~
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 8:30 a.m.
60 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
It’s a dull morning on Gomer Hill with no sunny
breaks; a little damp breeze ripples the meadow
grass and sets aspen leaves a-twirling. According to the
local radar map, we could see the edge
of a rainy front sometime in the next hour or two. I have
done all of the standard rainmaking juju
within my power: I hung out clothes, washed my car,
thoroughly watered the gardens, left a few
west-facing windows wide open, and planned a little
outdoor event for this morning. My work here
is done, I can do no more. If it doesn’t rain today
it looks like we will have to wait until Sunday for
another chance. A friend just returned from eight days of
vacation at Lake Placid, where it rained
for six of them. We could see the curtains of rain moving
over the Adirondacks as we moved the
500 gallon water wagon from crop to crop, giving each row
of seedlings their 20 minute drink from
a soaker hose. It is better than nothing, but what we
really need is a good rainy day or two to really
boost the vegs and flowers. Leave your umbrella and
raincoat at home as you drive off to your
daily tasks, that usually works as well as standard
backyard magic.
Bibbidy bobbity boo!
Daisy
~
Monday, May 30, 2005 7:00 a.m.
62 degrees, breezy, sunny
The sky is clear bright blue with not a cloud in sight.
Distant mountains are hidden by mist,
and it looks like the valley might be a little foggy this
morning. Yesterday’s moisture-rich clouds
split into two paths as they passed overhead, dropping
rain to the south and north of us, and cooling
us at midday with about a hundred big lazy drops, not
enough to alter the pace of our labors at all. A
fine breeze shook the last of the fluff from aspen trees,
looking exactly like winter snow flurries, even
gathering in drifts along the edges of the lawn. As I
sowed flowers in neat rows, aspen seeds floated
into the furrows; I wonder if there will eventually be
nice neat rows of trees after the marigolds and
bachelors buttons are long gone. Most of our planting is
done for a while, but there are still many gar-
den jobs awaiting. We set out beanpoles and pea fences;
birds are perched all along the rows, robins
and bluebirds and one yellow bellied sapsucker. Our
property is full of birds’ nests, not just in
official
nesting boxes, but also in hedges, spruce trees, and barn
eaves. Even with three cats on patrol, there
are plenty of safe thickets where many birds can hang out
unmolested. Goldfinches have recently ar-
rived in a huge flock, spending more time at the birdbath
than any other species. Soon they will begin
their mating dance, dozens of bright yellow males all
swooping about helter-skelter as they compete
for the attention of a couple of dun-colored females. I
could sit and watch birds all day from the
comfort of the back porch; lately, I have been just as
content to enjoy their company as I
wrench weeds from flowerbeds or poke corn into rich
garden soil.
Enjoy your work,
Daisy
~
Sunday, May 29, 2005 9:00 a.m.
62 degrees, breezy, partly sunny
The sky is a multilayered mosaic of various cloud forms
and true blue accents.
The moon is up there somewhere, visible until nearly
noon; we will have to look up
occasionally from our garden tasks this morning. Some
rain may be on the way later,
sorely needed to give newly sprouted seeds a good drink.
Our early greens have ben-
efited from frequent hand watering, and if we get a good
soaking rain we will be knee-
deep in spinach in no time. Scattered showers across
upstate New York during the past
few days have completely missed us here on Gomer Hill.
Wild and domestic strawberries
alike are blooming and starved for water, and our
perennial flower beds will erupt into full
color as soon as they get a little wet. A good rainfall
later will also provide us with some
much needed upright posture; after a long day of planting
and weeding I could feel my
knuckles dragging as I took a late-day stroll around the
meadow. There are a few
things to finish up today, but the hardest work is behind
us, a job well done.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, May 28, 2005 7:30 a.m.
63 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
The morning air is fresh and sweet, the sun is warm and
the breeze is once again coming
from the west where it should be. Perhaps we will be able
to transplant our tomatoes and
peppers this weekend without having them succumb to the
cold northern gales we had been
experiencing earlier this week. I spent most of yesterday
in the city, but there was time for a
walk along the meadow paths when I returned to Tug Hill.
Several turkeys gobbled lustily on
the other side of our treeline, out of sight but well
within earshot. I heard some coyotes yipping
in the gorge, and noticed that a second rather large hunk
of scat had been deposited on top of a
pile that had been on the path for three days. The new
stuff is definitely of canine origin, but much
larger (both in length and diameter) and containing more
bits of hair than the former. I don’t believe
it could have been any of the neighborhood dogs running
loose; domestic dog droppings have a
characteristic color and texture from commercial pet
foods. (I know waaaay too much about
animal poo, eh? Daisy Hill, Poo Detective...) Could it be
the lone wolf that had visited our
meadow last year has returned to the neighborhood ? We
will keep an eye out, and listen
for that low lonesome howl that tipped us off last year.
When you sleep with the windows
wide open all kinds of sounds filter into the dreamscape;
last night provided howling cats,
the whinnies of the horse next door, a brief coyote sing-along,
and a gang of four-
wheelers who seriously need to visit a muffler shop.
Now, off to the gardens !
Daisy
~
Friday, May 27, 2005 8:30 a.m.
54 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy, fog
The fog is beginning to thin out and some breaks have
appeared in the clouds,
but it is still a pretty dull and damp morning. Birdsong
brightens the Hill and a merry blaze
in the kitchen range takes the chill off the house. Black
flies are a little slow and stupid in the
cool air, halfheartedly buzzing around our heads as we
took coffee on the back porch. It has
been too windy lately for bugs to bother us much, but it’s
just a matter of time until we find our-
selves being followed by a hungry cloud wherever we go. I
hear that a fabric softener sheet attached
to a hat will keep insects away, as well as a liberal
slathering of Avon Skin so Soft on exposed skin.
Both of those aromas are sickening to me; I find that a
few dabs of Tiger Balm here and there have
the same effect. Even Vicks Vaporub will work, but that
is a little greasy. Long sleeves and trousers
certainly help, and a headscarf or hat prevents the free
advertising that body heat provides as it escapes
from the top of your head. Black flies and deerflies are
both attracted to heat, while mosquitoes are
drawn to the carbon dioxide in every exhaled breath. Here’s
a little trick; the next warm evening
when you notice a lot of mosquitoes buzzing at the
screen, go over and breathe on an
unoccupied spot. Either the mosquitoes will flock towards
your exhalations, or this
may just be a trick to make you appear ridiculous in
front of your dinner guests...
Don’t let anything (or anyone) bug you today;
Daisy
~
Thursday, May 26, 2005 7:30 a.m.
58 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
It is a gorgeous morning, with clear bright sunlight
streaming down to temper a brisk
north wind. The Adirondack Mountains are hidden in mist,
and several layers of cloud
create masses of shadow moving slowly over the Black
River Valley. A catbird sings lustily
in the birch tree out back, mimicking not only other
birds; I swear I also heard a chain saw
and dirt bike in the mix as well. We had a wonderful hike
on back roads yesterday morning,
byways so old and decrepit that they don’t even have
highway signs that say they are minimally
maintained, because they aren’t maintained at all.
We climbed a steep hill eroded by time into ruts
and cobbles, with so many old burdock plants that it was
a challenge to maneuver the dog around
big clumps of grounded burrs; he ended up with several
stuck in his face anyway. There were also
a few good mudholes along the rough path, perfect for
wallowing, so at the end of our walk the little
guy was crusty with dried mud and bristling with burrs,
not a pretty picture. Nevertheless, we all en-
joyed ourselves on such a beautiful blue-sky day, maybe
even a little on the hot side as we climbed hill
after hill, with a stiff wind keeping us comfortable in
the long run. Everything around us was lush spring
green, dotted here and there by yellow dandelions and
mustard flowers, or the soft pink of apple blos-
soms. Violets and myrtle brightened the forest floor, and
wild strawberries presented a carpet of dainty
white blooms at our feet. The path was strewn with
brilliant metallic six-spotted green tiger beetles that
flew away at our approach and landed on either side of
the road to watch us pass by. All tiger beetles
are fierce predators, with strong jaws that make short
work of smaller insects. Fortunately, they do not
seem interested in humans as a food source. Speaking of
predators, yesterday I wondered if coyotes
would consider small domestic dogs to be prey, as they
are the same species. According to this source
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/coyinny.htm
coyotes would munch on a small dog with
no problem if they were hungry enough. Keep track of your
small pets in coyote country; make sure
they are in your sight when you walk with them, and if
they won’t come when you call, it is best to
keep them on a leash at all times. Our little friends
count on us to keep them safe from harm.
Have a doggone good day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, May 25, 2005 8:00 a.m.
56 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
The wind is right out of the northeast, a good stiff
breeze that will either dry laundry quickly or send
it sailing out over the valley, underpants from outer
space, Unidentified Flying Oodles of handkerchiefs,
blouses, and holy socks, Batman! It will be best if they
dry fast, as some pretty ominous looking clouds
are headed our way. Late yesterday I checked the nesting
boxes, and three have mommas sitting on their
eggs so intently they never even glanced my direction
when I peeked inside. Another nest contains four
white swallow eggs, but they were cold to the touch, so
the female may be going to lay another one or
two eggs. The most I have ever seen was seven, and that
was one full little nest when they were big
enough to leave. On our way down the east meadow path I
saw two big piles of coyote scat, one very
close to the house. I kept our dog on a leash for the
entire walk, as he would just be a little tasty tidbit
for a hungry coyote. I wonder if they would chow down on
their own species? I know they have a
very strong pack ethic, but whether it excludes
cannibalism is something I do not know. It has been
too cloudy to see the full moon, which was Monday, but
tonight we may be able to enjoy light from
the waning moon if we are up late enough; it will rise at
11:18 EST. Look for it as the sun comes
up if you are an early bird, they will both be in the sky
at the same time for about an hour.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, May 24, 2005 6:45 a.m.
42 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
A sheer curtain of light shimmers down from a break in
the clouds and highlights several of the
peaks in the Adirondack Mountain Range. There are several
such places in the lowering sky where
small patches of blue show through, and eventually the
sun may find its way to Tug Hill as well. Yes-
terday we had a few hours of sharp clarity in the morning
(and the weather was nice too, heh heh)
so we went for a long walk on a nearby dirt road. The
town had just finished grading it, smoothing
out a winter’s worth of frost heaves and snowmobile
ruts, and in some places it was like walking on
the beach, with several inches of loose sand cushioning
every footfall. On either side of the road ferns
stand at their full height, fiddleheads no more. Several
little swamp outlets run under the road and have
created lovely green grottos full of marsh marigolds and
tall columns of false hellebore. In spite of the
recent rain most of the frog ponds have been absorbed
into the ground, leaving slick slimy carpets of
leaf mulch behind. We heard many birds from deep in the
woods, some we recognized but many were
new. Without field glasses it was hard to see individual
birds, but there were a lot of little dull ones flitt-
ing about, most likely some variety of warbler. These
ordinary looking birds produce some of the most
beautiful full-throated melodies, big songs from small
bodies. Best of all, on yesterday’s walk there was
not one single black fly or mosquito. As soon as it warms
up we will no doubt pay for this little reprieve.
For now, I believe I will take a little stroll around the
gardens, and see what’s up (literally).
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Monday, May 23, 2005 6:45 a.m.
44 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy
A little hole has opened up in the vast expanse of pearly
grey sky, a small patch of blue
over the Black River Valley that is making me optimistic
for a possibility of a little sun for our
soggy morning. It never really rained hard yesterday,
just a stubborn constant mist that swirled
and plumed before our faces as we spoke to each other
during the day. The kitchen range is
doing its best to chase away dampness and brighten the
rooms with its softwood kindling crack-
ling and popping with fragrant resins. A nest full of
robins hatched on Saturday, perched in the
cold metal of our old Farmall tractor, and I worry that
the little birds will become chilled in the
mist. Hopefully papa will be bringing in the food so that
mama can nestle down and keep them
warm. This moist weather has been beneficial to our
lettuce and spinach, which have doubled
in size since I thinned and cultivated them on Friday. It
won’t be long before the first salad
greens grace our dinner table, simply dressed and fresh
as tomorrow.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, May 22, 2005 7:15 a.m.
42 degrees, windy, cloudy
The view is moist and green and filled with movement on
this chilly morning.
Aspen leaves twitch and twirl just outside my window, and
maple boughs sway and flutter
their cargo of new foliage with gusto. Meadow grasses are
tall enough to surrender to the wind,
rippling like the gentle ebb and flow of ocean waves. In
the hedgerows, entire trees sway grandly
back and forth, blurred around the edges where the leaves
dance and spin, all blending together in a
perfect visual symphony. Yesterday’s uncertain
weather seems to have settled into a pattern of cool
and wet for the next few days, which is good news for the
newly planted potatoes (just like Ireland!),
and bad news for the corn. A late day walk under a
beautiful sky full of odd-shaped clouds and an
occasional rainbow brought tears to my eyes, both from
the sheer majesty of the scenery and the
biting brisk wind that ushered in this current cold snap.
The night sky was also interesting, with a
waxing moon darting in and out of clouds and polishing
all it touched. Little bits and pieces of
constellations peeked out, not enough of anything to
locate even the most familiar; although
the North Star is always at the same place above our
barn, we couldn’t find the pointer
stars of the Big Dipper. Whatever you do today, if it is
outdoors, wear your snuggies.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
~
Saturday, May 21, 2005 9:00 a.m.
67 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
It has been a hectic morning of shuttling folks around,
tractor-related business that needed
to be done early. I can finally relax for a bit and take
in the wonderful sights, sounds, and aromas
of this awesome morning. We mowed some lawn yesterday and
that sweet fragrance overpowers
even the spicy whiff of apple blossoms that is borne on
the breeze. A catbird has just belted out the
whole range of bird sounds, including some tropical
jungle whoops common to old Tarzan movies.
Bobolinks are merrily bobolinking along, and tree
swallows are very vocal as they divebomb our cats.
A robin chased one of our cats right under the barn
yesterday, pecking clumps of fur from his back as
he skedaddled. A tour of the nesting boxes has revealed
three swallows and one bluebird have taken
up residence, but the bluebird is the only one that has
started to incubate her eggs. There are five pale
blue eggs nestled in the soft grass cup of her nest, and
she regarded me intently from a nearby tree as I
peeked in the chamber. One box was filled to the top with
twigs, evidence of a house wren. Since there
were no eggs inside, I cleared that out to allow for a
more suitable tenant. If the wren rebuilds then I will
let her stay, but really, they can put a nest just about
anywhere and opportunities for bluebirds and tree
swallows are scarce. We had a busy day in the garden
yesterday planting potatoes and sweet corn.
I weeded several rows of early greens, and have a big
chore ahead of me getting the wildflower
garden tidied up. A graduation ceremony will take us out
of town for most of today, but I
suppose the weeds won’t be going anywhere, and will
certainly pull a little easier
after we get some rain later. Whatever your plans are,
indoors or out,
enjoy your day!
Daisy
~
Friday, May 20, 2005 7:30 a.m.
64 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
No matter how much fun a vacation is, it is always
wonderful to return to beautiful Tug Hill.
Instead of drifting off to sleep to the sound of waves
kissing quartz studded cliffs, we had a
lovely coyote lullaby last night. Early this morning we
agreed that gulls and crows both have
a love of making a ruckus just before dawn, alarm clocks
with no snooze buttons. The coast
of Maine has a lot going for it in the middle of May;
there are few tourists, no mosquitoes or
greenhead flies, huge flocks of eider ducks working their
way up the coast, and we had our
pick of prime spots on which to pitch the tent. We
arrived home late yesterday afternoon to
a thick healthy lawn and asparagus fairly leaping out of
the ground. Lettuce and spinach need
to be thinned out and peas have germinated at about a
hundred percent. What is most amazing
is how quickly the trees have burst into leaf, that
wonderful spring green that is the signature
color of the season. Ash trees are still bare, but maples
and aspens are vibrant in the morning
sun. It will be a joy to work in the garden today with
such beauty all around.
Have a terrific day,
Daisy
~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bits and Pieces of Happiness
5/19/05
Today was the first day of full sunshine in quite a few.
The day began with a slight breeze, and it has continued
through
the morning with a coolness about it. It's a
slowly warming 50 or so
degrees out doors and it's a beautiful day for hiking,
working in the garden
or other activities outside. Most of the bugs think it's
too cold to go outside
this morning, but if the day proves to be a warm one,
they might decide
to come out of hiding. The plants are happy to soak up
the sun and
the color of the flowers shine brighter in the sun than
ever.
Enjoy the gorgeous day,
~Eevee~
~
Bits and Pieces of Happiness
5/18/05
Late this morning it was a warm 53 degrees in the
sunshine, but as the morning
progressed the sun faded and it is now 49 degrees. Yesterday
our 4-H group visited
the Garden Thyme Herb Shop and learned about many
beautiful herbs. We sampled
so many that when we left we smelled like Peppermint and
Lemon Balm. We were able
to pick, bring home ad plant our favorite herbs. I picked
Lady's Mantle which, in the
morning collects water droplets that can be used for
facial care. The gardens were
starting to flower and the Butterflies and Hummingbirds
will be happy this year.
Enjoy the sweet smells of nature,
~Eevee~
~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's reminisce back a year and 2 ago.....
Monday, May 17, 2004, 7:00 a.m.
58 degrees, gentle breeze, mostly sunny
The valley is misty and thick fog follows the Black River
but all is smothered
in bright sunshine here on Tug Hill. Yellow-green aspen
leaves are trembling slightly
in the gentle breeze, and although the temperature
dropped into the thirties last night
things are warming up quickly in the sun. Yesterday we
rode bikes around the Hill
and had an excellent adventure. Some stretches of mud
were so long and deep that
we chickened out and went around them. The stuff we rode
through was enough of
a challenge, greasy and fighting our forward movement
with every pedal stroke. We
rode through the woods to a large beaver pond that is
home to several great blue herons.
Tall dead marsh trees looked top-heavy with the large
birds perched at the tippy-top in
their snaggly stick nests. The herons flew off in alarm
at our approach, vast wings flapping
in deep beats as they fretted from tree to tree. They
finally returned to their nests when they
figured out we meant no harm. There was no sign of
beavers, but the lodge has been repaired
and fresh chew marks are abundant on the surrounding
saplings. The pond is full of water,
and the brilliant blue sky was reflected back on the calm
surface, big white clouds and all.
The forest floor is full of wildflowers, from the
delicate pale pink spring beauties to the
masses of violets in all colors of the rainbow. We found
a green trillium, petals of very
pale olive instead of the usual maroon, white, or pink
and white striped. Shad trees are
abloom, the frothy white blossoms heralding a good crop
of shadberries for our feathered
friends later this summer. Marsh marigolds are all over
the place, as abundant in swamps
as dandelions are in meadows. We came out
of the woods and rode up the Plummer
Road to another beaver pond, and watched schools of
little fish darting under the bright
surface. Small salamanders crawled along the bottom,
facing upstream and letting
their meal float right into their mouths. We returned to
the Gomer Hill Road with
its vast valley view and sailed down the final slope,
covered with mud and
happy to be out on such a perfect day. After a weekend of
self-indulgent
recreation it is now time to get some serious planting
done. Potatoes will
go underground today, as well as sweet corn and more
lettuce and spinach.
Let’s get busy,
Daisy
~
Saturday, May 17, 2003, 6:30
a.m.
44 degrees, sunny, breezy
There is a scattering of high clouds to the south, and a
river of fog
following the valley from north to south. The air up on
the Hill is crystal clear
and fresh, and the dew is evaporating quickly in the dry
breeze. Today is likely
to be a busy one for gardeners in this part of the
country. All of the cold
tolerant crops can go in the ground today, and we will
see the benefits in early
crops of fresh garden veggies. Hardy annuals can safely
go into the flower beds,
and the tomato and pepper plants can take little day
trips outdoors to a sheltered
spot to harden off. Many of us are already harvesting the
first tender shoots of
asparagus, an amazing plant that just keeps coming back
year after year.
Fresh asparagus is a far cry from the slimy stringy mess
that comes in cans.
I grew up eating canned veggies, and I recall the peas,
beans, and asparagus
all tasted exactly the same; they had different shapes,
but all were the same shade
of olive drab. Now that I am grown, just one taste of
canned peas can take me back
in time to Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house, the
potroast, gluey air-whipped potatoes,
and mushy salty peas. This simple fare was always
seasoned with plenty of laughter,
tall tales ("remember when the elephant stepped on
Grandpa’s toe?") and lessons about life.
I would like to think my own offspring will have similar
memories,
but with better vegetables...
Food for thought,
Daisy
~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bits and Pieces of Happiness
Monday, May 16
Finally the sun pokes through the gray-blue clouds that
have covered parts of the
sky since yesterday, like a flashlight in the dark. It
sheds a cheery light on all that lies
before it and makes the bark of the trees shine. The
hills blend into the sky, for there
is a blue-ish horizon this morning. It is a chilly 50
degrees outdoors and there is a light,
brisk wind that blows through the grass. Dandelions
sprout up everywhere and soon
the fields will be covered in their fuzzy, bright yellow
heads.
Have a wonderful day,
~Eevee~
Bits and Pieces of Happiness
Sunday, May 15
Clouds cover the entire sky like a huge cap, only letting
the white light of the sun
come through. The trees aren't shifting like they usually
do, the wind and breezes have
died down and everything in nature is still. After
yesterday's sun and rain showers, the
gardens should be on their way to growing strong and
beautiful. It's a warm 55 degrees
outdoors and the air is heavy with humidity and the scent
of rain. The flies are still
hatching in the warm spells we get and when there's
a hot and humid day,
you'll need some bug spray at hand.
Enjoy the warm weather,
~Eevee~
~
Bits and Pieces of Happiness
Saturday, May 14
Today I awoke to find
drops of water falling from the rooftop from last nights
rain showers.
The breeze outdoors is brisk and a little on the cold
side, but the fresh smell of wet grass and woods
is enough to persuade you to dress warmly and enjoy
nature. The mountain tops had a blanket
of fog
covering them early in the morning, but it has about
disappeared since then. Even though the day will
most likely be drizzly, the birds
were up early singing and searching for food. They bounce
around
from branch to branch, causing it to sway with the weight
of it's own bright green leaves.
Keep warm and enjoy,
~Eevee~
~
Friday, May 13, 2005 7:30 a.m.
48 degrees, breezy, sunny
It is a stunning morning, nippy in the wind but warm in
the sun’s first rays.
All of the tulips and dandelions closed up tight for the
night; it was cold enough
to freeze birdbath water, but no frost formed in the yard
or anywhere else within eye-
shot of the porch. Late last night we walked under a
starfilled sky with a crescent moon
sitting like a canoe nestled between sparkling waves on
an ebony sea. A huge shooting
star streaked towards earth, so bright and swift I almost
thought I had imagined it. It was
too cold for frogs to be singing, but just after we
turned in we could hear several coyotes
calling back and forth, high pitched lazy howling devoid
of the usual frantic yips of a hunt.
We are heading out to explore the rocky north Atlantic
coast for a little while,
but My View From the Top will have a guest writer
or two.
Stay tuned,
Daisy
~
Thursday, May 12, 2005 7:00 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
An icy north wind sent us scurrying about at dawn,
bringing indoors all of the plants we hauled
out to the back porch yesterday. It was 36 just before
sunrise, and as we watched the mercury
descend one degree at a time, we figured they might
better wait until this cold snap is over before
they go back out. The windchill is eighteen degrees, but
I don’t know if it affect plants the same as
it does human skin. There is a real good chance of frost
tonight with the projected low in the twenties.
The wood range is blazing merrily and does a great job of
chasing away the chill that swept through
the house via all of the windows I left open last night.
Yesterday was a beautiful warm day, and we
cut the grass for the first time of the season. We mow
quite a bit of area around the house as well as
several paths through the meadows, rough ground that
never sees a bit of fertilizer or weedkiller. We
have the softest grass in the world, a perfect blend of
clover, violets, dandelions, and dozens of other
weeds that give it a rich variation of hue and texture.
Years ago I visited a friend in the suburbs who
had a nice little patch of grass in front of his house.
Our young son picked a dandelion seedhead from
the neighbors’ berm and blew the fluff, making a
wish as he did so in case one of the seeds made it
as far as the moon. Our friend had an absolute fit and
yelled at my son, “Don’t ever do that again
near my lawn!” A perfect lawn, but at what cost?
Give me our weedy, mole-ridden, lumpy uneven
half acre of green any day, where dandelions roam free
and wishes are made on a daily basis.
I wish you all a happy day,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 7:30 a.m.
67 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
A couple of brief rain showers passed through our area
just after sunrise, kicking up the dust and
making everything smell like worms. We need a good steady
rain now that the temperature seems
to have moderated into a more traditional springtime
range. We have watered our asparagus bed
twice so far, and fat dark green spears are beginning to
appear above a layer of mulch. Yesterday’s
high of nearly eighty degrees really popped out the
foliage on Tug Hill hardwood trees. Maple leaves
have developed spiky little notches, small yellowgreen
versions of their adult form. Ash trees are still
bare as bones, not one plump bud to be seen on any of
them. I figured it was safe to plant pansies yes-
terday, and they look happy to be embedded in their
summer home, vibrant faces sparkling with rain-
drops. Wild strawberries in the meadow are covered with
small white flowers, but the tame ones are
still waiting for a warm spell. The fiddlehead patch is
now a fullblown stand of feathery ferns, unfurling
into mature fronds seemingly overnight. It looks like it
will be a good day to put young tomato and pep-
per plants in a protected outdoor area so they can harden
off prior to planting at the end of the month.
Our back porch is an ideal spot, sunny in the morning and
sheltered from the wind most of the time.
Plants that go right in the ground without this gradual
exposure to the elements are often too shocked
to survive. If the wind shifts to the east, we will have
to haul them all indoors. The next few weeks can
make or break a home garden, one turn in the weather and
all those little plants could be toast.
Keep a weather eye,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 7:15 a.m.
62 degrees, breezy, sunny
The sun announced its presence quite early today before
it ever breached the horizon
with a single shaft of golden light thrust straight into
the sky, a mighty column of pure energy.
What a dramatic way to begin such a beautiful day ! We
sat for quite a while soaking up some
rays and watching all of the birds go about their morning
chores. Merry song fills the air; nothing
like it on the radio, that’s for sure. Tree swallows
are building a nest in a box by the garden, trail-
ing long strands of hay behind them as they glide into
the hole. The bluebird nest at the bottom of
the meadow is complete, a tidy little basket of dried
grasses that as yet contains no small blue eggs.
Tree swallows build a similar structure, but line it with
a collection of feathers and other bits of de-
corative litter they find lying around. I checked all six
nesting boxes, and so far only two are oc-
cupied. Four additional boxes need repairs before they
can be put back out for the season. It
will be a perfect day for just about anything; I just
need to figure out what to do first.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Monday, May 9, 2005 7:45 a.m.
52 degrees, breezy, sunny
There are no natural clouds in the morning sky, but
several pure white jet contrails linger,
all heading from east to west, parallel lines like ski
tracks left by frolicking angels. A gentle
breeze wafts through the aspen branches outside my
window, setting long catkins and tiny
leaves aquiver, backlit by bright spring sunshine and
glowing green against a pure blue back-
drop. Bobolinks have magically appeared with the morning
dew, a merry noisy bunch, happy
to be back for the season. Yesterday was uncomfortably
windy, so we replaced our late-day
hike with a truck ride around the back roads of Tug Hill.
Everywhere we went the view at
ground level was wonderfully green, countless species of
spring plants both large and small
carpeting dull litter leftover from autumn. Water levels
are very high; in fact, the blueberry flats
that will be lush with sweet fruit in August are entirely
under water. In many places it looks as
if one good rainfall will put standing water up over the
road entirely. Beaver ponds are full to
the max, and streams are swift. Whetstone Reservoir is as
full as we have ever seen it. Since
the Lyons Falls Mill closed, there apparently is no
longer any maintenance done to the logging
road that bisects the reservoir, and we were grateful for
all-wheel drive and a high chassis
clearance. We had hoped to see some migrating waterfowl
as they landed for the night,
but there wasn’t one single bird on the surface of
the water, which was flicked with
whitecaps and possibly not appealing due to the wind.
There may have been
some flocks in the more protected backwaters, invisible
from the road.
Warm temps for the next few days will bring out tree
foliage very quickly;
watch for lots of change to your own view in the coming
week.
Don’t forget sunscreen,
Daisy
~
Sunday, May 8, 2005 7:45 a.m.
47 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
A stiff northeast wind blew us right off the back porch
with its icy breath this morning,
so we have thoroughly checked out the scene from the
enclosed sunporch instead. Birdsong
is unfortunately muffled but the view remains the same.
The air is crisp and clear up here on
Gomer Hill; however, the valley lies in mist and the
mountains in the distance are barely visible.
Yesterday we rambled over all of our property as well as
the forest that abuts. Marsh marigolds
(cowslips) are aglow with buttery yellow blossoms, and a
jarful sits on my kitchen windowsill.
When the kids were little, they would bring them to me on
Mother’s Day, not only a token of
their affection, but also a reason for them to squish
around in the swamp. We found ourselves
in an aspen grove, where tiny yellowgreen leaves hovered
all around; we were surrounded by
awesome spring color. It was very windy in the meadows,
but in the forest it was calm enough
to realize that the black flies are truly back for the
season. Hatless, I pulled my shirt up over my
head to keep the annoying little critters out of my ears.
We would have spent much longer in that
lovely stand of aspens if I had been better prepared, a
lesson learned for today’s adventure. Hey,
call your momma. If your mom isn’t available, call
your kids. If you have no kids, hug the stuffing
out of your spouse and give your pets extra attention. If
you are all alone, tend to your houseplants.
If you have no houseplants, go buy yourself one. Mother’s
Day isn’t just for Mothers, it’s for every-
one who was ever part of a nurturing relationship. Don’t
forget the biggest Mom of all, our own
Mother Earth. Spend some time today pressed into Her soft
grassy bosom, and thank Her for Her
unconditional bounty and blessings. Take a look around
and rejoice in whatever the day has to offer.
Give Her a few marsh marigolds while you’re at it.
Celebrate !
Daisy
~
Saturday, May 7, 2005 6:15 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
It is another softly lit morning, with hazy sunshine more
like that of August than May.
Last night was beautiful, starry and moonless. At nine o’clock
there was still a hint of after-
glow as we walked to Horsey Creek. Many kinds of frog
were in full voice, and the creek
lent its rippling gurgle to the chorus under a twinkling
sky. Perfect ! The whole day had been
durn near perfect as well. While sheets and towels
flapped on the line we worked in the gar-
dens, planting corn, onions, beans, parsnips, carrots,
and more lettuce. The beans are a gamble
anytime before Memorial Day, but the seed is fairly cheap
and just maybe we will enjoy some
early beans. The soil is in great shape, not too dry, not
too wet, closing around each seed with
great promise. After the planting was done, we stretched
out on the soft grass under the apple
tree and watched the clouds pass by, sun hot on our faces
and stiff east wind banishing black
flies to the flatlands. We walked down to the hedgerow to
gather some fiddleheads for dinner
and a flash of bright blue caught my eye. Sure enough,
bluebirds have set up house in one of
the nesting boxes by the rockpile at the bottom of the
meadow. On to the fern patch, where
the warmth of the day had brought the tender little
sprouts out by the hundreds. I could prac-
tically watch them grow, pushing up out of the leaf mulch
and uncurling little by slow. I sautéed
some with garlic, wild leeks, and baby portabella
mushrooms, then tossed that with leftover
chicken and al dente fettuccini. What a treat that was!
If today is warm it may be the last we
will see of the tightly curled fern shoots until next
spring. Leeks will still be good for a few
more weeks, and we have enjoyed them in many dishes.
Legend has it that by eating
ramps (wild leeks) we will avoid needing a doctor
for the rest of the year. I imagine
no self-respecting germ would want to hang out in a body
that has been infused
with this odoriferous bulb, and in fact, the doctor (and
everyone else) may be
avoiding us unless we make frequent use of Altoids.
If you are near Turin
today, don’t forget to stop at the Fire Hall for the
annual bake and book
sale, plus chicken barbecue, all to benefit the Turin
Village Library.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, May 6, 2005 8:00 a.m.
56 degrees, breezy, hazy sunshine
The sun isn’t at full power this morning, sifting
down gently from a milky blue sky.
The crisp clarity of heavy frost and cold air is missing,
and the view is further blur-
red by a froth of new soft green foliage surrounding
previously bare branches like so
many wraiths. The Adirondack Mountains are barely visible
through atmospheric haze
and the valley view is subtle and dreamlike. Late
yesterday there were beautiful rainbows
on either side of the setting sun, pillars of color that
distracted me so much on the drive home
from work that I had to pull over and admire them for a
while. Things are going to warm up
for a few days, so we will spend much of today planting
corn, carrots, parsnips, and more
onions. Black flies have hatched down on the flats, and
hopefully they will hold off a little
on Tug Hill until we get done with our planting. Just in
case, I’ll cover up and wear a
hat and slip a tin of Tiger Balm into my pocket. A little
of this aromatic salve
dabbed here and there definitely helps keep bugs at bay
and is not toxic.
Don’t let anything bug you,
Daisy
~
Thursday, May 5, 2005 8:00 a.m.
55 degrees, calm, sunny
Yippee! Finally a morning has arrived where we can enjoy
coffee on the back porch
without bundling up in a fleece blanket. Flies are
already buzzing, although from the amount
of ice in the birdbath and frost still tucked away in
shady spots Mother Nature seems to be
sending some mixed signals on this gorgeous morning. Long
shadows cast by trees in the yard
do little to dim the sparkle from dewdrops on the lawn;
blackbirds, robins, doves, and sparrows
are able to get a little drink without ever having to
turn away from steadily munching bugs and worms.
Yesterday I picked a basket of fiddleheads and wild leeks
for our midday meal today. After further
research into the matter of edible wild foods, I found
that I had been misinformed thirty years ago as
to which fiddleheads are safe to eat. The white fuzzy
ones are from the bracken fern, and excessive
consumption of this variety has led to an increase in
certain kinds of cancer among Asian cultures.
What I had previously thought to be bracken fiddleheads
are indeed unpalatable, but are from the
cinnamon fern, little hard stringy shoots. Ostrich fern,
the preferred variety, which has proved in tests
to be safe as houses, sends up fiddleheads that are plump
and green with a little bit of brown papery
material around the stalk. We have eaten both bracken and
ostrich, and in fact, all of my older refer-
ence books say that both varieties are safe to eat.
Fortunately, the bracken are harder to prepare,
what with stripping off all that fuzz, so I’m pretty
sure we haven’t had enough to harm us in the long
run, thanks to my laziness as a cook and preference for
bald fiddleheads. I suppose fiddleheads of
any kind are like sassafras tea, also found to contain
carcinogens if drunk by the gallon throughout
the year; both are meant to be consumed in the spring as
a seasonal tonic, not a basic part of our
daily diet. Anything in large quantities can have
disastrous results; ever eat too many beans ?
Moderation is the watchword here, whether it be dandelion
greens or pork chops
and applesauce: some of each, an excess of none.
Balance is good,
Daisy
~
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 8:30 a.m.
52 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
The temperature has risen nearly twenty degrees since
sunrise, and the sun feels good.
The sky is full of birds of every kind. I wouldn’t
be surprised to see an andean condor or
two join the melee. Just about the only native migratory
bird I haven’t been able to find this
spring is the beautiful ruby throated hummingbird. I
imagine they are just waiting for me to put
my geraniums out on the back porch, although I have also
seen them sip nectar from myrtle blos-
soms and those are currently blooming profusely. Both
crows and ravens are circling the west mea-
dow, and vultures are high in the sky waiting for their
turn at whatever the others leave behind. Yum,
leftover carrion, gotta get me some of that! Meanwhile,
something has been making nightly visits to
our yard and leaving some pretty intriguing spoor,
according to the dog. Usually content to quickly
perform his necessaries first thing in the morning
and then dash back inside for breakfast, these past
few days he has been running circles around the house and
barns, nose to the ground and tail held
straight up and twitching. Sometimes he stops, stands on
his hind legs and sniffs high on a shrub or
weathered barn board; whatever it is seems to be tall,
and marks the territory frequently. When we
get a night that is a little more user-friendly (like,
not snowing and windy) it will be interesting to set
up a few lawn chairs to keep watch and see what comes a-callin’.
Lately it has been too cold
even for nightcrawlers to come up for air. I think we
will see a warming trend after one more
frosty night, bringing bait to the surface and frogsong
back to the Tug Hill soundtrack. Enjoy
outdoor activity today, as it very well may be the last
bug-free day of the season.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 9:00 a.m.
36 degrees, windy, overcast, snowing
Fat snowflakes are being driven sideways in a view-obscuring
curtain by a hard west wind.
The beautiful vibrant green of lawn and meadows is
becoming muted and pastel as snow starts
to cling. Thick wet snow clings to one side of the trees;
everything is very pretty but would be more
enchanting in November. It looks like Old Man Winter isn’t
quite finished with us, and is paying us
a little visit just to let us know who is really the boss
around here. Snow fell off and on all day yes-
terday as well, and late in the day hailstones appeared
from a sky that seemed to be clearing. We
usually take our big wood burning stove out of the house
and store it in the barn for the warm months
(both of them, ha ha) but we have been keeping a small
fire in it for two days and nights, and it feels
good. I believe I will fire up the kitchen range as well,
to warm up the rest of the house. We have
one more day of this wintry weather to help us appreciate
all the more the fine sunny days
that are forecast for the rest of the week.
Bundle up,
Daisy
~
Monday, May 2, 2005 8:30 a.m.
36 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy, flurries
Light snow has been falling off and on this morning, and
there is a dusting on the dirt of
the gardens but nowhere else. Clouds are pretty much
everywhere, but they glow with the
optimism of a sun valiantly trying to burst through.
Yesterday was gorgeous, so we took a
long hike on some of the state trails behind Snow Ridge.
We accessed them via the same
route we use in the winter on skis, but this time of year
there are no snow bridges available
on which to cross Mill Creek. We found a tree that had
fallen most of the way across the flow,
which was still running high from Saturday’s
rainfall. While we took turns teetering across the
log and leaping to the opposite bank, we discovered that
our dog is a pretty good swimmer,
a skill born of sudden necessity. We had initially
transported him safely to the other side, pass-
ing him from hand to hand, but as I was the last one to
cross he wanted to be on the same bank
as I, so he jumped in and swam back to the starting point.
I think he enjoyed himself; it probably
never occurred to him to swim before. There was a
bitingly cold west wind yesterday, but in the
forest all was calm and sunny, and we soon became very
warm beneath our layers. Mud was ev-
erywhere and there were long stretches of trail under
water completely: too cold for frogs, not too
cold for a little dog with a newfound attraction to water.
Both sides of the trail were green with false
hellebore, and we stopped at a big patch of wild leeks
and filled a baggie with stinky little bulbs, later
sautéed with mushrooms and mixed into our supper rice.
We saw a lot of woodpeckers, both at work
and in flight, but all other birds were silent and hidden
to us. Several snakes oozed silently out of our
way in the marshes, one big one the same shade of green
as the hellebore. Fresh deer tracks were ev-
erywhere, and one time we rounded a corner and came very
close to two large deer who bounded
away after giving us a good once-over. We rambled over
about five miles of trails before we came out
at the bottom of the steep, hilly part of Gomer Hill
Road, and had another mile of uphill and windswept
trekking before we arrived back at our truck. The last
half mile was a killer, right into the teeth of the
wind; the sun had gone behind big clouds leaving us with
a chilly last impression. Even though the
home fires had gone out while we were gone, the house was
still toasty warm and welcoming
to our weary happy little gang. It was a perfect hike,
just the right combination of easy
striding and cheap thrills. Best of all, no bugs... yet.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
~
Sunday, May 1, 2005 8:00 a.m.
40 degrees, breezy, mostly cloudy
The sky is full of massive grey and white clouds, with a
few breaks revealing blue sky and
occasional sunbeams. My mother-in-law used to say, “If
you can see blue the size of a Dutch-
man’s breeches, the weather will soon clear.”
When asked how big a Dutchman’s breeches were,
she had no good answer. I mean, if it were a regular
sized human Dutchman, well then, that wouldn’t
be a very big speck of blue sky at all, would it? There
is enough color showing (a gigantic Dutchman
and his whole family, perhaps) that I have hopes for at
least a partly sunny day, more user-friendly than
yesterday was. We walked early in the day, and were about
two miles from home when the rain started
to fall. The wind did its darndest to push the wet right
through all of my layers of windproof/waterproof
garb, but the only thing that got really cold was my ears.
Rain enlivened all of the beautiful groundcover
at the side of the road, and greenbeams leapt from every
plant for a full assault to my vision, both head-
on and peripheral. Even when I took my glasses off due to
waterspotting, leaf edges were blurry but the
color was still uberintense. It was too cold for
frogs to be singing, but the big vernal pond was alive
with little plops as we drew close to investigate.
I caught sight of a leopard frog diving under a
watersoaked mass of leaves, but all of the others were
too fast to find. One or two warm
days are needed to unfold the leaves overhead; not too
far south of here this has already
happened. Take a winter hat along if you go gathering
blossoms for a May basket today,
that breeze is a bit daunting.
Have a great day,
Daisy
~
~
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