Cats And Dogs

July was too hot here, but August has mostly been quite pleasant, a time for old Seamus to hang out on his ramp by the Rugosa roses:

And indoors, the dogs and cats like to snooze together in the kitchen corner. This collection consisted of Bugsy, Clover, Fergus and Jack:

Sammy and Daisy in the farm house kitchen:

Caspar, planning more mischief:

Seamus and Daisy near my computer:

Jack dug a hole beneath a small maple tree, but the last time I was out there, it had been taken over by Daphne and Seamus:

Life is good, sunning themselves on the ramp: Fergus, Seamus, Jack and Daphne:

Little Clover likes to curl up in the tall grass by the fence:

Another kitchen corner collection: Caspar, Fergus, Clover, Jack and Daphne. Jack and Fergus are wearing belly-belts because they began peeing in the house again:

Seamus, hanging out by the Daylilies:

Peru Road, Town Of Lawrence, New York - Part 2

I was taking a driving tour of rural Peru Road (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and stopped for a photo of this Amish sawmill. I thought the small sign on the wall might advertise lumber, but it was for sawdust, presumably to be used for animal bedding:

The boulders in this stone wall were huge, as big as Volkswagens, so I had to assume they were moved with modern power equipment and not Amish horse power:

Another Amish farm:

I snapped another photo as I pulled past the front of the house and noticed a wood furnace on the front porch. I'm not sure how they moved the air without electricity, but apparently they'd figured out a way to do it:

Just past the house, I saw the buggy parked by the small outbuilding:

This gigantic old barn in the middle of a corn field looked as if it hadn't been used in many years:

An Amish farm with a windmill and a water pump:

Another old barn which apparently hadn't been used in a very long time:

This old farm house was not Amish, and it appeared as if there was a board blocking the use of the front door. The sign on it did not say to use another door, however. Instead it just said "Eggs For Sale:"

Another long abandoned old barn. It's sad to see them falling into disrepair, but they are expensive to maintain and not many people can afford to do that:

A handsome farm house behind giant, old maple and pine trees:

My last stop on Peru Road was at the Willis H Thomas auto garage, closed many years ago. It was out of business when I passed by here the last time and the tow truck was parked in exactly the same place. It might now do well as a sort of museum, commemorating times gone by:

Dogs And Cats At Home

Traditional lore credits extra personality to calico and orange tiger cats. Daisy is upholding that tradition. She follows me around the house and flops over on her back if she sees me notice her. She wants attention but is not above nipping the hand that gives it to her. Why not play and be petted at the same time?

Bugsy still likes to sleep with the dogs in the kitchen corner:

And the dogs still enjoy their time outdoors - unless it is raining or too cold:

Fergus, Clover, Bugsy and Daphne tried to squeeze onto the big, green floor pillow together - but Fergus didn't quite fit:

I took the above picture and began to walk away when Jack joined the collection. Of course I had to take another photo:

The dogs love to lounge on their ramp. This was taken the day before Seamus and Fergus went to the groomer for their twice per year haircut:

And this was taken when they got home. What a difference!

I've kept the maple tree trimmed as a bush ever since I moved here because I feared it was too near the house to be allowed to grow big. The dogs love it as a source of shade:

Clover's love for sleeping on rocks seems to be because they get warm in the sun and she uses them as heating pads:

Again on the ramp - Jack, Seamus, Fergus and Daphne. Clover was probably sleeping on a rock when I took this picture:

Fergus and Daphne on my bed. All four small dogs normally sleep there, and gigantic Seamus has a big, soft floor pillow:

Snowy North Field Perimeter - Part 2

I was driving around the outside perimeter of the north field to see and photograph the wintry beauty (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). I stopped when I saw this snowy pine. It looked like a Scotch Pine, though I've never taken the time for a closer look. I didn't do so this time either, but maybe I can remember it in the summer:

There are remnants of a stone wall along the perimeter, though they are so old that it is now difficult to discern:

And there are still piles of old farm refuge - tires, farm equipment, pipes, etc. I removed close to a hundred old tires, but more keep appearing:

I came to the two big Sugar Maples which provide such nice color every autumn:

I own the woodland off to the right in this spot, and it did my heart good to see an Eastern White Cedar growing there:

Some giant rocks were piled along the woods, apparently removed from the field before it could be used. I have heard a story of how the former owner had someone clear the rocks but never paid them. He also never paid for his new silo, so they came and dismantled it - which is why I now have a silo base but no silo behind the barn:

One lone Beech tree still held onto its golden leaves:

This was my path. The north field lay to the left and the woods to the right. I had a narrow path between them, a path which I have to bush hog each summer in order to keep the weeds down. But this photo shows the great beauty I experienced as I drove the perimeter:

In places, remnants of an old barbed wire fence still separated the field from the woods, and Birch trees began to show along the edges:

Another shot of an old, leaning barbed wire fence, with woods just beyond:

The brushy places had such an abundance of small branches that they appeared extra white:

I think these dark, withered berries were those of the Shadbush, sometimes called Serviceberry. They should be blooming again this spring:

I turned left, heading back to the house and barn, with the county road to my right. There is a row of cattails along this section of road:

The most beautiful sight of the trip was this Foxtail Grass. The seed heads were so white from a coating of snow that they looked like extra fancy, hybrid ornamental grasses in miniature. Alas, the photo doesn't do them justice. They were exquisite. They were also my final photo. I put my camera away and began using the tractor to remove the snow which the town had piled at the end of my driveway:

Winter Scenery Along A Gravel Road - Part 2

I was driving down the gravel road by my house to photograph the wintry woodlands (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

Stands of Red Pines had been planted on former potato fields in many places, and now stood tall:

My Amish neighbor had been sawing logs into lumber and stacking it in a large field he'd cleared. I don't know what he intends to use it all for, but he sure is ambitious:

Baby Beech trees clustered at the feet of taller Maples and Aspens:

Red and White Pines, with hardwoods mixed in:

Most of this land was once farm fields, but it is now growing up into woodlands. Only one large plot, which belongs to my Amish neighbor, has been changed back from woodlands to farm fields:

Another neighbor harvests Maple sap for syrup each spring and the lines were up all over the place, just waiting for the weather to break:

This stand of Staghorn Sumac was colorful against the blue sky and fronted by a barbed wire fence:

Another large stand of Red Pines:

The golden leafed Beech trees were especially beautiful, dusted with snow and contrasted with the white Birch trunks and Pine trees:

More of the mysterious, needle-less conifers. I'll try to remember to investigate and identify them when the weather warms up - if I can find them again, that is: