~
Saturday, April 30, 2011, 6:30 a.m.
38 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
I haven’t had time to write since Wednesday
because we have been very busy
cleaning up after the flood of 2011. That’s right, a
flood here at the top of a hill.
We awoke early Thursday morning to the sight of a yard
full of mud and chunks of
asphalt, and chaos in the cellar, which had two feet of
muddy water slowly draining out.
The culvert at Horsie Creek had failed to handle the
enormous amount of water dropped
in a short time in what many are calling a hundred
year storm. I would guess this should be
renamed a ten year storm, as there have been
three such torrential rains since we moved to
Gomer Hill in 1976. Much of the surface of the Smith Road
washed into our yard, with debris
to a depth of eight inches in places. We spent Thursday
cleaning up the mess in the cellar and
consolidating the contents of three freezers into the one
we were certain worked and a second
which at least was still running, kind of. Our remaining
garlic was ruined, and it remains to be
seen whether the potatoes we had left will be good for
seed stock. Fortunately, we had just
moved food-grade spuds into a storage cooler in the barn.
We have a truckload of items
waiting to be pressure washed, and I finally got the
canned goods wiped off and back on
the shelves. Most of them stayed high if not exactly dry.
Here’s a tip; if you keep cans of
paint in a place where they may get wet once every
hundred (or ten) years, mark the lids
with waterproof marker as to the contents. We currently
have several gallons of mystery
paint. Yesterday we were wondering where to even start on
cleaning up the mess in the
yard, when the phone rang; it was a neighbor volunteering
her sons for some of the heavy
work. They had noticed the muck in the yard when driving
by on Thursday. With those two
fine lads and a front end loader we had the bulk of the
mess cleared away in about five hours
of backbreaking shoveling and raking. Their dad helped as
well; it was heartwarming to have
such good help show up when we were in such dire
straights. We picked up a new freezer late
in the day, and things are beginning to kind of get back
to normal. It was a real mess, but it was
only a mess. We lost very little of a tangible
nature, and my heart goes out to those who have lost
everything, including loved ones, in tornadoes and floods
all across the country. You can clean up
a mess; you can’t replace a lost loved one. There is
much to be grateful for on this last day of April.
Don’t forget to wash your face in the morning dew
tomorrow, in honor of May Day !
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
65 degrees, breezy, partly sunny
Wow! What a wild and wooly afternoon and evening
we had yesterday !
I had just arrived at work at 4:00 when we were informed
that there was a
tornado warning for Boonville, and a twister had in fact
touched down outside
of Rome, about twenty miles away. So we shut down and
everybody went home,
just as thunder, lightning, and very hard rain started to
fall. I drove out of the storm by
Talcottville, and when I arrived home on Gomer Hill, the
sky was blue overhead but very
black to the south. It didn’t take long for another
very intense storm to move into our area,
this time passing right over our house. Torrential
rainfall coupled with nearby lightning strikes
and deafening thunderclaps hung around for the next four
hours, providing nonstop entertain-
ment for us and a good deal of agita for the dog.
At one point water was running off the porch
roof so fast that it looked like Niagara Falls, and a
deep stream flowed from the driveway all the
way to the hedgerow. Fields that were previously
saturated to the point of ponding now have much
bigger ponds. We walked the meadows yesterday and in many
places the water was ankle-deep;
our dog really enjoyed splashing through all of the much
and mess. I think I will spend some time
today trimming his dreadlocks off, in much the way young
boys were given a crew-cut at the end
of the school year when I was a girl. I wait as long as I
can for his summer trim, so that he doesn’t
get cold without his shaggy insulation. It is a pleasant
task, one accomplished with many breaks for
small bits of chicken and lots of hugs. We have had this
dog for thirteen years, and when I think of
all the money I save by doing all the grooming at home (three
haircuts a year at $40/each, plus ex-
tra for baths and nail-trimming, that adds up!) I
don’t mind the time it takes. When I am finished,
he can romp through the mud to his heart’s content,
easily cleaned with a brief dip in the sink.
Have a doggone good day,
Daisy
Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
50 degrees, breezy, fog
We had some hard rain and a little thunder with
lightning last night,
and now our formerly squishy meadows have actual little
ponds in the
low spots. The ground is so saturated with water that
there is nowhere for
it to go. Absorption is not an option. I can hear the
roar of Mill Creek from
the back porch, and the ditch across the road is filled
with swift flowing runoff.
There is some rain in the forecast every day through
Friday; I don’t know if the low-
lands can take much more. Many roads are closed due to
ponding, and friends in
town have had their backyard under water several times
this spring. The early
greens that we planted two weeks ago have not sprouted,
and I suspect the
seeds simply drowned in the rows. Wild leeks are nearly
big enough to har-
vest, and I noticed ostrich fern mounds are pushing up
through the thatch
of dead hay by the treeline, so fiddleheads aren’t
too far off. Garden chives
are also growing swiftly in this cold wet spring, and
they are such a treat snip-
ped into potatoes that have been mashed with sour cream.
As for the onion sets
and spring peas that should already be in the ground,
they will just have to wait;
we can’t even step into the gardens without sinking
into the rich loam halfway
up to our knees. At least the neighbors’ wells
probably won’t go dry
this summer, as they have for the past three years. The
spring rain
has more than enough made up for last winter’s
sparse snowpack.
Oh! I think the sun is trying to burn a hole in the fog !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, April 25, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
50 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
There was a cloudy start to the day, but now the
sun prevails, and crocuses and windflowers
have opened their bright faces to the east. On Friday I
picked a dozen daffodils whose buds were
so tightly wrapped I didn’t know if I could coax
them into bloom if I brought them indoors. Yesterday
they unfurled, creamy white petals with sunny yellow
trumpets, so I picked a hundred more to brighten
our rooms and share with friends. The forsythia branches
that I cut a few days ago are beginning to bloom
as well, and look elegant in a black amethyst vase with
pussy willows and myrtle vines. We walked to Mill
Creek and were surprised to see that the seasonal road
leading to it is still so snowcovered that it is only
accessible by AWD vehicles. Much of the road has washed
out as well; I don’t think I would take my
car on it even when the snow is gone. Coltsfoot blooms
profusely on the banks at either side of
the road, and the wild myrtle vines are studded with tiny
purple buds. The creek is brimful
from all of the recent rain, and frothy water roils down
towards the Black River with
great velocity. All of the land is saturated with
rainwater, and more is on the way.
Today will be fine for most things, but the gardens are
much too juicy to work in.
On the other hand, weeds should pull easily from the
perennial flower beds,
and it will be good to get a headstart on that.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, April 24, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
45 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
Today is Easter, which makes being a Unitarian even more
enjoyable than usual.
While millions of folks are spending time indoors at
church or preparing huge family
feasts (with all of the stress that often accompanies
that endeavor, along with the joy
and celebration) we are free to experience heartfelt
praise for rebirth, resurrection, and
renewal that is evident wherever we look on this fine
spring morning. No baskets filled
with dyed eggs, tchotchkes, and chocolate bunnies, no
fancy hat (do people still wear
hats to church?) and no sitting on a hard pew listening
to dogmatic tales while gazing
out the window at free birds and the gentle scuttle of
clouds passing by the (closed)
windows. Our Unitarian congregation back east would
gather by the Charles River
on Easter morning, to figuratively immerse ourselves in
the music of the gently flow-
ing headwaters filled with little fish and turtles
sunning themselves, and wildflowers
rampant on the shores. We would sing the following hymn,
accompanied not
by a huge organ, but by the birds of spring and the soft
sough of willow
leaves; the words are appropriate to any religious
mindset, and
especially nice on this day, no matter where you are.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
For The Beauty of the Earth by Folliot S.
Pierpoint
For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
Saturday, April 23, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
33 degrees, windy, overcast, rain
Rain is falling now but there was snow on the ground when
we arose.
The wind is loud, and the rain is louder. This has been
one of the rainiest
springs in my memory, and I am beginning to wonder if we
will ever get our
early crops planted. The lettuce, spinach, and chard that
was sown two weeks
ago hasn’t made an appearance, and the garlic that
is a couple of inches tall has had
the tips frozen several times. Yesterday’s sun
brought a few windflowers into bloom,
but everything else seems to be on hold. We rode
our bikes several miles yesterday
morning, and the journey out was pleasant; it is a good
thing we were dressed in
layers, because we became quite warm after the first
uphill grind. However, as
we went farther up Gomer Hill, the wind picked up, and as
there is still plenty of
snow in the woods lending its frosty goodness to the gale,
we soon put a layer back
on. We stopped by a beaver pond to skip rocks and look
for interesting stones, and
found a patch of coltsfoot flowers in full bloom, a riot
of bright yellow against the dead
grass like a hundred tiny suns. The sight of those little
wildflowers filled my heart with joy,
as that is one of the first real signs of spring here in
the North Country. The return trip was
literally breathtaking, because even though it is mostly
downhill we were riding right into
the teeth of a stiff southwest wind, and had to pedal to
gain any speed, even on the
descent. We fortified ourselves with grilled cheese
sandwiches and finished raking
the yard and flower beds, accomplishing much in just a
few hours. Another friend
arrived and we took our dogs up the Smith Road for a good
hike; there is still
plenty of snow up there, in spite of all of the recent
rain. We ended the day
with frosty beverages and homemade pizza, and if that
wasn’t a perfect
day, it was darned near close. As I look out the window
at the blustery
wintry mix that is blasting the windows, I bask in the
memory of all
the fun we had yesterday, and can’t wait to get
outside for more.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, April 22, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
33 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy
Three crows, two deer, a mated pair of bluebirds,
and a single tom turkey are all
within view as I look out the window this April morning.
It is chilly, but calm, and when
the sun finally comes out I hope the day warms up. A
friend is coming up and we have a bike
ride planned. I think I am glad I haven’t packed
away my winter snuggies yet. After today there is
a chance of rain predicted every day for a week, except
for Sunday. All in all, not the most perfect
spring so far. On the other hand, by this time last year
we had to mow lawns; at least that won’t need
to be done for a while. Today is Earth Day; first
celebrated as a pro-environment rally in 1970, organ-
ized by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. With more than
a billion people currently celebrating Earth
Day worldwide, it is the largest secular holiday. Later
in the day we plan to walk up the Smith Road
with garbage bags and pick up some of the trash discarded
by winter trail riders. It is the least
we can do for mother Earth. Show some respect to our home
planet in whatever way
you can, not just because it is Earth Day, but because it
is the right thing to do.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, April 21, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
32 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy, snow
A thin layer of snow sits upon the grass, and tight
little flakes are beginning to
skitter across the pavement as well. I don’t think
there will be any real accumulation,
but I am afraid that our daffodils, which are fully in
bud, might react badly to the barrage
of snow pellets against their impending blooms.
Fortunately, we have many different varieties
of daffodil, jonquil, and narcissus, and only the
earliest of them are plump with buds. I am amazed
that the crocuses have withstood the wintry weather
without much damage. When the sun comes out,
they straighten right up and open wide for the bees, as
if it had been warm and spring-like all along.
Birds of every species haven’t let anything bother
them now that they are busy with the tasks and
duties of mating. A huge flock of juncos passed through
the yard earlier, and there has been an un-
ending stream of redwing blackbirds cheering each other
on from our tallest trees both morning and
night. Robins have been abundant, and grackles are
already nesting in the spruce tree out back. Yes-
terday four tom turkeys led a flock of about twenty hens
on a stately parade across the east meadow,
and we can hear the drumming of partridge over the howl
of the wind, just barely. So, although
the snow says winter, the wildlife activities remind us
the it is indeed spring. Tomorrow
is supposed to be more in keeping with the season, snow-free
and sunny.
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Wednesday, April 20, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
44 degrees, windy, overcast, fog, rain
We have it all going on out there this morning, a
wild spring morning that began
well before dawn with a series of loud thunderstorms. Now
it is merely raining sideways,
and it is so windy that there are whitecaps in the
birdbath. We were able to finish raking up
the sand from the front yard, and now only have a few
places where tree debris has achieved
measurable status left to rake and haul to the coarse
compost pile by the hedgerow. Things that
don’t decompose very quickly go into that pile,
while our kitchen scraps and garden trimmings
comprise the smaller pile behind the barn. We don’t
have any fancy system for turning or nour-
ishing our compost, just heap it on one end and take
it from the other. Every spring we dig
some into the flower beds and mix it with vintage horse
manure to fill our outdoor planters.
Last year’s garbage makes for some fine flowers,
veggies, and herbs, a real full circle of
life. It takes about a year for things to naturally decay
and morph into rich fluffy compost.
It is always full of worms, which means we are doing
something right. A skunk does most
of the work of stirring it around, as it roots around and
picks out the tastiest peelings and
seeds for a snack. Maybe twice during the summer we give
it a turn with a manure fork,
unearthing stuff that looks like dirt and burying organic
material that still resembles
potato parings and onion peels. We don’t put meat
scraps into the compost pile,
as that would attract coyotes, coons, and bears; one
small skunk is welcome,
but a whole menagerie, not so much.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
32 degrees, breezy, partly sunny
The morning sun is a beautiful sight after two
days of blustery snow.
A few patches of white linger in the meadows, but nothing
that will get in
our way as we rake the rest of the yard today. As soon as
the temperature
warms up again, our grass will quickly grow longer, and
it is best to clear away
winter’s detritus before that happens. There were
many heavy windstorms during
the past six months, and the amount of small twigs and
larger branches that plummeted
to ground is amazing. I imagine Mother Earth sighing with
pleasure as our rakes comb over
her surface, like a good hair-brushing makes me feel
after a long day of working outdoors
in the elements. Right now I see a lone tom turkey
strutting his stuff on the berm, moving
towards the house next to the road, stopping now and then
to fluff out his breast and
neck feathers even more. He never lets the broad fan of
his tail fold; he looks
huge ! I wonder who the display is for, as there is not
one other wild
turkey anywhere in sight. Maybe he is just practicing for
now.
