November Raptor Run

Although the weather report for today was iffy, we decided to try to get through our Grand Ronde raptor route. It turned out to be a good weather day, only sprinkling off and on, never pouring, with sun breaks and no fog. Happily, every species column was checked except Bald Eagle (which we usually see... don't know where they were hiding today).

It was exciting to find six (distant) White-tailed Kites on the route...

A Rough-legged Hawk...

Plus a Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, two Peregrine Falcons, and lots of Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels.

Here's Johnny scoping kites, harriers, and more...

However, the most exciting finds were a first for our route and they were not birds... they were three bobcat kittens up trees in a private property on our route that we have permission to drive through. A great many crows were loudly unhappy with the cats. I tried to get a photo of all three but only managed two at a time...

I did better with individual photos...

although the third kitty was not as cooperative...

What an exciting happening on our first of the season raptor run. Who knows what the North Santiam route will turn up... if we manage to do it before the end of the week... and month.

November Fast Forward

Johnny left for California to keep the grandkids Kestrel and Cedrus company while their parents went to a QiGong training. Actually, they all went but only Steve and Munazza were trainees. The kids and Johnny just got to eat lots of food that none of them had to cook, canoe, play on trampolines, and read. Plus the kids did a little homework now and then. Such a rough life.

Cedrus also did a little painting. Johnny helped him build an easel to take before they left their home for Wonder Valley.

Canoeing at Wonder Valley

Staged for a photo before Johnny got in the back

On the trampoline

They shared a cottage with good friends who had a baby

Meanwhile, back on the farm, I kept busy with animal chores plus making Christmas wreaths from our grapevines, Mugho pines, Modoc Cypress and English Holly. And a Beached Bird Survey for COASST. And writing my usual monthly humor column for United Caprine News.

Plus monitoring the smoke index in California. The retreat location was mostly out of the smoke zone from the horrendous fires in Northern California, but where they live was right in the middle of the smoke. So I invited them to come up here after their retreat until rains came to wash the smoke out of the air.

And so, for the first time in many years, the California contingent had Thanksgiving here on the farm. On Tuesday instead of Thursday because the smoke cleared on Wednesday and they needed to get home. We made apple cider with the kids and hiked to the river. They got to drive the EZ Go and help with chores. Steve spent most of the time working from his computer as he had missed enough work already.

The kids love Shirley and she loves them. She followed us to the creek

The kids liked this tiny watermelon from our farm.

 While the kids and Johnny made cider, Munazza and I mostly took photos...

First comes washing the apples... Cedrus here

The kids took turns pushing apples through the grinder

... pressing the ground apples to get the juice out...

Sometimes the press rebelled and sent pulp flying everywhere... Here it decorates Johnny...

Then the juice is strained... Munazza taking a video of the operation...

 Next comes pasteurizing...

 Then pouring the pasteurized cider into bottles...

 The bottles with some of the apples that created the cider...

 We had some for Thanksgiving Tuesday and some went home to California.

And here they are all packed and ready to head south. Smoke had cleared at their home.

Now Johnny and I are home alone together, trying to get our two raptor runs done during this last wet week of November. That story next...