DRAT!!!

Please, please, please let this weather stop and give me the glory that is spring.  I am feeling so house bound with the cold and wind and now this snow.  I will have to admit the beauty of it all, but now enough, let me will the sun to shine, the winds to calm, and the sun to turn up the heat on the air and the earth.

THE WALK

Deer.
A Fox.
Black Vultures.
Blue Heron eyeing my Koi pond.
Wind.
Occasional snow flakes.
Northern Harrier.
Assorted sparrows.
Bluebirds.
Cold.

HEARING AND HUNTING

With eye's closed it is easy to know that spring is well underway. The increasing calls and drumming of the woodpeckers is distinctive along the western hedgerow as the weather slowly warms and the light of day is lengthened, and of course there is the smell of spring.   Eye's wide open, and there is a whole host of bird life springing into action.  It is easy, with the trees still stripped of leaf cover to spot the Red Belly and Pileated Woodpeckers, the Flickers are ubiquitous, and the occasional Downy and Hairy are seen scurrying  up the bark of a snag.  The hawk migration has been in evidence for a while, the Northern Harrier and Kestrel are hovering in the fields, and finally the Ospreys have arrived to claim and refurbish their nests. Even today, misty with drizzle, the activity of all of the birds in the space surrounding the house is increased.  The Bluebirds seemingly on every branch, hard to miss in their new blue feathers, the Sparrows and Robins already scouting for a suitable nesting spot.  I have set out the bits and bobs of discarded yarn, fabric and dog fur,  which I know I will find latter in the nests that I uncover in the fall cleanup.
The walk today had Zoe and Parker overwhelmed, as there had been a  Fox Hunt on the property a day or so ago,  which brought a whole new world of smells to the farm, perceived only by them.  I could only watch as the cataloging and indexing of the discoveries was underway, the consultations between the two of them confirming or rejecting the evidence of new information found with their noses pressed onto the ground.

Home from the walk and inside just as the drops of rain come closer together.

THE BOUNCE

We think that spring is finally springing. The days are noticeably longer, the sun is warmer on our skin during the morning walk. I may notice it more than Parker and Zoe, but I think they know things are looking up as well. I should be a little careful in surmising the coming of better weather, we could still be house bound on the occasional ill weathered day.
Still, the flowers of the crocus are finally able to open, having pushed up out of the ground weeks ago, but not finding the air pleasing enough to spread their pedals. It will not be long before more things pop to life in the rush of renewal.  There is a great sense of urgency.
The spring I have always known brings feelings of pleasure and joy, which are somewhat dulled this year by not having my wonderful boy Jake with me to share in the season. Zoe and Parker however, are alive with the possibilities of one more great walk feeling the anticipation of stumbling onto a new adventure.
Spring does that to everyone

FAIRWELL

Frank, Zoe, Parker and I said goodbye to our dear friend Jake, yesterday. What a sad day for all of us. The world is a lesser place without this noble dog, but it was time for him to be released. This was our final act, in his lifetime, of caring for him.   He was full of energy, regal, handsome, strong and a great game dog ready to play at a moments notice with other 2 and 4 legged creatures.
During his life he accumulated a lot of friends. They could be absent from his life for many years, but the moment they got within his range of smell, he would bury his big old head in between their thighs and his whole body would wag head to toe. It was always the same, "where have you been, why have you been gone so long, I missed you so much". There are many of you reading this that will know that you held an extra special place in Jake's life and that when you would go away after a visit, he would lay about for a few days in the room you had occupied waiting for you to return. That was the thing with Jake, he loved his people. It was a misnomer for Frank and I to have called Jake our dog, really we were his people.
Notorious for his love of thrown objects whether round or otherwise, he could play fetch until he dropped. If no object was forthcoming, like a ball, off he would go to find the perfect object to entice the would be thrower into a game. That could be a stick, or an ear of corn picked from the stalks in the field and sometimes in desperation to get the wanted response, he would climb the apple or pear tree and reach for a fruit to bring back. Each time he would trot over drop the object at the foot of the perspective player, cock his head to the side and with anticipation alternate between looking at the object and then looking up to the human.
He learned to swim on the lake in our back yard in Michigan, and swimming became his passion second only to a good ball game. Best of all was a ball game combined with a swim. His travels took him to the Chester River here on the farm, and dodging the surf at Assategue Beach. He ventured as far as the waters of Lake Powell in Arizona, where he was sure it was his duty to protect the children left to play in the water by the house boat by the careless adults on board. His need to rescue them from drowning started when Zoe was a young pup. He ran to Frank and I with an insistent bark, relentless until we got up and discovered that she had fallen into the fish pond and was unable to swim and helpless to extricate herself.
His last years have been a struggle for him, but we got past his illnesses and he rallied each time a little diminished, but still strong of will and heart, determined not to let the problems get in the way of a walk, game, swim, or a good time with old friends. He saw the new pup Parker as a great gaming partner, up to a point. Somehow Parker always sensed what that point was. Zoe remained his good friend to the end. He lost most of his sight, but still managed to navigate the world he lived in, his world went almost silent from hearing loss, but with enough vocalizations from Zoe and Parker he could muster a pretty plausible bark to ward off strangers. All of his losses accelerated in the end and tasks of living were increasingly a chore. The hardest loss was his inablitity to play ball, hard for him and for Frank and I to witness.
Jake and I have run and walked too many miles together to count. From the day I bundled him up in California and started our trip back home to Frank in Michigan he has been my constant companion and friend. He has never been to far from my side for long and certainly never out of my mind. He was a great friend of Frank as well, he learned early on, the phrase "where's Frank", which would send Jake bounding off to find him. They had their days on the farm, when Jake would stay with him in the fields as Frank worked on some farm project, never leaving, hoping that somewhere in the day there would be time for a game of toss.
Frank and I will grieve long and hard for his loss and I am sure neither of us will ever truly get over not having him with us. The house has fallen silent, and feels so very empty. Jake's story will live in the memories all of us have of him. Those stories will remind us of moments in our lives when he was beside us doing something wonderful, fun or plain neurotic, and know that he was entwined in our story as well.
            Goodbye my lovely, lovely, best boy Jake.
                    May 16, 1998- January 19, 2013

SUMMER

Corn on the cob, Forth of July, corn tassels in the field, and straw baled up ready to be transported to hungry cows. That for sure is what summer is all about. Ok, ok, I know that I have not be very diligent about posting on my blog, but I guess I needed a break. So I am back now, how reliable remains to be seen. Lots has happened since my last post. Visitors have come and gone, bees have come back to live here on the farm in newly renovated houses, new plants grace the gardens and new trees have been planted in the yard. Hopefully I can get them all of them in the coming weeks and give you a peek at what is going on. The photo in todays blog is courtesy of Jacob Z. It was the inspiration for writing a bit on the blog.

ZACHARY

On Thursday, August 5, 2010, our friends lost their 19 month old Standard Poodle to AIHA, a devastating disease. It is hard to believe that puppies can die. I wanted to remember Zachary, for the lovely little bundle that he was. He will most certainly be missed by those that loved him.

VISITORS

We sat on the porch, laughed, walked, ate and talked. All the while, taking in the abundance of birds and other wildlife in the gardens around the house and the fields and woods around the farm. That was the events of last week when Karen and Nels, my dear friends from California, paid a visit to Puck’s Glen. There is a certain pleasure that comes with being with those we have known for many years, comfortable and easy.Taking time out of the normal rhythms of life here on the farm and seeing through new eyes, helped to sharpen my observations as well. I stopped long enough to hear the call of a Bobwhite and actually spot him on his perch, I would never have known that the Brown Thrasher was a visitor to my yard or been entertained by watching the young male Orchard Oriole dart about in the trees and sing. There were discussions of what books were being read, and sharing in the news of friends and family. Although I took them to the airport yesterday, they left behind pieces of themselves that will stay with me as I make my way around the edges on my morning walks with the dogs and tend to the gardens that sustain me.. (Photo credit: Nels A.)

