Simplfy

I've decided that my life is too bogged down. Lately I feel as though I am suffocating from all the mess and chaos that surrounds me in my home. I feel as though it is holding me back from being able to really live in the moment and enjoy my daily life. I find myself not wanting to spend time in my home because of it. I am going to do a major purge and clean out and get rid of everything I'm not using or that I'm holding on to for silly sentimental value. Today I'm beginning the planning stage. Notebook and pen in hand. My first order of business is to find people and organizations who want the things that I no longer have a use for, next is to STOP buying STUFF completely, other then food. Nothing comes in here unless something goes out. This is going to be a long project but one I'm determined to complete before my next birthday. A little each day will get me where I want to be and so I begin.....

33 Months old

I can't believe how fast time is flying by now. My parents told me the older you get the quicker the days, weeks, months and years pass you by. They were right. Petey is now nearing three years old. Doberman Pinschers do not get very long lives, the average male lives to be about nine and a quarter years. I can't imaging myself with out my beloved Pete in six short years from now. I am doing everything in my power to insure the most years possible for him. I feed Raw http://www.rawfed.com/myths/ use no chemicals for pest control on him, I no longer do vaccinations, choosing to do yearly titers instead, exercise him everyday for at least an hour and keep his mind active learning and going new places. He is a dream come true dog. I couldn't ask for a better companion. Happy 33 month birthday to my sweetheart.

My Family

I've won the lottery of life....it is a great one, and I am so blessed to have four sons and the most amazing hubby to share it with.

A Tale of 2 T-Shirts

While on Vacation last week my dear sweet hubby bought me two T-shirts that had major meaning for me. The day before we left for our vacation I showed Petey for his first and last time. The experience was not a good one, and I left it feeling very down and upset. Starting my dream vacation with a sad heart was awful. I decided once and for all, after that experience that organized dog sports and competitions just aren't for me or Petey. Having been a Mod on a Doberman Forum for the last two years, and constantly reading about all the wonderful things that people are doing with their dogs and the titles they are achieving, I always feel as though I'm not doing right by Petey and his heritage. I have felt as though he should have a job. I have looked into and tried OB, Agility, TDI, SchH and now the show ring. Petey is by no means a AKC show doberman, I think most of the "show" people find him to be butt ugly, he has too much bone and a bit too much fat(we are still working on that!!! I have him down to his 1 year old weight, which is 16# less then his all time high) We STINK at it all. I am a nervous wreck and that goes right down the leash and pours into to my beloved boy. I've decided that we are not going to take another class, its a done deal.....WHAT A RELIEF! No more chasing titles and thinking about what else I can do next with Petey, we both already know the place where our hearts sing the loudest....its in the woods. He is my hiking partner and protector, and you know what?....it is enough. He is living his life as his original ancestors were bred to do, as a humans constant companion and protector, and he is excellent at his job. He is the champion of my heart.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods. There is rapture on the lonely shore. There is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more.- Lord Byron

Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone

I have found paradise. Yellowstone National Park has completely won my heart as my favorite place on earth. I am still in awe at the physical beauty of the land and the number and variety of incredible animal species that call the park home. I can not wait to return. With my family we spent 10 days immersed in the beauty of the area, each day I added more species seen, including wolves and grizzly bears, both were at the top of my life list as must see before I die. We rented a nice little house that overlooked the Yellowstone River on the North end of the park in Gardiner. Across the River was parkland, so we had the added bonus of not only the rushing river but mountains and grasslands that gave us more nature to view. We spent hours watching the Mountain Goats frolic on the steep cliffs and Pronghorn antelopes grazing in the fields. One day we hiked among thousands of buffaloes for eight blissful miles, incredible to be surrounded by such immense animals, a privilege to see them so up close and personal in their natural habitat. Rafting for an entire day in the gorgeous Galitan River valley in Big Sky Montana was nothing short of awe inspiring and more fun then any amusement park I've ever been to. Every drive was another chance to see a new species of bird or animal. I couldn't wait to get into the park each day....my sense of wonder and awe for the natural world was woken up like never before. I think every American should try to see our parks, and learn what flora and fauna once existed across our entire nation and now is almost non existent anywhere except in the protected parks. I would have like to have been a Native American before we came to this country and destroyed it...just to see what true beauty was. Thankfully we have little slices of it still left within places like Yellowstone National Park.

