Who Let the Dogs Out???!!!

I just returned from my a.m. walk. The grass, having received a small shower, was completely wet. So, it gave me a chance to step softly and wait patiently for what might be seen by going slowly and silently. Or so I thought.


Overhead, I was surprised that my gentle presence had startled a pair of Wood Ducks. They circled, having lifted off the pond, but their alarm whistles didn’t seem to raise concern for anything else, as they winged by me. Wood Ducks usually nest in trees above the pond (but sometimes on the forest floor tucked way back into the brush); and when flight time for the ducklings is deemed appropriate, the parents push them out of the nest (or they jump) onto the surface of the water below. It’s quite a delightful thing to watch.


As I crept up toward the gate to the pond pasture, carefully looking in all directions, way down the hill, in the grass I saw a slight movement and stopped. Adjusting my sight (bifocals)(had unfortunately left binoculars home),  it was possible to discern the shape of a nesting turkey tucked back under the Tartarian Honeysuckle. In the process of carefully putting my body into reverse so as not to disturb her, my ears were accosted with the unnerving howl of what, locally, is called a “Rabbit Beagle.” Actually, it’s also a Turkey Poult Beagle, a Bobwhite Beagle, a Whipporwill Beagle, and a Pest Beagle.


And yes, we, too, have inquisitive Border Collies. But we don’t turn them loose on the world, and , by golly, when we say “Sit,” they sit. When we say, “Let go,” it means stop whatever you are doing and come, “To me.” And when we hike about the farm during this time of year, they are ON THE HEEL or ON A LEAD.


People who say to me, “Oh, we have a XXX (dog), but he really needs “room to run” have no regard for the destruction their beloved pets do as they plunge through spring.


It’s the animal equivalent of clear-cutting! Nothing nesting on the ground survives a dog’s curiosity! I do not mince my words here: letting dogs do as they please, undisciplined in the spring (or ANY time for that matter!) simply curbs or eliminates the chances for seeing wildlife and the chances that wildlife will want to nest at all on such a property..

That said, we did take the Border Collies to the pond the other evening with friends. And yes, they romped and played and swam and did what dogs do: made a lot of noise, crashed through the brush and made general pests of themselves! But we were on a trail that we take often and predictably. Wildlife have been conditioned to that behavior on our part. It’s the trail we always use. Occasionally, as we made our way to the pond, I would call the dogs up and make them heel for awhile, letting them know who was in charge. Point being: they are under control. Also, even in their swim, all activity was at the closeby shore, not at the back of the pond, where their destructive force could harm nesters..


Turning a dog loose on the land, to “let it run” anywhere it wants, is unacceptable. Further, not keeping the pet up in its own home/yard at the end of supervised playtime, is also unacceptable. “Letting a dog run” should only be done when (1) the master has complete control, even at a distance, and with (2) in open fields where the dog can be watched/seen. Even there, Meadowlarks nest in open pastures, so “running” isn’t the best idea. The dog should never be allowed to burrow into potential nesting habitat, especially during this time of year. Cats, too, can wreak havoc on bird nests. Feral cats are a problem on farms, out here JOTOLR. While they can usually make a good living cleaning up all the rodents of one kind or another, , they also make meals off of songbird babies.

So, if I have ruined your day, I’m sorry! But every time a vagrant “Rabbit Beagle” croons out here JOTOLR, in our woods, I know it’s on the loose, unsupervised.. This time of year, it signals a pillaged nest of one kind or another and the master’s nowhere around.


Seems to me if we want to have a positive affect on conservation, it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of both wildlife and our own domestic pets.

The Nose Knows

Aaaahhhhh!

When I step outside, the fragrance is enough to knock you down! We have lilacs just to the west of our 360-degree wraparound porch. And they’re in BLOOM! We aren’t talking lower-case bloom. We’re saying IN BLOOM!!! Their scent is beyond words!   I brought some inside for a nose treat.


