Sad

I lost my Rehab snapping turtle today.  I'm heartbroken.  I'm not taking rehabs for the next year.  I'm sorry sweet boy that I couldn't save you. 

Great advice

Passion

Enjoy

The month of January is winding down, it's been a wonderful Winter.  Just enough snow to keep it pretty outside, but not enough to interfere with life. Lots of great birds around, really enjoying getting out there.  Yesterday we hiked to the Greenwood Lake overlook and today I hiked around the pond. Lots of people ice fishing, and my crew decided to put some skates on and enjoy the pond in its other form.  Beautiful day.    

Competative Natures

What is it that compels some people to be so competitive?  Is it their egos, or do they have low self esteem or both?  When I feed into a situation where someone is pushing my buttons, what does that say about me?  Does my ego and how I'm feeling about myself need to be checked as well?  Every so often a person comes into my life, who does this to me.  It never feels good when it is happening.  It feels worse when I realize that I haven't learned my lesson from the last time and I jump right in with both feet.  I need to stay away from people who don't make me feel good ~ PERIOD.  Don't invite the challenge, don't pay attention to it and get on with your life.  Love is all there is.....be LOVE. 

Can you say COLD? A high today of 16 degrees, 10mph winds = -4.  I'm not going for a hike, as Monty has a sore toe, the snow is much too hard and crunchy for him to be running on it.  Sunset: 5:03 pm  Moonset: 5:11 am  Moonphase: Waxing Gibbous

Whoa

Whoa...today my mind is going a million miles a Milli-second! I think unplugging is WORKING! I have so much I want to write about today! I had a great hiking meditation up in the Co. Park in teen temps with 10mph winds. I was completely frozen on my bottom half, because silly me didn't wear any long johns! But I also had more energy then I've had since Thanksgiving. I did the hills without any struggles. Hmmm maybe some backpacking this fall! I feel so much more peaceful mentally and better then I've felt in a really, really long time. My mind feels clearer and alive with new possibilities. I've also turned off the TV for the last week, only watching programs that I enjoy, no more keeping it on for the noise, the peaceful quiet is so much better for my mind. Last night I did catch a show on PBS about an artist named Wayne White, he did the set for the childrens show Pee-Wee Herman.  His life and the way he has been living it, completely captivated and  fascinated me.  His wife and both his children are all artists. He has inspired me to limit my time on FB and all social media. I am too addicted to the simplicity of just logging on to a forum or Facebook, and spending time in those places makes me feel like I have a full life. I don't because of how much time I'm wasting and it isn't worth it anymore.  Hearing so much bad news constantly is depressing me. I take everyone's problems to heart.  Spending so much time sitting is making me unfit and unhealthy. I need more, I want more and I am going to have more. I am.

 My forever quest for simplifying my life is becoming much clearer. It really isn't about just getting rid of junk, it's a whole mental process to go through first. I never realized that. I've made some decisions that I am going to do this week. I am not going to renew my member number for the PJ fan club. It has been an amazing journey following and loving that band, what a midlife crisis it has been! I had the time of my life and I'm glad it happened. It breathed fresh air into my soul and made me feel so young. But that journey over. I will buy any new albums, but I won't go to anymore shows. I have tinnitus in both my ears now, most likely from repeatedly going to several shows in a weeks time. I won't risk anymore hearing damage, I need my ears to ID bird, animal calls and hear my hubby and children's voices. I have my memories, and they are all amazing. But it is time to move on. I am also not going to take any wildlife rehabs this coming year. I will contact the sites that I'm listed on and make sure they know. I will also get my list of other rehabbers in order, calling everyone and finding out what species they will take. I will post an offer to help anyone who has wildlife questions or needs help locating a rehabber. And finally, I am not going to work on my Master Naturalist either, there is plenty of time for that pursuit when we semi-retire in a few years. That way I can give it my all. If I could get a paycheck doing it, that is what I would love best, but that isn't going to happen. We have no nature centers here close to home.....So I am going to start my new business, and get that up and running. I love dogs and they love me. When asked what my favorite animal is, I always say dogs followed by turtles. I will continue to hike, bird watch and do nature study, but with out any pressure and only for pleasure. I will not give up my shift at the Mt. Peter Hawk watch. That I love too much. So there it is.

 On this cold crisp day....lots of feeder birds again, dozens of cardinals, W.T., Tree, Juncos, Mourning Doves, and Woodpeckers! Downy, Hairy and R.B.s. Out and about there were 3 bluebirds over on the street by Wadesons feeding on crabapples, and a Pilated Woodpecker out on our hike.

