~
Monday, March 31, 2008 9:15 a.m.
33 degrees, breezy, overcast, rain/snow/rain
It was colder than this when I awoke, and raining very
hard.
Ice covered the road, and school has been delayed for two
hours.
It seems odd that, as the ambient temperature rose above
the freezing
point, precipitation changed over to snow. Now it
fluctuates back and forth;
at this moment it is snowing, big heavy fat flakes. The
only birds around on this
bipolar morn are crows, and they are few and far between.
The yard will soon be
a sea of shale-based mud, almost as slippery as snow. I
will have to find some heavy
planks and make a boardwalk across the worst of it.
Yesterday we traveled to Little
Falls, and got a taste of true springtime in that lovely
village. It was warm enough to for-
go hat and gloves, and the snow-free ground was teeming
with robins. It was a fine day,
and we returned to Gomer Hill in time to take a short
walk to enjoy the lowering sun.
Redwing blackbirds were roosting all along our path,
calling to us and each other
with their distinctive springtime trill. I wonder where
they all are this morning ?
By this time tomorrow, we should have temperatures
hovering around fifty,
so even if it is raining it will be a pleasure to suit up
in foul weather gear
and immerse ourselves in the all-encompassing fecundity
of springtime.
Change is good !
Daisy
~
Sunday, March 30, 2008 7:15 a.m.
11 degrees, calm, sunny
Smoke from both stoves barely clears the yard this
morning;
some thermal inversion prevents it from wafting up, up,
and away.
As soon as I became aware of this, I put a few pieces of
yellow birch
bark and balsam twigs saved from the Christmas tree into
each firebox,
and headed outdoors to sniff the sweet billows. I wonder
if the crows
and blackbirds can smell it too? It is always a pleasant
surprise when
we are driving somewhere in winter to have that woodsmoke
whiff enter
the vehicle through closed windows; most of the time we
can’t even see
where it is coming from. We walked up the Smith road
yesterday, and
even though the air was chilly the sun was strong enough
to release the
aroma of sap rising in the spruce and balsams that line
the road on both
sides. The larger creeks are still open and rich with
animal tracks descen-
ding the steep banks for a drink. We saw several deer on
the trail and in
the woods; they are probably emerging from the deep woods
in search
of food. They have pruned the dickens out of our apple
trees, and nip-
ped the ends off of grapevines that protrude above the
snow. This
winter has seen not only plenty of deep snow, but it
seems to be
lasting a very long time. Perhaps the rain and warmer
temps ar-
riving tomorrow will open up some bare ground and send
Old Man Winter off for his long summer nap.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Saturday,
March 29, 2008 7:15 a.m.
13 degrees, breezy, sunny
Snow continued to fall all through yesterday, and I ended
up
plowing the yard and digging out the outbuildings just in
time to
catch one of the most gorgeous sunsets of the year.
Another inch
of snow fell overnight, and the morning view is clean and
super sparkly.
In spite of dawn’s single digit temperature, both
big yard trees were filled
with redwing blackbirds, one of the most cheerful
gatherings one can imagine.
I don’t know where they hang out during the day, but
lately I can pretty much
count on them to roost nearby, singing the sun down and
back up again. It was
too stormy yesterday for any robins to make an appearance,
but deer are begin-
ning to gather in small herds, hopeful that new shoots
will soon emerge from under
the deep meadow snow. I imagine they are disappointed to
find that the shallow
troughs of meltwater are once again frozen, and after
yesterday’s storm, buried
under snow. Yesterday morning I heard a commotion in the
cellar, so I donned
boots and heavy gloves (just in case it was a raccoon)
and cautiously descend-
ed the stairs. There were two starlings flying around,
hurling themselves against
the small windows from time to time. As soon as I opened
the outside door
they made a hasty exit. We have never had birds in the
house until this year,
and to have three of them in two days is remarkable.
Thank goodness none
of them was hurt in their attempts to escape. I wonder
how they got inside
in the first place? I ran the oil furnace for a few
moments this morning
to discourage them from nesting in that seldom-used
chimney, in
case that is the deal. Starlings are one of my favorite
birds,
but I think we are all happier if they remain outside.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Friday, March 28, 2008 7:30 a.m.
29 degrees, calm, overcast, snowing
After yesterday’s mud and springlike
temperatures, it was a true
surprise to find three inches of new snow on the ground
this morning.
We caught the northern edge of the action, as many
schools south of
here are closed or delayed. Last evening the yard was
filled with birds,
starlings, redwing blackbirds, doves, and even a couple
of robins, all sing-
ing their spring arias. Right now the view is fresh,
white and silent, not a bird
in sight. Last night I was just sitting down to dinner
when there was a commo-
tion in the living room, and the dog raced out chasing
something that flew into
the biggest window with a loud thud. It landed behind a
wastebasket, and I
could see a still black form; eek! a bat! was my
first thought. I got gloves,
a dustmop, and bucket, intending to trap the creature and
release it out-
doors. As soon as I moved the basket, it flew straight at
me, ricocheted
off my chest, and landed on the cellar door. A starling !
In my house ! We
stared at each other for a minute or two, and I slowly
reached out my hands
to enfold it. Of course, it freaked out and flew into the
kitchen, landing on the
windowsill over our sink. I heard something crash down
into the porcelain basin
and thought oh no, my treasures! I have a few
precious (to me) objects on that
sill, irreplaceable and mostly fragile, not to mention
several crystal prisms suspend-
ed on fishline from the frame. There was any number of
ways that frightened bird
could wreak havoc, or become entangled in the lines and
harm itself. I saw that it
was perched atop a large chunk of amethyst, feathers
fluffed out and radiating a
great deal of heat from its little body. I sang a little
song, softly, barely above a
whisper, attempting to calm the bird, while slowly
reaching for the lock and
crank that would open the pane. He never took his eyes
off of me, and as
soon as the window was open a couple of inches he flew
out and landed in a
birch tree. I watched him for a few minutes, hoping that
he hadn’t been injur-
ed from his hard collision with the dining room window or
traumatized from his
escape. Finally he flew off into the hedgerow, seemingly
unharmed. The only
item that fell from the windowsill was a small brass vase,
which had been
right next to a hand-blown glass bird. This morning I can
hear something
in the cellar, which I thought must be one of the cats,
until I noticed they
sere all dozing next to the stove. I wonder if starlings
are attempting to
nest in the chimney that vents the oil furnace, which
seldom runs. If so,
they could be exiting into the cellar, which would
explain yesterday’s
visitor. I think I will store my most fragile items in a
cigar box for a
while; might as well give the windows a good cleaning
while I’m at
it. Imagine that, being goaded into spring cleaning by a
bird !