But there are other blossoms that reward the nose, as well. The creeping flocks, for example. The visual impact is startling with its intensity, and then to have fragrance, as well, makes it doubly appreciated. Scent is one of the tools the plant uses to attract insects for pollination/reproduction. We humans simply enjoy the by-product of the process.


Nosegays, tussie-mussies, and the art of perfumery could take up an entire book (and many have been written) but suffice it to say that masking unpleasant odors, using combinations of herbs, incense, flowers, and bark (natural oils of one kind or another) was a business as early as 4000 years ago, and it has continued through the ages in one form or another. Some of the earliest perfumeries were located in Cyprus, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, as well as in Rome and Greece.


Tussie-mussies and nosegays were used by both men and women throughout several centuries well up into the 1800’s as defense against the shockingly odiferous outdoor circumstances of open sewers and crowded conditions. Body washes and deodorants are 20th Century inventions. Fragrant herbs were strewn on castle floors atop the bones and other discards from banquets to cover what must have been major assaults on noses.


Here are a couple of websites you might find interesting :
Perfume

and, for information about nosegays and tussie-mussies, and “Talking Bouquets, the language of flowers,” try this:

Talking Bouquets


Finally, while some flowers have no apparent scent, their charm is undeniable. Who needs scent when a clever design greets the eye. After all, just looking at this Bleeding Heart with its little secret pouch, never fails to make me say, “Aaaaaahhhhh.”

Skyscapes

I know. There’s no such word as “skyscape.” But, as far as I’m concerned…there should be! Just as with a “land” scape or a “sea” scape….there’s a whole world made from combinations of clouds and light.

When I was little, I loved to lie on my back and watch clouds as they rolled and roiled overhead. Often I would imagine the changing shapes to be animals as the clouds billowed and re-formed. What I saw overhead through my child’s eyes was an ever-changing menagerie.

I’ve always thought the clouds that form over the Appalachians are some of the most beautiful anywhere. Throughout the summer, as we wait for approaching thunderstorms, watching them build into towering cumulus mountains, we see the beautiful--awesome-- forces of the natural world. Sometimes the clouds are quite ominous-looking, with winds aloft that are fierce.

Other times, they are tufts of torn-off vapors that travel lightly, mere feathers against the blue bowl overhead.

Skyscapes are often used to suggest beautiful worlds beyond. Indeed as the Hubble Telescope has penetrated the farthest reaches of our universe and beyond, we begin to see skycapes we’ve never known existed. We are now able to experience the wonder of unexplored galaxies, even universes , through powerful lenses that capture the dramatic and breathtaking grandeur of “worlds beyond.”

 Today's photos are  linked only by the thread of their being more “skyscape” than "land"scapes."  They represent only a few of the myriad moods of my outdoor world, out here Just Off the One-Lane Road.

BUTTER fly?

One of the best yard decorations of the year has arrived!  Butterflies.  Maybe the swallowtails have been here all along.  Do all butterflies migrate?  Or do some overwinter here and hatch in the Spring?

There are over 180,000 species of butterfly!  Over 11,000 in the U. S., alone and 10,000 in Australia. (When we lived in Cairns, Australia, I was amazed at not only the variety, but the size.  They were HUGE!  And with gaudy colors of every hue.  I still have one which I found in the Outback on the road. It's royal blue with black margins and still, after all these 39 years, tucked into my Australian scrapbook, it retains its unimaginable iridescence.)

And, to my European friends, you have so many I don't recognize!  Let's compare our prettiest ones over the summer!  I'd like to locate a butterfly migratory map somewhere.  If anyone knows of such, please advise!

I've always wondered how the butterfly got it’s name. Haven't you?  Did some rural dweller believe it was attacted to butter? Did it eat butter? It seems we are left to speculate as there appear to be scant records for the appellation. Wikipedia proposes color played the main role in linguistically deciding that this lovely insect, with its scaled wings (scales provide the color) was most often yellow (or variations of yellow) and it “flitted” or “flew” from flower to flower. The Old English word for fly is “fleoge” as in “fledge.” So with the “buttor” color most prominent, plus the “flying” behavior, we have arrived at buttorfleoge or butterfly.


Here’s hoping you’re off to a delightful weekend! The weather service has issued an exceptionally high fire danger warning here in the Appalachians, so be very, very careful! We are still over the normal amount of rainfall for the year here so far, but with anticipated winds of 30 mph, humidity will be diminshed and wildfires are possible.  So, take care, and put off any burning!

Thank you all for visiting this past week! I’ve enjoyed you so much!  Your comments are  nourishing, your interests so diverse, your knowledge incomparable, and your friendship's a treasure! 

See you next week!  (Where did this week go?!)

When Is A Weed Not A Weed?

And just what is a “weed," anyway? It seems cruel to dig up a dandelion in full bloom. It’s like turning the lights out on a beautiful day! It’s just as vibrant, just as joyful in its own way, as say this azalea, isn’t it? Just because it grew voluntarily, with no fertilizer, no special care from me, and puts its sunny face right out there, risking being stepped on by all manner of clumsy, insensitive clods, doesn’t mean I should abuse it further and decline its beauty simply because it wasn’t planned and pampered by me.
No, indeed. Our yard right now is FULL of those very DANDY LIONs. I LOVE them! It makes me focus on the simple things, the things that come my way totally by accident, that color my world, ask for nothing, and humble me with their beauty. They invite me to their potluck celebration, and I didn’t have to bring anything!

Of course the Azalea is a WOW! But have you seen the wild ones that come a little later, that have tucked themselves back in the woods where they’re rarely seen? The orange ones are breathtaking, to be sure! Same with the pink ones. And the Mountain Laurel will soon be visible again, too. Are they weeds?

All are volunteers! No work to cultivate them! They pop out unexpectedly, bringing inner sun to the floor of the woods.


And, of course, who could forget the redbuds that are in bloom all across the Appalachians right now? What a splash they make! No one would call a redbud a weed! Yet, it, too, is a volunteer that creates its own space and asks for nothing.

And the Ajuga...well, it does get a little rambunctious in terms of numbers, doesn't it...but who really cares?  What's wrong with a little more color than one had originally anticipated?  As long as the spaces are taken up by something! 

Then again, just what IS a weed? It seems to me we need to study on this question. Maybe we need an attitude adjustment. Are there any weeds? Truly? Not in my yard! Every flower is welcome. I refuse to deny any. Besides, how interesting or beautiful is a vast expanse of green, blemish-free lawn? Not to mention how much weedkiller it takes to stamp out all these so-called weeds? Oh…and how much gasoline does it take to keep mowing them all summer long? Is it really a “weedy” lawn…or is it a carpet of free flowers, each with unique and special qualities? Where does one draw the line?

Sounds of the Country

Most of the time out here JOTOLR it’s very, very quiet. Quiet, that is, except for the intriguing sounds that emanate from our friends in the animal and bird worlds.


This time of year, the progression of unfolding springtime yields the joy of familiar sounds that mark our year. Of course, it begins with various birds declaring territory (and you thought they were simply celebrating, didn’t you!) Indeed, those males whose song is most appealing get the pick of the females seeking to nest. We humans reap the benefits of their courtship as we are treated to a vast symphonic presentation of love declarations. Once a year, the full throat of joy rings loudly throughout the forest canopy.  One cannot help but smile!


There are the usual and commonly anticipated voices of the titmouse, the cardinal, the song sparrow, the robin, the mockingbird, the blue jay, and others. We expect to hear these males every year. On the other hand, I wait for and then celebrate the song of the wood thrush that warbles into the depths of the close-by woods of newly leaved maples and locusts. The pileated woodpecker’s percussion announces its choice for a nesting location even though I cannot see the bird itself. The towhee is also among our anticipated guests.


Strangely, the wren’s call is not among the birdsongs this year. I must assume that this past harsh winter claimed that voice. The vacancy won’t last, however. I’m quite sure we’ll have an intrepid pair sometime again soon. They will nest at least twice, if not three times each year. Busy little beavers that they are!

Annually, though,  I wait with some trepidation,  wondering if I will ever hear the plaintive call of the whippoorwill again,  whose voice has been sparse and diminishing these past few years; same with the bobwhite, the scarlet tanager, the Baltimore oriole, the killdeer. Many of the sounds grow fainter and less numerous as pollution and habitat destruction impose their might..


Already, I’ve caught the echo of the wild turkey tom, gobbling furiously in our woods, looking for those three hens I saw earlier this month.


And the bullfrog populations are in full throat, now. They are a study all by themselves and I’ll wait for another day to dig into it. Meanwhile, there’s a wonderful website All About Frogs that you should visit for all sorts of information, some weird, some just interesting. It’s well worth a few moments. I thought the following had particularly resonance:

What sound does a frog make in YOUR language? Here is a list of some of the different ways people think frogs sound around the world!


Afrikaans: kwaak-kwaak
Arabic (Algeria): gar gar
Catalan: cru�-cru�
Chinese (Mandarin): guo guo
Dutch: kwak kwak
English (USA): ribbit
English (GB): croak
Finnish: kvak kvak
French: coa-coa
German: quaak, quaak
Hebrew: kwa kwa
Hungarian: bre-ke-ke
Italian: cra cra
Japanese: kerokero
Korean: gae-gool-gae-gool
Russian: kva-kva
Spanish (Spain): cru�-cru�
Spanish (Argentina): berp
Spanish (Peru): croac, croac
Swedish: kvack
Thai: ob ob (with high tone)
Turkish: vrak vrak
Ukrainian: kwa-kwa

Before reading the (above) list, I'd never even thought about the sound interpretations in other languages, ego centrist that I must be! 
Sun up to sun down, the crescendo is building out here JOTOLR. It's definitely not quiet.  That's for sure!


Oh...by the way, if you’d like to begin a hobby of watching birds and being able to identify their distinctive calls, take a keystroke over to Amazon and order yourself a good guide which includes not only good visual ID tools such as markings, migratory routes, etc. but also a CD that lets you hear the birds and identify them for the sounds they make without even being able to see them. A CD of birdsongs allows you to “see” in another dimension!

Apple Blossom Time and Other Short Takes

The apples are in bloom. It’s always scary. A mean old frost could pinch those delicate flowers and we’d wind up with no fruit. So far, though…it’s promising!

I met this little fellow on the way to the pond the other day. Looked (and acted) like it had newly awakened from the long winter’s nap. I’m not a snake fan, believe me, but these creatures contribute mightily to the job of pest control. So, I give them a wide berth and generally speaking, leave them alone to do their job.


These are Creeping Flocks. When they bloom, there’s nothing shy about them. They are a visible shout both from a distance and up close!

We now have Tree Swallows in the Purple Martin house. That’s OK. They do an equally good job of bug patrol as do the Martins.


We also had a starling in the stovepipe bashing around a couple of nights ago. Apparently, it landed on the top of the chimney and in peering down, a gust of wind came along and created a downdraft sucking the starling through the chimney and into the metal stovepipe. It flapped and bashed around for a couple of days, (I tried releasing one when this happened before and wound up with a panicked bird flying through the house and lots of unwanted calling cards, so I decided to simply wait this one out.) Things are quiet now and we have one less starling.

Our strawberries are planted and my 12 hanging baskets are up with Petunias and Dusty Millers.

The Redbuds this year are SPECTACULAR! 
Finally, I hope you’re enjoying spring as much as we are! Warm days, cool nights, and life unfolding in a Fabulous Reality!

Cattails