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Monday, April 18, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, cloudy
After snowing off and on all day and melting as
soon as it hit the ground,
it cooled off enough overnight so that about an inch of
snow has stuck around.
Flakes last night were gianormous, some the size of
nickels, and on closer inspection
I noticed that there were actually dozens of smaller
flakes all stuck together, providing the
illusion of much bigger flakes. We went for a walk on the
Smith Road in mid-afternoon, during
the teeth of a ferocious wind-driven snowfall, winter
parkas zipped up and fleecy scarves protect-
ing our faces. As soon as we got into the protection of
the tall balsam trees after about a half mile of
being flanked by windswept meadows, the bluster stopped
and the sun shone brightly. Hats, scarves,
and gloves came off, and even with my coat unzipped I was
way too warm. The snow is receding
from the snowmobile trail, and we found a brand new draw-pin
but no other treasures. I must re-
member to take a garbage bag the next time I head up that
way, to pick up the cans and bottles
carelessly tossed aside. I always wonder what people are
thinking when they leave an empty
beer can on the trail. Never mind the fact that they were
on a snowmobile or quad while
drinking beer... but the actual act of leaving trash by
the road, does that demonstrate
a lack of conscience, a deliberate act of vandalism, or
just plain ignorance? I think
these are the same folks who empty their car ash trays in
a supermarket parking lot,
or toss their Crappy Meal bag out the car window without
a second thought that it is
wrong behavior. I wonder if they act this way in their
own homes. The Earth is our home,
and we need to take care of it as we would our own
private space. Clean your room !
Have a fine day,
Daisy
Sunday, April 17, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
33 degrees, windy mostly cloudy, snow
After a long night of hard rain and dangerous
winds, the loud tattoo of rain
stopped just before dawn, but the wind continues.
Actually, the rain didn’t stop;
I could no longer hear it pelting the house as it had
changed over to snow.. not the
most traditional weather for Palm Sunday, but anything
can happen on Tug Hill in April.
The sun has just briefly appeared, with a magical crystal
clear light that shines through the
snowflakes. It will certainly be an interesting day.
Yesterday was full of surprises as well;
I took a morning walk without the dog, and was about a
half mile from the house when
grauple began scouring my face. The wind was wicked, and
I started to think our dog
had the right idea when he made a beeline for the
woodshed after a very brief pit stop in
the tall grass. I was dressed for anything, and I luckily
had remembered to tuck a scarf into
my pocket, so I wrapped it around my face and enjoyed the
rest of my trek, happy for mo-
dern fibers and warm socks. I moved firewood into the
house from the barn during one of the
gustiest parts of the storm; it was all I could do to
keep the wheelbarrow from being blown side-
ways. We have used up every scrap of wood from the shed
that adjoins the house, and only have
a couple week’s supply left in the barn. There are
several years’ worth of seasoned hardwood stack-
ed in neat rows by the woodlot for future winters; this
is the first year we have almost used up our
entire extra stash from the barn. I kept both stoves
going all day yesterday, as I needed to heat
the uninsulated sunporch to keep our tomatoes and peppers
snug. It looks like another frigid
and windy day, although the clouds do seem to be clearing
away. For now.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, April 16, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
35 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
What a raw morning! A wind from the southeast carries
none of the usual tropical mysteries;
it is filled with dampness and dust from the road, and
makes for a sub-freezing face-scouring
windchill. Yesterday was sunny and much warmer than had
been forecast, so we shoveled up
piles of sand that the town plow had dumped into our yard
every time they pushed back the
snowbanks. We had raked it all into windrows earlier in
the week, but it has rained since then,
and the sand weighs a ton. Literally. We cleared away
three big front-end loads of sand and
there is at least twice that amount left in the ditches,
so the next nice day, our work is cut out
for us. There is plenty of indoor work to keep me busy
today; this kind of weather lends itself
to soup-making, something slow-simmered on the back of
the kitchen range, full of carrots,
onions, and parsnips from the root cellar, perhaps some
grass-fed beef tips and canned
heirloom tomatoes. I bought some organic celery,
otherwise it will be all local goods.
Yum !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, April 15, 2011, 7:30 a.m.
26 degrees, breezy, sunny
Both wood stoves have been lit on this frosty morn, but I
am certain that once the chill
is off the sun will bring things back up to a more
comfortable zone. I left tomato and pepper
plant out on the sunporch, but it didn’t drop below
forty degrees out there. I guess I will just
consider that I have started hardening those plants a
month ahead of schedule. The air is crystal
clear with a little breeze from the north, so my first
walk of the day was a speedy trot around the
yard with the dog, who didn’t feel much like
lingering at his morning job. Redwing blackbirds are
as loud as I have ever heard, singing from the big maple
tree in the yard, full-throttle into their mat-
ing game. Grackles have paired up a bit early, and some
have started building a nest in the tall
spruce tree out back. A song sparrow sat at the edge of
the birdbath, looking at its reflection
in the ice; hope it wasn’t too thirsty. Yesterday
was warmer than predicted, and we saw all
kinds of beautiful clouds drifting across a deep blue sky.