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:15 a.m.
37 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
We had a very pretty sunrise, as the sky was only
partially
filled with clouds, presenting a grand palette for all
the warm
colors associated with dawn. The wind hadn’t yet
started to blow,
so I headed out early for a nice long walk. The mud was
still frozen
and the snowmobile trail was firm with a good grippy
surface. Geese
are really on the move this morning, and all seem to be
headed north.
Yesterday was so very windy that the flocks couldn’t
hold any kind
of formation, and it seemed that they were in
disagreement on which
was the best direction to fly. I had plans to ski, but
wind gusts of more
than 50 mph changed my mind in a hurry. This morning I
noticed a lot
of new evergreen debris on the surface of the snow, cone
skeletons and
branch tips strewn all over the place. A few big branches
had come down,
and a half dozen medium-sized trees were broken in half.
None landed ac-
ross the road, as often happens in a big blow. The trail
had started to thaw
on our return journey, and by the time we got to the bare
road it was very
muddy indeed. A lone robin was huddled on the grass in
the yard, no doubt
wondering what was I thinking ? We have seen
several robins in town
but this was the first one on Tug Hill, cause for a
heartfelt yippee !
and a big grin on my part. It is warming up nicely,
and even if
the sun stays hidden behind clouds it is a lovely spring
day.
Enjoy yourself !
Daisy
~
Wednesday,
March 26, 2008 8:15 a.m.
34 degrees, windy, overcast, snowing
Snow started to fall at bedtime, and when I looked out
the
window at 3:00 a.m. it looked like a December night
outside.
Drifts were forming and shifting as I watched, and the
road was
an unbroken ribbon of pure white. A flock of geese flew
low over-
head during the bluster, honking to beat the band,
probably all won-
dering are we there yet ? A little before dawn we
received a half hour
of rain, and now it is snowing hard again. There is
enough that we will
need to plow the yard, sticky wet fort-building material;
it would be fun
to build one if only the wind weren’t gusting at 50+
mph. Often we will
carve a living room out of the east-facing side of the
plowed-up bank at
the end of the barn and sit on a tarp there at noontime,
enjoying a sand-
wich and the warmth of the midday sun. Back in our ski
bum days of the
early 1970s, dozens of folks would carry folding shovels
up the ski lifts
and build entire cafes, peeling off their parkas to
reveal tank tops and
bikinis, in those days before sunscreen became compulsory.
Coolers
full of Labatt’s 50 would mysteriously appear, and
little charcoal grilles
with a full compliment of hot dogs and burgers, everybody
sharing what
they had with whoever showed up. I can’t help but
think that if that were
to take place nowadays, someone would snitch and the
whole party would
shut down due to various code and licensing violations.
The good old days
of sunburn, rare burgers, and brewski-fueled ski runs,
ignorance was indeed
bliss ! Meanwhile, something has disrupted our DSL
service, and it would be
prudent to fill some pails and pots full of water in case
the power heads south
as well. Still snowing, still blowing... gotta love Gomer
Hill in springtime !
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:00 a.m.
32 degrees, breezy, sunny
It is such a beautiful morning that I simply had to get
out and take
a little walk before the mud thaws. Redwing blackbirds
and starlings
are all over the place, flying, perching, walking on
patches of dirt, gener-
ally adding to the overall feeling of springtime. So far
the only bare ground
peeking through on Gomer Hill is in the yard where it has
been plowed, and
at the places where groundwater has seeped up through the
snow in low spots
of the meadows. Of course the plowed portions of our
roads are also bare;
Smith Road is particularly full of deer tracks that were
imprinted in the clayey
mud yesterday. I will head out later as the sun warms
everything up into pri-
mordial goo, and see if I can catch sight of a robin or
two, possibly even a
bluebird checking out the housing situation. Even though
I cleared out all
of our nesting boxes a few weeks ago, one had already
filled back up with
cattail fluff, delivered by a mouse looking for temporary
digs. No one was
home, so I scooped it all out onto the snow, a small
tumbleweed that took
right off in the breeze. Geese heading north are now a
daily observance,
with many of them camping out on the bare stubbled dirt
of lowland
cornfields. Last night as I drove home, I scattered a
flock of about
a hundred mourning doves that were catching the last rays
of late
day sun, squatting along the sand-covered pavement for a
hun-
dred yard stretch just below our house. They lifted off
one at a
time, as if making way for my car was a huge
inconvenience;
(with hindsight, it probably was...) It will be warm
enough
today to stretch a clothesline between the barn and house
and hang out a couple of loads of sheets and towels,
a true sign that the seasons are shifting.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Monday, March 24, 2008 8:30 a.m.
20 degrees, breezy, partly cloudy
Tiny frost motes dance in the sun, visible only
from the south and
east windows. I guess the sun needs to backlight the
little crystals in
order for them to appear, like magic. Radar shows a line
of snow showers
advancing on Turin from the northwest, and indeed, I can
see a dark roll of
clouds just at the horizon in that direction. It was very
cold last night, eight de-
grees at one point; in spite of the frigid start, our
biggest maple tree hosted several
redwing blackbirds trilling their optimistic spring song
in the bright morning sun. Yes-
terday was a true gem of a day, cold yet sunny enough to
offset the chill. I wandered
on skis for hours in the meadows, swamps, and forest
right outside the back door.
Much of the open land’s old snow had frozen into
pebbly ice, slightly textured so
that my metal edges could bite in if I needed to control
the speed of my descent.
What little fresh snow that stuck to the ice is rippled
and dimpled like the surface
of the moon (in my mind’s eye, anyway). Even a
gradual downward slope coax-
ed me into accelerating at an alarming rate, but as long
as there wasn’t anything
to crash into, I just let the skis run, loving the
slightly out-of-control rush of ex-
citement from unnecessary speed. My first stop was a
stand of pussy willows
not too far from here, so I could gather a few branches
to celebrate Dingus Day,
which is today. While there were several branches that
had burst into fuzzy cat-
kins, they are disappointingly small this year, so I cut
just one little twig as a
token. I followed the edge of a neighbor’s hayfield
and crossed the fence
into old pastureland to check on two of the biggest trees
on Tug Hill.
There used to be three, but one finally toppled a couple
of years ago.
The remaining pair of enormous maple trees no longer have
the form
of a normal tree. They have both split up the center, and
grow as long
vertical crescents, with huge branches bending back on
themselves and
nearly touching the ground. One tree has several big
rotting splits up the
main trunk, and looks like it may not survive another
fierce windstorm, but
the other is vast and strong and a living monument to
hardwoods everywhere.
I followed the fenceline back up to the road, and climbed
the steep snowbank
into our west meadow. I made a beeline for Horsie Creek,
and admired the steep
bluffs from a different angle. I followed the course of
the stream for a while, and
came to a spot where a hemlock tree had fallen upsidedown
into the gorge and
dammed up the flow, creating a rather sizeable ice pond.
No doubt the spring
thaw will sweep the tree away as torrents of water fill
the channel. Except for
that spot, the water is flowing freely, with a riot of
gurgling, glistening with
adamantine starbursts. As I traversed back and forth
through the tall trees
of the woodlot, I saw evidence that deer are herding up
in yards, with
areas of snow squashed into beds and many trails
crisscrossing the
area. Apple, ash, and redtwig dogwoods have been nibbled
exten-
sively; the piles of droppings are quite small,
indicating a dearth of
fodder. I also saw tracks from squirrels, rabbits, fox
and coyotes,
but not any skunks or raccoons. It is still probably too
cold for
them to break out of their winter torpor. I had a wonder-
ful afternoon of exploring, happy to finally be free from
the brief illness that had kept me off my skis for three
weeks. We take our good health for granted; make
the most of every day, wring it out until it has
spilled all of the possibilities it contained.
Grab hold and have your way with it !
Daisy
~
Sunday, March 23, 2008 7:30 a.m.
10 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
Cold, calm, and crisp, the tang of spring is totally
overlaid by the
frosty scent of snow and ice. I tossed a piece of yellow
birch bark
in the morning fire just to smell the sweet smoke as it
wafted over the
house, but in the absence of any breeze it went straight
up, away from
my nose. Perhaps the crows will be able to enjoy it as
they make their
way back and forth across the yard. It is a rare thing to
have such a still
day on Tug Hill, home of the West Wind at all times of
the year. Yester-
day was wicked windy, and even when we got to the
protected part of
the trail it was a bit too much, so our walk was shorter
than intended.
Horsie Creek still has some awesome huge snowy bluffs
framing its
little stream of water, although last week’s rain
has opened it up
considerably. Most streams have had their snow bridges
swept
away by the downpour, and if we manage to get into the
deep
woods on skis later today it may be difficult to find any
natural
crossings. There is still a crazy amount of snow up here,
but the
snowmobile trails have been driven down to bare road and
mud
in many pots by traffic. There is plenty of snow for
skiing, how-
ever, both cross-country and alpine, although Snow Ridge
is closed today to observe Easter. It looks like a great
day for just about anything, indoors or out.
Enjoy yourself,
Daisy
Saturday, March 22, 2008 8:00 a.m.
16 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
It is very cold outside, and even the little bit of
breeze that stirs
the air drives home the point that spring is only a
number on the
calendar up here in the North Country. Since Daylight
Savings
Time started several weeks earlier than usual, we
don’t even
have the clue of earlier sunrise to point us toward the
season
of rebirth and renewal, although it is nice to have
daylight at
the other end of the day, especially on the snow-filled
drives
home from work that we have experienced lately. Still,
there
is a quality to the morning sunlight that foreshadows a
return to
shorts and sandals; even when the wind blows we are
stricken
by the urge to stand motionless in the yard with our bare
faces
upturned to receive the dual blessings of glowing warmth
and
vitamin D. If we are lucky, we will hear some geese as
they
pass over on their way home to Canada, or the sweet
hopeful
sound of blackbirds and starlings greeting the day along
with
us. Spring is also evident in the sweet disarray of
potting sup-
plies that have overrun the kitchen workspace, soil and
cell-
packs and seed packets scattered asunder. We eagerly
await
the first sprouting seeds, tomatoes and peppers, broccoli,
basil,
and two kinds of geraniums. Next week we will start the
cucum-
bers and squash, and soon every flat surface near a
window will
be covered with trays of seedlings. Our old geranium
plants are
beginning to burst into bloom, another sign that winter
is over,
at least chronologically. What a wonderful time of year,
full of hope and the promise of fresh strawberries !
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Friday, March 21, 2008 8:30 a.m.
10 degrees, windy, partly sunny, flurries
Giant bulky cloud banks sit to the southeast, making
shadows
dance across the snow as the sun dives in and out of them.
This
is the first full day of spring, and only the ladybugs in
the sunporch
window frames seem to acknowledge the turn of seasons.
Yesterday
was full of snow that didn’t stick as the temp
neared forty degrees.
