Mostly Photos...

We've been working a lot lately...  Bill's working on building a new road.  

Now they are hauling old asphalt to build a road bed, but eventually there will be a new culvert, a new gravel road....  and a new way to access the old Weapons Storage Area.

I seldom go into the area while they are working....  too much big equipment and it's too easy to get in their way.  But the other evening I drove up... had to laugh when I saw where Bill had left the excavator.  Made me think of a kid with his Tonka toys....

I was giving a tour yesterday, and of course, always hope to see some wildlife.  As it happened, the woman was interested in bears...  even been to a bear study some place in Minnesota and got to hold a baby bear in the den during the winter months (mama bear was either asleep or tranquilized).

This little guy obliged us by wandering through a field fairly close to our truck.  I might add, that the field is also fairly close to our motorhome...  I think we had some bear activity in our yard during the daylight hours recently.  I now have a game camera set up to view our bird feeders.

Bill & I were doing some trail maintenance yesterday...  one trail goes through some rather dense woods...

 I caught sight of this Hermit Thrush....

We hear the Hermit Thrush and the Veery all the time...  and the Wood Thrush, my favorite, is here, but I've not heard it yet.

A lot of folks think they're seeing a Monarch Butterfly when they see this guy...

The Viceroy Butterfly is quite clever...

Birds don't eat the Monarch because it's noxious....  the Viceroy is so similar in color and design that birds leave it alone.  

 The Purple Finch has been visiting the feeders quite often...

 It truly is this gorgeous color...  looks like it's been dipped in a lovely wine...

I've been seeing Mama Moose and her twin calves fairly often...

 This is a Game Camera photo...

Not very clear, but shows that the little guys are growing and look healthy.

I got lucky the other morning...  

 Just happened along as these Hooded Merganzers were leaving their nest...

There were at least 4 in this Wood Duck Nesting Box....  (Merganzers use them as well as the wood ducks, but they are designed to accommodate the wood duck).....  Anyway, they looked fairly large to be leaving that box for the first time...  I think that may have been where there hatched.  I've seen photos of tiny little guys popping out that hole and sliding down the box into the water (there is actually a little ladder built inside to help them get a toe hold)....  Whatever...  I watched 3 leave and one stay on top.

It gets into the 40's at night...  

 Looks like ice, but is really just the sun shining on the dew covered trees.  The sun comes up around 4am here...  it's lovely to see it light up the land!

Another photo of Mama Moose and her twin calves...

 I saw them at Dilemma Pond ....  and obviously, they saw me.

Also at Dilemma Pond, the Flags are blooming...

 My Mom called Irises "Flags"....

These are very much like the ones she had...  not the huge showy Irises that folks grow in their gardens, but slender, almost delicate flowers.  So Beautiful!

When I was mowing on Thursday I saw a commotion in the trees alongside the road...

 At first I thought it was a goshawk that swooped across and through the trees...  

But soon realized that it was a Cooper's Hawk...  and the neighborhood wasn't pleased that he came for a visit.  

I have seen the Bull Moose quite a few times and his antlers are growing to be big paddles.  I will have to feature him soon.  Not only are his antlers getting large, he's shed that ratty-looking coat and now is sporting deep brown hair.  

I simply am not able to get on the internet everyday...  I am so far behind on reading my friends blogs..  and when I am able, I'm seldom able to comment as I get knocked off-line.  So, I'll catch up when I can...  I try to read your blogs even if I can't comment.  we do finally have a phone land-line, and while we bought some cell phones that supposedly have service here, it's still very "iffy". We've been here one month already...  guess I can live with it for a couple more.  But for now....

This is...

The End

That's All For Today!