01.25.2026 Preparing for a Big Storm

 All week we have been alerted to a major storm across the country, not just New England. It is advertised as the first major snowstorm in years. Admittedly, we have had relatively little snow these past several years, so I have been remiss in how thorough I shovel. The idea of one to two feet had me outside shoveling wide and far to make room for more snow!

It has been bitter cold - down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the mornings. Heavy clothes are the fashion now for all of us. There is no real relief in sight from the cold for today, so the boys and I are preparing for a "long winter's night"! There are a lot of preparation chores to be completed - gas in the car, car moved to inside the gate, water in all of the water bottles and buckets in case of a power outage, nonperishable food for all of us, batteries for flashlights and battery-operated candles. I think we are ready. We even filled up the bird feeders and hung two packages of suet so our feathered friends and a squirrel or two will be able to have some food. 

A handsome blue jay. They can be aggressive towards the smaller birds, but today they are all at the feeders together.

A bit shy, as soon as he realized the camera was in the doorway he was off.

It is hard to have the dogs go outside in this bitter cold weather. It is just as hard for me to go out there and pick up after them! But we must, so we do!

Gunnarr and Shorty are all bundled up in a sweater and wool overcoats. A bit hesitant to move off the porch, they do run after a little encouragement.

 

Gunnarr gets colder first but he didn't seem to mind today. Maybe he is just getting used to the cold weather. Shorty on the other hand does not seem to mind the cold weather, but of course he is wearing a thick fur coat!

 

 

We have new neighbors and so Gunnarr and Shorty often greet them whenever they are also outside. Fences make good neighbors, so they do not have to worry about a direct visit, just a greeting.

A quick pose on the porch. 

They both are good sports for the camera.

My precious and spirited Fionnegan would have loved playing in the snow with them. And he looked so cute in his winter outfits, even if I had to chase him around the house to get him dressed! Both Gunnarr and Shorty still miss him so very much. And so do I. Not a day goes by when I do not think about him and the fun times we had and the joy he brought to our household. He is forever in our hearts.

Until next time, please stay safe and warm. And I hope you may weather this storm without any troubles..........

06/11/2022 50! A milestone in my USA travel.

 At long last, I have now been in all 50 states of these United States of America. It took over 30 years to get this last one - North Dakota - and well worth the wait. I have been very fortunate and greatly appreciate the opportunities to travel, whether for work or recreation. 

I had gone on a bird watching tour and it was a great experience. It was a small group with some very expert birders, so there was a lot for me to learn and absorb from this group. The trip started in Minneapolis, Minnesota and extended into western Wisconsin, the western shore of Lake Superior and Duluth and then a cross through upper Minnesota into North Dakota. If you cross the state line 4 times, does that mean I have been to North Dakota four times?!

The trip did start on a hectic note with several flights cancelled and my flight delayed by over an hour. That cut it so very close to make the connection, which was boarding while we were landing in our connecting flight. A good test of nerves. But I made it and more impressive, so did my luggage.

Did you know the mighty Mississippi River has its origins in Lake Itasca, a small glacial lake approximately 1.8 square miles in area? The lake is notable for being the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and is located in southeastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north central Minnesota. We drove past it, but our tour guide was not too interested in seeing the lake itself. We saw the remarkable change in the wide fast-moving river to a very small stream as we drove north.

It was good to get out of the office and work and stretch my legs on a few hikes. Days start early - if you want to see the little warblers you must be ready to roll by 5 AM. So, this was a vacation without much sleep. But then that is what the plane ride home is all about - right?

Here are a few bird pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

Nelson's warbler.

American bittern. You have to look closely to see this camouflaged bird.

Ruddy duck. Not the clearest picture as it was taken through a window with the van motor running. But he is a handsome duck so I am including him in this blog.

Nesting Western Grebes. They were nesting on one of many ponds in North Dakota. 

Turtles and eggs. Just checking to see if you are paying attention! No birds in this picture!

Can you find the piping plover eggs in the middle of this road?

Female crackle with insect in bill. A very common bird but this was one of the few days we had blue skies. Most of the trip was done in the rain or with heavy winds or substantial cloud cover. I could not resist the opportunity for a bird in clear view with blues skies!

Gray partridge hiding in the grasses.

A handsome grey owl. Look at the claws under her feathers.

We were fortunate to see a pair sitting on one tree branch. This picture gives a good view of the back of one of the owls.

The owl on the far end of the branch flew to another tree and was partially obscured.  I do like this picture of his eye visible as he is peering at us. He is telling us he can still see us even if he is rather hidden in the trees.

Here she is in all her glory. A gorgeous grey owl, very accommodating to the viewing eyes of us birders.

Philadelphia warbler.

Baird's sparrow.

Pied billed grebe.

He, too, is a handsome waterfowl.

Closer views of the partridge. Also a handsome bird.

It was a great trip and I added many birds to my life list. My list is really incomplete as I lost the original one with over 300 birds on it. But this is a chance for me to add some previously viewed birds. 

One day I would like to take a photographic birding trip so I can learn some techniques for photographing birds. These photographs are mostly hit or miss as we walk or take them through the van windows, and I feel lucky to have a couple of nice ones. I hope you enjoy them!

And of course, the boys missed me. Fionnegan is recovering well from Lyme disease and Gunnarr will have his operation for bladder stones in just over a week. Shorty is watching over everyone!

The gardens are beautiful and the peonies were just blooming when I came back home.

One pink rose that just started growing in the yard last year. It will bloom once.

Pink Mountain Laurel.

White Mountain Laurel.

The irises were gorgeous. And they proved to be the protective home of a momma rabbit and her two bunnies. O what fun the boys are having when they pick up their scents in the garden. I am cheering for the bunnies to stay just a few hops ahead of the dogs. So I make a lot of noise to warn the bunnies to run before the dogs are let out. They seem to know to run through the fence, yet they keep coming back to sleep in one garden in particular. Dumb bunnies!

Mock orange blossoms are sweet smelling.

I do hope you all are well and enjoy these photographs. Will try to post more often as I have time. Shorty needs to write his blog and he has a few stories to tell. But now they want to go to sleep upstairs.

To be continued..............

02/09/2020 February

As I was outside yesterday with the boys I couldn't help but notice how nice it was. Yes, it was cold and windy. Really cold. But the sun was reflecting on the snow and the sky was clear and blue and you can just feel Spring in the air. I really like February. I was thinking it may not be my favorite month, as I like flowers in the gardens in the Spring, but it is a month I really enjoy.

In February you can feel the days are getting longer. When I was a surgical resident I learned how to cross country ski in February and that is when I first appreciate the true beauty of the month.  I remember the fields were open and snow covered and the sky was huge, clear and blue. Cold yes, but if you bundle up enough, it doesn't matter. It was simply beautiful.

So this morning we again spent some time outside in the sunshine, even though it is below freezing. I like watching the boys run and play in the snow, the squirrels are getting frisky and we have many, many birds at the feeders. My pair of bluebirds are still here feeding at the suet feeders. Shorty never ceases to amaze - my Yapese dog loves the cold weather. He likes to keep and eye on all activity outdoors. But he missed the deer crossing at the fence the other night. Saw my friend Bucky Deerburgher crossing into my yard, so I stopped the car to let him cross the road and just watch him run through the woods. So graceful, so beauty, so much a rodent with antlers. Hope he doesn't eat too many of my plants and shrubs.

Yes, I heard the news this morning. Three winter storms coming up this week alone. You say - let's hear what you have to say about February at the end of the week. But when it snows in February I shovel only the width of pathways and driveway as necessary. After all, March is coming soon and the snow will melt! No need to over shovel!

Blue skies and sunshine and a little snow in the backyard woods.









Gunnarr and Fionnegan in their new sweaters.

 

Shorty. Found him a tribal sweater, thought it worked for a dog from village in Yap!



 


Happiness is a journey. May you all find happiness in your lives in all that you do.

Until next time................

05.27.19 Memorial Day - Decoration Day

This weekend is commonly known as the unofficial first day of summer. But in the USA, it is much more than that. It is celebrated as Memorial Day, previously called Decoration Day, a day to celebrate and honor the lives of those men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Services. Many will take fresh flowers and flags to the gravesites, there are ceremonies and tributes and parades to honor those who had fallen so that we may enjoy our many, many freedoms. And with all of these freedoms come responsibilities - a fact not to be ignored.

It was really good to have the weekend off. Not often do I have so many days back to back where I can wake up without an alarm. Even my boys slept late, too. While doing a bit of yard work, I found 16 pink lady slippers in my woods. They are gorgeous. In the past I had noticed one or two, but never so many in  my yard. Being very careful not to step on one, I did get a few pictures.

Also in my yard, fairly close to the house, was a huge bone dropped by some animal (coyote? or hawk?). It looks like a femur and has a circumference greater than what I can circle with my fingers. The marrow was gone, probably by rodents. But I am very curious why it was on my walkway! We heard the coyotes at midnight - the entire pack ranging from pups to adults howling! It was all I could do to keep the dogs quiet. Maybe they dropped off a snack!



The weather was perfect, so I took advantage of this treat and did a lot of yard work, gardening and cleaning the decks and porches. The house does look nice with new flowers planted in the flower boxes and everything clean.

Also went to Plum Island, one of my favorite places in Massachusetts. I eased the guilty feeling of leaving the boys at home by taking them for a walks in two of their favorite parks. They are good for about two hours of walking then they are beat. Yes, they do sleep well at night!

Plum Island was beautiful. I love the sea and the feeling of just walking along the beach. Much of Parker Wildlife Refuge is closed to people because the plovers are nesting, but the state park is open as well as all of the refuge not accessible to the ocean and beach. So bird watching it was and I saw my eagle. It passed quickly and I was driving, so no pictures. But the chance to see an eagle was one of the reasons for going there. Saw some common birds and watched a few males performing their enticing mating rituals. Observing bird behavior, as well as any animal and human behaviour, has always fascinated me.

Here are a few pictures from this gorgeous day.

Perfect beach day, not too many people on this small beach.



A single mute swan. I wonder if she was lonely.

Two photographs of a tern diving into the water fishing and surfacing. He was fishing, but no fish caught in this present dive.

 

A male red winged blackbird was trying to impress the female. She was not too impressed so he persisted in his displays.





Look in the far right lower corner to see the female. She wasn't even watching him but we did and he was fascinating putting on a mating display show!



Pretty little song sparrow, singing in the bush.



Mallard duck quacking as he flies! Vibrant colored feathers, they are always a delight to watch. I also have a few in Heron Pond, close to my house.






Eastern kingbird seen while walking. He also followed the car for quite some distance, perching on roadside branches, so we frequently stooped to watch him.



Not too many seagulls today, but he was quite willing for a photograph or two. Watching us watching him!
 

My favorite bird to observe was the semipalmated plover. He was feeding and moving right along without too much concern about us walking nearby.

 



There were a few more birds we observed including scaups, grebes, killdeer, robins, herons and egrets, and we also heard and quickly saw many warblers - names unknown as they quickly flew past us!

After a nice late lunch of ice cream and a shared lobster roll (in that order) at Bob Lobster along the road to Newburyport, it was time to head home. A wonderful holiday weekend, one for the memories.

Once home it seemed the boys didn't mind that I left them. They are always happy to see me, even when it is bath time! So baths for the boys, a cup of tea for Momma Bear, and a nice end to the day.



Gunnarr watching me through the fence while I photographed the lady slippers. He follows me everywhere.



Fionnegan being a adorable as always, before the bath. He is a little more independent minded, but always within site.

Shorty, grooming his paws. He keeps them trimmed for me. Good boy!

Until next time...……..

May your days be many and your troubles be few. And may all God's blessings descend upon you.