the page Sunday.
Thursday, March 3, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
9 degrees, breezy, sunny
As cold as this morning is, the sun is warm and the
breeze not as daunting as it would
have been a month ago. The sun rises earlier every day,
and seems to be picking up strength
as we near the equinox later this month. Outdoor sports
should be great today, as long as we
wear a warm base layer and remember our sunscreen. Last
night I went out to see if there were
any northern lights, as there have been some pretty
strong solar storms lately. I strolled up behind
the barn and was treated to a fabulous star show, but no
aurora. There was no moon at all, and the
stars were as bright as they ever get. It was
unbelievably cold, so I didn’t tarry long. If the
aurora
borealis had been overhead, I probably would have climbed
in my car, turned on the heated seat,
and watched through the moonroof. I called to the barred
owl, but received no answer. I howled
towards the western forest, but my only reply was from
the neighbor’s dog. It was cold, and clear,
and as awesome as the day the stars were born; I was
utterly alone and filled with quiet peace. I
felt entirely blessed to enter the warmth of the house
and be greeted by all within, both four-leg-
ged and two. Sometimes there is perfection in the
simplest of moments,if we just recognize them.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
31 degrees, mostly cloudy, windy, snow
Big wet snowflakes fill the air; although the wind
is directly from the west,
it carries the bite of the frozen north in its teeth. The
snow stung as it whacked
me in the face when I went out to fetch the paper, so I
think I will wait for a lull
in the storm before venturing out for any fun today.
Yesterday I walked with our
dog on the Smith Road; I’ll bet skiing on the
snowmobile trail would be excellent,
but the walk took up my allotted outdoor time; I was very
happy to get our dog
out for a good long trek, and he thoroughly enjoyed
sniffing every footprint that
crossed the road. There were many skunk paths in he west
meadow, and con-
tinuing through the unpicked corn of the neighbor’s
field. Polecats are out in full
force, and I saw at least a half dozen on the way to work
in Boonville, motion-
less and stinky at the side of the road. I have managed
to live on Tug Hill for
thirty five years without ever hitting a skunk with a
vehicle, although I did
come mighty close to putting one through the hay baler;
it had taken cover
in a windrow, and fortunately I noticed it’s black
and white coat in the nick
of time. Be careful when driving at night this time of
year, not just on
the lookout for skunks but for larger critters like deer
as well.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
16 degrees, breezy, sunny
Yesterday’s rain changed over to a tiny bit
of snow at the end of the day,
not really enough to cover the frozen mess left after the
temperature sank along
with the sun. The town road crew came up yesterday with a
front-end loader and
pushed our snowbanks back to open the drainage ditches,
and now we have nearly
insurmountable mountains around much of the skiable
terrain of Gomer Hill. I can step
out my back door and gain access to the east meadow and
surrounding scrublands, but
if we want to visit the woodlot or other western property
we will have to scale Mount Snirt
first. At least such an obstacle should keep snowmobiles
out of the field, for now, anyway.
As the sun gets higher in the sky, perhaps the frozen
snow will soften just enough to allow
a ski’s edge to get a grip. Barring that, it will be
a fine day to take a walk on a plowed
road no matter what the snow’s surface. I love this
time of year; the uncertainty
of ever-shifting weather conditions just keeps things
interesting. Although it
may be difficult to plan ahead during the month of March,
every turn
of weather brings new challenges as well as new
adventures. This
is true all year long, but even more so at the cusp of
springtime.
Have a great day,
Daisy
|
