Spring seems slow coming despite our relatively mild winter.
This time last year I think we still had snow on the ground, so I am not sure why I am complaining!
The Phoebes came back around their usual time, the beginning of April. Apparently they did not find things to their liking, because they moved up the neighborhood until the last week or so. Now they are back, nest building under the eaves.
The first summer I started building the house, they went right through the framing and built a nest on the top plate under the second floor joist! They have returned every year since. I know spring is finally here when I hear the pee-wee, or kiss-it, call of the phoebe. I miss them when they move on.
We planted peas. I bought a pound of peas seed, and we have planted peas everywhere we can think of, and it does'nt look like we put a dent in that pound of seed! Guess I got a bit carried away. I paid $4.99 PLUS tax for that pound of seed. I couldn't believe they tax food seed now. This state is just getting too much. We pay tax on newspapers now as well.
I have seen daffodils blooming here and there, but ours haven't opened yet. The red maples are just starting to bloom, and the alders have put out their catkins.
We have had a big red fox harassing the geese. He's made two grabs for them. I have a pen to lock them in during the day, but when I let them out in the morning I let them splash in their big puddle and nibble some grass while I am tending the goats. A couple Saturdays ago I let them out and then went back in the house to hang on the internet for awhile, and then I heard their distress call and the dog lept off the couch barking. I looked out the window to see Mr. Fox running across the lawn, so I grabbed the cam and snuck out hoping to get a pic of him.
He skirted the treeline, unaware of me, circled around across the drive when I took a chance to creep closer with the Blazer between us blocking his line of sight-then he made another dash for the geese on the other side of the blazer! I jumped out and he fled through the woods out back, so no pic but the geese are ok!
I say he when referring to the fox, it may be a she, but I suspect it's a big dog fox. They both hunt for the kits, and it is possible there are hungry baby foxes nearby. The foxes come yipping around the house at night-I step out and holler at them to move on, but they are not as skittish as the coyotes. The neighbors must think I am nuts. Still, I know I can be scary because if the cat is up to no good and I yell, "HEY!!!" I scare the pants off the Willow on occasion. LOL
We had a light rain last night and the sun is just coming out. Things had been very dry with extremely high fire danger because things have not greened up much yet. 6 acres of Marsh burned down in Old Orchard beach last week. The old grasses are very dry, and we had big winds to go along with it.
I think I will head outside for the rest of the afternoon The biting insects will be out any day, and that makes playing in the garden a lot less fun. In fact, it is a frequent sight in Maine spring to see folks in their gardens high stepping and waving fist fulls of seed around their heads. It's called, "Doing the Black Fly."
This time last year I think we still had snow on the ground, so I am not sure why I am complaining!
The Phoebes came back around their usual time, the beginning of April. Apparently they did not find things to their liking, because they moved up the neighborhood until the last week or so. Now they are back, nest building under the eaves.
The first summer I started building the house, they went right through the framing and built a nest on the top plate under the second floor joist! They have returned every year since. I know spring is finally here when I hear the pee-wee, or kiss-it, call of the phoebe. I miss them when they move on.
We planted peas. I bought a pound of peas seed, and we have planted peas everywhere we can think of, and it does'nt look like we put a dent in that pound of seed! Guess I got a bit carried away. I paid $4.99 PLUS tax for that pound of seed. I couldn't believe they tax food seed now. This state is just getting too much. We pay tax on newspapers now as well.
I have seen daffodils blooming here and there, but ours haven't opened yet. The red maples are just starting to bloom, and the alders have put out their catkins.
We have had a big red fox harassing the geese. He's made two grabs for them. I have a pen to lock them in during the day, but when I let them out in the morning I let them splash in their big puddle and nibble some grass while I am tending the goats. A couple Saturdays ago I let them out and then went back in the house to hang on the internet for awhile, and then I heard their distress call and the dog lept off the couch barking. I looked out the window to see Mr. Fox running across the lawn, so I grabbed the cam and snuck out hoping to get a pic of him.
He skirted the treeline, unaware of me, circled around across the drive when I took a chance to creep closer with the Blazer between us blocking his line of sight-then he made another dash for the geese on the other side of the blazer! I jumped out and he fled through the woods out back, so no pic but the geese are ok!
I say he when referring to the fox, it may be a she, but I suspect it's a big dog fox. They both hunt for the kits, and it is possible there are hungry baby foxes nearby. The foxes come yipping around the house at night-I step out and holler at them to move on, but they are not as skittish as the coyotes. The neighbors must think I am nuts. Still, I know I can be scary because if the cat is up to no good and I yell, "HEY!!!" I scare the pants off the Willow on occasion. LOL
We had a light rain last night and the sun is just coming out. Things had been very dry with extremely high fire danger because things have not greened up much yet. 6 acres of Marsh burned down in Old Orchard beach last week. The old grasses are very dry, and we had big winds to go along with it.
I think I will head outside for the rest of the afternoon The biting insects will be out any day, and that makes playing in the garden a lot less fun. In fact, it is a frequent sight in Maine spring to see folks in their gardens high stepping and waving fist fulls of seed around their heads. It's called, "Doing the Black Fly."
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