My View From the Top
by Mrs. Gomer Hill
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
43 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny

A few high thin pale clouds form broad streaks across portions of the sky,
but for the most part it is a fine sunny morning. I just came in from enjoying a
cup of steaming rich guatemalan french roast on the back porch, comfy in a sweater
with the sun so shiny I needed a ball cap to shade my eyes. Nuthatches and chickadees
were fluttering from hedge to hedge, and the redwing blackbirds’ friendly greeting permeated
the air. Robins have been around for a few days, but they have not yet begun to sing their spring
songs. Snowdrops are blooming where the snow has melted next to the porch, and crocuses are
covered with tight little buds that will no doubt burst open during the next few days. This is most
certainly a false spring; indeed, snow is in the forecast for early next week. For now, we will grate-
fully accept this lull in the wintry action, and soak in every bit of lovely warmth that the days afford.
Yesterday I skied with a friend through the west meadows and over to our woodlot. Where the
snow had been melted and compacted by sun the surface was lovely, firm and crystalline, and
we could really get up some good speed, even on the uphill sections. The snow in the forest
was very tricky and unpredictable, solid and slick at times, but rotten here and there, giving
way underfoot unexpectedly. The conditions were only secondary to the beauty of the day,
however; the sky was such a deep blue as to seem almost hallucinogenic, vibrating above
the stark dark tree trunks and deep greens of the balsams and pines. All that was lacking
was a Pink Floyd soundtrack. Today will be another great day, and we are headed
north to Watertown for some errands and appointments. It will be nice to see
a different view, but I will be glad to get home in time for a good long walk.
Have a great day,
Daisy







Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
41 degrees, calm, sunny

I am finding my body wants to sleep on Eastern Standard Time; rising in the dark
has been impossible these past few days. I will stick with the alarm clock for a week
or so and gradually the night and day will sort themselves back into shape, and I can find
the rhythm once again. I don’t like to arise too late, for then I get a slow start on enjoying the
day’s offerings. A gorgeous morning like this one deserves to have every inch of it appreciated,
not just the hours when the sun is high over the horizon. Soon the robins will be back in full force,
and their cheerful songs will drift in the window to awaken me before dawn. I need to get the screens
in, so I can fling the sash wide open without wondering if bats or bugs will come in for a visit. We will
probably take some of the wall panels away from the back porch as well, so we can sip our morning
java al fresco and watch the turkeys strut across the meadow. Yesterday the sky was filled with
many small flocks of geese flying north, strangely silent except for the swoosh of their wings,
heard clearly if they were low enough in the air. In the fall it seems that every goose loudly
announces that they are skedaddling in favor of sun over snow; in the spring, they sneak
back into Canada, perhaps a little embarrassed at their disloyalty. It is good to see
the seasons flowing onward, some continuity in otherwise troubled times.
Have a great day,
Daisy







Monday, March 15, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
34 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy

Yesterday’s much-publicized washout never happened in our neck of the woods.
The wind did blow, but only a smidgeon of water fell late in the day, and it was pretty
nice up here over all. This morning is more of the same, although the radio guy in Boonville
reported big fat wet snowflakes outside the station window. Gusty wind has kept most of the
birds under cover, but as the sky brightens and the front passes by I have no doubt that they will
soon grace the yard with their songs once again. Snow is starting to withdraw from the meadows,
and there are several areas of wet vegetation appearing that have drawn deer and turkeys into our
view, pecking and pawing at the forage for that first taste of spring greenery. The woods are still
100% under cover, and so far the snow bridges across creeks and streams are solid. I don’t be-
lieve I would trust the ice on any beaver ponds, or try crossing anything that contains water deep-
er than knee-high. The snow is pretty solid for the most part, but there are places where it has
rotted and one ski will suddenly drop a foot or more straight down, creating some interesting
challenges. It is best to keep your weight evenly on both skis this time of year, and be
ready for a surprise or two (or ten) while wandering hither and yon. This week we
will have some sunny warm days; perhaps it is time to get the bikes out of storage.
Have a great day,
Daisy







Sunday, March 14, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
39 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy

We didn’t receive more than a few sprinkles of rain yesterday, and even though
there is 100% chance of rain in today’s forecast, it appears like it may blow right on
by without making much of a fuss. The wind is the big story, blasting steadily from the
east and picking up a mighty chill as it passes over the snow that still covers the forest floor.
The wind was so loud last night that it kept me awake, its roar cutting through my earplugs and
rattling the windows of my dream cottage. We walked up the plowed road yesterday and I noticed
that the shoulders are very dry, now that the snow has been pushed back and is slowly melting into the
ditches where it belongs. If we don’t get some rain soon, it may be a very dry spring, one in which much
time will have to be spent watering newly planted crops and soaking the berry patches to get them grow-
ing. Our garlic is still under a foot or more of snow, but it won’t be long before we can check its progress,
see how it survived the mild winter. The snowdrops next to the house have emerged, and I could see tiny
buds forming on many of them; all it will take is one warm day to bring out their pearly-white nodding
blossoms. I planted peppers, tomatoes, and basil yesterday, and now the flats sit in a row on top of
the warming oven, the cling film cover weighted down by dried scarlet runner beans at the corners.
I am going to plant a large tray of spinach today and park it on the sunporch, which is cool but
probably won’t reach below freezing again this season. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be
able to eat some baby spinach in a month’s time? I’ll keep you posted.
Have a fine day,
Daisy






Saturday, March 13, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
40 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy

Rain seems imminent; the wind is zippy and from the southeast, whence cometh
our next change of weather. I can overlook the general drabness to the morning,
because the trees in the yard are filled with spring birds; there are redwing blackbirds
inviting me to stay-and-plaaaaaaaay ! Mourning doves have returned, cooing softly to
each other, and there were robins on the lawn, not yet sounding off but a welcome sight
nonetheless. Starlings, ravens, and crows have been coming and going all morning, noisily
announcing their arrival and departure, but somehow blending in with the redwings and doves,
a wonderful cacophony that would makes me think they could be channeling the spirit of John Cage.
We went to Rome yesterday, and all the snow but for the larger banks is gone from that area. It won’t
be long before crocuses and snowdrops begin to bloom in the spots that melt first around here. Today
I will plant pepper, broccoli, and tomato seeds, and set aside some flower seeds for the next round of
sowing. I can only fit six flats on top of the wood range warming oven at one time, so I plant in shifts.
The heat coming up through the bottom of the flats is just the ticket to aid speedy germination of
most seeds. Another good place to start seeds is atop a refrigerator; generally, warm air rises
from the condenser and it is humid as well, a perfect environment. The sky is brightening,
and it looks like the rain might be holding off for a while, so if I am going
to get outdoors for a hike it had better be soon.
Have a great day,
Daisy






Friday, March 12, 2010, 7:30 a.m.
42 degrees, breezy, partly sunny

It is definitely a spring-y morning out there,
with starlings and crows hailing the day in their exuberant manner,
flies waking up in the sunny windows, and skunk tracks fresh around the perimeter
of the house. It is time to keep the dog leashed up even in our own yard for a while. We have
some appointments in Rome today, and will probably run into rain as we travel south; the forecast for
our own neighborhood is more optimistic until tomorrow, when the wet moves our way. Yesterday we skied
crosslots to the Smith Road, and found conditions on the snowmobile trail to be very fast, although the snow
was filthy from oil and exhaust from thousands of sleds. We veered off the trail onto a farm lane back to a
hidden meadow, where the snow was pristine and marred only by scores of animal tracks and scat. A dark
blur bounding through the forest caught my eye, and we were lucky enough to see the end of a fisher’s mad
dash as he ran full-tilt away from our conversation and into the deeper woods. It was a large critter, and
nearly black in color, very handsome. We found a big pussy willow bush in the middle of the meadow
covered with tiny buds bursting into fuzz, and picked a few to bring back with us. We trekked through
an old orchard and found a deer spread out over an acre of new growth, scattered by a pack of coyotes.
We found the head up by the road, grinning at us, creepy and cool at the same time. That deer covered a lot
of ground, even after death. We climbed to the top of an old barn bridge and found a primitive deer blind that
someone had built last fall, three sided with branches and boughs woven together to make walls. By the time
we skied home, the sun had softened up the snow so that it was a slow slog for the last half mile,
but worth every bit of effort to be out on such a fine late winter day.
Have a great day,
Daisy






Thursday, March 11, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
45 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy

A soft breeze brings the sweet bakery whiff of maple syrup along with it this morning,
from the steam pouring out of the sugar shack up the road. The sap has been flowing steadily
on the Hill for about a week, and the quality of the syrup has been extra fine so far. I like the dark
amber liquid at the end of the run, and will gladly wait for that; it has a wonderful rich maple flavor
lacking in the fancier grade. Yesterday the temperature rose into the mid-fifties, and it was a perfect
day for being outdoors. We took a long walk with the dog in the morning, and he got thoroughly
muddy from trotting thorough the mucky bits at the roadside. After lunch we headed out on skis
and explored the swamps, pastures, and hayfields in our neighborhood, finding the conditions
much better than we had hoped. There were a few mushy spots where the sun was at its most
intense, but there were also long stretches of firm corn snow and fast icy runs in the shade. It was
as near to perfect as spring skiing ever gets. I cut a twig from a pussy willow bush and this morning
the little fuzzy catkins are beginning to poke out of their hulls after spending the night in a jar of water.
They are very small; I know where some larger specimens are, but haven’t been back that way yet
this year. It has been dangerous to ski on the Smith Road due to heavy snowmobile traffic, espe-
cially on weekends. Perhaps the middle of next week will afford a day or two of peace and quiet
and then we will head back to the pussy willow patch and snag some branches to decorate the
kitchen windowsill. Alpine skiing is winding down, and if you are planning to visit Snow Ridge
during March, be sure to check the schedule on their home page at www.snowridge.com.
Have a fine day,
Daisy






Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
42 degrees, calm, mostly sunny

This is the warmest morning we have seen since last fall, and the sun feels great !
A downy woodpecker is hammering away, perched on one of the smaller branches
of the big maple tree by the driveway. Several starlings fill the airwaves with song, or
conversation; I’m not sure what to call it, but it sounds just fine to me. The snow got really
soft yesterday, so I didn’t get out on skis at all. The Smith Road is in full-out thaw, and the
places where snowmobiles have churned up the mud will suck the shoes right off any pede-
strian. The town crew came by yesterday and put down some fill next to our blacktop road,
as the shoulder had eroded quite a bit during the January rains. This is the first winter we have
had a paved driveway, and there are still some bodacious patches of ice that seem to be taking
forever to melt. The snowpack in general is slowly disappearing under the warmth of a late winter
sun. We had a difficult day yesterday, as our youngest cat left this physical world, surrounded by
those who have loved her and cared for her for seven years. I am sure she will visit us often in our
dreams, both waking and asleep, for she contained such vital energy, more than enough to last be-
yond her short lifetime. It is too bad that none of humankind’s pets has a life span that will match
or exceed that of a man or woman; is this to help us learn to accept their unconditional love at its
purest, and endure their passing with heartfelt grief and eventual acceptance? There must be some
grand plan, or we wouldn’t feel the urge to bring pets into our lives. As much as we will miss
her, our remaining two cats and the dog don’t seem to notice one way or another
that one of their circle is gone. Life is short; some lives are shorter than others.
Just for today, I will be grateful for my many blessings.
Daisy






Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
37 degrees, calm, mostly sunny

What a lovely morning ! There is very little breeze, and when it comes it is a gentle puff
from an indeterminate direction, more of a suggestion of a breeze than the actual event. There
were a dozen or more starlings in the big maple tree by the yard; all were singing, whistling, clucking,
and cackling up a storm until a few crows arrived, then they grew quiet. All of the black birds, big and
small, sat in utter silence, then the starlings lifted off as a single unit, leaving just the crows to return my gaze.
Finally they too departed. Soon I heard a flurry of wings and a metallic scraping overhead. A phoebe was
probing the eaves at the peak of the barn roof, looking for a spot to build a nest, months earlier than I have
ever seen one of these birds before. They routinely try to nest under the back porch roof, but usually not
until the end of May. Of course, the sidewalls are still on the back porch this time of year; it is possible
that they would be there in March if we removed the panels sooner. It was a sweet surprise to hear
that lovely two-note whistle after the raucous cacophony of the starlings. Yesterday the temper-
ature climbed to forty-nine degrees, and a walk up the Smith Road left our shoes (and the
dog) encrusted with mud. Today and tomorrow will be warm as well, and I wouldn’t
be surprised to see robins on the bare patches of lawn tomorrow morning.
Have a great day,
Daisy






Monday, March 8, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
35 degrees, windy, mostly sunny

A light mist moves across Gomer Hill, not exactly fog but dimming the lights a bit.
The valley sits in a bright haze, and the Adirondack Mountains are nearly invisible this morning.
A small flock of geese just flew past the house, headed north; do they know something that I do not ?
I don’t know where they will find any open water. The west wind is fierce, but not daunting. I took our
dog skiing around the meadowlands yesterday afternoon; the wind was stiff then too, but refreshing rather
than raw. it was fairly warm outside, and the snow was a little slow but we stayed right up on top of it,
even atop some of the tall drifts. I cleared mouse nests out of the bird boxes; all were empty of mice,
but they must have been cozy places to begin their wee lives. Most were made of cattail and milkweed
fluff, soft as eiderdown. When they fell onto the snow the wind picked them up and skittered them across
the surface like wintry little tumbleweeds. It won’t be long before male bluebirds stop by to check out the
real estate, and now the boxes are all ready to go. A small chance of rain shows up in the forecast towards
the end of the week; will spring be early this year ? Perhaps the geese do indeed know something...
Have a great day,
Daisy






Sunday, March 7, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
32 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy

A steady breeze from the northwest isn’t as icy as I had expected,
but it is still a very raw morning out there. It looks like the sun might be
appearing soon, and the occasional flashes of brilliance almost instantly bake
the chill from the Hill. Yesterday we skied through the swamps and pastures that
surround the Evans Road. The snow was perfect, firm enough to support our weight
yet soft enough to get a good grip with our skis. We skied in a big loop through land that
is usually too wet to hike through in any of the warm seasons but is a wonderful trek in winter.
We stopped to rest at one of our favorite big trees, a giant maple that has been tweaked and twisted
by age and wind. There were plenty of coyote tracks, some punching through the snow as it softened
but many leaving ghostly tracks on the frozen top layer. A few chickadees regarded us from the shelter
of small balsam trees, and two ravens called out as they passed overhead. Turkey tracks became platter
sized after thawing and freezing a few times, but we could sometimes see the three toes in bas-relief in
the center of the fade. When the stronger spring sun hits critter tracks in the snow, it can distort them
so that the only way to determine what made them is often by the stride pattern and the space be-
tween the individual prints. A fox and a cat have pretty much the same stride pattern, and if the
track is blurred by melting it is hard to see if there were claws, or the exact shape of the pad.
A cat usually travels in a pretty straight line, but so will a fox if it isn’t actively hunting. This
time of year we can hope to see some actual animals as they venture out to see if the
salad bar is open yet. Skunks are definitely around, and raccoons have been show-
ing up in neighborhoods that haven’t wrapped their garbage up tightly enough.
I wonder when the bears will awaken from their long winter naps ?
Have a great day,
Daisy






Saturday, March 6, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
33 degrees, breezy, sunny