On the eating front....who says a healthy lunch can't taste amazing? Put your salad in a Nori Wrapper! Dip the pieces in Coconut Amios....WOW WOW WOW! It was better then getting sushi out, and a whole lot cheaper. I might be a foodie now, that is how I take after my moms side of the family.  It certainly feels good to eat delicious healthy food. 

Feeder birds

I took Monty on our daily hike, we did the upper loop in the Co. Park. It started snowing while we were out. It was simply beautiful, how people don't like winter I will never understand. No birds or wildlife seen, just the beautiful silence and crisp cold air to fill my senses. A good day for a walking meditation. At home the feeder bird numbers have increased by ten fold. Lots of Field, W.T. Sparrows, Juncos, House Finch, Goldfinch. Tonight my favorite pre-storm gathering happened, my flock of cardinals grew to about two dozen birds. I tried to get some pictures with out much luck. I enjoyed watching them.

Francesca

Last night my brothers x girlfriend died of a drug overdose. Her young son had tragically committed suicide a week ago. Two unbelievable loses of life in a weeks time. My heart goes out to their family, how they will get though this, I don't know. Francesca was a beautiful, warm, sweet person. She was also tortured and sad, she had bad bouts with depression. When she came up to Warwick to live for nine months, she was overwhelmed with the beauty of our area. One magical Fall night Francesca, my brother and myself sat up at Cascade Lake, the air was warm, the approaching evening still, we watched in awe as dozens of bats flew and hunted for insects over the motionless lake. It was the last night that I've ever seen more then 3 bats at one time. It is a memory forever burned in my mind. I had hoped that nature would pull her and my brother into her infinite beauty and wonder, and that the drugs would loosen their grip on them. It never happened for Francesca. I am deeply saddened and sorry that her time here is over.....may she now have the peace and serenity that only the wilderness can bring.

Tooting my own horn

I received my Mt.Peter Hawk Watch Annual report back about a month ago. It was so nice to see my name in print after a so many years volunteering up at the watch. I had the top days for several species, Red-Tails, Merlin's and Sharpies. I had the best year ever, and truly look forward to next year.

Duck Count

I spent a few hours today out at the local waterways participating in the NYS Annual Winter Duck count. While out at Greenwood Lake I met up with a birding friend and helped him with our county tally. It was very windy, and the open water had white caps. It was difficult to see much. Yesterday there were two large rafts of Common Mergs, totaling over 500 birds, today they were gone. We did get a few species, Common Merg being one, Ruddy Duck, Ruffle Head, Mallard, Ring-Necked, Gadwall, Hooded Merg,Canada Goose and Mute Swans. My friend tallied a few more species from other locations. I came up empty handed at my other locations. Although I enjoyed seeing the ducks, and plan to get out again tomorrow to look at them again, what I really loved seeing was a gorgeous 4th year Bald Eagle who was flying all around us at the lake. He was so close that it took my breath away to watch him. My friend had to remind me that we were there to count ducks!

 There is something just so magical about raptors for me. I don't know where the obsession with them came from, maybe it was my Grandpa Scott taking me to see my first Bald Eagle. Up until then I hadn't been exposed to very many raptors on suburban Long Island. When my grandparents retired they moved down to Punta Gorda FL, which was pretty rural back in the 70s. I went down to visit them and grandpa took me across the street to see the eagles nest. There was a Juvenile eaglet in the nest and a adult sitting on the side. I was awestruck. It is a memory burned in my head. I get the same feeling every time I lay my eyes on a Raptor. How wonderful of a lifetime memory for me. My grandpa will forever live on in my head and heart for showing me those eagles. At that time there were less then 1000 breeding pairs in the US, I felt blessed to have the experience. That quest to have amazing wildlife experiences continues today. After the duck count I grabbed my dobe boy and headed up in to the park to look for saw whet owls with no luck, but it was so wonderful to spend so much time outside today. I feel completely content. I love being out in nature, and realize after such a beautiful day, I need more of it, especially in the winter. I have to make my life so that I spend more time doing what I've always loved, and less time living online. I'm looking forward to my FB break.

This is not my photo, but this bird looks similar to the bird I watched today. He had no white on his body, but still some brown streaking on his tail and head.

confession

There is so much I want to do and accomplish in this life, and there doesn't seem to be enough time to do any of it. I wanted to get my Certified Master Naturalist this year, and at the rate I'm going...there is no way I'm going to get the volunteer work, and the webinars done. I'm going to put it on the back burner again for a few months. I'm also thinking about not going to take in any wildlife rehabs this Spring. I will compile my list of other rehabbers and give their numbers when people call. I'm spread too thin mentally. I keep saying I'm going to Simplify...but I'm having trouble even taking the first steps. I think that I need to concentrate on one thing at a time. I also think....it's time for a social media break. I am addicted to the internet and it's stealing so much precious time from my life. I need to get back to work too, really that has to be my first priority. I have to help my hubby pay the bills. I am going to start my new business next week. I love dogs, and they love me, what a perfect job to walk and sit dogs. I'm going to make a commitment to myself, for the first time in many years, I'm going to limit my internet time. I will check my email in the morning, craigslist and any research I have to do but, no FB until after 8pm and only if I don't have a TV program on that I plan on watching. There....I said it! This will start on Tuesday morning. Life is too good to sit here day after day, month after month and now year after year staring at a computer screen, reading about other peoples lives. There are gourmet meals to cook, books to read, birds and wildlife to see, dogs to play with, a house that needs paint and TLC, closets that need to be purged, friends that need to be seen, trails that need to be hiked, and a family that needs my undivided love and attention 24/7 365 days a year. Wow....writing that down, felt GREAT!

Explore

I'm in the process of finishing up planning a two week trip to explore from Bozeman, MT to Phoenix, AZ. It's been so much fun to figure it all out. It is going to be an amazing trip, I'm very excited now to have something so wonderful to look forward to. In our 30 years together, hubby and I have had ONE 2 week vacation, what a dream come true to have two weeks! Now it's time to get back to reality, the trip isn't for another 5 months.

Forget about it...

There is no way I can do a post a day. I already failed multiple times and it's only January 10. I've found that I'd rather take that free time and actually get out and hike. Which is just what I've done every day this week. It has been so beautiful. The beauty of the snow is breath taking. Up in the Co. Park the bird of the day was Brown Creeper. Today there are about a dozen Redpolls at my feeders! What a beautiful little bird. In a little while I'm headed out to see 2 Barn Owls, HOPEFULLY!

A Post A Day

Already I'm finding it hard to post once a day. The every day distractions of life seem to take over, next thing I know....I'm in bed. The holiday break has been awesome. Filled with precious time with my 4 sons and their friends. Their I derive so much pleasure from hanging out with my sons and their friends. The last few days they have all begun to head back to their new lives. As each leaves I cry, I know that as they get older, this part of my life is going to end. They will settle down and have their own families. My oldest son is back in CA, living a life I can only dream about. I'm very proud of him. My nature time shrinks according to how much family time I'm living. Its all good though, I know once my kids have flown the coop....there will be far TOO much time on my own. I now choose to be with them, and really...there is no choice, they are awesome people that I can't get enough of.

 My two new adopted turtles....don't seem to be Mud Turtles, I think they are common Musk turtles. They are adorable, and I aim to give them an awesome life. I'm going to set them up in a stock pond. Everyone here in NY is hosting Red Poles. I saw another one on my feeders yesterday. Today I hope to get out and see that White Red tail that continues to hang around Warwick for the last 4 years. This photo was taken by Stephen Sachs a few days ago.

Musk Turtles

Gorgeous sunny day. I set off this morning to pick up my newly adopted pair of Musk Turtles. I saw their add on Craigslist and something made me want to adopt them. When my heart speaks I usually listen. Mandy and Mack are happily cruising around their new digs. They will be living with the eight frogs for the winter. I may set them up in the lower stock pond come Spring and I release the frogs back to their pond in the backyard. I'm headed out to run my pup at 2:30pm in 27 degree weather...perfect for a nice hike. later on after my hike how do I feel? INCREDIBLE! Today is the first time that I did the upper loop in more then a month. Six weeks of holiday eating, drinking and 2 minor vein surgeries, I'm finally back on track and I feel great! I missed getting out there alone.

Life is good

Sunrise 7:23 A.M. Sunset 4:41 P.M. Moonrise 10:13 P.M. Moonset 10:01 A.M. Temperature High of 29 and a low of 14 Winds 7mph NW Moon phase is Waning Gibbous This afternoon at 4:30pm we took our daily hike with Monty up in the Co. Park. The colors of the sky were breathtaking hues of blues and pinks, turning orange as the sun sank deeper into the horizon. There is 6 inches of hard packed snow covering the fields. The air was cold and crisp, sure clears your mind of everything. Although it was getting dark very rapidly, it was amazing how light it stayed because of the snow.

Happy New Year!

Odd Colored Junco

Common Redpole

No New Years resolutions....just plans to live each and every day to it's fullest! To enjoy the people and animals in my life, eat great food, and spend tons of time out in nature.