Tuesday Jun 03, 2008
Tuesday Jun 03, 2008
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We've seen a lot of wildlife since moving to New Hampshire three years ago. This has included wild turkeys, black bears, porcupines, snakes, woodchucks, foxes, coyotes even!, and of course, a helluva lot of deer.
In our outdoor dressage arena, we have spotted half of these
critters wandering through at one time or another.
Thankfully, and maybe obviously, they have not appeared while
horse & riders have been practicing their dressage work. We have heard about moose in the area. I spotted one trotting down the middle of the road one night. A neighbor saw one on his property a month or so ago. And we saw moose droppings up in the mountains this past winter. But beyond that, nothing... And we had zero expectations... So, imagine Georg's surprise when he looked up from his WFH desk last evening to see.... ....a MOOSE wandering across the dressage arena! Now, granted some of you may living in places where seeing a moose is a daily occurance. But for us, well, this was just simply a wicked way cool rare experience! 'Wonder what else summer will bring.... ! |
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Tuesday Oct 02, 2007
Once again, turkeys have been wandering about our farm, foraging.
This time, they ventured over to the outdoor dressage arena! Not their usual route by any means!
Needless to say, no one was riding in the arena at the time. Neither horse nor turkey would have been happy to share the space.
With Thanksgiving only weeks away, these lovely native game birds
may be safer sticking to the woods, hills, and edges of the fields!
Nonetheless, they are always a treat to see! 
Friday Jun 01, 2007
June 1st.
The official start to Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean.
My money is on 5 Hurricanes making landfall.... with a sincere hope that none are monsters the likes of which have already made history this decade.
We will be starting off Hurricane Season in New Hampshire with a weekend of warm rain and thunderstorms.
My favourite Hurricane site on the web: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/, the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association.
Saturday Jan 06, 2007
It is Saturday January 6th, 2007. And 66° Fahrenheit... outdoors. If feels like the first week of May instead of the first week of January!
Our horses have full winter coats, brought on the by the "shorter days" of winter. Overdressed, they are, as winter has failed to arrive full force and stay around for more than a few days at a time.
As of today, we have had less than 2 inches of snow this winter. By now, we would have expected quite a bit more.
But, they say winter is definitely coming. Question is, in which
month?
For now, we are bathing in the warm sunlight... in tropical New Hampshire. But this is New England, land of "If you don't like the weather, wait an hour". We could well be under several feet of snow before we know it. It's just so difficult to imagine right now with this fabulous BBQ weather.
Monday Jan 01, 2007
Not to be outdone by last night's festivities and fireworks around the globe, Mother Nature has arranged its own show for the first day of 2007.
While the crystalisation of the trees is not nearly as spectacular as it was in the Henniker Ice Storm of 1998 (see photo) it is still quite something!
The temperatures are expected to jump quickly back up to the mid 40's today and this icing will all soon be a memory.
However, before the chilling rain ends, it is obvious we are likely to lose power. Already, it has faltered a few times. As the trees bend more and more under the weight of the frozen rain, some will give way... onto the electrical lines. Warm winter weather is upon us.
Comically, while the world is iced over, the temptation to hit the road is strong for some. Mostly men. Gotta test the truck. See if 4 Wheel Drive is up to the weather. See what the conditions are like. Check out the center of town. All that. Me, I'm going to enjoy the limited view from the warmth of the house, snuggle up with a good book, and enjoy the first holiday of 2007.
Hello 2007!
Friday Aug 25, 2006
A couple years ago, I thought it was pretty exciting to learn there was a new planet discovered at the outer edge of our solar system. Growing up learning about the 9 planets, I thought it was cool the current and future generation of kids would grow up with more planets to learn about and explore.
But now, according to this article on BBC News, apparently we are now down to 8 planets!
8 "Classical Planets" and 3 "Dwarf Planets".
Poor little Pluto got downgraded yesterday by the International Astronomical Union. Voted out as a "Classical Planet". Reclassified as a "Dwarf Planet". What is that about!?!?
And so, Kiddies, apparently there are now only 8 "Classical Planets" to remember. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (have fun pronouncing this one!), and Neptune.
Pluto fans can purchase bumper stickers in support of Pluto being a planet at Cafe Press for 4 bucks. You know... I feel compelled to get one!
Poor little Pluto!
Saturday Jan 21, 2006
The Old Farmer's Almanac offers the following prediction for New England's weather this month.
January 2006 Avg. Temperature: 12° (8° below avg.) Precipitation: 2" (1" below avg.) Jan. 1-3: Mild, rain and snow Jan. 4-12: Mild, rain and snow showers Jan. 13-19: Snow, then sunny; bitter cold Jan. 20-24: Cold, flurries Jan. 25-27: Sunny, bitter cold Jan. 28-31: Snow, then seasonable
Instead, we have been having what can best be described as "Yo Yo Weather" with temperatures jumping and dropping within 24 hours by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last Saturday, temps peaked in the 50's, we were splashing around in spring runoff, digging little trenches to help the pastures drain, as 6 inches of snow swiftly melted. The horses enjoyed warm sunshine penetrating their winter coats. Grass which had been lying quietly under the snow started to stand back up again and dance in the wind.
Sunday, temperatures fell to 4 degrees Fahrenheit. What is that about? And when it warmed up to the 20's, more snow fell.
The past few days, we have been back in the 50's. The horses are outside without rugs again. Water is draining off the fields. No doubt it will all freeze over again in a few days time and winter will return with a vengence.
Meanwhile, we're enjoying the fact that this year The Old Farmer's Almanac was a wee bit off in their weather predictions.
Wednesday Dec 28, 2005
Late last week, we enjoyed an early "January Thaw". And, much to our surprise, a black bear in the area decided to come out of hibernation to enjoy the warmer weather!
We did not see the bear ourselves, but heard about it from a friend. He was driving by when it was crossing the road a couple hundred metres down the road from our house. This was around lunchtime Friday.
So, the next day, we made it a point to go see the tracks.
The trail was easy to spot, coming out of the woods, crossing an open field, passing through an open gate, crossing the road, and climbing over a stone wall to continue into the woods. It was the only trail around.
On close inspection, we were surprised to see the trail of footprints left by the bear was heavily populated with fleas. Was the bear shedding them as he walked? Or were these snow fleas that migrated to the scent left behind?
We were told the bear was good sized. Laying my glove down next to the footprint, seeing the length of the claws, it was easy to agree. Tracking the bear two days after the fact felt "safe", but geez! I don't think I'd like to come face to face with him in the woods...
Earlier in the week I had walked around our woods to the west, checking out the deer tracks. The snow was just deep enough to make the walk a tiring one. One quickly learns to walk in someone else's footprints (when available) to save energy.
It seems deer agree with this. It was funny to later go back and find that a deer had used my earlier footprints to ease his own walk in the woods...
Winter has only really just started and already it's been an adventure!
Friday Dec 23, 2005
During the holiday break next week, we plan to spend time playing with our horses, enjoying the winter, and exploring the woods in our area a bit more.
Within yards / metres of one of our barns, there are signs of deer foraging for food. Their tracks are everywhere as well as impressions in the snow of where they've been lying down to sleep. And of course, little deer poo piles are sprinkled on the snow. So, even though we haven't actually seen deer since the summer, we know they are still here.
Winter wonderland, wildlife, and a quiet holiday break at home with our critters. It'll be a nice way to see out 2005.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2005
The fall colours are peaking or about to peak according to
The Weather Channel.
But sadly, this past weekend, rain dampened the leaf peeping show. In fact,
we had so much constant rain on Saturday that the local rivers overflowed, and
towns such as Keene and Alstead suffered truly heavy damage by flood waters. It
is not often you hear about NH homes getting washed away in floods, but this week, it
happened.
Sunday, Georg, friends from work, and I visited the Warner Fall Foliage Festival. Joe G from the Bangalore office took this photo of the Warner River and one of New Hampshire's famous covered bridges. We were hoping to park the truck here to walk to town.... Nope. Not a good idea.
The festival? It was a kick despite the rain. Lots of good food, including whole steamed lobsters!, were being cooked up, there were a lot of crafts for sale, our puppy got lots of pats from people, we watched chainsaw and woodchopping competitions, and we listened to a Scottish bagpipe band play! An odd mix of stuff, but good fun.
So it continues to rain in New England... weather which matches the spirits of the Red Sox fans.... and will until Saturday. A real shame for those who wanted to see the fall colors... But Sunday is supposed to be nice. Hopefully, there will be some good color left to see.
Monday Sep 19, 2005
Autumn is just around the corner.
About 3 weeks ago, we noted that one tree on Main Street in our little town was getting a jump on all the others, shifting in color to bright oranges and reds. In a few more weeks, the whole area will be in full autumn colors, brilliantly painting the landscape for a short time before winter comes.
In New England, many towns celebrate the fall. Warner, New Hampshire, for example, has celebrated fall with their big Warner Fall Foliage Festival, a festival now in its 58th year!
If you are in New England in October, whether doing business, on holiday, or going about your daily lives, take a few minutes out to enjoy the beauty of New England in the Fall.
Monday Sep 12, 2005
Today, I looked out my window to see a big bird soaring over our New Hampshire farm in the warm breeze. Unlike anything I'd ever seen before, it had a bright white head and a matching white tail. The body was dark against the sky.
I watched it circle a few times, just soaring, before it headed towards the valley west of our farm. That was the last I saw of it. By the time I got the camera, it was gone.
We have a lot of big birds in this area. We've heard that there are Turkey Vultures here. And yesterday, we watched a big Red-tailed Hawk fly around and then later land on something in one of the pastures, stand there for a short time, then take flight again. But aside from a very impressive looking Pileated Woodpecker which I had the pleasure of seeing last month, I had not yet seen a bird with such strong contrasts in coloring.
The Bald Eagle is recognised world wide as one of the great symbols of America. Until today, I always thought of it as a bird that only lived in the Rocky Mountains and along the western part of America. Looking up the Bald Eagle in a National Audubon Society bird book, The Sibley Guide to Birds, my Mom gave us, I now know that the Bald Eagle inhabits nearly all of America.
My first Bald Eagle sighting! How very cool!
Wednesday Aug 24, 2005
I remember BITGOD when we used to joke about Solar Flares being one source of possible hardware problems. But, in reality, this is a possibility... or is it?
Did any of your electronic devices act up this morning? Did a system crash for no apparent reason? If so, this news item, about NOAA issuing a "Space Weather Warning" may make for interesting reading.
Thursday Aug 11, 2005
New England weather... If you don't like it, wait a hour. That's what they say around here...
Well, IMHO, we have had one kind of weather long enough!
Hot & Humid.
Even the BBC average weather for Boston USA website shows how variable the weather can be in this region. But we have not seen much change at all of late. Too much heat for too long.
This constant heat and humidity is not good for the gardens... nor the horses... nor the construction crews. And, I would venture to guess that this much heat is not good for the brain as well. Simple thought processes feel more difficult... Yes, I know, a sign of dehydration. Time to guzzle some more water.
We are hoping for rain tonight... Even thunderstorms would be a welcome sight. Maybe a rain dance would help....
Wednesday Dec 29, 2004
Every now and then, something happens in the world which can remind us of the wonders
and happiness of our own lives. The devasting earthquake and tsunamis which hit
Asia are such an event. While we may be struggling with battles in our own lives,
the importance of these battles pale in significance when compared to the current hell
in which others are trying to survive hour by hour.
Georg and I were in Germany visiting family when the Boxing Day disaster occurred. Upon hearing the news, our first thoughts were for two Sun colleagues and their children, who we knew were in Sri Lanka visiting family. That one family was extremely lucky, with only a precious few seconds making the difference between life and death. Sadly, many of their friends and neighbours lost their lives.
While we sit safe and snug in our warm homes and offices, others are now urgently depending on outside help to survive and rebuild their towns and lives. Fortunately, we can give a helping hand through financial donations with reputable charities. Just a few of these include:
o Oxfam
o UNICEF
o Intl Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies
Give if you can.