Laundry dried lickety-split in the
wayward wind, and I was able to bring it into the house
before fog rolled in late in the day.
Tomorrow there is a good chance of rain in the afternoon,
and every day following has
a little bit of rain or even snow in the picture. It
looks like today is the last sunny
stretch we will have for a while, so get out and enjoy as
much of it as you can !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, April 14, 2011, 7:30 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
Early morning fog has lifted to reveal blue sky filled
with big puffy clouds,
but they don’t look like they are transporting any
rain. We received quite a
bit of rain yesterday and into the night, which has
removed all but the deepest
snow sheltered in the shadiest spots. The meadows are
greening up nicely, and
woodchucks have popped out of their dens to join the deer
at grazing. I haven’t
checked on the lettuce, chard, and spinach to see if any
of it has sprouted, but the
past few cool and moist days have provided perfect
conditions. The seedlings will
probably emerge just in time to get covered by snow this
weekend. My father-in-law
used to refer to a spring snowfall as nature’s
fertilizer. The quiet restful season of win-
ter has passed, and now we are faced with so many spring
tasks that lists are made. We
have raked up debris and road sand, and those piles must
be picked up, and the perennial
beds could use a good once-over to fluff up the
groundcover. I have collected most of the
branches and twigs that blustery gusts shook down from
the trees in the yard, and broken
them into shorter lengths to kindle fires in the wood
range. A fat male bluebird is perched
on the tallest forsythia branch; his colors are at their
best right now, almost neon blue on
his back and wings with bright safety orange at his
breast. I have seen mostly males
so far this spring; they are the vanguard of the flock,
searching for nesting spots;
the females will be along a bit later. What a beautiful,
if chilly, morning !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, overcast, sprinkles
These may not be April showers, more like April drizzle...
but the crocuses look stunning and bright in the morning
mist,
more vivid than in direct sunlight. Buds along the
forsythia branches
are beginning to plump up, and if I bring a few sprigs
indoors, crush the
stems, and put them in water they should burst into bloom
in a couple of days.
We walked up Gomer Hill Road yesterday after lunch and
found several dead
spotted salamanders, and one who had a squished tail but
was still crawling slow-
ly towards the swamp. We gently moved him off the road
and into the duff at the
forest’s edge. I suspect they were all on their way
to one of the vernal ponds that
appears after the thaw every year, to mate and lay their
eggs, as this is part of the
amphibian life cycle. Spotted salamanders spend most of
their lives underground,
or beneath rocks, logs, and loose bark. It is unfortunate
that there are so many
roads and highways standing between them and their
breeding grounds. Sadly,
the first warm spring evening brings these salamanders
out in large number, and
they often become part of the vulture’s food chain
instead. Concerned citizens
in Amherst, Massachusetts used to gather to carry
salamanders across the
highway when they were migrating every spring; recently
they constructed
two tunnels so that the little critters could avoid the
road altogether. To
read more about this and see some cool photos, check out this site
.
Today looks like a good one for making bread to restock
the
freezer. I can almost taste a hot heel right out of the
oven !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
39 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
I knew yesterday’s little taste of summer
couldn’t last. The high temp was seventy-three
degrees,
but as we walked around after lunch I could feel a shift
in the wind and that warm balmy breeze once
again picked up Jack Frost’s touch. We didn’t
receive very much rain, just enough for a couple of
beautiful
rainbows and that awesome other-worldly light that
accompanies a spring storm. We tramped around near-
by meadows and discovered hundreds of wild leeks in the
hedgerow, their pointy little shoots poking up
through the duff. Our garlic has emerged above its thick
mulch of hay as well, fortunately not too far,
as there is snow in tonight’s forecast. Crocuses
bloomed overnight, purple, white, and yellow all at
the same time, a real riot of color. This morning there
are so many birds of every description on
the ground, in trees, and on the wing, it would be too
many words to write; see it in your mind’s
eye, all those birds singing at the same time. Life is
good! There are deer and turkeys in the
east meadow; the morning view is rich with activity, the
way springtime should be.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, April 11, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
58 degrees, windy, cloudy
A southwest wind blows damp air across the hill; snow is
literally levitating into the clouds,
swept upwards to join the temporarily skybound phase of
the everlasting water cycle. In spite
of some pretty blustery gusts, we are comfortable
outdoors on such a morning, and have gathered
crocuses, snowdrops, and myrtle greenery for a festive
bouquet. There are more snowdrops than ever,
springing up in clusters all over the back lawn,
offspring of one small clump that I tucked into a bare
spot
next to the house twenty years ago. A huge mat of them is
spread out beneath the rose hedge, hundreds of
the beautiful little blossoms, planted no doubt by birds
perched on the thorny canes above. We admired all
of the new shoots of grasses and weeds that have emerged
since the snow retreated, and the meadows are
slowly morphing from brown to green. Robins are
everywhere, singing while they plow up worms, and sev-
eral deer are enjoying the newly sprouted greens. Our
outing in Syracuse yesterday lasted for most of the
daylight hours; while I was gone, the mister planted
spinach, lettuce, and swiss chard, getting an early
start on our salad fixin’s. We saw plenty of
daffodils down south, and it won’t be long before
ours spring to life, especially as the weather warms up.
