Indeed, summer weather held off a long while this year. As we close out August here the temperature has just now hit the 90’s for two straight days! But only two. And so far, we are grateful for mostly clear, no-smoke skies. Phew! Lots of tinder now, however, so we are ever watchful. Still and… Continued
It’s been a busy month here at Bluebird. All the young birds have fledged, even the natty little house wrens that seem to always take up a nesting spot on the porch rafters of, well, our house! Right above where I sip my morning cup as the sun works its way up the back of… Continued
Two months have come and gone since my last Notes. As has Summer Solstice. Time waits for no one, truth to tell. Country living with the rain and birds and wind, or in the city where traffic and morning commute sets the rhythm – it seems to make little difference insofar as the pace of… Continued
Spring! Sort of. Truth to tell, the birds all seem to think spring is here though April has come along begrudgingly. I’ve begun the seasonal habit of taking coffee on the south porch as opposed to fireside, to better hear and see what really is going on. From this perch I’ve been listening to both… Continued
The mercury is finally above 20 and Spring Equinox is here. Alas, the birds are the reminder that daylight grows and, true enough, daytime now runs 6 to 6. Ahh, the bird…. What a wacky winter for birds. I know this has been the “Farmer Notes” theme season-long but I can’t help myself! We had… Continued
The New Year is barely a month old and one can already feel time slipping away! How can this be? To use one of my daughters once upon a time go-to lines when frustrated as a child: “Not Fair.” Well, I suppose fairness is as an objective assumption as any, yet it just doesn’t seem… Continued
And another year has come to pass. At times it is easy to think it has all been a blur, yet if/when one can find time to reflect and can begin piecing the year back together a bit at a time well, the pieces can easily fill up a year. Winter should be this time… Continued
“ The desolate, deserted trees, The faded earth, the heavy sky,” Oh, I can’t help but quote Robert Frost’s My November Guest when one of my absolute favorite months settles in. Indeed the trees are bare, and skies have turned heavy here right around the year’s earlier Thanksgiving. This, however, only after weeks and… Continued
To be sure this October has been fine as any I can recall. Following the sowing of our winter peas we received a good ½ inch of rain here – our first, really, since May. And after some mountain snows and blustery early October weather, the high pressure settled in. For almost two weeks now… Continued
Sandhill cranes sanctified the autumn equinox, making their punctual southbound journey way up in our September sky just a couple days before the “official” calendar date. Each September, I anticipate their lofty chatter. Sure enough this year we heard them, and then looked way up to see 100’s scarcely below the puffy afternoon clouds: at… Continued