The wind was fierce, and hiking was difficult until we
reached the
shelter of tall trees. Once on a more protected part of
the road,
we could see how the rain from Wednesday has made a mess
of the snowmobile trails, and has already started to form
vast
vernal ponds, ready and waiting for frog spawn. Of course,
there is still a four-foot deep layer of snow and ice
that must
disappear before the frogs even think of coming out of
hiber-
nation. Frogs are true hibernators, and to find out more
about
them check out this page.
As soon as the temperature started
to drop last night, snow bonded to the wet wintry glop
and now
sits in a shimmering layer of powder a couple of inches
deep.
The true beginning of spring will be the sight of skunk,
raccoon,
and porcupine prints on top of this great tracking
surface. Hope-
fully the gusts will die down and we can get out to
explore later
today. Right now the wind chill literally takes our
breath away.
It looks like the weekend will be beautiful, if a little
chilly.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:30 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, cloudy, snowing
Pinpoints of snow scud across the view at high speed,
barely frosty, nearly on the verge of rain. We had quite
a bit of rain yesterday, and if only a couple of inches
of
snow sticks on top of the frozen stuff, skiing will be
perfect
for the weekend. We traveled to Syracuse yesterday; what
a difference heading fifty miles south made ! By the time
we
got to the NYS thruway, all of the snow had disappeared
and
every cornfield was filled with geese and robins. We also
saw
several flocks of starlings, perched in trees and not yet
swooping
as they would be at dusk. There are deep vernal pools on
both
sides of the highway; rain and runoff has soaked the
southern
tier soil beyond its capacity to hold any more water.
Spring ar-
rived at 1:48 this morning while most of us were tucked
into
our cozy beds. Although it doesn’t look like
anything but
winter outside this morning, we can take joy in the fact
that the corner has been turned, at least in the astrono-
mic realm. Now the snowflakes are assuming heftier form,
and this little squall is enough to keep even hardy crows
hid-
den in the shelter of the forest until things calm down a
bit.
There is not a bird or beast to be seen in the bluster of
the
first day of spring, not unusual for this neck of the
woods.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:30 a.m.
32 degrees, breezy, fog, rain
What a lovely mess out there this morning; part
winter, part
spring, all glop. We started with a couple of inches of
snow at
sunset, followed by trickles of rain all night long. The
dog sunk into
goo up to his ankles, and each footprint is now full of
icy water that
may eventually freeze into tiny skating rinks for spring
birds. Flocks of
all species are beginning to wander back to Tug Hill, and
I’ll bet they are
all thinking they should have waited a bit longer. I saw
several small groups
of geese headed north yesterday, and as I drove to work I
noticed a few
robins here and there searching for tasty morsels on bare
spots in farmers’
fields down on the flats. Redwing blackbirds have settled
in, and while
other folks have seen bluebirds around, they have yet to
show them-
selves to us. Starlings are abundant on the wires along
the roadsides
between here and Boonville, and I eagerly await the
beautiful soaring
group quadrilles that precede mating. While our flocks
are not as large
as those in Scotland, the antics of our local birds are
similar and just as
beautiful as in this youtube clip
. We still are being entertained daily by the
crows as they hook up; I just hope I can persuade them to
leave our corn
seedlings alone this year. As much as I admire and
respect these beautiful
birds, they can wipe out our corn crop in one afternoon.
Perhaps this
dull day could be spent in fashioning a couple of
scarecrows, as
I always seem to be too busy when the need arises in June.
Have a fine day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:15 a.m.
27 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy
Dawn was one of the best so far this spring, full of
colorful
cloud layers lit from beneath by a fiery sun as it slowly
appeared
in the eastern sky. As soon as the sun was fully emerged,
the clouds
in the entire celestial dome took on that peach-rosy
hue that contrasts
so nicely with the blue of exposed sky. I believe this is
the color that
Uncle Wiggly referred to as skyblue pink in the
children’s books by
Howard Garis. When I was a girl I always thought that
Crayola should
make a crayon that color; it would have been my favorite,
much more
lyrical in name than flesh or ochre. A huge
wad of fog is billowing to-
ward the house at this moment, more of a low-slung cloud
than actual
ground fog, moving swiftly on the breeze and skidding
across the mea-
dow like a ghost. Several redwing blackbirds greeted us
at first light,
and they are still perched in the tree by the barn,
hollering to anyone
passing by, letting us know that spring is, indeed, just
around the
corner. Good luck remembering that that when it is
sleeting side-
ways later tonight; the vernal equinox is only two days
away.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Monday, March 17, 2008 8:15 a.m.
15 degrees, breezy, sunny
Two pairs of crows are mating right outside the window,
swooping
and diving in a frenzy of lust. The aerobatics are
impressive in these big
birds which usually move with slow measured flaps and
lazy soaring intervals.
These particular crows are dive-bombing each other like a
falcon on a running
hare. They the only birds around on this frosty morn.
There is plenty of mud to
be seen in the yard, but it is frozen rock-hard, no
possibility of mining that for
grubs until things thaw a bit. The breeze is straight out
of the north, no spring
zephyr in sight. Yesterday was lovely to look at, but
harsh in its biting chill
that was wind-driven all day long. We had plenty of snow
with sunny inter-
vals, and wind-chill cut my afternoon outing short. We
had a good walk in
the morning, heads down until we reached the shelter of
the woods, when
things calmed down a bit. I walked the same path as
Saturday, and there
was a world of difference between the two journeys. Gone
were the plea-
sant scents of mud, flowing water, and rising sap. The
snow was crunchy
underfoot, and open water had a skimcoat of ice on top
that is probably
quite solid by now. I often walk this same path, no
matter what the season,
and no two trips are ever the same. The trail is
traversed on foot, skis or
a bicycle, and there is always something interesting to
make each ad-
venture unique. That’s the beauty of life here on
Gomer Hill, the
endless variety of experiences contained within a
familiar space.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, March 16, 2008 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, windy, overcast, snowing
Fog has lifted to reveal some pretty serious snow falling
every which-a-way. Flurries are in the forecast, but what
we have right now looks like a little burst of lake
effect activity.
Any amount of snow at all will certainly improve the
quality of ski
surfaces, both alpine and cross-country. I plan to get
out this after-
noon for a short trek, even if only around the meadows to
check the
bluebird boxes. A couple of them protrude just above the
snow, so I
doubt that they are very appealing until things melt back
to ground level.
I don’t recall the meadow snowpack ever being this
deep in mid-March;
there are so many frozen layers that it will probably
take longer to disap-
pear when the temperatures finally stay above freezing.
Yesterday was
a stunner of a day, warm as a puppy’s breath with
billowy clouds set
against a pale blue sky. We caught the faint scent of
sunwarmed bal-
sam sap several times, and grinned like fools at the
sweet surprise.
Friends to the south reported nothing but rain, while up
here it was
mild and springlike for sure. The snowmobile trail was
empty of traffic
at midday; perhaps the motorized sport season is winding
down a bit.
As I write, four trucks pulling massive trailers are
headed down the
road. Some mud is showing in the yard, and it won’t
be long before
we will enjoy the sight of a few early robins that always
show up at
the first sign of bare ground. Although, the snow is
falling even harder
now, so those patches may soon be history. Redwing
blackbirds call
from a tree in the north hedgerow, even as the snow flies.
Above
the windblown snow, I can see the sun trying to blaze
through.
I guess today is one of those anything-can-happen
situations;
it is never dull here on Gomer Hill.
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, March 15, 2008 9:00 a.m.
35 degrees, calm, foggy
It is so foggy that I cannot ascertain if there are
clouds above it all.
Redwing blackbirds proclaim that it is a fine morning no
matter what is
overhead, and crows agree with them from the next tree
over. I have not
yet regained enough vigor after the recent creeping crud
invasion to hop on
my skis, but yesterday managed to take two separate hikes
of a decent distance.
The day was unusually warm and sunny for Tug Hill in
March, and blue skies were
with us from dawn until late afternoon, when a few heavy
clouds rolled in from the
west to make the sunset more interesting. We noticed that
many of the streams
and springbeds are beginning to show open water, and the
tracks of many crit-
ters led to and from the watering holes. There is still a
huge amount of snow all
around, and when it starts to melt we should have no
trouble filling the under-
ground aquifers, avoiding another dry summer like we
experienced last year.
The dirt roads are very squishy, and heavy clay clung to
our shoes until we
reached some slushy spots to rinse them off. We
encountered two pairs of
snowmobilers while we walked on the Smith Road; the first
flew by us at
an insane speed, leaving a trail of blue fumes that took
quite a while to dis-
sipate. The second couple slowed to pass us, gave us a
friendly wave, and
moved on down the trail, clearly enjoying the view.
I’ll bet the cruisers had
a much better time than the speed demons; for sure, they
left less of an im-
pact on the environment. As the layers of snow melt on
the trails, it is clear
to see the greasy exhaust stains leftover from all that
internal combusting
taking place. I hate to think that it too will be
funneled into the ground-
water as everything is absorbed from spring runoff; all
the more reason
to have a good water filter in place if you draw from a
well or spring-
box. The fog doesn’t seem to be leaving; it is a
very pretty soft-focus
morning, with snow and sky blending into misty mystery,
a day filled with secrets awaiting discovery.
Have a wonder-full day,
Daisy
~
Friday, March 14, 2008 9:00 a.m.
36 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
Two crows have been hanging out in the big maple by our
barn since
sunup, calling loudly to each other as if they were
hundreds of yards apart.
I wonder if this is the newly mated pair that I watched
courting last week. How
cool would it be if they decided to build a nest right in
the yard ! I have never
had the chance to observe very young crows before; they
usually keep hidden
from civilization until full grown. The trail of a large
dog goes in one side of our
yard and out the other; perhaps one of our neighbors was
out strolling with his
pet earlier. As well-behaved as our own little dog is, it
is stuff like this that will
tempt him to wander, especially this time of year when
the path of least resist-
ance is up and down the plowed road. In fact, the tracks
may very well belong
to one of the neighborhood dogs that has decided to go
exploring on his own,
without his human friend. It is important to realize that
even the best trained
dogs still rely on their humans to reinforce correct
behavior, and it that human
isn’t around, well, why not follow that wonderful
scent of strange dog, or deer,
or (best of all!) skunk. It is tragic to hear of local
dogs that get quilled by por-
cupines, mauled by bigger animals, or killed by vehicles,
when all that is really
required is closer supervision, perhaps an outdoor run or
enclosure. I certainly
wouldn’t put my little guy outdoors without direct
participation; he is good at
coming when I call him, but if I’m not out there to
call him, that skill is pretty
useless. And now, off for a nice long walk to see
what’s new on Gomer Hill.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, March 13, 2008 9:00 a.m.
25 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
Yesterday’s snowfall finally started to cling
long enough to
put a clean facade on the grimy snowbanks, and the
morning
view is very pretty indeed. I left the Hill for the first
time in over
a week to pick up a few things in Lowville, and was
amazed to
see that some of the ice from the weekend storm still
clings to trees
along part of route 26. Just south of Whetstone Gulf
there are willows
split into several horizontal pieces by the weight of
theirburden, and birch
trees bent all the way to the ground, supple enough to
endure that kind of
stress. I wonder why the flatlanders didn’t
experience the same kind of
melting as on Tug Hill. After I returned home, we took a
short walk to
enjoy the warmest part of the day, and saw many deer
tracks heading
in all directions, no longer confined to the roads and
snowmobile trails
since Saturday’s freeze-up. Horsey Creek is framed
by such steep
snow cornices that is resembles a deep crevasse in a
glacier more
than the simple forest trickle it actually is. The
roadside banks are
so high that I had to scramble to the top of one to get a
view of
the creek, but it was worth the climb. Crows were the
bird of
the day, from start to finish. They overflew the house
first thing
in the morning, followed us on our walk, and cavorted
across the
meadow with the last rays of a beautiful sunset as a
backdrop. A
pale quarter moon was already high in the sky as the sun
departed,
and as the sunlight faded the moon took on a warmer tone.
We
may see a little more snow before the end of the day, but
for
now, this bright sunshine will set the tone for this new
day.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, overcast, snowing
Tiny motes of snow sweep across the yard, not pausing
long enough
to cling to much. Yesterday’s warm sunshine and
temperatures nearing
forty melted all of the beautiful ice from most of the
trees; spruces still have
long icy fingers dangling from the tips of their snow-laden
boughs, worthy
of a snapshot. Most of the snow slid from our tin roofs
as well, except
for one long shelf overhanging the big kitchen window, a
massive slab
with a fringe of icicles shielding the window like
security bars. Crows
are the main attraction on today’s playbill, noisy
and seemingly every-
where at once. They perch, soar, hover, clamor, and
generally cele-
brate life on this wintry morn. Many are flying in pairs;
although I
haven’t seen any more courtship dances since last
week, I am sure
they are now actively mating and preparing nests for
their future offs-
pring. A male bluebird has been spotted in a nearby town.
It doesn’t
seem like the weather is cooperating this year, but it is
a fact that they
return sometime in March to check out possible nesting
sites. It won’t
be long before the first robin makes its way onto a muddy
bare patch of
ground to make things official. Event though this year it
looks like we will
be finding pockets of snow in the woods well into the
month of May, the
great wheel is turning and one season will follow another
just like always.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:00 a.m.
20 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
A few clouds linger over the Black River Valley, leftover
from a
very colorful sunrise. I have certainly enjoyed the
earlier onset of
Daylight Savings Time this year, as it allows me to
indulge my late
winter proclivity for sleeping long past my normal rising
time, and
still enjoy the pleasure of watching the sun come up. In
another few
weeks I will change from hibernation/torpor mode to
become an official
Overachieving Springtime Seeker, arising earlier and
earlier so as not to
miss one note of birdsong as the flocks return to Tug
Hill. It is during the
early morning hours where true magic happens as Mother
Earth makes the
transition from snowpack to greening. Is that merely fog
lifting from the snow-
banks, or is it the Spirit of Winter leaving for another
season ? Have those
seven robins been sent north with a message of hope, just
for me alone ? If
I speak to that young pregnant doe and ask that she
spread the word to the
rest of her flock to honor our garden boundaries in
return for the last glean-
ings of broccoli in November, will she honor my request
to leave the main
crop for us? Will the first rays of sunlight on the faces
of hundreds of
golden crocuses bring tears to my eyes, predictable yet
still surprising ?
Such observations and conversations are most likely to
happen
in the hours surrounding first light, when all things are
possible.
Have you found a magic window in your own neighborhood ?
Have an awesome day,
Daisy
~
Monday, March 10, 2008 9:30 a.m.
18 degrees, calm, sunny
The crystal clear morning air is filled with tiny, well,
crystals, hence the term.
New snow sparkles on the surface of old deposits as if
last night’s brilliant stars
needed a place to rest during daylight hours, and the
twinkles now dancing in mid-
air are those stars that are still circling the runway
waiting for clearance to land. We
had a fierce winter storm Saturday and Sunday; at the
onset, freezing rain coated the
trees with an inch of ice, and then high winds moved in
to rip the ice away and batter
the house with it all night long. We are fortunate that
no windows were broken. We
lost power for nearly twelve hours; yesterday’s high
winds and driven snow must
have made it extremely hard for National Grid technicians
to locate and repair
the wires that were damaged in the blow. Maybe it
wouldn’t be a bad idea to
send a thank-you note along with the next bill; I am sure
these brave and de-
dicated men and women go largely unappreciated. This
morning’s view is so
spectacularly beautiful that it is worth a little
inconvenience; with an end result
like this what’s a little power outage? The only
thing I really missed was the
luxury of instant hot water for dishwashing, but the old-fashioned
copper kettle
method worked just as well. I have at least one more day
of recuperation from
a tenacious cold before resuming regular activities of
work and play, and cannot
wait until I feel fit enough to get back out on skis.
This is the best time of year to
ramble off-piste, looking for those signs of spring that
are subtle yet profound,
like the first raccoon tracks, or the whiff of sweet
balsam sap rising on the
warmth of a late winter breeze. Already the smaller pussy
willows by the
side of the road are beginning to burst open, but the
biggest and best of
them are deep in a balsam swamp, and worth a special trip.
As I focus
on bringing my body back into balance, the memories of
trips past
will help feed the energy that is slowly returning to my
mortal coil.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, March 8, 2008 10:00 a.m.
28 degrees, calm, overcast, a lull...
We have seen some interesting weather during the past 24
hours.
Yesterday morning was sincerely spring-like, and the
temperature rose to
46 degrees by the time we were finished with lunch. We
walked for quite
a while on a nearby snowmobile trail, after navigating
through some of the
gooiest mud on Smith Road I have seen in a long time. The
trailside was
rich with animal tracks, most notable those of a large
dog, probably a
feral runaway but could also be a wolf or very big coyote.
They criss-
crossed the road twice, and my own little pooch was more
interested
in them than in any others he encountered. There were
plenty of deer
tracks going right up the center of the road; I
didn’t notice any of them
veering off into the woods until we came to a stream,
then they sauntered
down for a drink. Deer/snowmobile collisions continue to
be a problem this
winter, and until the snow settles enough for the deer to
easily travel in the
forests and fields, I fear the odds for such encounters
will only increase.