We may see some thunderstorms
later today, so I think I will get out for a walk while
the morning is still fairly dry.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, April 10, 2011, 6:30 a.m.
42 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
The sun came up a few minutes ago but it is absolutely
hidden behind clouds.
I am headed off to Syracuse for the day with friends, and
will leave you with thesea
very appropriate words from Robert Frost, as true now as
they were four generations ago.
Have a wonderful day, Daisy
The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.
Robert Frost 1926
Saturday, April 9, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
39 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
There are a few high pale clouds that seem to be
moving away; the valley sits in soft mist,
not exactly fog, but everything appears pallid. We lost a
lot of snow from the meadows yesterday,
and we are now able to walk around most of them without
stepping an any snow at all. There is plenty
of groundwater and we accept the fact that our feet will
get wet any time we leave the road. Smith Road
is still 100% covered with mushy snow, so our tamer walks
have been up the Gomer Hill Road. Yesterday
we had an onslaught of four-wheelers, more than I have
seen in a long time. Today is the Snirt Run (snirt =
snow + dirt), and they are sending the traffic straight
up the Lyman Road because Mill Creek Road is still snow-covered.
For sure, we will keep the cat indoors today, as there
doesn’t seem to be any speed
limit for quads; if there is, many aren’t following
it. Four thousand folks have registered for the Snirt
Run, which is officially a one-day event, but if
yesterday’s traffic is any indication, we will have
to endure the noise and dust for three days. It is a
beautiful day at any rate; I will go about
my outdoor chores and focus on the beauty of the day, and
try to ignore the distractions;
knowing that the snirters are probably having big fun
should help my outlook.
If it gets to be too much, I’ll get out of town.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, April 8, 2011, 7:00 a.m.
33 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
We brought out the bird bath yesterday and placed
it on a flat rock in the perennial bed.
This morning the water is frozen, as is every blade of
grass and ridge of muddy dirt. The frosty
temperature has not kept the robins from singing their
full-bodied mating songs, and the chill seems
to dissipate with every lovely note. They started singing
well before sunrise, and have kept at it with
enthusiasm ever since. The morning choir at last has
their lead singers; the spring oratorio is complete.
Tree swallows have recently returned to the Hill, and
swoop around every nesting box to see which
will suit their purpose. I think bluebirds have claimed
the one by the raspberry patch, but that leaves
seven others vacant, and swallows are certainly welcome;
they eat an amazing amount of mosqui-
toes every summer. Killdeers have also been very vocal,
pairing up and running amuck by the
roadsides. Yesterday we walked up the Gomer Hill Road for
a couple of miles, and took note
of the fact that snow is rapidly fleeing from most of the
farm meadows, but the vernal ponds still
have such thick ice that we couldn’t break it with
big rocks that we lobbed. We looked up the log-
ging trail at Slivka Road, and the first fifty yards are
a muddy mess, but it looks like the pine planta-
tion farther in still has a full compliment of snow. One
of our garden plots is mostly bare, and we
might be able to rotary cultivate it tomorrow afternoon.
It is not too early to sow some lettuce,
spinach, peas, and chard in the cool dirt, especially as
this warming trend is supposed to es-
calate. I planted broccoli and cabbage seeds in trays
yesterday, and will finish transplant-
ing tomato and pepper seedlings into bigger pots later
this morning. For now, I have a
date on the back porch with the dog, the cat, and all of
the neighborhood birds.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, April 7, 2011, 9:30 a.m.
44 degrees, breezy, sunny
I just came in from a couple of hours on the back porch,
sipping coffee, listening to birds,
and watching the frost melt away. This is the first
morning that has been warm enough to spend
more than two minutes out there, and it was a fabulous
way to begin the day! Bluebirds investigated
the houses that we could see from that venue, ducking in
and out several times to check out the ambiance.
