No Conversation for Hummingbird and Wasp at Table

Here at my country home, I've come to know the differences in quiet.

Sometimes, it seems noisy here:
the mockingbird carrying on

the incessant cicadeas

a squawling momma cat protecting her kittens from an eager tomcat

a coyote family howling at dusk
and the dogs chiming in

a flock of chattering blackbirds passing through
or a flock of geese flying over

the wind on a rampage
or whistling through the window screens.

Then there is a quieter time:
the mere chirp of a barn swallow
the hum of a wasp
the whir of hummingbird wings
the breeze in the pine tree...

Then there is silence:
when cats sit without a sound and watch the kittens
chase a leaf
and pounce lightly, silently, on the little leaf

when flowers grow and bloom without a peep

when a spider spins a web

when the milky way appears in the dark blue
or the full moon shimmers on the pond.

Enter a pasture in the morning and you hear a few birds
but you can actually feel the deep quiet penetrating the soul.

And I realize:
the natural world is pretty quiet -
except for the racket we human beings create.

Why is that?

]]> http://alichatsramble.wordpress.com/?p=9 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:12:50 +0000 alichatsramble http://alichatsramble.wordpress.com/?p=9      So, I'm heads down at my laptop digging around in my work email.  Peripherally, I keep seeing these quick shadows streak past the windows....black forms that dart past too fast for me to make out.  I wasn't sure if it was the trees blowing in the wind, or something else.  There is always alot of activity in my backyard.  Living on a lake I see finches, mocking birds, bluebirds, rabbits, turtles, herons, squirrels, ducks, a snake, the occasional fish splash, and (queue Charlton Heston voiceover) those damn dirty geese!  After I've seen two black forms that appear to be a bird, a big bird at that......and not he of yellow feathers and Sesame Street......I decide to look out the back door to see what all the fuss is about.  ACK!!  There I find 20 to 25 black crows flying around my yard.  Swooping to attack each other, and hanging out in my fig tree.  Alfred Hitchcock is haunting my backyard!  I kept expecting to see Tippi Hedren swinging in my hammock!  I bang a stick on the rail of my deck a few times, and the noise seems to scare them away.  But it leaves me wondering why scenes like this seem to happen in my yard.  About a year and a half after I had moved in, the wooded area across the lake was cleared for yet another neighborhood of big houses crammed on 1/4 acre lots.  Apparently that wooded area was the home to a plethora of geese.  I had seen about 10, maybe 15 at the most, on the lake up to this point.  I'd spent the first year in my home sending the dogs out every 15 minutes to chase them out of the yard, attempting to break their affection for my yard since the former homeowner would feed them corn.  After the woods were cleared, the number of geese increased tenfold.  I would come home to find my entire front yard blanketed by these feces machines.  One night, I was letting the dogs out for their final potty break of the evening.  There was a full moon, so the motion sensor lights didn't come on.  While I was standing outside watching the dogs sniff every blade of grass imaginable, I got this uneasy feeling as if I was being watched.  I scanned the horizon for my peeping tom, and slowly turned toward the lake.  There I found 150 geese floating on the water, staring at me with their little black eyes.  As I began to move slowly around the yard, they followed me either by moving their heads to keep me in their line of sight or by gliding along the water pacing me as I crossed the yard.   They were watching me.....waiting for me to go inside so they could raid my Kentucky fescue.  

Alfred Hitchcock is haunting my backyard.

While driving to our new lot in our new neighborhood I found these geese (and at least two dozen more) just hanging out.  These were shot from my window and I am amazed at how used to cars and people these birds are.

It helped that the weather has cooled off and dried out. The weekend was an exhausting, muggy mess--but today is cool and a little crisp. As I was walking along the Bloomingdale Line, past the building I want to buy, I saw a small flock of geese heading south. Such a brief summer this year! July is already almost over, and winter is on the way.

[Didn't winter JUST end? I love you Chicago, but wtf. - UGGS]

On the grounds of this huge complex they also have a huge pond with a fountain that you can walk around. The area is completely landscaped and has  paths so it is like a large park in the nursery. On this walk we encountered ducks, geese, and peacocks. Across the street is another area with goats, sheep, more fowl, and bunnies. There were also little chicks there as well. On the property they also had a store that sold local produce and ice cream. For anyone that has a green thumb or just likes flowers this is a fantastic place to go.

When we arrived home I cleaned off our patio area and planted my newly purchased flowers. Tomorrow its onto the yard which needs the most work.

This is the first installment of many in this series. I will publish photos I have taken at various locations here for the world to enjoy.

Nature at Her Best

[gallery]

These pictures may be downloaded, however you MUST specify copyright information (i.e. Author/Photographer: Joseph R. Mays or Copyright 2008 Joseph R. Mays.

Thank you and enjoy.

Joseph R. Mays

At magnificent Versailles, outside of Paris, Marie Antoinette's charming little play farm is still beautifully, perfectly intact and the luckiest animals in all of France live there: lambs, donkeys, horses, cows, chickens...and geese.  Marie liked to dress in simple white cotton frocks and pretend she was just a simple Austrian milkmaid...gathering eggs and milking the cows...tending the garden and weeding the cabbage patch.  That was her way of forgetting -- even if only for a sunny afternoon -- that she was the flippin' Queen of France!  Imagine the stress of her job! 

This is another of my daily paintings inspired by travel and based on a photograph my talented husband took there at Versailles, on Marie Antoinette's beautiful little farm on a beautiful sunny afternoon a few Springtimes ago.

As always, farmgirls (and interested others) may bid on this painting: http://stores.ebay.com/Jandi-Small-Daily-Paintings

• If you want to be really successful in growing things, plant directly into a compost pile. I bought a tiny two inch potted pumpkin plant for the kids at the store and we put it in a pile of composed leaves and grass behind the barn. It's a monster now stretching at least 10 feet or more in all directions. And at least a dozen pumpkins that I can see.

• We haven't had a goose egg in almost two weeks. Thought maybe it was the heat. So no challah, brioche or cheesecake (not that I've been in the baking mood in this weather). They've also been getting a bit uppity, taken to honking at the neighbors and such. It's really rude. As it turns out, they've been hiding the eggs underneath the neighbor's deck. My husband dug up about seven last night. No wonder they were honking so furiously... protecting the nest and all.

• I know where the expression 'nice weather for ducks' came about rainy days, and it's not because they like the water. It's all the bugs and worms that surface after a good storm. Them's good eats for a duck.

• And I've also realized why they call it 'chicken fights' when you get on someone's shoulders and horse around. Chickens fight with their feet and jump up to scuffle with each other.

• And sadly, Peanut Butter (one of the chickens) was lost to the fox last night. We let them roam the yard during the day and put them in the house inside the fenced area at night. Maybe we shouldn't let them free range but they love it. It was about 7:30 and I would have been putting them to bed shortly when I heard a commotion, not even as loud as the ruckus they make when the neighbor comes home. I could have ignored it but went out and saw the fox had isolated one chicken. I ran after it and the chicken took flight but when I rounded the blueberry bushes, the fox had Peanut Butter in his mouth and was running off. I'm kind of sad. I like the chickens. I guess we'll have to keep them in for a while, at least until our Fox Relocation program is successful. At least they have a swimming pool.

When we were there at the end of may we got involved in building paths, looking after chickens and a lot of weeding around the cloches.

This time around we are looking after everything, as my parents are going down south for a week, and since the end of may they have an additional 15 chickens and 3 geese! Every time we are there I lean new things and I'm really looking forward to it this time.

So, what can you do to effectively and inexpensively get rid of them? Bird-X actually carries a product, Bird Proof Gel, that works instantaneously. Place some on any surface where pigeons roost, like ledges and gutters, and the surface immediately becomes uncomfortable, making the area sticky and unappealing. Don't worry; the gel is completely harmless to the birds and non-toxic. It is also discreet and low profile as to not make your property less appealing visually.

(click above for more information)

Today’s Photo Friday entry is entitled: Ponds, Rivers, Lakes, or Seas

You can view other participants entries at:

Curious State of Affairs

blahblahblog-in abstantia

Just for fun

Curious C

Spatula Handle-my cousin!

Cordie B

this week we welcome

Mrs.Nascar-my sister!

I want to start by apologizing to everyone that this is coming in so darn late. This week snuck up on me pretty good.

The photo I am going to show you is of a pond just outside of our local Outback Steakhouse. My husband and I got up early one morning and decided to go out to eat for breakfast. On the way there I saw these ducks playing in the pond.