What a beautiful morning ! There was a tree full of starlings singing assorted melodies
when I first set foot outdoors earlier, and a fleet of chickadees has swooped through the
yard twice since then. I can hear crows in the distance, but haven’t caught sight of them yet.
We plan to ski through toolies and swamps this afternoon, after this bulletproof snow has a
chance to soften up. As much as the north wind blew these past few days, the snow has stayed
hard and crusty. Now that a warmish west breeze has arrived the snow should become much more
user-friendly. The town crew came up yesterday and pushed the snowbanks back with a front-end
loader, and now we have twelve foot tall towers of snirt decorating the roadside across from the
house. As the temperatures rise for the next few days, we should see a gentle thaw start to hap-
pen; now the meltwater will have access to the drainage ditches instead of eroding the road-
side. There is no rain in the picture for our neck of the woods, but temperatures are pre-
dicted to rise into the thirties and reach forty by the end of the week. Of course, there
will no doubt still be several good snowstorms afoot before true spring arrives,
but for now the small of thawing dirt and melting snow affords a good preview.
Have a great day,
Daisy






Friday, March 5, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
23 degrees, windy, mostly sunny

The wind is mostly out of the north, but sometimes it seems to come from every which-a-way
at once. I was going to hang some bed linens out today, but I think I will wait for the wind to settle
down a bit, which may not actually happen until April. Yesterday was a windy day too, and we walked
along the Smith Road for quite a ways. When we got into a corridor between tall trees, the sun was warm
as toast and the wind not an issue. There were plenty of deer tracks overlaying the snowmobile tracks; hardly
any of them veered off the trail into the woods unless there was a track to follow. The recent deep wet snow
is a little hard to navigate, be you man or beast. Our little dog manages to tread on top of the crust, and in-
deed left no tracks at all the few times he explored the areas beyond the bank. The only tracks on the
forest floor or in the orchard were those of larger animals, coyotes and porcupines, and the occasional
deer. Skunks are out and about, and one left its calling card quite close to the house a few nights ago;
we could even smell it in the cellar. It seems to have moved on; we couldn’t find its tracks. Last night a
small black and white cat boldly came onto the back porch where we were preparing to cook some steaks
on the gas grill; as soon as it saw us, it bolted away. Yesterday I saw four robins in town, all gathered on a
small snowblown bit of lawn. It won’t be long before every bare patch of grass sports these cheery harbin-
gers of spring. The first real sign of spring has appeared at our old farmhouse, as I have to vacuum flies out
of the sunny windowsills every noontime. I don’t know how they find their way in through the tight fittings,
but they are particularly bad on the sunporch, which has not had the old wooden sashes replaced.
So far we haven’t seen any ladybugs, but they are inevitable, so is the occasional wasp.
Keep your eyes open during the coming weeks; is it spring at your house ?
Have a great day,
Daisy






Thursday, March 4, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
26 degrees, windy, mostly sunny

Pearlescent fair-weather clouds have been painted across the blue sky with a light touch,
the kind of clouds that suggest angels’ wings and gentle spring zephyrs. The wind is right out
of the north, and doesn’t feel all that gentle. The sun is warm, however, and this is shaping up to
be a very pleasant day. Yesterday we broke a new ski trail through the tree plantation on the Slivka
Road, crossed the creek, and entered the State trails in the middle of the Mill Creek Run. No one had
been on that trail since we received over a foot of heavy wet snow, and since we had just slogged over
a mile of the stuff and didn’t feel like working all that hard, we turned around and skied back to the truck.
Friends had been on the Carpenter Road end of the trail system on Tuesday, and reported that those trails
were in great shape, with a good track set by many pairs of skis. We drove back roads to Carpenter Road
and parked at the Douglas Creek/Larch Loop trailhead, and had a fine ski back to the beaver pond. It had
been a cloudy dull day when we set out, but the sun broke through and we were soon very warm and speed-
ing along at a good pace across the fast tracks. There is still plenty of snow in the woods, but we noticed that
streams are showing more open water than the last time we skied there. The beaver pond, while covered with
snow so deep as to completely bury the lodge, has quite a bit of clear water showing at the dam end. There
were plenty of hare tracks crisscrossing the banks around the pond, and the runoff stream was particularly
lovely, with ripples of dark water sparkling between steep snowy banks. The banks along the edges of all
of the Tug Hill brooks are beginning to show the signs of moderating temperatures, with fracture lines and
areas where the snow has been undercut by meltwater into secret caves and tunnels. It is fun to pretend
to be only an inch tall, and wander in my mind’s eye through all of the crazy natural wonders that such
a tiny person might encounter. Try it sometime; an occasional flight of fancy is good for the soul.
Have some fun today,
Daisy






Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
30 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy

The clouds seem to be thinning, and we are due to have a sunny week of
gradually moderating temperatures. Yesterday we cleared the heavy wet snow
from our rooftops; some slid off of the steeper slopes on its own, making a loud
rumbling noise that startled me every time it happened. One of our cats was sleeping
on the windowsill directly under one such avalanche; he levitated two feet straight up
in the air and dashed into the cellar. away from the ruckus. It takes a lot to frighten this
cat, who has been through a lot in his long life with us, including a hit-and-run which claimed
one of his hind legs. It is so interesting to see the different ways in which formerly feral cats adapt
to living within our family. Our three legged boy is eager to go outdoors at the first hint of sunshine,
even if there is still deep snow hanging around. Another of our foundlings, who showed up in the
barn after a week of wicked cold sub-zero days and nights, won’t go out during the winter at all,
and waits until every last speck of snow has melted away before resuming her fair-weather hunt-
ing trips. She is quite shy, and disappears into the cellar if our normal routine is disrupted by
company or the occasional noisy project. Our old gal, who is near the age of twenty as far
as we can tell, has been aloof her entire time living with us, but in the last year she has be-
come quite sociable, curling up on a lap any time someone sits down to read or watch
television. At first glance, it seems that our cats were lucky to find our warm and safe
home; on the contrary, we have been blessed that they let us into their lives.
Have a purrfect day,
Daisy






Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
29 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy

As I strolled around the yard earlier this morning, I heard two chickadees calling
back and forth to each other, the high two-note greeting that signals their interest in
finding a mate. A starling confounded the courtship by whistling a perfect imitation of
the call, and soon the three birds were all in the same tree, having a sing-off that resulted
in the chickadees flying off in a dither; the starling was left alone, chuckling softly to himself.
I tried the call a few times to see if I could coax the smaller birds back into the yard, and soon
was joined by the black bird, who perfectly mimicked my slightly lower pitched notes. I also
heard the rapid-fire tattoo of a downy woodpecker somewhere behind the barn, hopefully
not on the actual barn wood itself. I haven’t seen one of these black and white checkered
fellows all winter, so that was a nice surprise. Crows abound as if they own the place,
but I have not seen our ravens for a week or more; perhaps they have taken to the
deep woods to arrange their nest. It won’t be long before the beautiful back-
yard cacophony of spring dominates the early morning soundtrack,
full of birdsong and the rush of meltwater down the ditches.
Have a fine day,
Daisy






Monday, March 1, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, overcast, snow

A steady breeze from the north occasionally blows a good gust of arctic chill,
making my first impression of this new month one of lion-y bluster, not lamb-y
goodness. There are several crows covering the west meadow and woodlot, calling
loudly to be heard above the wind’s roar. I need to go around to all of our nesting boxes
and clear away the mouse nests so that they will be ready when the first bluebirds return, usually
well before the snow has melted sometime in mid-March. Spring chores are starting to make their
way onto the list of things-to-do. I brought some seed starting mix indoors to warm up, but then got
distracted and still haven’t started any vegetable plants yet. Pepper seeds can go into their flats any time
now, but it is best to wait a few more weeks to plant tomato seeds, usually around Saint Patrick’s Day.
Our winter basil has been picked over so many times that it is beginning to lose the will to live, so I will
start a few more of those to keep on a sunny windowsill for our salads and pasta dishes. We have
overwintered two rosemary plants, and it will be interesting to see how they fare their second
summer outdoors in a climate that is anything but mediterranian. I am already looking forward
to the first fresh greens of spring, those that Mother Nature has planted for our enjoyment,
the dandelions and sorrel, leeks and fiddleheads, all free for the taking. For now, a good
salad of organic romaine, avocado, grapes, onions, gorgonzola, and candied pecans
will have to do. Check out tonight’s waning full moon which will rise at around
7:30; it will appear full but it is one day past. Last night’s was magical !
Have a great day,
Daisy

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