Meanwhile, we saw both crows and ravens as we walked,
silent but
keeping pace with each other as well as with us. They
seem to have
come to some kind of territorial truce, for the time
being at least. I fear
that there will be a renewal of their little war once
they have hatched their
respective young. When we reached the old barn where the
groomed trail
meets bare road, we startled a small flock of redwing
blackbirds who retired
to an apple tree for a bit of preening. They were mute,
but I wonder if they
were the same ones who greeted us so lustily in the yard
yesterday morning.
By the time our walk was over clouds started to roll in,
and within an hour big
soft snowflakes appeared. It seemed impossible that such
fluffy powder could
happen when it was still 42 degrees outside, but within
the next six hours six
inches of beautiful snow completely blanketed the land.
In a bizarre reversal
of events, the temperature dropped to 24 and rain entered
the picture, tiny
drops that froze onto the new layer of snow. What we have
out there right
now is waterlogged snow with a hearty crust on top, which
I wager will be
very difficult to plow. We are currently in between
events, and the sun looks
like it is trying to put a happy glow on the situation.
It has gone from dead calm
to fairly blustery since I sat down to write this piece,
which tells me that something
is coming, and it’s probably not a candygram. It
would be wise to draw off a few
pailsfull of water in case of power loss. Wow! if you
could see the sun right now,
astounding! Yep, something’s coming alright...
Have an interesting day,
Daisy
~
Friday, March 7, 2008 8:15 a.m.
36 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
A film of milky clouds is spread thinly across the sky
like an amateur
watercolor wash. Even where they cross the sun’s
rays it makes little difference,
and the view is blindingly white, shining with ice and
snow. It is much warmer out-
doors than one would imagine, and the frozen yard is
already starting to soften up.
The songs from a half dozen redwing blackbirds filled my
heart like a blessing straight
from the lips of MotherEarth herself. See, spring
truly is around the corner they tril-
led before moving on to the next tree, and the next, and
so on down the road to greet
each of our neighbors. Yesterday we walked to Horsey
Creek and the Smith Road is
already starting to crack and soften up, foreshadowing
the famous fifth season of the
North Country, the one not in the Farmer’s Almanac,
and which we simply call Mud.
For the next six weeks or so we must be prepared to toss
the sneakers into the wash
at least once a week and keep a shoe scraper by the door.
Back roads must be care-
fully evaluated before venturing down them even in a
beefy four wheel drive truck. Tug
Hill mud is unlike any other I have ever encountered; it
is largely clay with few stones,
thus no traction at all. Riding an off-road bike on such
a mudlicious surface is wicked
fun, but getting a truck stuck is merely exasperating. We
still have a while to wait
before trading in the skis for bicycles; in the meantime,
today seems perfect for a
nice long walk to see what other portents of spring are
waiting to surprise us.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Thursday, March 6, 2008 8:45 a.m.
26 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy
Fortunately yesterday’s rain turned to snow
later in the afternoon,
and the yard is pebbled with frozen snow, lending some
texture to the
slick surface. The barn door was iced shut and required
all of my weight
slamming into it several times to free it enough so the
cat could have easy
access. All three of our cats are anxious for winter to
end, and wait by the
kitchen door early each morning for a trip outside. Two
of them sit on the back
step just long enough to determine that there is still a
whole buncha snow out there,
and do a 180 right back into the kitchen. Our three-legged
male enjoys hunting in
the barn when it isn’t too cold outside, and will be
in and out every time someone
opens the back door. If it is storming, like yesterday,
they all pile onto the buffet by
the big window and gaze out at the swirling snow, for
once in agreement about some-
thing. I have been laid low for several days by a nasty
cold, and I can’t wait until I
am back to normal, whatever that is. I am lucky to
have such a wonderful view
of Gomer Hill from just about any window in our house. It
looks like the cross-
country skiing would be excellent in the woods, where an
inch of new snow
must have stayed put on top of the frozen base; strong
winds blew it all right
off of the meadows, so the part between the road and the
woods would
be a little tricky. More messy weather is on the way,
sleet and freezing
rain, with snow for Saturday night. Hopefully both the
weather and
my sneezy-wheezy crud will both be history by Sunday,
so we can get out and explore the tail end of winter.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 8:15 a.m.
36 degrees, breezy, overcast, raining
Rain fell all night and froze onto the roads so most
schools are either
closed or delayed for the day. Once again our yard could
double as an
ice skating rink, although now that the temperature is
above freezing it should
soften up a bit. I need to scatter some sand before
things go back into the deep-
freeze later today. I have been watching two crows
perform a courtship dance
on the snowbank by the garden. The male fluffs his
feathers and bows a few
times, murmuring a little ballad as he does so; the
female bows once or twice
after the song to acknowledge her suitor. This has been
going on for about a
half an hour. Presumably at some point they will actually
mate, and it will be for
life. It is apparently very rare for humans to witness
this ritual, as it will only hap-
pen once during the lifetime of each pair of crows. This
is the only time I have
seen it; now I will certainly be looking for it whenever
I see crows at this time
of year. Bluebirds will soon be returning to Tug Hill to
check out possible nest
sites, so I have cleared out all of our boxes. I had to
get on my hands and knees
to check the one by the asparagus bed; even though it is
on a five foot pole, the
snow is still very deep. Out of seven boxes, only two had
mouse nests in them,
dense comfy wads of cattail fluff; the mice are gone now.
Rain is falling very hard,
and the town has sent a front-end loader up to push holes
in the banks to allow
for runoff. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the
usual low spots in the
valley have flooded; check your routes before heading out
today.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 8:45 a.m.
27 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
Crows woke us before the sun even thought about
coming up,
several of them circling the meadow and sounding very
agitated.
A neighbor has been putting corn out for deer, and I
suspect the
recent influx of crows reflects their discovery of this
little smorgas-
bord; they love to bicker over food. Yesterday was a gem
of a day,
very warm and sunny. Snow melted like crazy, and there
are spots in
the yard where grass pokes through newly frozen slush. A
little rain fell in
the middle of the night, but it changed into snow as the
mercury dropped,
coating the dirty banks with a fresh layer of white. We
went for a long walk
in the morning, and when we returned to the house we saw
that the town plow
had pushed the huge banks back, tumbling big wet chunks
of sandysnow out of
the way to make room for more rain/sleet/snow which is
due later today. As the
days grow longer and signs of spring emerge from hiding
like so many ladybugs
and sleepy flies, we will accept the messy weather that
is coming as a prelude to
the even messier conditions of mud season. Winter is on
the run and our time of
rest is drawing to a close; there are seedlings to start
and last year’s potatoes
to sort. Daylight Savings Time is coming earlier this
year (this weekend),
and that will definitely help us realize that spring is
just around the corner.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Monday, March 3, 2008 8:15 a.m.
30 degrees, breezy, overcast, rain
I knew I smelled spring on the air yesterday as we walked
up the road.
The wind was from the southeast and reeked of mud and
worm castings,
if only in my imagination. Old snow now drips from
rooftops, creating mis-
shapen curved tusks of ice that bend every whichaway
except for straight up.
There is rain in the air, soft tiny drops nearly
invisible to the eye but certainly
cold as they are blown against bare skin of hands and
face. We still have
massive snowbanks but the trees have lost their winter
frosting, and there
could be significant melting as the temperature rises
above zero today. We
had perfect weather for a long cross-country ski outing
on Saturday. For the
past eighteen years, women of all ages have gathered here
on Gomer Hill when
the snow is deepest to swap stories, share hearty food,
and ski the afternoon away.
It was a blustery day so we drove to the trailhead a mile
up the road; once in the
sheltering trees the wind was not an issue. Short bursts
of swirling snow were in-
terspersed with periods of brilliant sunshine, in the way
of lake effect storms of
the North Country. A foot of fresh snow was easily
navigated as long as we
kept switching leaders; it was hard work being first in
line. Three snowshoers
in our group found the going challenging, and may have
envied our ability to glide
down hills with such ease. We crossed a steep gorge,
hoping that the temporary
snow bridges across Mill Creek would support so many
people; for a change,
no one got wet. As we entered the State trail system we
saw an odd path, like
that made by a child’s sled. In fact, a few hundred
yards up the trail we found
three youngsters on snowshoes pulling a sled loaded with
camping gear, bound
for a little adventure of their own. After we passed them,
the snow was once
again pristine and deep as we made our way to the top of
the Snow Ridge
Ski Area. Our destination is always much farther than we
remembered from
years past, but soon we were chatting with members of the
National Ski Patrol
in the cozy warming hut at the top of the slope. The
return trip was easier because
we didn’t have to break trail, but as the
temperature dropped the snow conditions
changed and it became extremely slick; climbing up hills
was difficult. The snow
was deep and ornery, and the traditional herringbone step
was simply not work-
ing, as gravity did its best to suck us back to the
bottom of the steepest parts. We
saw many strange things in the woods that day, tracks of
deer, fox, porcupine, and
one large cat. We passed a deep hole in the snow, formed
naturally and tapering as
if formed by a whirlwind. We found a nest high in a
spruce tree, comprised of tightly
woven spruce branches and topped with a hat of snow. We
admired indescribably
beautiful ice formations at the creek’s edge; clear
cold water rippled and gleamed
black as night between the steep snow cornices that have
formed on each bank.
The sun was just setting as we swooped down the final
hill that brought us
back to the trucks and into the wind once again.
“Best trip ever!”
but we say that every year...
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Right Where We Are
Enlightenment At Home
Many spiritual seekers feel called to far-flung
places across the globe in the interest of pursuing
the path of their enlightenment. This may be the right
course of action for certain people, but it is
by no means necessary to attain an enlightened
consciousness. Enlightenment can take root anywhere
on earth as long as the seeker is an open and ready
vessel for higher consciousness. All we need is a
powerful intention and a willingness to do the work
necessary to move forward on our path.
In terms of spiritual practice, at this moment there are
more tools available to more people than
at any other time in history. We have access to so much
wisdom through the vehicles of books,
magazines, the Internet, television, and film. In
addition, the time-honored practice of meditation
is free, and sitting quietly every day, listening to the
universe, is a great way to start the journey
within. There is further inspiration in the fact that the
greatest teachers we have are our own life
experiences, and they come to us every day with new
lessons and new opportunities to learn.
If we look at the people around us, we may realize that
we have a spiritual community already
intact. If we don’t, we can find one, if not in our
own neighborhood then online.
Meanwhile, if we feel called to travel in search of
teachers and experiences, then by all means
we should. But if we can’t go to India, or Burma, or
Indonesia, or if we don’t have the desire,
this is not an obstacle in terms of our spiritual
development. In fact, we may simply be aware
that our time and energy is best spent in our own homes
with our meditation practice and all
the complications and joys of our own lives. We
canconfidently stay in one place, knowing
that everything we need to attain enlightenment is always
available right where we are.
~
Saturday, March 1, 2008
"The Marsh in Winter" by Timothy Walsh,
from Wild Apples.© Parallel Press. 2004
If you stand and listen,
you will hear the voice.
Reeds sharp as rapiers rasp the wind.
Frost creaks in the trees.
Sunlight, ice-bright, falls from the sky.
Scattered cedars and junipers loom like shadows.
Sheathed in ice, a willow droops heavily
across
the path.
Driven snow packs the creviced bark of cottonwoods.
Once-hidden bird nests now plainly marked
by a
white cap of snow...
Out on the marsh, blue water shows through shifting ice.
Tall brown reeds, slim as dancers, bend in the breeze.
A hundred thousand cattails, each one lit
by the
low-angled light of westering sun,
each brown seed head blazing
like the
head of a saint.
~
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