phenological events May 2011

May 2011

1st rhubarb coming
2nd common yellowthroat
5th crabapple blooming
8th asparagus comes
10th lilacs bloom
12th dogwoods 18th tadpoles and newts
20th honeysuckle
22nd peeps start hatching
28th Black Bears on property

walk with me, baby steps

It is hard for me to stop watching the mother hen with her chicks. They are very entertaining and yet, calming to watch.

The mother hen is an Aracuna Bantam chicken, so she is smaller than the standard size chicken. She can fit all of them under her wings when it rains. We have her set up in the old rabbit pen for now, so they are safe at night. During the day she takes them for short walks and then rests with them under her wings. ...they will grow fast...more mouths to feed! Our flock has now doubled in size. The big girls were locked in the run again today...we decided to let the little ones get the lay of the land before we let the others out to range. If the mother lets out a "danger cluck" because a hawk flies over, the chicks scatter and run under the row boat. Seems like a good plan to me!

Here is a short movie of them on one of their walks...See if you can count how many chicks we have...

and yes those are cherrios...multi-grain of course...mammas favorite treat...

secret is out of the bag er um nest

When I was a kid, my uncle told me that if I ever found a nest, I was not to tell anyone...I was to keep it a secret. Well, at least until the eggs hatch.

Our Aracuna Bantum Hen picked an area outside of the safe-zone to build her nest. At last count, it seemed she was sitting on at least eighteen eggs.

This morning...it appears that at least one of them has hatched!

Now the fun begins! PEEP!

cats and dogs

huge rains last night with lightening and thunder...made me hide under the covers! raining cats and dogs...

the catkins...

the dogwoods...

the vernal pools are teaming with life, and I suspect there were frog and newt migrations amidst the storm. ...

water continues to run off the mountain...on the way to the river...

and birdsong errupts when the rains subside...

I've been spinning a surprise package from Catena...but that is a story for another day...maybe when the sun comes out!

keep it a secret

The lilacs are blooming...the purples and the whites...the air is fresh and full of their perfume...careful, it can seduce you into taking long afternoon naps in the sun.

..but there is Rhubarb to harvest

...and skeins to wind off....

..wash- hang- and tag...another pound...another mile....

2297 yards of singles...translates to 1148.5 yards of a two ply that measures between 12 or 14 wraps to the inch.

but what is this?

do you know??....shushhhhh...keep it a secret!

walk with me wednesday by the waterfall

We have had a good deal of rain. April showers. May showers.

Rain.

Rain that quenches the root and starts the seeds..rain that brings the Quince and Crabapples to blossom...rain that causes the lakes and rivers to overflow their banks and send the rest pouring out over the rocks and streams..rushing all the way...

When the clouds break and the sun shines it brings the caddis fly hatch, the Hummingbirds, the Grossbeaks, the American Redstarts, the Common Yellowthroat and the Swallows.

Springtime in the mountains...each spring seems eternally fresh..the world is teaming with new life...close your eyes and you can smell it..thin as mist, but it is full of promise.