FARM UPDATE

Their blue is electric neon, those little Indigo Buntings that populate the woodland edges. So chatty too. They are sometimes hard to spot, but you know they are there by their incessant conversations. We are finally having temperatures out of the 50's and the rain has cleared, so now maybe we can really count on warm days ahead. The juvenile Eagle has fledged. It happen the end of last week with a tentative flight and awkward take off from the corn field, but now he seems to have really mastered this flying thing. He took off from a branch right above my head and soared out over the river this morning as the 4 of us made our way down the lane. Zoe is on her usual spring time schedule of constant patrol for the stray rabbit that she might catch off guard enough to actually capture. This is not a frequent occurrence and it really tuckers the girl out

HOT AND COLD

The vacillations in the weather are so typical of the Springs here on the East Coast. It is hard to count on anything constant. Rainy in the 50s, sunny windy, in the 90's, back to cloudy but 75. The plants experience their own set of problems with these changes, being misted and happy one day, hot and parched the next. I think the ideal temperature for any plant in about 70, but thank goodness they have adapted otherwise they would be in a dire state.
The males always appear on my radar first. They are the orneriest boys about having others in their territory. They dart about in the and out of the trees at lighting fast pace chasing being chased. Their rusty colored breasts catch the sun with quick flicks as the sun comes up. The Orchard Oriole males will be happy to know that I finally spotted the female today, although I somehow think they already knew that she was here.
The most prevalent sound along the edge of the woods this time of year is the drumbeat and trill of the woodpeckers that inhabit the stream bed. They tap away at bark of the trees and call back and forth to each other incessantly. I can hear different pitches to the tapping and the calls, but the only one I am successful at identifying by sound, currently, is the Flicker. I do spot the Pilated, the Downy, and the Red Belly Sap Sucker, but I can't identify them by their calls yet. I downloaded iBird pro onto my iPhone, which I hope helps me increase my identification skills.
On Sunday not much was happening in the garden. There of course has been a hugh flush of green as the plants spring up out of the ground, but flowers were few and far between. Lots of buds. Well today after a day of warm rain yesterday and bright sun this morning, everything is opening at once.

STILL MORE RAIN

I know it is all good, but the constant rain is getting old. This is a warm spring rain, as opposed to a cold windy(frozen) moisture, but it still dampens the spirits.
My Edgeworthia chrysantha, in the best bloom of it's life, which started about 3 weeks ago and is now completely and utterly glorious. The blossoms have the sweetest scent that pulls your attention to beautifully arranged florets as you pass by.
The Killdeer are now officially parents in waiting. We have a pair of the screamers nested under the bench by the fishpond(4 eggs) and another pair in the east garden under one of the newly planted Birches(4eggs). Parker gives them no rest. He thinks they are great fun to chase as they scurry away to get him directed from their eggs. They are very successful, but he soon loses interest in the chase and is off to other adventures.
Our walk this morning was punctuated with the Fox passing very close by in the field, which sent Zoe on a mad dash to catch her nemesis. She really tries her darnedest, but her legs can not carry her quite as fast as the nimble little fox. She catches up to the group, as we move around the edge of the farm,having given up on the chase, with tongue out and breathless.
The Robins are here in great abundance, and I know I will be cleaning nests out of nooks and crannies, trying to redirect them to safer ground. Some will get by me and we will have to see about protecting them until they can hatch those little blue eggs and fledge their young.

SPRING FEVER

We may not be completely finished with the winter weather yet, but somehow that doesn't seem to matter when the air is warm and the sun is bright. Spectacular is all I can say for the the state of the outside world as we made our way around to explore the farm this morning. Lots of new discoveries. There is is a second Eagles nest being built in the woods, about 100 yards from the first. It is much smaller. We 4 were back in woods by the older nest this morning when a adult Eagle flew overhead and called an alarm He then settled in a tree not to far from the old nest waiting for us to leave. Next the skunk cabbage(Symplocarpus Foetidus) is in bloom, and that is a real indicator of warm weather to come. There is also an abundance of fungi growing, helped this spring by all of the moisture we have had. The crocus and early daffodils are bursting into bloom along the walkway.There is also evidence of the 1000 tulip and daffodil bulbs, I planted last fall, erupting through the soil. Now that is going to be something when that blooms. There are other little things starting to polk through the surface, but most prevalent are the weeds. Today will mark the official beginning of the war, for this year, against the pesky weed population. The task will put me outside in this glorious weather, which will make the work easier.

ALL HOPES DASHED

The snow is coming down sideways! The point is not about the amount of snow, just that it is doing it once again. We will be spared the deep cover that those farther north will sustain, but still. There had been hope for the past few days. The warm sun was melting the snow banks, and a day of rain help to increase the melt as well, even as it turn the farm into one large mud hole. But now as I look out the window, it is again a whiteout.
Not that any of this phases Parker. Zoe has better sense, when I let her out she poked the air with her nose and turned right around to look back into the warm house. Jake is sort of impervious to anything, although the big bed in the back room was looking pretty good to him. He did not wander off to explore the property as he usually does in the morning. I made the executive decision to cut the daily walk very short this morning.
While all of this is happening I thought it a good time to order some seed and plants for the garden. Wishful thinking on my part I am sure.

IT IS OVER

We, Jake, Zoe, Parker and I, are confined to the roadway that Frank has begun to restore to a drive, instead of a cross country ski course after the 30" of snow that fell yesterday. The depth of the snow is too great to try to walk through. Parker of course hops across it with great energy, but the rest of us stay on the plowed surface not trying to breech the walls of snow. There is lots of enthusiasm for this snow, in particular little Parker, who finds the whole thing such a big adventure, but Jake and Zoe understand the fun of it all,too, scrambling ahead of me tussling with each other as we move. Even though the sun's energy is amplified by the reflection off the crystal surface of the snow, we will be days "melting" out of this, there is little warming predicted for the next week. The farm will remain under this white blanket of ice crystals for the time being.

ANOTHER 3 INCHES

The snow just keeps coming. I have not experienced this amount of snow since moving to the Eastern Shore. Mostly it has snowed a bit but not consistently throughout the winter, never hanging around to long. It certainly dresses up the farm, but I am ready for some other kind of weather. It is February, how much longer can this last? The sun will come up and warm the air making the snow slip from the branches and slide noisily from the roof. The patio and walkways will begin to uncover and show through the snow, waiting for the next offering from the sky.

MAJOR SNOW STORM BLANKETS THE FARM

We are heading into Christmas week, which for sure will be white. The farm has been blanketed over a 36 hour period with snow. It is difficult to say exactly how much, because of the drifting, but I would say somewhere around 2 feet, give or take a few inches. There is a drift by the front door that is well over 5 feet high. The snow started early in the morning on Saturday, continued all day and night Saturday, and when I took Parker out this morning at 4 it was still snowing. It has stopped now, and the sun is shinning. The front walk has been cleared, and the long drive packed so that we can get in and out. It is a strange feeling out here on the farm when there is a big storm. It somehow makes you feel much more alone, than if you are in closer proximity to neighbors. We survived, and now the dogs have a glorious playground in which to romp. This was Parker's first real snow, and oh boy did he think it was some kind of wonderful. He is in now, exhausted and curled up asleep. I suspect he will stay that way throughout the rest of the day. Tuckered out.

REVIVAL

Gosh, look how long it has been since my last post. Life has been busy, filled with all the mundane tasks that populate our lives, take up our time, but are somehow part of keeping everything together. There has been the great renovation, poor little Parker had an injury to his leg and Zoe has not been feeling well. With these things comes a steady procession of carpenters, electricians,painters, assorted installers, visits to the vet, the doctor, cleaning up plaster dust, and other messes, culling out clutter, and general organization. But now the way is clear and we are all back on course.
We had a storm over the weekend after I took the pictures that are posted. It was windy, cold and sleeting. A little accumulation of snow was a great adventure for Parker, who discovered that it was not only fun to play in, you could eat it too.
That is gone and the sun has been out. There was a definite change is the temperature though. It is frosty and cold in the dark mornings when Parker, Zoe, Jake and I venture out, and not until the sun is higher on the horizon line does the air start to warm some.
With all of the activities of the past month, I did not get to walk around in the garden to watch the changes that come with the decreased light and cold temperatures. I have noticed the Camilla's by the back door. It is hard to miss the bloom, so abundant and seeming out of place in the winter landscape. My lettuce is now available for cutting. The glass has been put over the cold frame, and I am hoping that with it tucked in I will be able to use if for another month or so. The Parsley has gotten a little burned on top, but underneath there is still plenty of good leaves. I cut some of the bulb fennel and that was a great treat for dinner. I use to think that the garden was a total dead zone in the winter, but as I have discovered there is much to be appreciated as the cold removes the cacophony of blooms. It is much more subtle and requires a keener eye, but there is a beauty in the bare twigs,dry grasses and seed heads. There is also an amazing variety of green underneath it all trying desperately to gather up what light there is from the short days.

NOVEMBER,NOVEMBER,NOVEMBER

It is official, the clocks have been set back, the leaves have past peak, and there is a certain smell that permeates the mornings. The rains took a tole on the leaves and color of the edge, but there is still plenty to see, and the gingkoes on the lane are still in the process of becoming brilliant. I have always hesitated to love the fall, because I knew it preceded the winter. I am now trying hard to enjoy what is today and not worry so much about what is tomorrow. A new leaf.
Zoe got me up a few nights ago at 4 AM wanting to go out, not that usual, but then after a while she started incessant barking, I called, she did not come, I was finally able to locate her in the dark and drag her in the house. I suspected she had found something interesting in the form of a creature. Her frenzy continued through the morning, until it was finally light enough for me to investigate. I found a fox curled up in the grasses by the pond. It was clearly in physical distress, thin, didn't run away from me, barely lifting its head. The hunters had seen the same little fox a week earlier, falling down intermittently in the field. I got out the shot gun, and waited for the painting crew to arrive, asking if they could help me and the fox. I know I did the right thing, but it still preys on my mine.

The river has been glorious. The reflections of the color in the darkness of the water is remarkable, it is not raining, the mornings have been calm and perfect flat water abounds

A FALL MORNING

Jake, Parker, Zoe and I were walking along the West edge of the farm when a Red Tail Hawk took off from a high branch of a tree just in front of us. I wondered as he traveled out over the farm if he could see the ground and hunt prey through the heavy fog that was laying blanket like on the newly disked fields. I lost sight of him as he receded away from us. It was a far different picture, when I finally got everyone fed and watered, as I launched my shell onto the river. The fog was completely gone, there was a slight breeze, and the sun's warmth had dried the dew completely off the grass. There was an Eagle soaring overhead, was it one of the pair that lives in the woods here on the farm?
My favorite grasses are blooming now, they are ethereal with the dew and morning light. I must find a place in the garden for more of these Muhlenbergia capillaris.
Breakfast is not complete these mornings without a trip to the Fig Trees, to hunt for a few figs that have reached perfection while the trees are covered with sweet purplish brown ovoid fruits, for it is now a race for ripening before the first killing frost.

PUPPY EYES

The chilly night air that is settled in for good now, has brought the not unexpected yellowing of the soy bean fields. Just brushed across the leaves here and there, the land is no longer the solid green that it was. I must bundle up more heavily or risk feeling cold. The woods have opened up from the leaves that have already left the branches, and there is a raucous display by the Pileated Wood-peckers this morning as the four of us make our morning round of the farm. I have not visualized them since last spring when the canopy was just filling in and there was just three of us. Sounds of fall are abundant with the h-ronk of the Canada Geese, and Caw-Caw of the Crows. The completely empty corn fields are waiting for the planting of the winter wheat, and serve as a great feeding area for the migrating geese. Up closer to the house there is still abundant bloom that, mixed with the beginning coloration of the leaves, make for a beautiful environment to sit and enjoy the crisp clear days of autumn.
Parker is growing so quickly. Walks with him are always full of events and hap-
penings. I try to image what it must be like to see and experience all the smells, sights and sounds for the first time, in the world I have long since become so accustomed to. I think I might like seeing Puck's Glen Farm with puppy eyes.