Freedom

Today I decided to stay off the internet until I was completely finished with all my chores and errands, including my hike with the dogs. Last night I came to the realization that I've wasted so much of the last few years on forums. Precious time that would have been better spent with my family, dogs and out in nature. Time that I could have volunteered at my local animal shelter. Last night I watched Oprah's Master Class show,it was about her. I find her life story fascinating. She said that when you find your true calling you need to do your very best, put everything you are into it. I haven't done that with anything since my kids were little. I was the best mom, I gave my boys my heart and soul. I lived and breathed for them. Once they were older and independent, I let them go. I've felt empty since, floating from forum to forum. I've spread myself too thin and do a half assed job with everything. I've given to much of my time to a forum for more then 3 years now that for the most part I no longer agree with how people are treated that post there. I feel very differently about my chosen breed now too. Dobes have far too many horrible diseases, Petey and Monty will be my last Dobermans. I will adopt from now on, and only mixed breeds. I can't support any more breeds that only get a short life span, it isn't fair to the dogs and it is awful for the owners. I'm feeling pretty good right now...like a weight is off my shoulders. No more days spent on forums. I'm going back to a real life. My all is going to be given to my Naturalist study. It's my calling, and I want to be able to share my knowledge with others. I need to give it 100% of my time and energy. Thankfully....dogs make good companions for that!

So with my real life...today I started out with TWO BALD EAGLES over my home...TWO! I was loading my boyz up for their first hike of the day...yes first, they got TWO today with my extra time because I didn't sit on the computer all day...back to my story, I heard a raptor screeching, I looked up and there were two large birds, one diving at the other, took me a minute to realize what I was looking at....first I thought Red Tail and an Osprey, but with in a second, I had the car door open and binocs in hand....because I could tell they were eagles! What an awesome way to start my day! When you LOVE nature...every moment of every day is so special, there is always something to see. I went up the the Park and walked the boys for about an hour. Still very cold, in the 30s and snow on the ground too. There was a thin film of ice on part of the pond too. There were 5 Hooded Mergs, 1 GB Heron and 2 Phoebes.

In my yard, Hairy, Downy, RB, 2 Fox, 3 Song, W.T., few Juncos, Cardinals,House finch and Sparrow, crows, Cardinals, Titmouse, Chickadees, WB Nuthatch, Starling, Grackle, RW BBs, Cowbirds, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Goldfinch, Robins.

Last night there were Woodcock displaying across the street. I just love this time of year!

Winter Storm

This morning we awoke to snow. Truly gorgeous outside. We are expecting 4-7 inches, temperatures here are 34. Huge flocks of Blackbirds continue, I'm glad I can help fuel their migration. I was up at the Vernal Pools yesterday, no Wood frog chorus, and no eggs of any kind. I still have a shot at hitting a big day, it's been a couple of years, I am so hopeful that this year I can see some Spotted Salamanders.

Took the boys on a nice walk up at the Park. Lightly snowed the entire time. Place was empty, which is how I prefer it!

Under the feeders there are more then a dozen Cardinals, 2 Fox Sparrows, Lots of Juncos and W.T. Sparrows,Song, noticable absent most of this Winter were American Tree Sparrows, only a couple the entire Winter. Turkey's continued today.

Lucky Tom

What a blessing to live in an area where you can look out your windows and see nature at any time of the day or night. My feeders are always playing host to a huge variety of birds. This morning sipping a cup of tea and watching a Tom Turkey displaying for his hens is something that as a child I could only dream about. I am living the life I've always wanted. Being surrounded by wild animals is for me, heaven on earth.


A Pantheist Daily Mindfulness Practice:(excerpt from Universal Pantheist Society, Harold W.Wood Jr.)

1. Touch or engage with a flower, plant, or tree; really acknowledge its existence.
2. Touch or engage with an animal, an insect, or a companion animal.
3. Touch or engage with something of the earth – a mineral, a clod of dirt, some sand, or the soil.
4. Touch or engage the sky – look – really look – at the blue of the sky, or at clouds, or the stars at night.
5. Touch or engage another human being – acknowledge a loved one with a hug, or help a child or the sick or elderly, or pass on a word of cheer to another.

When Pantheists “take a walk in the woods” – we engage in our most fundamental spiritual devotion. By so doing we refresh ourselves, and we feel peace and joy in Nature. No one can tell us our beliefs or faith is wrong, because we have touched and engaged in the reality. There is no argument about “your beliefs vs. my beliefs.” We simply know from our own experience that the practice of Pantheist mindfulness enhances the relationship with the sacred that is the whole point of religion.

When we touch or engage other living things, we should try to deeply understand them. Mindfulness includes engaging the mind, as well as the heart. Enjoyment of the beauty is necessary, but not sufficient. We should try to understand them with all our capacities, including scientific understanding and the use of reason. Some say that scientific understanding seems to make things cold and unfeeling. It has never seemed so to me. When I acknowledge a fir tree, my appreciation of its beauty and joy in its being is hugely increased by having some understanding of its familial relationships, and its ecological relationships, taught by the science of botany. By knowing what family, genus, and species a particular fir tree is, helps me to see it no longer as just part of the scenery, but to help me better understand it as a living being whom I acknowledge. The more I know about taxonomy or ecology of a plant or animal, the better I can appreciate it. For a Pantheist, a nature guidebook to local flora and fauna is like the Book of Common Prayer for an Episcopalian, or a Sutra to a Buddhist.

Later...@ sit spot for my Kamana Class.....1ST PHOEBE!

Full Moon on the 19th was outstanding. I really enjoyed stepping out to see it.


Snowing this am, temps hovering around 34 degrees. We are expecting 1-3 inches before it turns to rain. 30 or so Juncos back under the feeders along with large flocks of mixed Blackbirds(RW BB, Grackle, Cowbird, Starling) Cardinals, W.T.Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Robins, Tufted Titmouse, Chickadees, Goldfinch, House Finch, House Sparrow, Downey, Blue Jay, Turkeys, Crows. Red Squirrels, Chipmunks and Gray Squirrels complete the picture.

Equinox Celebration

Today I celebrate the Equinox. I give thanks for our beautiful earth and the flora and fauna that inhabit it. I light 6 Candles. The large central Yellow represents the Sun. Dark Brown: Lithosphere(air) Light Blue: Hydrosphere (water) Dark Blue: Atmosphere (air) Green: Biosphere (plant life) and Light Brown: Noosphere (humans and creatures)

Spring arrives today at 23:21

23 Turkeys!

25 degrees this am. Sunny GORGEOUS first day of Spring! My baby is 17 today. How did I get sooooo old? 23 stunning turkeys spent several hours in the yard this morning. There were 9 males strutting their stuff. Also...first Flicker of the year flew into the yard. He is loving the suet, must be a nice find after an exhausting migration! My heart is singing....SPRING IS HERE! I will be lighting my candles later today to welcome in the new season. Last night we had a BIG MOON...it was full and huge. Nature at it's finest.

Wood Frogs!

Yup! The air was filled with the sweet song of Wood Frogs! I love this time of year! For me...this is my harbinger of Spring. It's time to get outside every available minute of each day and enjoy nature and all it has to gift us! I'm going to start my Naturalist Class on Monday, so I won't be on the net much. I will be keeping my Nature Notes going though!

It's here!

Incrediably GORGEOUS after work hike!

Daylight savings time

A picture is worth a thousand words....this was taken in front of my home at 6:50pm, after two awesome walks AFTER WORK with my dogs to two separate parks! I love Daylight savings time!!

Very cold overnight, there is ice on my pond again. This morning when I took the dogs out there was a familiar song, Robins! Yesterday up in the Co. Park there was 7 Bluebirds and many Robins on the field. Most of my Winter feeder birds seem to have disappeared. There are few Juncos and W.T. Sparrows now. Carolina Wrens are back.

Hike in Cascade Lake Park, 4 Ringneck ducks, a few Mallards, Bluebirds.

Temperature today is 54. We had several inches of rain the last couple of days. I had a nice hike with Petey up to the Vernal Pools in the Co. Park. No Wood Frogs as of yet. One pool did contain some evidence of congressing, there were some Spermatophorres. Also found 2 Marbled Salamander Larvae. The next week doesn't look too promising for a big night, the temps will be in the 50s during the day, but only in the 30s at night.

All Juncos gone from under the feeders. Few Blackbirds, most likely local birds that will be staying.

First Woodcock early am on Tuesday.

Skunk Cabbage

Black Birds

This morning at 7:30am hundreds of mixed flocks of Grackles, R.W. Blackbirds and Cowbirds ascending on my feeders.

3 Red Squirrels. Chipmunks up. Almost all snow gone!

Snow Geese

Out in Pine Island there were thousands of Snow Geese last night. What a thrill. Heading out right now to see if we can find the Ross's, Greater White Fronted and the Barnacle that were also seen yesterday.

Pouring rain out, mid 50s today. Two pairs of Purple Finches at the feeder first thing this morning. Later on we headed back out to bird Pine Island. We saw hundreds of Pintails, dozens of G.W. Teal, several American Widegon and a lone Tundra Swan all at the PI Golf Course. We drove out to the camel farm and also the Turf Nursery and saw lots of Canada Geese, not much else. I no sooner arrived back home and received a voice message that Ross's Geese, a total of FIVE had been seen out a Mission Land Road. Back in the car....YES...a lifer! A blue Morph as well as an adult Ross's goose. Met some birders that I knew from their posts on NYS Rare bird alerts, it is nice to put names to the faces. What an exciting way to spend a rainy Sunday morning. Home to a very late brunch of a Gluten Free Pancake Sandwich.

Yesterday, large flocks of Vultures circling over Greenwood Lake, must have been 40-50. Today hundreds of Grackles. Chipmunks out. One lone Fox Sparrow.