So without further ado (just for you Jan!) here is my photo:

Photo Friday Advance Diary:

18th July: Julie’s choice - Clouds

25th July: Author’s choice - Forbidden Photos (Have you ever visited a place where their was a sign saying: NO PHOTOS ALLOWED! - but you ignored it and took them anyway …..)

1st August: Author’s choice - Theme day: Numbers or Names (a selection of photos of numbers - house numbers or numbers of any sort OR house name plates.)

8th August: Author’s choice - Reflections (in lakes, rivers, puddles, ponds or even windows etc.)

Tip: Don't feed them. Obvious? Definitely, but some people need an extra reminder. If the geese can't eat on your property, they have no reason to return. A great way to discourage those in public parks is posting "Do not feed the geese" signs.

Tip: You know what geese hate? The smell and taste of Concord grapes. Bird-X's GooseChase active ingredient, Methyl Anthranilate, is made from a constituent of Concord grapes. One gallon of concentrate yields 60 gallons of mixture. Spray it onto dry grass and said goodbye to geese.

Tip: Shooting and poisoning them don't work! Short-term solutions do not change the fact that your property is appealing to geese. And these methods create another problem: animal rights activists, angry neighbors, and law enforcement. Stick with humane geese control.

Tip: Visual scares can work wonders if used properly. Try an aversion with mylar eyes, like Terror-Eyes. The lenticular eyes produce a holographic effect, constantly changing, making the birds believe they are being followed everywhere.

I was on vacation with my mom. We were riding on a bus, but it felt like we were on a train because of the movements and because we were slightly elevated on a track or something. I had my head on her shoulder. It was dusk and there were lots of lights below us. We eventually came to a fancy restaurant.

Then Donna from That 70's Show, her "sister," and Melissa were climbing mountains. They were on vacation in the same place my mom and I were. Donna's sister just looked like a smaller, flat-chested version of Donna. Everyone was worried about getting lost. Somebody kept saying how it was mating season. Then there was a whole movie-like scene of white geese laying eggs into the water as they were swimming. First there was a view of the lake, big, sparkly and blue, surrounded by the mountains that the women were climbing. Then the view went from underwater. The water was brown and murky, and the sun was shining through the surface. Lots of goose eggs were dropping out of the geese as they swam and into the water.

"To see a lake in your dream, signifies your emotional state of mind. If the lake is clear and calm, then it symbolize your inner peace." - dreammoods.com

My thoughts: I think it's interesting that I often dream about vacation-related things, such as beaches, hotels, and music department trips. I've always been happy with my life. I thought I liked routine. I thought I didn't like change. But now more than anything I want something to HAPPEN. I want CHANGE. A big change. Maybe this is just my brain's reaction to college coming up soon?

Summer does that to me, though. I mean... It really fries my brain and gets me bored because I'm not really around people. I just do the same things over and over and spend too much time alone, so my thoughts go in circles... :P

The whole lake = emotional state of mind thing is kinda cool. I guess I am less anxious than usual, so I hope that lasts. And also with the geese laying eggs in it... Maybe that means I'm having new ideas or something. I dunno.

The whole goose egg thing... Yeah, that was REALLY WEIRD. I felt like I was in a twisted PBS documentary on the mating season.

The answer, apparently, is "not usually."

Geese, famous for their copious defecation, are less likely to defecate when they are flying than when they are grazing and walking on the ground, and they tend to empty their cloacas upon takeoff, cutting down on the risk to bystanders, said Laura Erickson, science editor at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Also, she said, geese tend to take off in a direction away from people, and the droppings quickly break up into small packets in the air.

Oh man. My friends in the Society for the Study of Goose Defecation are gonna be sooooo into this.

Aerial Peril [NY Times]

Here are the goslings I brought home from a feed store last week. They are half grown already, but in this photo they are still peeping fuzzballs, sitting in a laundry basket on a rug in the kitchen.

]]> http://photographybyamanda.wordpress.com/?p=47 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:19:45 +0000 babydelfinita http://photographybyamanda.wordpress.com/?p=47 I took these photographs today while on a photograph trip around Ohio. These photos are from Crane Creek Nation Wildlife Preserve Park and from The Ohio Black Swamp. The very last photo is of my hubby. Mosquitos were HUGE (as you can see from the bites in the photo. The photo is showing 2 bites on his head. They were the size of quarters)

(click image for larger size)

(click image for larger size)

This morning, I was reading Orion Magazine while eating a mushroom and parsley omelette. There was a review in the magazine of a book called "Recipes for Geese and People" by Natalie Jerminjenko (reviewed by Eric Wagner).

