December in Photos

In early December, we had heavy rains. So heavy our "bayou" filled up to overflowing. The flood apparently was a bit much for Matilda, the alligator. Her tail flipped upside down.

 

 

 

 

 

 But eventually,  the rain stopped, water went down, and Matilda was repaired. 

We had many bird surveys to fit into the few dry days. And one CoastWatch survey that is not a bird survey... but naturally, I took photos of birds anyway. A Belted Kingfisher was fishing over the ocean from a tidal rock, something I've never seen before. Johnny saw it kiting over the ocean. Such high hopes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Of course, I had to take a photo of a Black Oystercatcher, who is supposed to be on rocky shorelines, feeding on shellfish.

 

On the way home, we stopped at Gunaldo Falls, our traditional stop. Thanks to all the rain, it was visible through the trees. In the summer, it disappears.

Then came the Upper Nestucca Christmas Bird Count on the Solstice. The weather was decent if you don't mind fog; the Forest Service roads were very good; but the birds were silent and few on this the shortest day of the year. I got no photos of birds. So I took one of a spider web catching the sunlight in a spot that happened to have some.

Here Mary and Johnny trudge up the Forest Service trail in one of our areas that we call Raven Hill. We saw four ravens flying across the top when we got there. That unit seems to be on their flyway. Those were the only ravens we saw all day.

 

With few birds to be seen and none willing to be photographed, I took a photo of a rock wall along the road I was hiking. It was in the sun during one of the rare moments when there was sun.

In spite of the lack of birds in our sector, some of the sectors had plenty and we all (or most of us) got together in the evening for food and stories of the day in a local restaurant in Willamina.   

We have one more Christmas Bird Count to go... that one on New Year's Eve day.  

 

But first will come Christmas Day... with the unwrapping of the beautifully wrapped gifts from Jessica (and family, but she does the wrapping). What else we will do is anyone's guess, since it depends on this completely undependable weather.

Happy Holidaze anyway!

 

Thanksgiving Day

 It seems I have not written a single blog entry in December. That shows how busy this cold and rainy month has been here. When it rained, I made wreaths to send to family and friends... in November and December... until they were finally all distributed or mailed.

 

On Thanksgiving Day (which did not make it into my November in Photos blog post), we were visited by a bobcat in a field surrounded by Johnny's new very high fencing. Friends told me that bobcats are "cats" and fences are things to climb, like trees.

 

Before the bobcat arrived, we had driven up Agency to look for Dippers, our standard holiday excursion. The first thing I saw was this strange and magical structure in the woods alongside the road. It wasn't until we drove back that I saw it from the backside... and realized what it was. I won't spoil the surprise yet.
 

We did finally find a Dipper that consented to having its photo taken.

All along the way there were Bald Eagles perched near Agency Creek.                                  

 

When we looked down over one bridge, we discovered why. The tribe gets spawned-out salmon from hatcheries and throws the dead fish into the creek wherever there is a bridge to throw from. The eagles come for salmon dinners. But enough of the carcass escapes into the water to help replenish the nutrients needed to support salmon fry.

 

Here Johnny looks for Dippers off Asinine Bridge, so named because as you may be able to tell by the curve around the cliff on the left, beyond Johnny, the bridge was built in reverse to the curve of the cliffs so it had to blast the cliff out of the way as it made an S to get over the creek. Someone read their blueprints wrong, if they had any.

 

An adult Bald Eagle is up high with a juvenile lower, maybe digesting eagle remains.

 

Johnny wore out while I was hiking and took a little rest by the road.

 

One of the many small waterfalls on Agency Creek.

 

...And "The Chutes" where the water squeezes through a narrow passageway...

 

On the way back home, we stopped at the strange structure I'd seen on the way up. I got out to take photos and get closer. Believe it or not, it was the roots of a tree that had fallen. I prefer to think of it as a woodland fairy home.

 

  And then we drove home and shortly after, saw the bobcat. I went out to take a photo. It did not see me or if it did, it paid no mind. But when I looked away and looked back, it was gone. It must have gone over the fence in that few seconds as it was no longer in the field. 

                                                          A magical Thanksgiving Day.

One Week in November

For once, I have no photos of this past exhausting week. Instead I'll copy excerpts of what I sent to a friend in explanation for my long silence...

