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:

Flowers, Cedar Branches And A Roof

Despite suffering from last year's fungal infection, the Rugosa Roses are alive and beginning to bloom:

The new Day Lilies are doing well and I'm still endeavoring to keep them weeded:

While weeding, I disturbed this small toad. He walked to the edge of the grass and then just waited for me to go away:

The heritage yellow Iris began to bloom:

And then burst into full bloom:

But I've been waiting for the store bought Iris I planted last year. Finally, the first flower appeared on a short stalk, almost twice the size of the old fashioned Iris. It was sure dramatic:

The big Mock Orange bush is fixing to bloom any day now:

And the amazing Ninebark's colors have become even brighter than before. The bigger bush is putting out flower buds, so I'll get to see Ninebark flowers soon:

The Elderberries growing in the old silo base take enormous abuse each winter, but they keep springing back. It looks like there will be lots of flowers again this year:

It was time for me to caulk my leaking roof, but I discovered that low hanging cedar branches were in the way. So I climbed up there and used the chainsaw to cut down what I could safely reach:

I threw the cut branches down into the dog yard, covering the dogs' ramp and confusing them. They waited until I moved the branches before coming all the way down in their yard:

I was tired and not wanting to climb up on the roof wearing my leg braces again, so I decided to put off any caulking until another day. Just then, a neighbor stopped by to chat and offered to caulk it for me. He did it quickly and neatly, a much better job than I would have done. I sure have good neighbors:

Around The Farm

The two little horses got to spend a week in the north field, where the grass was almost as tall as they were:

 The horses and cows were happy there, with plenty of grass to eat - but no grain. They are all on a diet:

 Remy always came trotting over for attention when I entered the field. Blue would follow him for most of the way, but he's always leery of being taken by the halter:

 The winds were whipping Remy's tail around while he took a drink of water:

 The little garden I planted is pushing up so many plants now that I have to be careful about weeding it. I planted many new, unusual plants which I might think are weeds. I also think I planted too many things - it's getting crowded in there. The Magnolia, which I thought had died over the winter, is now growing so fast that I realize it's going to have to be moved:

 And I have a warty little friend living in the rocks around the garden:

 What's this? These used to be the flowers of the Bridal Veil Spirea. I can't say they are attractive, but they are interesting:

 Wildflowers abound. Here by a fence post were Northern Bedstraw, Buttercups, Red Clover, Bladder Campion, and - what's that new, small, daisy-like flower?

 I got a close-up and searched in my field guide without success. Then I went to the internet and found that it was in the genus Galinsoga. Then I had to figure out which species, which was difficult but I'm quite sure I finally figured it out. It's Galinsoga quadriratiata, commonly known as Shaggy Soldier:

 The cherry tree was so laden with fruit that I couldn't wait any longer to start eating them:

 I picked a rather large bowlful of the lowest, reddest cherries and ate them fresh, then mixed the remainder with my cereal in the morning. Life is good:

Around The Farm - Part 1

Things have been happening rapidly around here, to the point where I've begun to look forward to the inactivity of winter. But it's also been beautiful, especially when the Rose Mallows bloomed:

The geese began moving quite early this year. This particular skein was headed north, but the important thing is that they were grouping up and starting to travel:

The fantail pigeons have been doing well. I cleaned out their room after the baby chicks were permanently out of there and the pigeons seemed grateful:

The pigeons still hang out with the chicks, but on their own terms:

The eight remaining Barred Rock bantam hens have been pecking holes in the windfall apples as fast as they fall to the ground:

I've got a very large toad living in the barn, apparently living off of crickets. I saw him every morning when I turned on the lights for awhile, but then I didn't see him any more:

I ring a cowbell to call the cattle and horses in for grain each morning. It's a beautiful time:

I've been trying to always notice the skies. They are ever changing, always beautiful:

Great white clouds over a corn field:

Blue-bottomed clouds, moving across the sky and passing over silos:

The neighbor asked me to visit and see her new lamb. I also got to see this year's wool crop:

Most lambs are born in the spring, but this one was late. And its mother had suffered from a prolapsed uterus with each of the two previous lambs, so this one was a special blessing, a sign that she may be just fine from here on:

A Farm Update

People here are thinking about autumn already and especially the coming winter. Even while the temperatures are in the eighties, it's only prudent to be planning for the cold which will be here too soon. I had the bale fork on the tractor, awaiting a load of hay bales when I took this photo:

This is Hare-Ear Mustard, an inconspicuous but common plant. When mowed over or eaten by cattle, it just miniaturizes and grows as a sort of north country bonsai:

The Tall Garden Phlox were spectacular this year but the butterflies and Clearwing Moths were nowhere to be seen:

One of the plum trees I planted when I first bought this place is producing its first fruits. I can hardly wait to give them a try:

The pigeons and chickens seem to live together in peace, both of them mainly serving as ornamentation for the farm. Their job is to look picturesque:

The chickens have a good life, going where they please and doing whatever enters their little heads:

This toad was living in the dog yard and hopped away when it saw the lawnmower coming. Of corse I stopped the mower and made sure it found a safe, shady hiding spot:

I continue to give the pigeons their birdbaths every now and then, and they continue to be overjoyed, playing in them and splashing like happy children:

And there are a couple more baby pigeons:

It seems there is only one pair producing offspring, but that's alright with me. If they were all breeding, I'd have too many pigeons:

And speaking of breeding, the hens have been laying their eggs outdoors where I can't find them. This hen got so broody that she stopped coming into the barn at night. When I finally located her, I threw out all the rotten eggs she was sitting on and herded her back to the barn at dusk every night:

There was also a cache of rotten eggs behind that rock at the base of the old fashioned rose. It was impossible to find until I weed-whacked the tall grass around the base of the rose: