I saw swans on the Kettle River yesterday. They were far enough away, and I was driving fast enough, that at first I thought maybe they were just chunks of ice. But I was curious enough to turn around--which took about two miles on that stretch of road--and there they were, with a few ducks and geese. Spring is definitely arriving. I've also seen two kestrels, and maybe a merlin, which is a bit bigger and lighter. But I'm still seeing great gray owls--maybe they'll stay here?
I heard a pack of wolves or coyotes last night, VERY close. What a wild, haunting sound.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Went to the ballet today!
Yes, me, homesteading brushape woman from the fringes of civilization, Pine County, MN, went to a cultural event. My neighbors Dick and Patty, whom I am begining to love dearly, invited me and my daughter to a performance of Prokofiev's "Cinderella" in Duluth. Although I have at times been a classical musician and attended a few orchestral concerts, this was probably the first full length ballet I have seen. Part of me was wishing I was down there in the orchestra pit, playing first flute. Yes, and another part of me was wishing I was half as agile and strong as those dancers! Wow!
Duluth is such a cool city. For having a population under 100,000, it has a thriving cultural scene. And it is always so nice to drive 50 miles and see water to the edge of the horizon. I love oceans, but for someone living in the middle of the country as far away as I can get from either coast, Lake Superior is a suitable substitute.
I saw a female goshawk this morning. I was still in bed, from which I have a good view on two sides of our yard and surrounding woods. While I was watching redpolls at the bird feeder, suddenly I saw something huge swoop by. At first I thought great gray owl, but as I saw it light in a birch branch, I knew it was a hawk. It then flew up into a white pine, high enough to catch the light of the rising sun, and I wished I had film in my good camera. What a perfect picture that would have been! The goshawk I saw the other day was a male; maybe they're a pair. Bad news for the ruffed grouse and rabbits around here!
Tomorrow is my 38th birthday. What a wonderful life!
Duluth is such a cool city. For having a population under 100,000, it has a thriving cultural scene. And it is always so nice to drive 50 miles and see water to the edge of the horizon. I love oceans, but for someone living in the middle of the country as far away as I can get from either coast, Lake Superior is a suitable substitute.
I saw a female goshawk this morning. I was still in bed, from which I have a good view on two sides of our yard and surrounding woods. While I was watching redpolls at the bird feeder, suddenly I saw something huge swoop by. At first I thought great gray owl, but as I saw it light in a birch branch, I knew it was a hawk. It then flew up into a white pine, high enough to catch the light of the rising sun, and I wished I had film in my good camera. What a perfect picture that would have been! The goshawk I saw the other day was a male; maybe they're a pair. Bad news for the ruffed grouse and rabbits around here!
Tomorrow is my 38th birthday. What a wonderful life!
Friday, March 18, 2005
I'm feeling squishy now
I guess it was inevitable; with all the cuddling and coughing in the house, my husband and I now have this icky cold. I was going to stay home, but I thought I'd just get caught up in cleaning the house (I should have known better than to try and organize all the small toys; that didn't last long!) and not get any rest anyway. I get some peace and quiet at work and I can be a recluse if I want there.
Ugh. I want to write, but this cold's got my mind all foggy. Maybe more later.
Ugh. I want to write, but this cold's got my mind all foggy. Maybe more later.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Sick day
Not me, I'm feeling fine, but since yesterday my 7 year old son has been sick with laryngitis, cough, and occasional fever. He says he feels "squishy" sometimes; that would describe it pretty well! Having no pressing work obligations, and having accumulated over two weeks' sick leave for the first time in years, I volunteered to stay home with him. I may have seemed a bit eager about it too, because, well, I was. I'm not happy that he's sick, but there's something about taking a day off, extra cuddling, that just feels worth it.
We made Jello and let it set in the snow. I put together a glockenspiel kit that wasn't put together right the first time, and he read music and played "Row row row your boat". I organized a random mixture of Lincoln logs, Thomas the Tank Engine trains, Matchbox cars, and toy dinosaurs into separate containers. I helped my 3 year old son build a track for the engines. I cut up half gallon juice cartons into planting containers and made the tops into engine sheds for Thomas et al. I went through my seed collection and decided to plant greens and lettuce indoors so we would have our own fresh salad mix in May. I played my octave mandolin and decided I have a special relationship with it. I read Wendell Berry poems as my 3 year old drifted off to sleep in a much-needed nap.
What a day!
We made Jello and let it set in the snow. I put together a glockenspiel kit that wasn't put together right the first time, and he read music and played "Row row row your boat". I organized a random mixture of Lincoln logs, Thomas the Tank Engine trains, Matchbox cars, and toy dinosaurs into separate containers. I helped my 3 year old son build a track for the engines. I cut up half gallon juice cartons into planting containers and made the tops into engine sheds for Thomas et al. I went through my seed collection and decided to plant greens and lettuce indoors so we would have our own fresh salad mix in May. I played my octave mandolin and decided I have a special relationship with it. I read Wendell Berry poems as my 3 year old drifted off to sleep in a much-needed nap.
What a day!
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thursday evening
Well, after the previous post, as I was on my way home not too far from where I had the owl encounter, I saw a dead great gray in the middle of the road. Damn! I pulled over to pick it up, and it was still warm, freshly hit. Probably one of the owls I've been seeing every day in that area. I brought it to the wildlife office, which was on my way home anyway, and luckily someone was still there so I could put it in the freezer.
As I drove up the driveway into our clearing, I became aware of a large bird sitting in an elm tree next to the swamp. This bird was definitely not a great gray owl. I got out my binoculars, and got my best view ever of a northern goshawk. It stayed, perched in the same spot, for at least 45 minutes after I got home. What a beautiful bird.
I had a wonderful visit with our neighbors, Dick and Patty, last night. I brought Nina over there after dinner to pick up a unique object for Show and Tell: the bones of an orangutan hand! They had gotten the hand, strung together with wire, from an anthropologist friend. I only meant to stay for a few minutes, but we ended up visiting for over an hour, discussing owls, neighbors, gardens, greenhouses, and Sally the turkey. Sally is a semi-wild turkey who divides her time between our houses.
As I drove up the driveway into our clearing, I became aware of a large bird sitting in an elm tree next to the swamp. This bird was definitely not a great gray owl. I got out my binoculars, and got my best view ever of a northern goshawk. It stayed, perched in the same spot, for at least 45 minutes after I got home. What a beautiful bird.
I had a wonderful visit with our neighbors, Dick and Patty, last night. I brought Nina over there after dinner to pick up a unique object for Show and Tell: the bones of an orangutan hand! They had gotten the hand, strung together with wire, from an anthropologist friend. I only meant to stay for a few minutes, but we ended up visiting for over an hour, discussing owls, neighbors, gardens, greenhouses, and Sally the turkey. Sally is a semi-wild turkey who divides her time between our houses.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Almost hit one today
A great gray owl, that is. I was on my way from work to Vincent and Nina's school music program. It had snowed this morning and there was still a bit of slush on the road, enough to make things a bit treacherous. I had seen five great gray owls in a short stretch of the same road earlier in the morning, so I wasn't surprised to see this one perched on a fence post on the right side of the road. But then suddenly it took off, heading straight across the road. With the snow and slush, there was no way I could have hit the brakes without ending up in the ditch. I didn't have time to think anyway. Luckily the owl had gained enough height, or it would have been hit by the bumper. Instead, although it came within six inches of the windshield the owl made it safely across by the width of a feather. I would have been devastated had I killed it. I've killed birds before with the car, and I remember just about every one.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
The way Jesus meant me to live
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a Christian, and whether in fact I am one. While I have no answers, I feel my life is being drawn in a certain direction. And that direction is, simply, to live the way Jesus commanded me to live. To love my neighbor as myself, and my enemy as well. To be concerned with how I treat the downtrodden, for "as you do unto the least of them, so have you done unto me". (Sorry, no Bible scholar here, don't have the Scripture reference in my brain.) So my husband has been buying hay and consequently having good conversations with a pastor/farmer in the area. They believe in starting a farm for those who find themselves homeless, in desperation, to teach them a new life. To produce organically grown, locally grown products, and at the same time teach people that there is an alternative to this spiritless way of life we've been taught to live. Sounds good to me, God give me the strengh to do Your will.
An elegant deduction
I read somewhere today that the great gray owl and northern hawk owl, who normally inhabit areas hear the Arctic circle, are diurnal because, for several months out of the year, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE!!! There is 24 hour sunlight. So they adapt to hunting during daylight hours, or at least the crepuscular hours (before and after sunrise and sunset) because that is the conditions under which they live. Makes perfect sense to me, and it's one of those moments where"jeeze why didn't I think of that!"
