Friday, February 20, 2009

avalanche, felled trees and ice melt

No, not a week of natural disasters...just some random signs of the changing season around the riverrim.

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First...the annual egg avalanche has started due to the addition of a few more moments of sunlight each day. Evidently, it has started for Audrey's chickens also, as I found a carton of her chickens eggs on my car seat. Thanks Audrey! I had to chuckle to myself--it reminds me of summertime, when the zukes are so abundant that people leave them on your doorstep. Good neighbors are a treasure.

Onto the felled trees....

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Two trees had to come down. I hate to see the trees come down. But better this way, than be surprised one day if they were to fall on the house. You think about these things when you live in the woods.

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The whitetail have been enjoying the branches and come daily to feed. It is interesting to watch them navigate the rocks and logs. They are more agile than one would think.

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The ice flows broke up and floated down the river all in one day. I didn't get any photographs. But the feeder streams are breaking up too. Easy to become fascinated with the contrast between the frozen ice and the fast moving water...

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The water smells fresh and clean and the sound of it rushing by indicates a slight change.

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It races during the day, and slows during the night when we dip down to freezing again...but the melt has started. Sure, we are still getting sleet and snow..but each day we are getting closer to spring. It is still winter...late winter...but I saw a flock of blue birds on the towpath, spring is soon to follow...

17 comments:

Jody said...

I would luv to live closer to nature like you do. There's always something to see.
Those are some big trees. Do you keep the wood and season it for burning in a fireplace?

Tammy said...

It's amazing how those eggs of Audrey's travel and find themselves in other peoples cars :D but I'm thankful they do, they are yummy!
We just had a "forester" survey our property and we also will be cutting down some trees...like you I don't like to see it happen but it seems to be a fact of life when living in the woods.
Pretty pics Cyndy!

Anne P said...

Heh - we used to call those unexpected gifts in the summer "midnight runs", since they often appeared in the dark of the night. We used to get large drop-off donations from our very nice Pakistani neighbors of some very very odd-shaped, extremely hairy squash that were exceptionally bitter. We never did quite figure out the best (is there one?) way to cook them to suit us.

Valerie said...

Nice to see signs of spring while waiting for the 5-8" of snow to arrive tomorrow.

What will happen to the trees? We have a friend who had paneling made for his basement from a couple trees they felled on their property. It came out quite nice.

My son is using apple wood from a largish apple branch we had to take down a couple years ago to make a couple of cribbage boards.

pacalaga said...

Egg avalanche! Awesome.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures, as always! Those who live in the cities have to worry about falling trees too - not so much in the suburbs because of all the clear cutting. I'll gladly take the risk to have the trees!

Stasia said...

Ah, an increase in eggs, rushing streams... can MUD season be far behind? ;

I have a duck that's setting... too bad a goose is the "father"!

Love all the animal signs that winter is almost over.

We had to cut several ancient maples since we've moved here. I'm beginning to wish we'd left them, since the house turned out to be such a nightmare! (Our inspector was incompetent...) They logs have been great for helping heat the house, though. But it always hurts to cut a tree, doesn't it?

It's sunny here today, but 15 degrees. Snow expected tomorrow...

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Sharon said...

YAY for spring! Your hens need to come over here and have a good talking to mine, they are such lazy little things......

Judy said...

Like the chickens my brother didn't do much over the winter. It is nice to see they are all hearing the call of Spring and starting to work!!! Of course he should be wearing a helmet. Maybe as it warms he will even feel like doing my tree! Have a great weekend.

Pat K said...

Wonderful pictures!

cindy said...

Nothing but nothing is better to eat than fresh eggs! The pictures with the ice are wonderful.

Manise said...

We lost 13 trees during our December 12th ice-storm. 3 hit the house one badly taking out a corner of the roof. The tree specialists come on Tuesday to take out the broken/ fallen ones and an additional 4 that pose a risk to the house esp one that has developed a lean to it. The crane will lift them over the house so as to not leave their footprint in my yard or wetlands behind it. I too hate having trees cut, but sometimes it is necessary. I have memories as a child of my mother weeping when the majestic elms in the NE were being cut down due to Dutch Elm disease. The sound of a chain saw brings that back.

Love your avalanche of eggs! One day I will have chickens.

DebbieB said...

You see so many changes - here, the weather is much less drastic, so spring sneaks up on us.

Anonymous said...

Our neighbor is about to wring her chicken's necks - they still haven't started laying, despite the almost spring-like weather we've been having, free range and lots of tlc.

What will happen to the wood? Looks like some beautiful logs.

Dawn said...

It's always sad when a tree comes down ...... Did you count the rings for the age? That's always interesting to do. Nice that the PA hens are laying again. Lovely posting as usual.

sarah said...

Your photos are lovely, and they bring back so many memories of my Canadian childhood. I know exactly what those little streams sound like, tinkling and gurgling, and how welcome that sound is when you've had silence all winter.

Thank you!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Spring is beginning to awaken here too. The helebores and crocus in the back garden are blooming. A lovely sight to return home to.

I can just hear the water rushing and smell the crispness in the air.

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