No recipes for goose, cooked or raw, will be found in this book. Rather, it is about the overlapping foods of people and geese. Nice. Pointing out our common ground -- quite literally -- here is a recipe for a green "carpaccio" taken from the review. In this case, the recipe references the habit geese have of walking on and smashing the fresh green grasses and other growing things in their environment and then eating them fresh, flat and juicy.

Carpaccio typically refers to raw meat (usually beef), smashed flat and thin in parchment paper, then sprinkled with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. As you might expect, though, this carpaccio is vegetarian (as are geese).

Here's the gist of the recipe as reprinted in Orion, modified and paraphrased to suit my mood.

Take a variety of fresh greens -- chard, spinach, cabbage, mint, basil (whatever is appealing and available). Wash, trim the tougher stems, blanch briefly in very cold water and pat dry. Lay the leaves flat on a sheet of parchment paper (sturdier leaves on the bottom). Cover. Smash with your hands, then with a rolling pin. Basically you're massaging the greens to pull out the juices. Peel the paper off, lay flat on a plate, drizzle a bit of olive oil and lemon or balsamic, salt and pepper and serve, as a pesto, or on some very thin crispy crackers, I would think.

I should say that although I am not vegetarian, I am a bit tender about geese (you will know this is you have been reading along). So for me this is a friendly concept that reinforces my sense of geese as part of the larger flock of social animals. Geese and ganders as gourmands not viandes.

I've made a commitment to blog every day in July. Maybe twice today will catch me up?

The topic on nablopomo (huh?) dang - let me get back to you on that, with link - anyway, for the month of July, is food.

I can write about food. No problema, chicos y chicas. I can write about food chains, about predators, about bechemel, making a proper roux, about grilling fish, about what chickens eat. Ah -- a starting point!

Today: food for hatchling chicks

Ingredients:
Starter scratch
Water

Preparation:
You'll need tiny little watering jars, usually a standard mason jar with a lid that has a specially designed lip to provide water for the peeps. Fill the jar with water and turn it over. It must be teeny-tiny or new-hatched chicks will fall in and drown. Do not assume instinct will inform them. It does not.

Notice:
Keep hatchlings separate from your other birds. They need more heat and protection. They are easily stomped to death, and are prone to die with very little provocation in those first few days.

Next:
You will also need little feeding dishes, also made with mason jars and chick designed lids. You can buy these at your neighborhood feed store. They will also sell you incubator lights and guide books on how to raise chicklets. Now, if you live in a city, don't assume that you can't have chickens. In most cities, hens are fine, but roosters are not. You can order your chicks sexed (funny job, that), online or through your feedstore, and even hens who do not have roosters will lay eggs every spring. They will also eat bugs and provide manure that can be used in your garden (another topic for another day).

Pics of chicks as things evolve.

I've got a new job and a bunch of other stuff too, but for now, think about baby birds. Peep-peep!

Ohhh, what PUNishment! I just couldn't help myself though. Anyway, this was a photo op at work today. Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy, busy. There will be a long rambling post tomorrow, but for now, sleepy time.

Please tell me I am not the only one who is guilty of neglecting a rambling child??

I will say I was tuned in just enough to notice the pitch of his little voice was changing, as well as increasing in speed. At that point I started listening.

"What you need, Gage?" I asked.

"To tell you there's a weally big, fat bird on our house."

Boy, was he right!

There really was a big, fat bird on our house! It wasn't a pretty bird either, it was a buzzard or also know as a vulture. Fascinating, huh?

Does anyone know, are these really big, fat, and ugly birds a southern thing? Whittaker Woman is always educating me on what new things she has discovered since moving to the south. Simple things I have always taken for granted, like lightening bugs for instance.

You've already read about the clump of bees propogating in our front yard. Now look at the havoc a raccoon made of our trash a few months ago.

Oh, if I would have had my little Flip camera then, the video I could have gotten of Pete trying to outsmart that raccoon. It was quite a saga. And you're seeing correctly, he is standing on a chair.

We live 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, a metropolis! But here's the list of all the wildlife we've seen in the past month from the yard of our home; vulture, clump of bees, oppossum, racoon, momma wild turkey with chicks, deer, geese and we've heard coyotes howling. The wildlife outnumbers us!

Fill me in, what's the wildest or weirdest thing you have seen looking out your front door?