Grackles have begun their odd mating dance, accompanied
by an unmusical single shriek, bracketed by more
sedate hen-like clucks. A marsh hawk soared low over the
meadow, ranging back and forth in its quest for food.
Redwing blackbirds are still the stars of the morning
musical production, with an occasional huge flock of
starlings
breaking into cacophony whenever they gather. I imagine
that, as warmer weather returns little by slow, the
robins
will find their songs as well; they have been warming up
for weeks. We lost quite a bit of snow in
yesterday’s
gusty wind, and now the meadows are about half bare.
There is still great snowcover in the woods, and
we haven’t put away our backcountry skis yet. I plan
to take the dog out for a good long walk this
morning, both on and off leash so he can get the full
benefit of this beautiful spring day.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
35 degrees, windy, partly sunny
Various shapes, sizes, and textures of clouds have
moved in since dawn, when the horizon
sported only a thin band of grey to provide a backdrop
for some beautiful magenta sunbeams.
A brisk northwest wind makes the morning air feel quite
cold, especially when the sun ducks be-
hind the clouds. We had wind-driven snow all day
yesterday; the second blooming of snowdrops is
once again buried under a couple of inches of white fluff
that blew against the house. Roads are mostly
bare, but the meadows are covered with clean snow, very
pretty. This weekend is the annual Snirt Run,
but I think anyone who brings an ATV onto Tug Hill
looking for any kind of dirt will be hard pressed to
find it, unless we get a heck of a thaw between now and
Saturday. We are at that blessed quiet time be-
tween seasons when snowmobiles are gone from our
neighborhood, and quads have not yet invaded.
It is wonderful to walk the snowpacked trails and hear
only geese, crows, and blackbirds and the
soft crunch of the snow beneath our feet. The wind has
been singing a soulful tune for the past few
days as well, and we can hear the trees creaking as they
sway and shake off the winter stiffness, and
sap begins to flow into their slowly swelling buds. All
kinds of critters are out and about; yesterday we
had some very clear raccoon tracks stamped on the back
porch in mud, coming up from under the back
porch. We have already put one coon out of its misery; he
had probably been hit by a car, or was in the
last stages of rabies. Whatever was wrong, he was by the
side of the road, dazed and not confused.
If you deal with a wild animal at any time of year, it is
important to use heavy gloves and a shovel
to handle the remains, bury them deep, and then sterilize
the shovel with bleach. So far this
year two raccoons and a cow have had rabies, and I am
certain that dozens more have
been killed and undiagnosed. Make sure your pets are
current with their rabies
inoculation, and avoid wild animals, especially if they
are acting strange.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
34 degrees, windy, overcast, snow
Wet snow is being buffeted about by a northwest bluster,
and whiteness is starting to cover up the bare
spots that opened up during yesterday’s rain. So far,
spring has been kind of on-again off-again here in
the North Country. There was a break in the action late
yesterday, so I walked up the Smith Road with
the dog. It was very windy, but not too cold, so I was
comfy, but the dog muled up on me and refused
to move after about a hundred yards. He is not a fan of
wind. I unhooked his leash and we turned into
the west meadow, which has enough thatch showing that he
could get in a pretty good romp, free to
sniff every tussock and turn his tail to the wind when it
gusted. He also enjoyed plowing through the
stretches of corn snow, and rolling on his back, like a
horse taking a dust bath, only wetter. The field
was squishy from all the rain, and my trail shoes soon
became soaked, but the alpaca blend socks I
wore kept my feet warm. During mud season, I have seen
folks try to keep their feet dry by wear-
ing wellies or even putting plastic bags over their socks
and then donning heavy boots of some kind.
Walking in barn boots is not all that comfortable, and
plastic bags are slippery and annoying. What
works best is a pair of comfy sneakers or washable trail
shoes with good wicking socks made of
wool blend, synthetic fibers, or anything but
cotton. Then you can walk straight across puddles,
go through the stickiest of goo, and throw all of your
footgear in the washtub after you return
home if necessary The snow is really coming down now, but
not sticking to the road. Yet.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, April 4, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
35 degrees, windy, overcast, rain
Some snow fell at the beginning of this storm, but
after it turned into rain we now have about two
inches of muddle in the yard. We left our cars parked
outside last night, and the slush is slowly oozing
down the sides of the shiny paint like some vast
prehistoric snail trails. I am very glad that we were
able
to enjoy plenty of outdoor fun yesterday, because
today’s outlook doesn’t look very inviting. I
believe I
will transplant our tomato and pepper seedlings into
larger containers; it is a fine day to stay warm and dry
and dream of summer veggies. It has been a very long time
since I had a fresh ripe tomato. Yesterday we
skied up the Smith Road and turned into some old logging
roads, with the intention of going cross-lots until
we arrived (eventually) at one of the big Evans Road
meadows. We covered some familiar territory, but also
found ourselves in a few swamps and beech groves that we
had never seen before. There were plenty of rabbit
and deer tracks, and at one point we saw what could have
been the path of a wolf. We had tracked a wolf into
those very thickets two years ago, but have never been
able to catch a glimpse of it. We sped across the snow
where it was shaded by the forest trees, but open meadows
tended to be a little slower, as we sunk into the
corn snow a couple of inches. Ponds are still frozen, but
creeks have begun to open up, although we could
still find plenty of snow bridges for crossings. We
emerged into the cornfield next to the meadow where
we thought we should be, and had a great long final run
down the slope of the meadow kitty-corner
from our barn. After we hung up the skis, we changed into
hiking boots and took the dog for a
walk up the plowed road. he was very happy to get out and
sniff all of the good spring scents.
