I've kept aquarium fish of various kinds since I was a boy. Most recently, I've kept a ten gallon aquarium with fighting fish in it (one male, multiple females) and for years they thrived and provided beauty. A year or so ago, however, they began dying and all the fish which I bought to replace them died. I began substituting cheap goldfish and they died also. Finally I had 3 goldfish live for several months - until one sad day I found them dead also. That was the last straw. I set up the aquarium as a terrarium and sent away to an Ohio greenhouse for tiny, colorful terrarium plants. Here's the result:

This has proved as enjoyable as an aquarium and much easier. I simply water the plants weekly and mist them almost every morning. A cricket miraculously appeared inside though now seems to have disappeared. At any rate, I have this beautiful miniature landscape in my room to provide a sense of peace and natural scenery. It's a miracle that more people don't convert their aquariums to terrariums. Maybe it'll become a fad.

The Trip Home From The Farm

Last weekend's visit to the farm. It was Monday morning and time for me to drive home.
Winky and Wren can tell that I'm preparing to leave and are watching me closely.

So are Fergus and Seamus. I did collect all the dogs and began the journey back down through the Adirondacks to Albany. I took a couple of new roads and saw some beautiful sights.

Now, obviously I didn't take this picture on my way home from the farm last weekend. But I was unable to take my own photo of a Ruffed Grouse and they are so common up north that I wanted to illustrate one. Also, I've learned that the rather nondescript brown bird usually portrayed in field guides is not very accurate. The Grouse which I am seeing are striped and spotted, much like the bird pictured above. I saw one walking along the edge of the highway with one chick and stopped to take a picture, but someone behind me (who I was not in any way blocking) honked so continuously as he passed that the bird and her chick hightailed it back into the tall grass.

I also saw an Eastern Gray Squirrel, black color phase, running across the road but didn't get to take a picture. So again, this is a photo from the web.

And I passed a turkey in exactly the same spot as the one I photographed the previous weekend. I can only assume that she regularly hangs out there. I could have stopped for another photo of her but figured I already had one.

A logging site alongside the road. I once worked as a logger in the Grafton, New York area. Lots of memorable experiences there.

And a beautiful Adirondack stream with old farm equipment on the stream bank.

Daisies and Bladder Campion bloom along another stream which burbles off into the forest.

Still another stream (or might it be the same one?) with many ferns on its banks.

Somebody's cottage(?) near the town of Long Lake. Or do Hobbitts live here? Very interesting.....................

Having studied in Ohio, I learned to call this water lily Spatterdock. But my field guide says that in the northeast it's a different species, Bullhead Lily, Nuphar variegatum, The primary noticeable difference between Spatterdock and our Bullhead Lily is that our species' leaves float on the water instead of rising above it. Neither name is very attractive.

I found a lovely meadow near Newcomb where the dogs got out to frolic in the wildflowers. Wally and Winky, above, look quite happy to me.

And 4 of the 6 marching through the daisies. They are Winky, Wally, Wren and Casey. I guess the 2 puppies couldn't hold still long enough to stick around the oldsters.

But here's all 6 of them in full frolic. Notice Fergus in the rear kicking up his heels (or paws). He's completely in frolic mode.