NO WORDS

OLD FRIENDS

The air has movement, not quite reaching the level of wind.  With the overcast sky the air is close and  even small gestures cause my skin to be damp.  There is much to accomplish, and deciding where to start so as not to be overwhelmed and start nowhere is the task of the morning.  It can not all be finished in a day, and truly it can never be finished at all.
I see the birds in the garden, because the trees are not so dense as the woods along the edges, where I see movement but more often just hear the chatter of the inhabitants.  The corn that Frank planted a little over a week ago is pushing up in straight little rows in the fields, and the alfalfa is growing back rapidly after the harvest.  The Bobolinks are gone.
We had a visitor to the farm the past week, my dear friend Karen.  It was lovely on many levels, but seeing the land and the gardens through the eyes of another is always inspirational.  Parker, Zoe and I feel her absence this morning.

THE ART OF THE GARDEN

This afternoon a sharp shinned hawk flew into the contorted mulberry tree(Morus Unryu), sitting contently on a lower branch, not moving until I roused him about 30 min latter. It was great having him so close and being able to observe him, observing the garden.
The robin babies are large, stuffed into the nest like sausage, you are no longer able to really see separation, just a pile of feathers and 4 beaks.
The Kingbirds, Phoebes and Orchard Orioles were concentrated in the scrub at the edge of the woods. Lots of activity, in particular with the Kingbirds, darting out low in the grass, retreating to low branches then back out again.

Much is happening in the garden, many trees are still sparely leafed, the spring bulbs and wild dogwoods have faded, but now the show of pèrienials begins to paint the landscape. The tree Peoney is in full bloom and the herbatious cousins following The gas plant (dictamnus Albus) can hardly wait to open and the bush salvia are pushing out the tubes of red and pink that the newly arrive hummingbird visits every morning. Antirrhinum and the extremely exuberant Centaurea Montana are already in full show needing dead heading. There is another plant that is also in full brilliant clear blue bloom. I bought it at the Target store many years ago as a house plant, when it had run its course I stuck it in the ground, it has now been divided and spread around the garden. The identity of this plant has not been determined, but it is lovely in the early spring garden. The California and red Poppies are opening, as are the Clematis and Primrose. There has been hours of work involved clearing the winter weeds from the beds, and there is much more to do to get the gardens nourished and groomed, but I wander the little pathways daily looking at the bloom and watching the plethora of various birds, feeling pretty sure it was well worth the investment. This is a place of peace and beauty, an ever changing  art installation, mostly run by nature.

AND ANOTHER

The start of the walk was later than usual, grass still wet from the condensation, but the sun was high on the eastern horizon.  It was, however, a very event filled walk.
The first sightings came just as the path jogs  right heading to the river.  High in the Sycamore tree was an unfamiliar profile, training my glasses on it, I could see a male Blue Grosbeak, just as he came into focus, 2 more flew in and landed close by.  Really one of my favorite birds.  They nest in the under brush close to the house, but are elusive.  The female is evident, but I seldom get to see the male.
All was quiet at the eagles nest.  The young must be oh so bored, waiting patiently for their parents to bring them food and otherwise having not much else to do, or can birds get  bored?
Parker grabbed a baby Killdeer out of the grass, but lucky for that little bird, he listened to my command to "drop it", this time.
On we went, listening to the sounds from deep within the glen. Half way up the hedgerow, there was flittering movements high in a sparsely leafed oak.  My identification skills for warblers is not finely honed, but my best guess is it was a bouquet of Common Yellowthroats.  There was so much activity, and then slowly it became less so,  then nothing, they had all moved on.
Zoe, Parker and I walked on towards home, reaching the road leading to the house. I saw some birds on the ground up ahead, thinking them to be killdeer or perhaps swallows.  Some of them flew up to the top of the tree and something caught my eye.   Could it possibly be that the Bobolinks that I had been waiting for all spring had return?  Yes it was true, I watched as they passed from the tree out over the alfalfa, and back again.  Those that remained in the trees, flew forward on mass to the next ginkgo, and the next, marching slowly down the drive as the three of us walked towards them, finally leaving the trees to fly off over the fields as well.
Home just in time to help Frank hook up the large field cultivator to the tractor.
The day has now officially started.

WALKING

The morning walks take different forms, thinking and sauntering, brisk and purposeful,  interval training, and the observational stop and go walk like the one I took this morning.  It was gorgeous this morning, which led to all sorts of looking.
First, I was able to confirm that there is at least twin eaglets in the nest by the river.  There could be the rare triplet breeding, and I just saw two, but I am sticking to the belief that we will see only two fledge from this years pairing.  One little one was sitting up high on the wall of the nest revealing almost the entire body, the other was tucked down further in the nest so that just the neck and head were revealed. It is so nice to have the nest located where I can observe without breeching the interior of the woods and bringing alarm screeches from the parents.
Off we went, continuing along the river stopping briefly to watch a pair of Herons vying for territory,  as if the river wasn't big enough for all.
Rounding the corner starting up the west hedgerow, we and I mean all of us, were starteled by a Turkey, hidden in the alfalfa suddenly launching itself into the air.  Zoe and Parker hardly knew what to do, and I let out a little scream.  We recovered and were off again.
A very faint noise came up from the glen where the creek runs, slight, but Parker and I heard it.  Then nothing.  Parker, soon bored and distracted,  ran off to join Zoe who was checking out some scent in the grass, I moved closer to edge, and stood for a moment, on the far side of the ravine a doe emerged and ran fast away.  The other two members of the walking party were oblivious to the occurrence.
At the upper end of the walk along the gully before we turned towards the lane, I could not help but stop and hunt the tree tops for a sign of the Bobolinks.  Two years ago a very large flock joined the Red Wings dipping and diving over the fields, taking refuge in the tree tops, then spreading out over the fields again.  So far there is no sign of these colorful little birds joining in the arial display.
Just about home, a little bird sat above me in the ginkgo tree singing.  I know that song.  Looking up I spotted him right away.  He was hard to miss with the sun shinning on his under belly and chest, turning it almost crimson, the male Orchard Orioles have arrived.  There will soon be great chases at fast speeds through the back yard trees as the males fight for territory and the attention of their mates.
Almost home, but one quick look in the Robin's nest by the garage, a forth blue egg has been added to the nest tucked in the spruce tree.  I will be able to watch the progress in the easily accessible cup.

EAGLE'S NEST

Dangling from the talons a fish freshly plucked after a fleeting hover and a stealthy swoop, from the calm river waters, the eagle headed straight for the nest, dropping into the giant twig bowl, the mate landed on branch close by.
It is clear that the egg(eggs?) has released it contents into the world.  I wish I could jump really high and just peer into the mossy, feather lined  home to see the tiny downy chick. It must look dwarfed by this nest that it will grow into over the months.  The eggs were no longer being attended to, I would see an eagle sitting on the edge of the nest, or on a nearby branch often, so I had a idea the babies were out of the egg, but this was confirmation.  I am sure that when the chill of night comes on, or rain is pouring down the adult spreads itself over the young for shelter and warmth, but mostly they are on their own now as the parents search for food to fuel this giant growth spurt.  I will see the heads in a few weeks and if lucky, I will witness the first flight.

EDITING

Warm days are starting to pile up and with that increase in temperature the plants are responding quickly.  Not just the plants that I want in the garden, but the unwelcome intruders as well.  The yearly ritual of yanking these uninvited guests out of the soil and carting them off to a place where their seeds will not add to next years stock is in high gear.  I have to admit, I do love these first days being out on the ground cleaning the soil.  There is so much to see and hear.
The birds are really active now, the swallows and blue birds are racing against their biological clocks to get the job done.  Nests must be built, territories established and eggs need producing.  They all swoop and dive in and out of the trees, hyperactive and chatty.
Down on the ground as I move along, pulling, and discarding, there is the pleasure of finding the green of one of my favorite plants beginning to poke up through the soil, or the joy of seeing infantile buds beginning to take form.  Satisfying, that yet again the renewal is going according to schedule,  unhappy that perhaps some did not survive.  There is always the internal dialog that goes on. "Oh, yes the Peruvian Lilly I transplanted two years ago is  ready to start blooming again" or "I doubt that Salvia 'red neck girl' survived, what a pity".  I start to catalog and make lists, in my head, of what needs to be transplanted, replaced, what new beauties will I bring into the sanctuary, what needs to be remove to regain balance.  It is so exciting to think about all of this, with sun beaming, sky blue and the smell of soil, oregano, thyme. lavendar  and artemisia diffusing in the air around me.
Parker is huddled far to long over there by brown dry grass clumps, what is he up to,  let me see, oh yes a little garden snake,  how fun for him, not so much for the snake.  I pick the light green spotted snake up, most likely a common garter, distract the pup and then guide the slithering 2 foot rope into a thicket of much denser grass cover.  Game over.

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.