Notophthalmus viridescens

The red eft season seems to go on for months. They like the garden, and perching on mushrooms hunting bugs out on the trail. Adults are supposed to have an olive color, but the guy below looks like the same species.

Oh, deer me, and a hummingbird

Ran across this mother and fawn reminding me of whose path this is anyway.

What's this?

(Sorry the photo's a little blurry, and the google rendering of the video above ... well let's say that it looks spectacular on a true HD display.)

The waxwings were out in the beechnut tree, berries just turning red. And of course, it has been hummingbird season for a few weeks:

Wildlife

It's been like the tropics for the last two weeks, every afternoon thunder showers clearing up before dusk. Kayaking now where we could snowshoe a few months ago ...

Waterlily, Loon, Toad & Bee

Dryocopus pileatus pair

My first post mentions giant woodpeckers, and here's a link to my video of this odd pair, taken the last day of spring: side-shot from the driveway.

Right in the front yard, these large birds took practically no attention to us as they were absorbed in some sort of dance ritual, bobbing and looking at eachother, hopping and pecking in coordination ... video ends as mosquitos attack in full force.

Enjoy: on the ground dancing, and where we saw them first, in the tree: more dancing around the tree

A flurry of giant silk moths!

The morning of 6/25, probably the same moth was sitting under the light.

Now we have had seven, I believe, different Luna Moths from 6/1 through 6/24, and on that last day a Polyphemus swooped in the screen door when I cracked it open to look at what was flying about. Another fairly large specimen, and even more beautiful than the Luna.

Come on Promethea and Cecropia!

Eye catch of the day

Upon reflection, the sky and clouds are all in the beholding orbital.

As a riddle, rather obscure, so zoom in and see for yourself!

Saturniidae

Two copies of Actias luna, Giant Silk Moths here.

6/1, Female with a notch in the left wing rests on the doorlight all day, and the male (below) appeared two days later.

Spring flowers

Dozens of these babies are all over in front of the front yard!

Lost the Trail

Where did the trail go?

Hey, I see a patch of snow!

Yes, right over there.

- atj

Owl Encounter

Tonight marks one week and a day since I snowshoed out to the post. Having hiked out there this evening a bit after dusk. standing there listening to nearby birdsounds, I saw a shadow fly into a tree about 20 yards away. Something large, then I heard distinct cheep cheep cheeping sounds, had brought home supper.

I took a step and then heard her hoot! Probably a barred owl, so standing still I listened quietly while beckoning to nature's call. This new sound drew the mother owl's attention and I saw it fly directly down toward me, quite threatening, and perching on a dead tree just a few yards above my head. Hoot Hoot!!!

Retreating under some pine cover I fumbled with the camera, but there was no way to take a decent night shot. Nesting owl chicks ... snowshoeing season is over for sure.

End of Season

Head of the trail, looks like we aren't going to be snowshoeing much longer. But even today, it's still 90% or more going over the snow while out in the woods.

The watering hole is a strangely peaceful place, deer central, except when I wander by.

Easter Bog

Still tons of snow ... just twenty minutes from here and there's nothing on the ground, much less in Boston.

We are lucky in snow I guess, now it's over three days into spring, but not a crocus in sight. The main thing is, it's now been 114 days. Snowshoeing that is.

Easter Day 2008

About Time

Trees formerly locked in a barkish kiss? Wonder what this formation is called. It's been over 100 days of snow on the ground, and as many inches plus.The bog is sketchy at any time, but even the edges today are tricky. Best to find deer tracks and follow them out.

Early Spring Vistas

Light snow yesterday evening. And on Wednesday, on the way home from Portsmouth I could see a snowy fog over the mountain, and collided with the snow flurry a few minutes later in our driveway. Just a few minutes of flakes, but almost a quarter inch that melted in a half hour.

Still traipsing around the woods out back every day ... won't be lying in that hammock for a while.

Pictures taken on March 2nd.

Chocolate Travellers

Mt. Washington Valley's 19th Annual Chocolate Festival. Sunday, February 24, 2008.

Watch out festival folks, here we come!!















The happiest group on the trails.....they loved us!!!!!!!

Time to park the shoes and find the chocolate. This lovely pink house is the Riverside Inn B&B.

This tastey treat was one of the best. Thank you to The 1785 Inn.






Happiness is sharing chocolate with your friends!!!

Take a little dip, take a little dip, take a little dip with meeeeee!! ;)


















Life is good!

What a perfect day in the Mountains! Blue sky, warm, lots of snow, good friends and plenty of chocolate!

I could get used to this!

What did you say? (don't bother me, I'm having a chocolate bliss moment). I can't hear anything with this thing over my ears, and I don't care 'cause I'm eating chocolate cake with ice cream and strawberries. Next year let's stay here at the Old Field House lodge.

Local Wildlife Hangout

The watering hole a few hundred yards down the hill just past the edge of the property ... another find in the woods revealed by deer tracks in the snow! At a good pace, you can reach this spot from the house in under ten minutes on snowshoes. Without snowshoes it would take longer due to the snow, or in case of lack of snow and no tracks, you might not find it at all!

Around the Home

Giant woodpeckers! Heard daily, seen a couple times a year.

We've had snow on the ground since Dec. 1, with more to come! Imagine a quiet moonlit snowshoeing out in the woods after a long day's work, on a path shared only with the deer.