Sorry we missed the Art Tour. Ian and Kellin had only that weekend to visit. Ian had not been here for a year... not since Johnny's bday in January last year. He is very busy with school and job. I had hoped to take them to the Art Tour... Kellin is an artist. But to my surprise they arrived Friday with Kevin! Turns out it was a surprise birthday/thanksgiving weekend. They brought a ton of food: some desserts from Jessica and a huge turkey with all the trimmings. They cooked spaghetti Friday night and then the turkey dinner on Saturday. We have lots of food frozen from all the leftovers. It was great to see them all. They left Sunday morning to drive back home. 

(I did take photos when Kevin and Ian were here so will insert those in this blog post...)

Monday we drove to Gates to pick up 2 1/2 tons of hay from friends who bought Mom and Dad's ranch. We did not get enough hay put up this dry summer to last the winter. We had no trouble getting there and back home in Dad's pickup pulling the flatbed trailer he had built. Tuesday we unloaded the hay into the shed behind the shop where we store the horse hay now. That was a chore as the bales weigh 85# each. All I can do is roll them to the open door and push them in to Johnny. But we did it.

Wednesday it still wasn't raining here but looked iffy in Gates so we did our Grand Ronde Raptor survey. 

(I took photos on the survey so will insert a couple here...)

 

 We had another 2 1/2 tons of hay to pick up in Gates when the weather looked safe. It did on Thursday so we went up and they loaded the hay onto Dad's trailer. All went well until we were at the stop light on 22 by I5. One tank of gas ran out so Johnny switched to the other tank but the pickup would not start, and no lights or anything else worked. We could not get out because we were in the middle lane with cars whizzing past on both sides of us. I called our insurance company but they were out to lunch or something so I called 911. Very nice lady took all the info and called the police. Eventually a trooper arrived, assessed the situation, directed traffic around us (although I think by that time everyone had figured out we weren't able to go anywhere) and called a towing company. Two tow trucks arrived. One pulled our truck onto his bed, the other hooked to our hay trailer and both went to the towing company yard by the airport. Then came a very long wait while the nice lady at the towing company negotiated with our insurance company (State Farm) and finally got the go ahead to have us towed home. So both tow trucks got us and our pickup and trailer with hay back home. Long, stressful day.

Still nice weather on Friday so we unloaded the 60 bales into the loft of the goat barn... with great difficulty. I waltzed the bales to the hay elevator (hope you can visualize what I mean) and Johnny had a wheeled gizmo that the bales dropped onto and he wheeled to where he stacked them no more than 2 high because they are so blessed heavy!

Today, as you know, Johnny went to town to do errands. I stayed home to do chores, clear a fence-line to keep our blasted dog where she belongs, washed my hair and fell asleep in my chair... was still asleep when Johnny got home. I woke up in time to do chores and eat supper. And now I'm going to bed.

So that's what our life has been like recently. Hope it settles down now.  ...... I figure my back will recover in a week or so. I'm still not back up to 100# and wrestling 85+ pound bales was a bit much. But we did it!

Looked like from the papers that the art show was a great success. Sorry I missed it.

Linda 

 

November in Photos

The trees have finally turned color and the farm is lovely when the sun comes out. Or at least when it's not raining. It is oddly warm, however, and I worry that the plants will think it's spring and start growing, only to be zapped when a seasonally appropriate cold spell hits. But, for now, the colors are wonderful...

 

October in Photos

 October is almost gone and I have not written a single blog post. It's harvest season. Johnny has made lots of cider. I've canned ugly tomatoes and lots of pears. Halloween approaches and here is what it looks like on the farm... and at Huddleston Pond...

A Giant Pacific Salamander appeared in the orchard one morning. It was about a foot long.

Here's the salamander

And here's the foot

One fine day I birded Huddleston Pond in Willamina with a new birding friend...

Green Heron and fall colors

Green Heron up close

Pied-billed Grebe

 

 As Halloween approached, so did the local ghosts and bats...

 

The lawn llama dressed for the pumpkin and witch season....

 

 

                                     HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

 

 

 

Build It and They Will Come

 Well, we built a bayou and one swamp critter came. What's next, I wonder?