Fort Jackson State Forest - Part 3

The dogs and I had hiked down to the St. Regis River in the Fort Jackson State Forest (see also Part 1 and 2, posted previously). We ascended the riverbank up to the main trail to begin our journey back to the car:

This trail follows the river through a largely Hemlock forest. It is level and scenic, perhaps 30 feet from the river, high enough not to flood:

We turned left, up the steep hill which would return us to our car, when I saw an eyeball in the trail - yes, an eyeball! It was shocking and gruesome, its size and pupil shape indicating it was from a deer. I didn't want to touch it with my finger, so I used a twig and discovered it was made of glass:

I picked it up and brought it home, then checked online and learned that it was a taxidermist's eye for a deer head. I figured that it must have been from a deer decoy being carried into or out of the forest last autumn during hunting season. For me, it was a highlight of our little adventure and it now sits permanently on my kitchen counter:

 The Hemlocks began to be replaced by Northern Red Oaks:

And as we climbed higher, the soil became very sandy and the trees became mostly Red Pines:

This was an entirely different landscape than we'd encountered previously, though a fairly common type in the Adirondacks:

Green mosses and blue Reindeer Lichens carpeted the ground:

And the coolness we'd experienced down by the river turned to hot summer, with the loud buzzing of insects (still no biting insects though):

The pines began to change to hardwoods and the sandy ground began to be more like forest soil when we reached the top:

I must have have inadvertently taken a different turn than usual, for we emerged into a clearing exactly at our parked car. That was highly convenient, but I wouldn't have wanted to have accidentally gone past it. I'll be alert to that possibility the next time:

Fort Jackson State Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were hiking in Fort Jackson State Forest (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and arrived at the banks of the St. Regis River:

The dogs always are overjoyed to come to a river, and this was no exception:

Jack and Daphne arrived at the water first. Daphne took a drink of the clean, cool water but Jack sat right down in it to cool off:

We'd had several days of rain, and I'd feared the river would be swollen and treacherous, but it was not. In fact, it was ideal for cooling off. This was the view northward toward the mighty St. Lawrence River:

And the view toward the south:

Seamus was feeling his age, with an old dog's heart and unsteady legs, so he never went into the water. He and Jack led us back up the bank to rejoin the trail and begin our walk back to the car:

We did begin our walk back to the car, but when I saw this easy water access, we returned to the river. Jack and Clover led the way:

Clover, Jack and Fergus marched boldly up to the water's edge:

And Daphne went right in:

Then the happy dogs explored the wet rocks along the river's edge. Seamus and I, both elderly and a bit wobbly, stayed back where it was easier to walk:

And then, once again, Seamus was happy to lead us back up to the riverside trail. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Fort Jackson State Forest - Part 1

Our weather was hot and we hadn't been out for an adventure in some time, so I put the dogs in the car and headed to the nearby Fort Jackson State Forest. It was only 4.3 miles from our door, and about 2 miles of that was a tiny dirt lane such as this. I parked and let the pooches out to run - and run they did:

The Wood Thrushes and Ovenbirds were singing beautifully and I didn't want to disturb the peaceful beauty by hollering at the dogs, but soon I was forced to start yelling "Stop!" and "Get Back Here!" Sometimes, though, they stopped on their own to smell something fascinating:

I had parked where I did because I knew the lane became impassable for a car just up a bit farther. Indeed, we quickly arrived at a mud hole. Daphne celebrated by going in up to her chin:

We were taking the same route my sister and I walked last autumn. It was so peaceful and beautiful that I'd been looking forward to walking it again. I'd been hoping to wait until bug season was past, and indeed it was. I never got a single bite of any kind:

We came to the stone foundation of a former cabin, and turned off the trail to investigate:

The old stone well, barely ten feet from the foundation, was still there but the stones had caved in somewhat, making it safer than it must have been when it was a well:

And near the well was this tiny toad, barely bigger than my fingernail:

Then we headed off along the trail once again. The dogs had already slowed down. Like me, they're not as young as they used to be. Also, it was hot:

Then we turned left down a gradual slope which I knew would take us to the banks of the St. Regis River:

The trail down to the river was also one of the nicer walks in the state forest:

Soon we could hear the roaring river up ahead, and the dogs knew what it was. They began picking up their speed. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Indoor/Outdoor Dogs, Indoor Cats

All the dogs and one of the cats enjoy lounging in the kitchen corner but on this day, only Daphne, Fergus and Clover were there. How Clover wound up off the soft pillow and on the hard floor, I don't know:

 The dogs go out with me while I mow their fenced yard and they are not afraid of the mower:

 Here's all five dogs in the kitchen corner, with Clover nearly off the pillow once again. Maybe she likes it there:

 Seamus doesn't like the hot sun, so he finds a grassy spot near the shade of a maple tree where he can rest comfortably and move as little as possible:

 Now, here is a typical cuddle-fest, with Fergus, Bugsy and Clover all participating:

 Outdoors again, Fergus was watching my every move:

 Bugsy likes the soft beds in the kitchen corner, though he also likes to steal Georgette's bed when she isn't in it:

 And the dogs love the ramp up into the house, considering it an ideal spot to get comfortable and watch whatever I'm doing outside:

 Bugsy was moving in to join the pile of cuddlers, but he had to find just the right spot:

 Outdoors, Clover often makes a nest in the tall grass:

 Daisy follows me wherever I go - including when I'm trying to take a picture. She wound up as the main subject of the photo:

 On the ramp again. You can tell it was a cool day because Jack wasn't in his hole at the base of the ramp. That's where he goes to cool off when it's hot:

The North Country In Flower

Our north country winters are long and difficult, so the extravagance of spring and summer are especially impressive when they arrive. This patch of Peonies is doing so well that I think maybe I planted them too closely together. On the plus side, they are crowding out the weeds:

All the old Peonies are white, but I have a few single petaled red plants which I just added:

I rescued an old-fashioned rose in the side yard and then rooted a shoot from it alongside the road. It's been living and growing for at least four years now, and this year it's really doing well:

The wild Cow Vetch is beautiful when it's in bloom, though I have to pull a lot of it out from around the flowers I've planted:

This pair of fantail pigeons hatched two eggs in a nest on the floor:

On the second day, I got to see the tiny babies. Sadly, they both died after a few days. This often happens, and it's always sad:

This is the view on the north side of the house, with the Mock Orange bush just beginning to bloom, the old-fashioned rose and a clump of white Peonies. There also were yellow Day Lilies mixed in with the white Peonies until the day I snapped this photo:

I have said that my Mock Orange doesn't have the aroma that many varieties are famous for, but this year I could smell at least a faint aroma. But the main attraction is its flowering ability:

And another of the new Iris plants put out a giant flower, so big that its stem fell over to the ground. I propped it up and hoped for the best:

I'd hoped the Ninebark would have colored flowers but they are white:


On the plus side, the red buds look peppermint striped when the white petals begin swelling inside them:

The new, baby Morden Sunrise rose put out a full sized flower so vibrantly colored that I spotted it from the road and came over to investigate. A big rose bush, covered with these flowers is an appealing prospect for the future. These are Canadian roses and Zone 3 hardy, so I am hopeful: