We've Been Slimed!

Well, not we, exactly, but this ironwood stump left from last year's firewood cut grew an impressive coating of brilliant, slimy fungus. 

The eye-popping neon orange sort of stands out against the fresh greens in the forest, doesn't it?

I think it took advantage of every possible square inch of available surface. Well done, slime!

So I tried to determine whether it was Orange Jelly or Witches' Butter. Orange Jelly is supposed to grow on conifers and ironwood is deciduous, which is where Witches' Butter supposedly grows, so that's what I've been thinking. Or is it something else altogether? 

BetsyLee, I know you're another fungus enthusiast... :)

Thanks and Remembrance

I was casting about for an image to post for Memorial Day.  I always like to pay my respects in some small way and remember in gratitude the sacrifices made by those who have died to protect the freedoms I hold so dear. 

The poppies aren't blooming yet and there was no breeze to set a flag fluttering, but then I remembered a few eagle pictures that were captured by the trail camera a couple weeks ago.  I believe this is a nesting pair - and we have seen a juvenile that is probably about three years old, with its head and tail feathers starting to turn white, though it eluded the camera's eye.

The majestic beauty of our national bird seemed like it might be appropriate to mark the day.  The one above tripped the camera as the sun was coming up over the trees in the east. These amazing creatures always fill me with awe and gratitude, too. 

I just couldn't let the day pass without a word of appreciation. Far braver people than I have made it possible for me to live this wonderful life I cherish every single day. 

Thank you.

Night Moves

When my brother and I gathered up the cards from the trail cameras, there was a fun sequence with six or eight deer browsing and lying down to ruminate.

 
They staged their show directly in front of the camera, milling around and snacking on new shoots.

 
They stayed in the same spot looking for goodies and then for a nice place to bed down and work on digestion.

It looks like all have disappeared but the one with glowing eyes on the right.

But, there are quite a few of them lying down at the edges of the little clearing, with eyes glowing every now and then to give away their positions.

It's fun to see them just hanging out together and relaxing. I know they're hard to see, but there are actually at least two more toward the left and one behind the one on the right that don't have eyes glowing in this picture. They lit up in some other shots, but the photos weren't as clear as these.

Back Around the Bend

I threatened to take another picture of the bend in the river that I highlighted back near the end of April, just to show how beautifully green it grows in the springtime. The greens will darken as the season progresses, but I always love the fresh greens and the soft pinks of the new leaves

 
Since I couldn't remember the exact vantage points of the other pictures, I got carried away and took not one, but three pictures. 

After all, nothing exceeds like excess, right?

As you can see, the river winds quite a lot. When I was a child, we'd ride air mattresses downstream to the public access and walk back to the homestead from the north. But, when we wanted a longer ride (and longer walk as well), we'd continue along the river to the next public access and walk home from the south - the direction shift seemed like its own kind of magic to me. We'd carry the air mattresses on our heads to foil the gnats and deer flies and take our flip flops off our hands (used for paddling) and put them back on our feet for the trek home. 

There's always an adventure around the bend!

 

Apple Blossom Special

We don't get orange blossoms up north, so we may just have to write our own tune to honor the classic.

 

There are a couple very gnarly old apple trees near the family homestead that are also worthy of honor.

We love them. At the moment, the bees are enjoying pollen laden blossoms, so the whole area hums with their activity.

In the late summer and early fall, the deer quickly lay claim to any fallen apples, so none of them ever rot or attract worms. (Baloo used to love them, too, and would nab one whenever we walked by.)

There's something sort of magical about blossoms coming right out of the trunk.

Or when a cluster blooms right near the bigger branches, providing a nice contrast of flower against dark bark. 

I have no idea what this variety of apple might be, but they're crisp, tart and delightful to eat right off the tree. We've been doing it since childhood.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

The trail camera out by the rye field on our family property captured some interesting action during the night.

A porcupine ambled by the camera. 

 
A black bear wandered by, as well.

She had her yearling youngster tagging along. Usually she has a little one as well, but we haven't seen the baby yet.

Here they are together (the yearling is behind the oak tree - you can see its hind quarters).

The Merry Marsh

Marigolds, that is.

Marsh marigolds are one of the earliest spring flowers, brightening up the wetlands with their beautiful, sunny yellow blossoms. These specimens are growing in a shallow pond (one that's often highlighted in the trail camera pictures) on our family property.

Their early blooms are some of the first to provide pollen for bees and other pollinators, while frogs appreciate the shady cover provided by the shiny, leathery leaves.

This plant has long been used as both food and medicine, though it must be cooked to be consumed safely. My brother and I had heard they were edible, so I had to do a little research into what parts (flowers, leaves and stems) could be eaten and how to pick and prepare these little beauties. I'm sure we'll get around to trying them sometime. I'll probably tell the tale when we do.

Mid-Week Madness

 Here's the reminder of yesterday's little recognition teaser.

It's a little deceptive because, at first glance one might think it's a feather (after all, I do post a lot of bird pictures).

Instead, we have the furry little tail of this industrious fellow. He's frequently foraging around near the barn, trying to pick up a little bit of sunflower seed that has dropped from the feeders. It's one of the fattest fox squirrels we've ever seen!

The camera caught yet another picture of him, with the turkeys displaying and carrying on in the background. 

I know he's not a rare or exotic sight, but I still enjoy the candid shots of creatures going about their daily rounds. 

Trivial Tuesday

The trail cameras occasionally pick up something humorous or strange. In this case, when my brother and I looked through the candid photos taken out on the family property, we found this and it made us smile.

 

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what it might be?  It shouldn't be too hard, but I thought it might be fun and cause another smile or two along the way.

I'll post the reveal tomorrow. 

 

He's Very Shy, This Passerby

Every now and then, a bird will pass through my yard and disappear in a short space of time. I think this fellow might hold the all time record. If I hadn't been holding my camera and taking pictures of other birds in the little lilac bush, I would have missed him altogether. I think he might have stayed for about fifteen seconds.

He's an Eastern towhee, a very striking bird with his black, rust and white markings.

He poked around in the lilac bush for just a few seconds, perhaps trying to figure out why all the other birds were hanging around.

Towhees are usually ground feeders, making huge amounts of noise in comparison to their size as they scratch around in the leaves looking for snacks. I guess he didn't find the sunflower hearts and scratch food interesting.

Because, instead of hopping out of the bush and joining the other ground feeders, this final picture is of him taking off to parts unknown. 

I'm just glad I didn't miss his very short visit.

 

What Have We Here?

No, seriously. My sister helped me figure out what this plant was a couple years ago and neither of us remembers for sure, though we think it might be a Northern Wild Raisin.

I admire the sprouting burgundy leaves and snowy flower  buds every spring. The tree/shrub stands at about six feet tall, or maybe a little more.

Does anyone recognize this plant? I'm hoping to get a definite identification and also hoping that it might stick in my brain this time!

I thought I had some pictures of the fruit from last fall, but I can't seem to locate them for help in narrowing the search. Maybe it was the year before... I may have to dig through some old files (or try to be patient until fall rolls around again).

What It Is Wednesday

So, to recap our puzzle pictures from Monday, here's the spruce grove near the entrance to our family property.

 

This first picture is really hard to see anything in, but it's there and presents a good contrast to the second picture where you can see something catching the light in front of the second spruce from the right. That's how I noticed that there was something going on that merited closer inspection. I saw the light reflect off something and realized what it was.

I should have reminded you that you can blow all these pictures up by clicking on them. Hmmm... Too late for the earlier clues, but you can still take advantage of the feature. 

Then, the picture above was Tuesday's clue. Zooming in was a pretty serious giveaway to some. 

Finally, here we have the reveal.

It's a male ruffed grouse displaying for a female that's very well hidden under that same second spruce from the right.

He danced and displayed for her, dipping, turning and showing off his beautiful tail feathers in the sunlight.

Then, he raised his head and fluffed out his ruff.

How could any girl resist such a magnificent specimen. Not only that, he appeared to be a very good dancer, a talent that is bound garner all kinds of admiration.

(I particularly like the feathers at the base of his tail that all look like they have tiny grouse versions of peacock-style eyes on them.)

It's always a special treat to witness something like this - it's rare and wonderful.

Tuesday Teaser

Okay, so here are the pictures from yesterday, just so you can have them all on the same page.

 

It's really hard to see, so here's the next picture.

Pretty awesome camouflage, don't you think?

 

Monday Mystery

Here we have another mystery to keep us occupied for a few days while I hunt for a new camera. I took these pictures a couple weeks ago and was waiting for a good time to share them, so here we go.

 

This is part of the spruce grove that the night ghost bunny was hopping through on Trail Cam Tuesday a couple weeks back.

It's much easier to see in the light of day - this is just the row closest to the trail, but it's several rows deep. The trees have grown so thick that they've become quite popular with the rabbits, deer and other critters looking for cover. 

Someone stepped out of hiding here, though. Two someones, actually, but one of them is all but impossible to see. 

This one's really hard - harder than I really intended, so there will be another clue tomorrow. :)

 

Photobomb

 
There I was, merrily taking pictures of some beautiful wild turkeys when a whitetail doe trotted into the frame just as I snapped the shutter.

It made me laugh and I thought it might make others snicker a little, too. 

The poor tom turkeys are in full display mode trying to impress the hens, their plumage shimmering in the sunshine, while the hens seem far more interested in snacking on freshly hatched bugs and new rye sprouts. 

Blushing Beauties

While some house finches stay through the winter, others are flying in from warmer climes for nesting season and they're enthusiastically joining the lineup at the bird feeders.

 

 

A few of them usually find a place to nest nearby and will visit the feeders all summer long, adding their cheerful color and voices to the back yard chorus.

 

Isn't he a handsome fellow?

Madam house finch is a little more shy, as well having a more muted wardrobe. She likes to keep to the lilac bush interior between visits to the feeding stations, but she's a cutie, too.