There are some afternoons when I have to get out of the house and just sit on the swing by the pond. I am lucky enough to have watched ducks swim around fairly closely and this week I was a bit unnerved by the red tail hawks mating season. My mother informed me why they were making such a fuss...guess she finally told me about the birds and the bees.
But it seems all the really neat stuff happens while I stand in my office, staring out the window through binoculars. Just the other day I was standing up for a minute and looked out at the pond and saw a head swimming across it. Great, I thought, another pesky beaver going to chew down some more trees. But then something a little odd happened. It dove down into the water in a very odd fashion. I didn't see his wide tail either. I grabbed the binoculars and followed the the little air bubbles here and there. It's head surfaced again and then back down. More air bubbles. That was not a beaver. Then it came up again and had a fish. He laid back almost floating supine while munching on his catch; it must have been a very chewy fish, it looked almost like work to eat it.
The way he swam on his back made it official...an otter. There was an otter dining in my pond. I am not sure how long I stood there watching through those binoculars, but it was not long enough.
I just hope next time I can sneak down to the swing and watch him through my own eyes! Nonetheless, it was amazing.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
How Was February?
This has been such an odd "winter." Mild temperatures. I have had to wear my winter coat just one day so far this year. Sweatshirts and pullovers have sufficed otherwise.
As of today, my kitchen table and another table is full of vegetable and herb plants, as well as zinnias, marigolds, cosmos and nasturtiums. I have broccoli, kale, collards and cabbage ready to plant. Actually, a few of my tomatoes are needing to either be planted or put in gallon pots. I have basil and dill at a good stage. I still do not have any sage or parsely and am a little upset about that. I was hoping to have that at least started. I am also behind on my bell peppers. I have hyssop, clary sage, borage and blue sage up but that is for our honeybees. I may have went overboard on the "bee mixes" this year. I think I have 3 or 4 packets of seeds to scatter this spring.
We are getting about 3 eggs a day and I have ordered "rainbow" laying pullets to come in late fall. I am not ordering in the traditional spring months anymore. So far, all the baby chicks that have come in January and September have not fallen prey to snakes-knock on wood. Right now, the roosters we got the last week of January are doing great-haven't lost a one yet. They are almost one month. I am keeping the heat lamp on them just a few more days, as the temperatures are supposed to drop back down into the 30s for a couple of nights this weekend. After that, I am going to shut 'er down. They are almost fully feathered.
I have more double digging to do. I only have 2 1/2 beds done. I am not going to complain about the rain, but it has hindered my beds a bit. Wet clay can be quite heavy-ugh!
A bit of slow month so far. But as the daffodils are in full bloom and the rosemary is covered in purple flowers and honeybees (not to mention the wasp I saw), I feel time will be flying by shortly.
As of today, my kitchen table and another table is full of vegetable and herb plants, as well as zinnias, marigolds, cosmos and nasturtiums. I have broccoli, kale, collards and cabbage ready to plant. Actually, a few of my tomatoes are needing to either be planted or put in gallon pots. I have basil and dill at a good stage. I still do not have any sage or parsely and am a little upset about that. I was hoping to have that at least started. I am also behind on my bell peppers. I have hyssop, clary sage, borage and blue sage up but that is for our honeybees. I may have went overboard on the "bee mixes" this year. I think I have 3 or 4 packets of seeds to scatter this spring.
We are getting about 3 eggs a day and I have ordered "rainbow" laying pullets to come in late fall. I am not ordering in the traditional spring months anymore. So far, all the baby chicks that have come in January and September have not fallen prey to snakes-knock on wood. Right now, the roosters we got the last week of January are doing great-haven't lost a one yet. They are almost one month. I am keeping the heat lamp on them just a few more days, as the temperatures are supposed to drop back down into the 30s for a couple of nights this weekend. After that, I am going to shut 'er down. They are almost fully feathered.
I have more double digging to do. I only have 2 1/2 beds done. I am not going to complain about the rain, but it has hindered my beds a bit. Wet clay can be quite heavy-ugh!
A bit of slow month so far. But as the daffodils are in full bloom and the rosemary is covered in purple flowers and honeybees (not to mention the wasp I saw), I feel time will be flying by shortly.
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