Ice Storm Beauty....

A real photo of a goldfinch on an icy branch, to me looks a bit like a Japanese print.... The colors... lovely.

And Again.....

The storm ended sunday, Dec. 22 and then the deep freeze began. Dec 23 gave us the frozen world of bending and broken trees. Power out sunday am to tuesday at 330 pm. Expected temps will not rise about freezing anytime soon and should be well below zero tonight. Enough!!! I get it, the extremes of weather must be recognized somewhere, everyday! Is that it??

We are off to Mass. tomorrow for the holiday gathering of the youths. Stay tune for the next installment of the dancing mini people...

Northeast Ice Storm....Again

We awoke to the sound of rain and the temperature below freezing. This is what happend, thick coating of ice on the weakling birches. Now they are on the house roof, in the driveway and the power generator has been on since before dawn. This could be along one. The news is telling of the 400 contractors from around the region descending on our area. Without a generator, I can see how people cope, I couldn't. This storm will be historic, like the one in 1998.

Minus Fifteen

Nice bright sun, giving us power. Minus fifteen degrees does not stop the deer from looking for grass.

Wash Up Days

Fall is a time for washing up. The cats do it and John is using his Man-Lift to wash the windows before winter.

Vermont Cranberries!

 

TEN POUNDS INTO THE FREEZER TODAY

Airstream....again

22 ft Bambi in Minnesota

John and David had a successful trip to Minnesota to pick up our new - ish (2010) Airstream Bambi 22 ft Sport.
It is in very nice condition and with a few modifications, we hope to enjoy the open road again.

 First step, introduce Woodrow to it. He knows Airtstream life from years ago and did not take much time getting comfortable!

 Our first overnight, right here at home, reassured us that this will be a great way to travel. We have already booked a week at a campground in Grand Isle, VT on Lake Champlain next summer!!

Campfire Moon

Harvest Time

Wild Applesauce

Dried Tomatoes

Elderberries Cooking Down

Berries draining for Syrup

Carla Arrives....

The test drive was wonderful, complete with rattles and dust on the dirt roads. More pictures will be posted soon.

A Lily Summer

Come and sit by the pond

Coming Soon....

Carla, the Citroen 2 CV

Sight Seeing on Vacation - places and wildlife....

 At the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, we boarded a replica of one of Benedict Arnold's gun boats. There a number of wrecks that had been discovered around Valcour Island which we saw from the cottage.

Our day on the boat was spent on the Inland Sea. At The Gut, the crossing spot between South and North Hero, we saw the drawbridge let some boats through. It opens every 30 minutes if there are boats to cross.

 Birding was the best at The Shore Acres  in Grand Isle. These colonies have been returning for decades and were noted in the first and second Vermont Breeding Bird Atlases. Unfortunately, the overall population of the state is in decline. Our timing was perfect and we watched the parents tending the young while we dined overlooking the lake. 

This property was managed by an artist? There were 500 birdhouses that we were told are cleaned out and occupied every year. Now that is one for the conservationists. 



The damp weather early in the week had provided a proper habitat for the pigs down at the nearby farm.

Slugs were happy, too, like this one that was mistake for something the cat left behind, but then started to move.

Sweety and Cozy Vacation

Antique bird collection safe from the cats

The cats felt at home

The Sweet and Cozy cottage in South Hero, VT on the shore of Lake Champlain was a place that tied together many of the places we had been to for vacations with the various ways that we like to spend vacations. During the rainy days, ( several) the giant screened room, (below) gave us comfort. Walking along the lake, boating on the lake, good dining and exception birdwatching helped us decide to return in 2014 for a longer stay.

The best room of all

Rainy Summer

 After one wonderful week in early May, when the apple trees were all a-buzz with pollinators, the weather deteriorated into daily rain storms like the one above. The worst weather event took place on Memorial Day weekend when a migratory hummingbird fallout occurred. A dozen birds were clinging to life around the 8 + feeders placed around the house. The pictures through the screens are not great, but we never have had so many birds at one feeder before . Strong winds, cold temps and rain followed by snow on day 3, caused the birds to gang up on the feeders. Our main concern that weekend was their survival.They disappeared on day four leaving the 3-4 birds we usually have in the summer.

The rains have helped the hardy Kiwis climb up the trellis over the birdhouse made by Kyla Myott of Brownington. Another success story is the shaded lettuce in the greenhouse. Keeping the culverts of lettuce shaded has kept it producing well. But of course is has not really gotten that hot or sunny in the greenhouse as of June 29, so that has helped some.

All in all, a very unusual spring for 2013, and one that we will remember. With any luck this weather pattern of rain will give it up by the time we head for Lake Champlain on July 6th. The next installment will be from there.

The End of Sugaring

The last day of sugaring, April  17th, will give us around 9 gallons for the year. Our biggest year was 10. This is a good shot of our springtime, no snow sugarhouse on April 13th. The syrup is darkening up, no B yet, but maybe the last boil will be. Our sugar content has been consistently around 2.5, which is good enough to boil. The process is quite routine for us now, and we both get a chance to catch up on our reading. The garlic is up as of April 16th, as well.

Red Poll Winter

 The common redpolls have been with us all winter, more than any other winter so far. $100.00 worth of thistle seed later, we are amazed at the way they covet the feeders and manage to negotiate them during the worst weather, and they just won't leave!  They are still with us today, April 16th.