A Merry Unwhite Christmas

Merry Christmas to one and all!

This definitely isn't the prettiest white Christmas ever, so I sneak in another picture of our perfect tree instead of the overflowing creek in the backyard.

Yesterday there was still about 2 feet of snow, until it came close to 60° with rain. It's still raining today, and our little Herkimer Creek is going wild. The beaver dam (green pic was December 9) appears to be intact, but water flooded over and under as of noon today.

The weather may not be pretty where you are either, but I am sure you can all manage some merriment. Enjoy!

Pandemic Christmas

I had a hard time getting my Christmas happy hat on this year. At least I got the tree decorated, the cards mailed (except for 2 that I missed) and the presents purchased and mailed (even if they did just get to the PO yesterday). Gifts for Husband still need wrapping.

Our almost 3 feet of snow is more like 2 feet now, but it is still too difficult for Old Fartknee to get the dogs out for a walk. I might try later today as it is warmer and even sunny!

In the meantime, they have expanded their puny path through the snow in the back to something quite magnificent. Woody and Cyrus are working together as snow artists. Nice job, boys!

Santa's helpers

Guilty as charged, but trying to look so innocent!

I was wrapping up a few Christmas presents to get to the Post Office before they close at 5 pm. Sitting on the floor was a bad idea. Two of Santa's biggest helpers joined me to help with the wrapping. One of them parked right in my face with his feet in the box.

The other one came over and offered his help as well. At least he got Woody out of the box.

These two dog boys are full of excess energy because I haven't walked them in about a week. They do go out and play in the snow, but it's just not enough to wear them out.

So I finish my packaging of gifts and leave the house with just enough time to get to the PO. I dig my car out of the garage with a rake because Husband has the snow shovel in his truck. I get out on the road and realize I forgot to bring my purse to pay to ship the gift. :(

Woody says he is sorry your gifts will be late.

Almost 3 feet!

The difference between Cyrus and Woody: 

Cyrus is about 7YO, and most probably is part husky, which could account for his love of snow, and his amazing ability to plow his own path in a minute or less.

Woody is about 12YO and most probably a Southern boy from Virginia. He has no love of snow, or rain for that matter. He prefers to spend the snowy and rainy days with me on the sofa, all snuggled in.

First predictions were that this Nor'easter would pretty much miss us and leave 4" to 8" of snow. Even late last night they were saying 12" to 18".

I think we have about 32" at 11 am, and it is still snowing. At least it seems to be slowing down.

Thank you Husband for venturing out to feed and water all the animals out there!

By the way, if you've read this far, the color in these backyard photos is mostly from the tinting in our double-paned windows, and there are just a few reflections of the Christmas tree lights in there to spice it up a bit. Mama has not ventured outside even once this morning.

Christmas is coming

It has been a slow start to holiday preparations this year, but I am finally getting some Christmas spirit. Bishop Printshop finished our cards in 2 days, in time to pick them up on Wednesday when we went to Salo's Tree Farm, also in Edmeston, for our perfect Christmas tree.

Also just in time, I got a new Krinner Tree Stand with a gift card from Little Sister. It is supposed to be super easy to use, but I had trouble getting the tree to stay upright while I was beating it up to put the lights on. I succeeded, but ran out of time and steam. The ornaments will have to wait. I am thankful to The Hub for the roast chicken dinner he made while I was recovering on the sofa with the boys.

So now, at least, I can finish writing out my cards, with the tree all lit up and pretty, and with a light snow falling outside. And I will get to putting those ornaments on, some time real soon, I think. 

Ho Ho Ho!

Big chicks and the holidays

The 5 little chicks that were hatched here in July are now fully grown: 2 big red roosters and 3 hens. So far the young boys are behaving themselves, going after the young ladies, but respecting the older hens and Big Roo. He is starting to show his age, almost 7YO, which is up there in chicken years. As long as the pretty boys can get along with the old boy and the old girls, they can stay.

Today, Don on the Hill helped me put up a new roosting bar in the coop so that we can try to convince the 5 young uns to come inside at night. They have taken to roosting in the tree outside the coop, and it has been mighty cold, sometimes snowy, and sometimes windy and pouring rain. We need an intervention to get them inside before they become chicken popsicles!

And the last pic is our NJ house all decked out for Christmas by my favorite tenant, Lisa. It looks much better than any of my decorating attempts! 

Happy Holidays folks! I've gotta start writing out those cards. I am late as always...

Giving thanks

The Hub and I had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with the Barns (thank you!) followed by a stormy week. Let's just say that my Facebook account, Google Chrome, and my gallbladder all got hacked.

My hero, Ivan the Great, came to my rescue yesterday when I not only was booted from Facebook, but was also really close to losing my whole Google Chrome account including our email accounts and my blog. And it was Ivan's birthday! when he was wasting hours of his time with me on the phone. Thank you!

The third hacking came unexpectedly. I was a few days out of commission, but now back on track. Dr Clooney came to my rescue on this one. Thank you! He didn't look all that much like George, but it's nice when your surgeon has a good sense of humor.

And finally, the reason for all these pet pics: I got a new iPhone! Yay! Loving portrait mode! But the posers were not all that thrilled. Thank you, Cyrus, for your smile.

Warm and gray Turkey Day

These 2 are in a turkey coma in honor of Thanksgiving Day, and I am not even cooking a turkey. We are all taking advantage of a lazy gray day at the old homestead. I made the pumpkin pie and cranberry relish yesterday. Making roasted asparagus wrapped with prosciutto a little later. This is all going with us (and some wine) to the Barnwell Inn for a politically and socially correct dinner with just the 4 of us. Andrew Cuomo would approve, even if not everyone approves of Andrew Cuomo.

Take some advice from the boys: Enjoy some rest before the big feast.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Cold creek

I am still doing OCCA stream testing in the Herkimer Creek, part of the Upper Susquehanna Watershed that runs through our property. Easy and fun in the summer, not quite so easy or fun in November. I have to stand mid-stream to take water samples. Water was 41.5°...

Upstream on the right is where the creek normally flows the heaviest, but the beavers have been hard at work damming it up. The second photo (taken from upstairs bedroom) shows that spot on the right with what looks like a solid wall of sticks/logs. The water spills over the top and leaks under as well, but it is incredible that a bunch of sticks can hold up a 2- or 3-foot deep pond. They are working on the flow on the left side of the fork too, but have not been quite as successful there.

The weather has been more normal for November lately. The weeds are frozen brown, but the grass is still green. There is occasional white stuff as well.

 

Happy Post-Election Day

So tell me: Is it wrong to wait for election results in bed?

It's going to be a long wait...so we might as well be comfortable.

Happy Election Day

What I really mean is that I will be happy come Post-Election Day. It doesn't even matter who wins, just let it be gone. And if you haven't already...VOTE! That is the best we can do.

Yesterday we got about 2" of snow. It was hard to tell how much because it came with plenty of wind. In some places there was green grass, other places 6" piles of the white stuff. The wind blew the big chrysanthemum in the big heavy ceramic pot right off the front porch. Today it is in the mid-30°s and still windy, but sunny and the snow is melting fast. It is supposed to be sunny and in the mid-60°s by this weekend. Maybe even warm enough for another little jam session out by the firepit.

Woody and Cyrus see no cause for concern. 

Lesson to be learned: this too shall pass. 

Better with the sun

This is the same photo as yesterday, taken yesterday, but after The Husband came home and brought the sun with him. Frosty Panther Mountain was still a bit frosty, but looked so much prettier with the sun shining.

The not so pretty picture of last night's dinner was my first attempt at making fried green tomatoes. Like the good Southern girl I am not, I did my best to be authentic. Our ham, my little fried heirlooms, and some French bread with goat cheese because I was too lazy to make cornbread like a good Southern girl. Delicious!

Winter's beginning

It is an exaggeration to say that autumn is over and winter begun. I know. It is not unusual to have 30° weather at the end of October, just a bit of a disappointment when we have had so many nice days in the 70°s.

This is not a complaint. I love winter. It just takes awhile to adjust.

We got a dusting of snow early this morning. Hoar frost on Panther Mountain in the background. The snow is gone, but the frost is still there at noon.

And the second pic is a fine example of the WoodMan taking full advantage of a wet cold frosty kinda day. Also still there at noon.

Autumn's end

It's a shame, little piggies, that you missed all the nice weather and got here just in time for the rain and snow. Also a shame that you tore up all the weeds in your pen just in time for today's rain to make it a mud pit.

But your little barn filled with dry straw will surely keep you warm and happy.

I am officially calling an end to autumn up here. I had to pick all my little green heirloom tomatoes because I could no longer protect them under blankets and plastic.

At least I have a recipe from the Barnwells for Fried Green Tomatoes that I am itching to try. And I will do the real version with corn meal, not those Yankee panko bread crumbs.

 

These little piggies came home

After a short road trip to Starkville on this cold damp Saturday, I am seriously thinking about starting up the woodstove even though it is 70° in here. And it was 75° outside yesterday! I think that really was the last of our extra warm fall days. 

These 3 little pigs traveled to their new home in the back of the truck. What a darn shame the big crate wouldn't fit in my Kia! :) Even after their chilly ride, they were so cozy in the crate they did not want to come out and explore their new little barn full of fresh straw bedding, plus a big pen full of weeds and tomatoes and sunflowers. As far as I know they are still in the crate and we have been home for 2 and a half hours. Welcome home piggy girls. Now we just have to come up with some silly names for you. It is always fun to name pigs in an election year...so many options available...

Autumn's finest with wood and Woody

I keep repeating that I have to enjoy my last evening sitting outside before it gets too cold, and then we are blessed with another. It is 72° and sunny right now with another beautiful day ahead of us. 

We had some firewood delivered this week for when it does get cold out there. I asked The Husband just to throw the logs in the general direction, and then I did most of the stacking. I am too darn picky about my wood stack, even though my old body doesn't really enjoy the workout. I hope he appreciates my angled layout. I left him room for more hay. He is welcome to stack that any way he pleases.

Even after a year with that fence in the backyard, the dogs are still learning to chill outside with mom. They are so much better at chilling inside, usually on the furniture rather than the expensive dog beds. MonkeyCat often joins in the fun.

A creek jam and a fire jam

We don't usually get pretty sunsets in October, so we'll take this one as a gift. Glad I took the photo when I did because the color disappeared by the time I came back inside.

After all my excitement about the eagles in the backyard, I discovered the real reason for their presence when I did the stream testing for Otsego County Conservation Association on Sunday.

Just below where the creek is jammed up, on the right where I normally collect the water samples, was a recently dead young buck who appears to have been shot in the chest. It is bow-hunting season here.

The eagles showed up on Friday in the large willow which is just behind me in the creek photo. Now I know they were not interested in building another nest, just interested in a good meal. That would also explain why the crows were defending their territory, and it was probably the reason for the coyotes singing on Saturday night.

There was some other singing on Saturday afternoon as well. We had a short and chilly outdoor jam session by the firepit. A beautiful afternoon with good friends...all outdoors, only 5 people, and distant enough to be safe. 

October eagles

I can't be sure, but I think the eagles from across the road have sent their offspring over here to build their own nest. I suspect there is some version of an eagle grocery store here with the woods and the creek behind us. If we are lucky, they will dine on the fish, minks, skunks, and groundhogs rather than my chickens. And if we are really lucky, we will be able to see the nest from the house.

All day yesterday, and again this morning, there were 2 eagles back there. I had to make do with my old iPhone as a camera. It wasn't working out so well, so I set up my binoculars on the windowsill and did my best to point the camera through the lens. 

The 1 with gray sky is the binocular version from yesterday. That's Don's house in the background. 

Early this morning, the light was just perfect and the eagles were in the mood for posing, so I called in the big guns for a real photo shoot. Cousin Greg happily rushed over with his real camera and telephoto lens. He sent me these pics for now, I hope to get a few more from him soon. Always good to have a good cousin with a good camera close by when you need one!

Zebra with big ears

Last night was almost definitely the last warm evening for sitting outside. When the wind started blowing and the hound started howling—for no good reason other than he is a hound—I  just had to take that photo. The stripey shadows on his body, the wind blowing out his big old hound ears...just wish I was closer. :)

Cyrus got jealous of Woody being the star so he came up to join him on the stage. I love that these boys get along so well.

The 2 smaller boys who mostly live upstairs get along pretty well too. They have been working on their adorable sleeping together poses. I got 2 of those shots this week. All good.