Baboon suits
Wouldn't it be fun to make a set of baboon suits for the entire family? I mean, with the blue and white faces and really, really red butts. And we could wear them to the next family gathering, or to Wal Mart...now THAT would be hilarious!!!
My son, the visionary
He is seven years old and already nearly as tall as my shoulders. In second grade, he excels at math. He loves to draw plans and make inventions. He has dreamy brown eyes with long, full eyelashes that I would die for.
Yesterday his class had rehearsal in the school auditorium for their upcoming music program. He informed me that there are 195 seats in the auditorium, this fact determined by counting the number of rows and the number of seats per row.
This morning he pointed out the pattern of rectangles on the bedroom ceiling; there is a row of 8x4 birch panels, then another row approximately 4x4. He said we should paint one of the shorter panels blue with white stars, then paint red and white stripes on two longer panels and one shorter one, then it would look like a United States flag. It reminded me of how I, as a child, would see patterns and pictures in wallpaper, ceiling tiles, stuff like that. Patterns and pictures that were not intentionally part of the design. I remember some of these patterns and pictures vividly when I think of the places or events surrounding them.
The other day, while driving to school and work, I was talking about how the road seemed a lot bumpier than it was before. He immediately said "It's probably because of the big thaw yesterday." A-HA! Thawing and freezing wreak havoc on country asphalt roads.
And, while watching a video that included circus scenes he told me, "There's something about circuses I just don't like". I have held that same feeling since I was a child, but have rarely if ever vocalized it to the kids. He went on to say "Clowns just creep me out!" Yikes! We think too much alike!
Yesterday his class had rehearsal in the school auditorium for their upcoming music program. He informed me that there are 195 seats in the auditorium, this fact determined by counting the number of rows and the number of seats per row.
This morning he pointed out the pattern of rectangles on the bedroom ceiling; there is a row of 8x4 birch panels, then another row approximately 4x4. He said we should paint one of the shorter panels blue with white stars, then paint red and white stripes on two longer panels and one shorter one, then it would look like a United States flag. It reminded me of how I, as a child, would see patterns and pictures in wallpaper, ceiling tiles, stuff like that. Patterns and pictures that were not intentionally part of the design. I remember some of these patterns and pictures vividly when I think of the places or events surrounding them.
The other day, while driving to school and work, I was talking about how the road seemed a lot bumpier than it was before. He immediately said "It's probably because of the big thaw yesterday." A-HA! Thawing and freezing wreak havoc on country asphalt roads.
And, while watching a video that included circus scenes he told me, "There's something about circuses I just don't like". I have held that same feeling since I was a child, but have rarely if ever vocalized it to the kids. He went on to say "Clowns just creep me out!" Yikes! We think too much alike!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Saga of the spruce
The great spruce was part of a grove of towering spruce, white pine and balsam fir that was an important part of our initial attraction to this forty acres of land. The trees were most likely around at the end of the 19th century, a remnant of the great pine forests that once covered this area. The young trees stood next to a small bog, between the main line of the St. Croix Logging Railroad and a small siding. This railroad, used to transport logs to the St. Croix River, where they were floated downstream to mills in Stillwater, was only used for a few years in the 1890's. The grades of these railroads are still visible today and we keep the siding cleared as a trail.
A 1939 aerial photo shows these trees surrounded by open pasture land. Towards the road, a sand and gravel pit is visible, mining the riverine soils deposited by a glacial outwash stream at the end of the last Ice Age. This stream was probably the precursor to Sand Creek. Today one of the best of a limited number of brook trout streams in the area, Sand Creek was ditched and straightened in 1918 or 1919, possibly in an effort to drain swamps for agricultural use.
The great spruce was spared the ravages of the 1894 Hinckley fire, which burned out several miles to the south and west, and the 1918 Moose Lake fire, which reached its limit to the north.
The great spruce was showing signs of aging when we first saw it. Lichens covered much of the trunk and branches. Many of the lower branches were already dead; these were cut close to the trunk to clear space next to the cabin we were building. The remaining knobs, up to a foot or so in length, continue to serve as footholds for adventurous tree climbers.
The fate of the spruce was sealed in 2001 when a strong burst of wind during a thunderstorm knocked the top off about 25 feet up. At this point the trunk was still about 20 inches in diameter; fortunately it did not fall on the cabin. The spruce gradually succumbed to the loss of its main energy-collecting branches.
We were in no hurry to remove the remains of the giant spruce. Branches were cleared, the fallen upper trunk was rolled to the edge of the woods where it remains now, but we marvel as the great spruce in its death continues to give life. Wood boring insects audibly gnaw the layer just below the bark, providing food for woodpeckers. I saw my first ever black backed woodpecker foraging on the spruce; this species is uncommon around here, being a boreal forest native. The canopy of branches, devoid of needles, still provides perches for chickadees, redpolls, pine grosbeaks, goldfinches, and others as they visit our bird feeder just below. And to a six month old kitten, the spruce provides a jungle gym of entertainment. I watched, laughing, the other day as the apparently fearless feline climbed up 25 feet to where the upper trunk broke off. It ventured out to the edges of branches 2 inches in diameter. Finally it crawled back to the main trunk where my son "rescued" it. Back inside, the kitten smelled wonderful. I breathed in its fur the scent of old wood, dried resin, and bark, the gifts to a new generation of life in the endless circle.
A 1939 aerial photo shows these trees surrounded by open pasture land. Towards the road, a sand and gravel pit is visible, mining the riverine soils deposited by a glacial outwash stream at the end of the last Ice Age. This stream was probably the precursor to Sand Creek. Today one of the best of a limited number of brook trout streams in the area, Sand Creek was ditched and straightened in 1918 or 1919, possibly in an effort to drain swamps for agricultural use.
The great spruce was spared the ravages of the 1894 Hinckley fire, which burned out several miles to the south and west, and the 1918 Moose Lake fire, which reached its limit to the north.
The great spruce was showing signs of aging when we first saw it. Lichens covered much of the trunk and branches. Many of the lower branches were already dead; these were cut close to the trunk to clear space next to the cabin we were building. The remaining knobs, up to a foot or so in length, continue to serve as footholds for adventurous tree climbers.
The fate of the spruce was sealed in 2001 when a strong burst of wind during a thunderstorm knocked the top off about 25 feet up. At this point the trunk was still about 20 inches in diameter; fortunately it did not fall on the cabin. The spruce gradually succumbed to the loss of its main energy-collecting branches.
We were in no hurry to remove the remains of the giant spruce. Branches were cleared, the fallen upper trunk was rolled to the edge of the woods where it remains now, but we marvel as the great spruce in its death continues to give life. Wood boring insects audibly gnaw the layer just below the bark, providing food for woodpeckers. I saw my first ever black backed woodpecker foraging on the spruce; this species is uncommon around here, being a boreal forest native. The canopy of branches, devoid of needles, still provides perches for chickadees, redpolls, pine grosbeaks, goldfinches, and others as they visit our bird feeder just below. And to a six month old kitten, the spruce provides a jungle gym of entertainment. I watched, laughing, the other day as the apparently fearless feline climbed up 25 feet to where the upper trunk broke off. It ventured out to the edges of branches 2 inches in diameter. Finally it crawled back to the main trunk where my son "rescued" it. Back inside, the kitten smelled wonderful. I breathed in its fur the scent of old wood, dried resin, and bark, the gifts to a new generation of life in the endless circle.
Monday, March 07, 2005
A beautiful day
Yesterday (Sunday) the temperature got up to 50 degrees here, and it was clear and sunny all day. The first thing I heard when I went outside in the morning was a cardinal singing! Although bird feeders have helped them to expand their range further north, cardinals are still pretty rare at this latitude (just above 46 degrees N).
The great gray owls are still around. Even with the commotion of the kids playing outside about 150 feet away, our "house owl" as we call it was perched in an aspen at the edge of the shrub swamp. When we went for a drive, another owl was near the road on the other side of the creek. Biologists are beginning to speculate that some of them might stay around for the breeding season.
I'm getting the itch to start seeds indoors, although it's a bit early and I don't have any flats or seed starting mix yet. I've been reading Solviva by Anna Edey, and I'm not too far in it but this just might be a life-changing book for me. Three and four year old tomato plants growing indoors with little supplemental heat, producing fruit year round...I could live with that!
The great gray owls are still around. Even with the commotion of the kids playing outside about 150 feet away, our "house owl" as we call it was perched in an aspen at the edge of the shrub swamp. When we went for a drive, another owl was near the road on the other side of the creek. Biologists are beginning to speculate that some of them might stay around for the breeding season.
I'm getting the itch to start seeds indoors, although it's a bit early and I don't have any flats or seed starting mix yet. I've been reading Solviva by Anna Edey, and I'm not too far in it but this just might be a life-changing book for me. Three and four year old tomato plants growing indoors with little supplemental heat, producing fruit year round...I could live with that!
Monday, February 14, 2005
Signs of spring
We got about 6" of new snow overnight, the wet, sticky kind that clings to branches. I woke up and thought "how beautiful!" about the same time my husband said "Damn!" It was a beautiful, although somewhat treacherous, drive to work.
Now to the signs of spring. Pussy willow buds are getting big! They should be completely budded out in a couple weeks.
It was about 45 degrees and sunny on Saturday, wonderful weather to be outdoors with the kids. We went skating on the pond, but the surface was starting to get mushy. I don't know if we'll get any more skating days after this snow.
I went back twice, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, to try to see the northern hawk owl with no luck. I did see eight great grays on my way to work this morning; one was in a tree near our house.
Now to the signs of spring. Pussy willow buds are getting big! They should be completely budded out in a couple weeks.
It was about 45 degrees and sunny on Saturday, wonderful weather to be outdoors with the kids. We went skating on the pond, but the surface was starting to get mushy. I don't know if we'll get any more skating days after this snow.
I went back twice, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, to try to see the northern hawk owl with no luck. I did see eight great grays on my way to work this morning; one was in a tree near our house.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Northern hawk owl
I saw it this morning! Had to drop a car off at the garage in Bruno, so when we were done I persuaded my husband to drive a few miles up to Kerrick where one has been seen regularly. East of town there's a fantastic bog and some nice rolling farmland and mixed conifer/hardwood forest. We located the northern hawl owl in an open field; actually I must give credit to my husband for identifying it first by the way it flew. I didn't get a good close look but I got perhaps the once in a lifetime opportunity to see both a northern hawk owl and great gray owl at the same time! I'll probably go back there this afternoon when we pick up the car, now that I know where to look.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Eight great grays
Eight of them seen on the way home last night; two on the Hinckley road, four on the Askov road, and two right in front of my place!
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Eleven!!! Eleven!!!
Eleven great gray owls on the way home, which totally blows my theory that they've gone further south. Four were on 61 north of Hinckley in the vicinity of the big curve towards Sandstone. The rest were along 30 east of Sandstone (the "churchy way" as Joey calls it, because we go by our small country church enroute) and north on 22. "Our owl" was there perched in a white pine near Sand Creek on the front part of our property, as usual. I also saw one ruffed grouse; grouse are low in number this winter due to the natural fluctuations in their population which seem to go in a seven year cycle. This grouse was so out in the open as to be obvious to me as I was driving along at about 55 mph, in a crabapple or other low shrubby tree eating buds or something.
55 mph is relative; these days I am driving a 1990 Honda Accord from Canada, with nearly 400,000 km on the odometer. I still have trouble converting mph to kmph, although they nicely include mph on the inside of the odometer in small numbers. I think I can drive about 85 kmph and be reasonably within the law here!
I need to brag about Joey (age 3) here; he actually spotted one owl that I would otherwise have missed. He knows how much his mommy get excited seeing owls, and he just wants to help.
Great gray owls are awesome!!!
55 mph is relative; these days I am driving a 1990 Honda Accord from Canada, with nearly 400,000 km on the odometer. I still have trouble converting mph to kmph, although they nicely include mph on the inside of the odometer in small numbers. I think I can drive about 85 kmph and be reasonably within the law here!
I need to brag about Joey (age 3) here; he actually spotted one owl that I would otherwise have missed. He knows how much his mommy get excited seeing owls, and he just wants to help.
Great gray owls are awesome!!!
"Our" owl had breakfast
This morning as I was driving out the driveway, "our" great gray owl was there again. I caught sight of it just as it was landing on a post. Just then I saw it transfer something from its talons to its beak! That got me thinking, the horse pasture probably attracts field mice because of all the spilled grain and seeds from the hay. So it's probably a good place for an owl to hunt for food, and that's why this one stays around here.
I saw two more great gray owls as I was driving to work. Joey (age 3) was in the back seat, and after we saw the second owl he said to me "We need to see a hawk owl!" I guess he's heard me say that a few too many times.
I saw two more great gray owls as I was driving to work. Joey (age 3) was in the back seat, and after we saw the second owl he said to me "We need to see a hawk owl!" I guess he's heard me say that a few too many times.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
another 5 owl day!
Just when I thought they were going away, along with them my luck...I saw 3 great gray owls along county road 32 east of Askov, where I've been lucky to see one lately. And then when I got home, I decided to drive north to the corner of our road, to see if I could see "our" owl, one that's been hanging around the vicinity of our property. Well not only did I see "our" owl, I saw another one, within a half mile! "Our" owl was on a willow at the outlet to the pond, then when it saw me it flew a couple times to various fence posts along the horse pasture, before flying to a small white pine across the pond. I think these owls are getting more savvy to cars, judging by the reactions to them. So this has me wondering, how much does pure chance have to do with bird sightings? It may be worth my time to record my daily sightings, as the "city birders" do not get this rare opportunity.
But I still have not seen my Northern Hawk Owl. argggghhh... but I will.
I did see a bald eagle today on the way to work, just about a mile west of my road along the main road. I'm so used to seeing grat gray owls now, at first I thought it was one. I always pause in awe every time I see an eagle, and think how fortunate I am to live in an area where I can see such wonders daily! I will never see an eagle, or a great gray owl, or for that matter even the smallest chickadee, and not thank the Great Spirit for the gift of such a sighting.
These gifts are what sustains me lately, as I am dealing with frustrating financial issues. I just want to live my simple life, not be bothered with such things, and all of a sudden I'm afraid to even open the mailbox! This too shall pass...repeat ad nauseum and on the way drink a few beers to numb the reality...This too shall pass...
But I still have not seen my Northern Hawk Owl. argggghhh... but I will.
I did see a bald eagle today on the way to work, just about a mile west of my road along the main road. I'm so used to seeing grat gray owls now, at first I thought it was one. I always pause in awe every time I see an eagle, and think how fortunate I am to live in an area where I can see such wonders daily! I will never see an eagle, or a great gray owl, or for that matter even the smallest chickadee, and not thank the Great Spirit for the gift of such a sighting.
These gifts are what sustains me lately, as I am dealing with frustrating financial issues. I just want to live my simple life, not be bothered with such things, and all of a sudden I'm afraid to even open the mailbox! This too shall pass...repeat ad nauseum and on the way drink a few beers to numb the reality...This too shall pass...
Monday, February 07, 2005
What I've been reading
Maybe this should read: "What has been sitting on my nightstand or in my backpack while I try desperately to sneak in a page or two here and there". Reading, and having young kids, a job, and a marriage that needs attention, are not very compatible.
A Reasonable Life, Ferenc Mate. To tell the truth, I almost decided to put it down halfway through the preface. Too depressing, and too close to my own bleak observations of society today. But I persevered, and am getting more certain that I am on the way to living "a simpler, secure, more humane existence". Now if only society would take note.
Tales of Burning Love, Louise Erdrich. This is the only Erdrich novel that I had not read yet, and I'm about halfway through. So far I'm not disappointed, although intrigued and perplexed at times. What I really need is a complete guide to the characters in her novels; they are all interconnected and when a new character is introduced there is usually a connection to someone from another novel, although who or what I just can't remember.
Gardening for All Seasons, The New Alchemy Institute. Although somewhat dated, this is one of the few books I have seen that explores the possibilities of extended season gardening (Yes, I've read Eliot Coleman) and small scale aquaculture.
Where would I be without my local library?
A Reasonable Life, Ferenc Mate. To tell the truth, I almost decided to put it down halfway through the preface. Too depressing, and too close to my own bleak observations of society today. But I persevered, and am getting more certain that I am on the way to living "a simpler, secure, more humane existence". Now if only society would take note.
Tales of Burning Love, Louise Erdrich. This is the only Erdrich novel that I had not read yet, and I'm about halfway through. So far I'm not disappointed, although intrigued and perplexed at times. What I really need is a complete guide to the characters in her novels; they are all interconnected and when a new character is introduced there is usually a connection to someone from another novel, although who or what I just can't remember.
Gardening for All Seasons, The New Alchemy Institute. Although somewhat dated, this is one of the few books I have seen that explores the possibilities of extended season gardening (Yes, I've read Eliot Coleman) and small scale aquaculture.
Where would I be without my local library?
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Sunday afternoon blues
My owl luck seems to have been waning as of late. I think many of the owls I have been seeing in the last two weeks have moved on south. Granted, I'm still seeing 2-3 owls per day, which is more than I could hope for most years, but I've kinda grown accustomed to seeing the magnificent critters every mile or so along our road.
I did an official owl survey yesterday, through the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. Drove a 35 mile route and counted owl sightings. I picked a route based on where I've seen owls before. We made it a family project, with my husband driving and the kids in the back seat. Vincent, age 7, was going to be the official GPS recorder until we found out the batteries were low. Damn! And no, we did not kick back a Gluek Honey Bock or two along the way...although I maintain that drinking while driving is entirely different than driving drunk, which I do not endorse in any way, shape or form. ; ) So how many owls did we see for our trouble? ONE! Along the same route where I saw twelve one day driving home! And still no Northern Hawk Owl. This winter is my big chance, but I guess it's all up to chance. If one happens to be hunting along the road where I am driving, it will be an entry on my life list; if not, so be it. That's the way it happened with the painted bunting two summers ago. THREE MILES from my house, I have a copy of a digital video to prove it, and did I mention that the painted bunting is the reason I'm so crazy about birds in the first place, but did I get to see it up close and personal? No.
But I have been privileged to watch a great gray owl today from mostly inside my own home! The first time I saw it, we were just sitting down to breakfast when I saw a cloud of redpolls and chickadees scatter from the bird feeder, followed by a huge wingspan swooping just over the feeder and off into the big white pines. Later I saw the same pair of wings silently flapping over to the clearing where we are building the new house and gardens. It perched for nearly an hour in an elm tree near the edge of the swamp, then changed perches once or twice before flying off into the tamaracks. I saw it later, perched on a tiny white pine near the side of the road. I did not see it take any prey, although I should walk over to the elm some time and look for pellets. The snow has a hard crust on top after a few days of temperatures above freezing, so I would imagine that would make hunting harder for them.
During the owl survey, well more likely after we had given up hope of breaking the record for most owls seen during a single survey period, we visited the home of Chris Brockman. He has built an Earth ship home that is completely off grid, not too far from my house. It is heated by a wood stove, which he hadn't operated for the last 3 days, and passive solar design with thermal mass from concrete and stone. The thing that I liked most was the smell of stone, of concrete, of earth, upon entering. It was not like a cement block basement at all, it was really cozy. And he had tomato plants in containers, in February, in Minnesota! So now I'm designing my combination greenhouse/garden shed/root cellar along the same lines.
I did an official owl survey yesterday, through the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. Drove a 35 mile route and counted owl sightings. I picked a route based on where I've seen owls before. We made it a family project, with my husband driving and the kids in the back seat. Vincent, age 7, was going to be the official GPS recorder until we found out the batteries were low. Damn! And no, we did not kick back a Gluek Honey Bock or two along the way...although I maintain that drinking while driving is entirely different than driving drunk, which I do not endorse in any way, shape or form. ; ) So how many owls did we see for our trouble? ONE! Along the same route where I saw twelve one day driving home! And still no Northern Hawk Owl. This winter is my big chance, but I guess it's all up to chance. If one happens to be hunting along the road where I am driving, it will be an entry on my life list; if not, so be it. That's the way it happened with the painted bunting two summers ago. THREE MILES from my house, I have a copy of a digital video to prove it, and did I mention that the painted bunting is the reason I'm so crazy about birds in the first place, but did I get to see it up close and personal? No.
But I have been privileged to watch a great gray owl today from mostly inside my own home! The first time I saw it, we were just sitting down to breakfast when I saw a cloud of redpolls and chickadees scatter from the bird feeder, followed by a huge wingspan swooping just over the feeder and off into the big white pines. Later I saw the same pair of wings silently flapping over to the clearing where we are building the new house and gardens. It perched for nearly an hour in an elm tree near the edge of the swamp, then changed perches once or twice before flying off into the tamaracks. I saw it later, perched on a tiny white pine near the side of the road. I did not see it take any prey, although I should walk over to the elm some time and look for pellets. The snow has a hard crust on top after a few days of temperatures above freezing, so I would imagine that would make hunting harder for them.
During the owl survey, well more likely after we had given up hope of breaking the record for most owls seen during a single survey period, we visited the home of Chris Brockman. He has built an Earth ship home that is completely off grid, not too far from my house. It is heated by a wood stove, which he hadn't operated for the last 3 days, and passive solar design with thermal mass from concrete and stone. The thing that I liked most was the smell of stone, of concrete, of earth, upon entering. It was not like a cement block basement at all, it was really cozy. And he had tomato plants in containers, in February, in Minnesota! So now I'm designing my combination greenhouse/garden shed/root cellar along the same lines.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)