I had hoped the sugar shack up the road would be boiling
sap today, but they are taking a
break. I fear it has not been a very good year for
sugaring, the weather simply has not
cooperated. As we neared the end of our walk, clouds had
started to gather,
making the sunset very pretty, as well as the purple hour
that followed.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Sunday, April 3, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
38 degrees, windy, sunny
It is finally warm enough to be able to enjoy
sitting on the back porch without being wrapped up
in a sleeping bag. The east meadow is filled with
grackles and robins, the clucking and chuckling of
the former a counterpoint to the sweet warbled notes of
the latter. Robins still haven’t sung their com-
plete mating repertoire, but are slowly building the
trills and quicksilver runs that will eventually comprise
the final chorus. I think as soon as the wind shifts from
the north to the southwest they may become more
motivated. Yesterday we went to Watertown and were
delighted by the sight of snowdrops and crocuses
blooming in nearly every neighborhood yard. Our second
wave of snowdrops near the house has emerged
and will probably bust into flower by noon today; I will
be sure to pick a handful so I can bring a bit of spring-
time indoors. Our first bunch of snowdrops froze to death,
a rare occurrence. We also saw thousands of geese,
both on the wing and grazing in the bare fields. Nearly
all of the snow is gone near Watertown; we still have
excellent coverage here on Gomer Hill, and we will
certainly take advantage of this beautiful day to get out
and enjoy the back country. This sunny and windy day
could very well mark the end of skiing, as hard rain
is in the picture for tomorrow; perhaps even some thunder
and lightning will be on hand to help break
up winter’s hold. What the warm breeze doesn’t
eat up today will certainly be washed away during
the rainfall. The remaining snowpack isn’t very deep;
already last year’s broccoli stems and bean
stubble are showing in the garden plots. There will
surely be another little flurry or two before
spring arrives to stay; enjoy the transition, and get out
in the sun for now.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, April 2, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
31 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
Our April showers so far have all been made of snow, and
about an inch of clean white covers
the morning view. It is a very pretty sight. For November.
A year ago, the temperature on today’s
date was 79 degrees, a far cry from what we will see on
this cold and windy day. The clouds in the
sky are the big story today, many different sizes and
shapes spread out over most of the celestial dome,
with some beautiful deep blue patches of sky making a
nice contrast to their stark pearlybulk. Robins are
all over the meadows, finding tidbits beneath the snow
using some kind of avian radar I guess. All of yester-
day’s bare spots are under snow, so I am not sure
how they know where to look for worms, which is what
I assume they are munching. A dozen or more mourning
doves passed through the yard earlier, but didn’t
stay long enough to utter even one breathy whoooooo; I
think they didn’t care for the zippy west wind.
We are off to Watertown for the day; I imagine the roads
will be clear once we get down off the Hill.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, April 1, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
34 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
Every bare patch of ground has a robin moving
along its soggy runway mining for worms,
occasionally teasing one from the thatch, yanking it
steadily until it finally lets go of the dirt.
When I used to collect nightcrawlers for bait, I wore
gloves with rubber grips on the palm
side; my kids teased me for being a girly-girl, but in
reality, those little sticky dots helped me
get a better grip on the worms. They really hold on tight!
I was outside late last night, but didn’t
think to look down to see if any of the big worms had
come up for air. Our cat had been howling
at something in the yard, safe on his perch on the
kitchen side of the glass back door. Another cat
was on our porch, looking in at us; it was a big
longhaired orange and white mottled kitty, clean
and healthy looking. It didn’t look feral, but I had
never see it at any of our neighbors’ houses
before. I went through the woodshed and around to the
back yard; that big cat stared me
down before sauntering off with a saucy switch of its
long bushy tail. We could use an-
other cat or two, to help keep the varmints at bay; maybe
this one will stick around.
Have a purrfect day,
Daisy
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