Why Did The Turtle Cross The Road?

Second letter to the editor:

This time of year while you are out driving you may come upon one of our native species of turtle crossing a road. You might wonder why it would be doing something so dangerous. Turtles are looking for mates and laying eggs. They instinctively seek out high, dry, sunny locations to lay their eggs, sometimes needing to cross a road to find the ideal location. If you can safely stop your car, and wait to let the turtle pass in front of you, or can help move it to the other side of the road in the direction it was traveling, you are doing a wonderful service to help it survive. .Unfortunately most of our native turtles are in serious decline due to loss of habitat loss and people capturing and keeping them as pets. It is illegal in NY State for any citizen, except those that have special permits to possess any species of our native turtles. Three species are listed as Special Concern and one is Endangered and on the Federal Endangered Species list. Moving Box turtles and Wood Turtles from where they were born also causes most of them to die soon after releasing them to a new location. They have home territories and have learned over a lifetime the best places to find food, water and shelter, when moved they often starve to death. Releasing non native, pet turtles, like Red Eared Sliders is also causing problems for our native turtles, because they are much more aggressive and larger then our Eastern Painted Turtles and compete with them for food and territory. Thanks for helping our turtles survive so that our grandchildren might get to see them in the wild.

Fawns

Went for a wonderful hike today with hubby,Petey, my son and his girlfriend. After the last couple of super busy days getting ready for a graduation and party, a little escape into nature was much needed. We went up to Cascade Lake Park at about noon. The woods were filled with bird song,its the first day that it hasn't rained in the last three weeks. Glorious sunshine, although a bit humid. As we were heading to the car after a couple of hours in the woods, we were treated to an awesome sighting of two very young fawns right near the parking lot, both were making cute little noises calling to each other. You can see why people some times think that they need to be rescued, they look so fragile and mom seems no where to be found. I'm sure she was watching us from a distance.

Happy Summer Solstice!

The last few weeks have been spent working on our yard. After 20 years in our home the front gardens are finally finished. During the last year we put in a new circular driveway, stone walls, walkways and new gardens. I planted around 100 plants and flowers for butterfly, hummingbird gardens. I also put in a tiny pond for tadpoles, and it ended up with baby goldfish hatching, so it's making for a very cozy fish nursery. Now the large pond in the backyard has been completely refurbished, it is now about 6 inches deeper and sports a large waterfalls, and has a filtration system. You can visibly see the fish smile, they are so happy with the new conditions!! A two tier stone patio is next on the work list. Our oldest son has been doing quite a bit of the work. He will be traveling a lot this Summer and couldn't find a job that allowed that much time off, so we are paying him to work here. It is a win win situation, nothing like a fit 22 year old to get some serious work done. I finally hung my Wildlife Habitat sign.

Lots of baby birds and squirrels around. Downy woodpeckers, cardinals, house wrens, robing, Catbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Chipping Sparrows, Grackles, Mourning Doves, Chickadees, Nuthatches,Redwing Blackbirds, House finches, all have brought babies to the feeders the last couple of weeks. The cutest has been the pair of Downy's, Mom comes with the female baby and dad comes with the male. They feed them my famous peanut butter mix. So adorable. So happy to see all these species being so successful in rearing their young.

The last few weeks, Petey and I have been getting out at the crack of dawn and doing a little trail running. Its really nice to get a workout in so early in the day, and the woods are also full of wildlife at that hour. Second week we ran right into a nice 300# bear, so exciting...as always!

Rainiest Spring ever here on the East coast! Now it's officially Summer~hopefully the sun will come out at some point!! Happy Summer Solstice!

It's been a while

I've been so busy with doggie classes that I've completely neglected my nature journal. It has been a gorgeous amazing Spring as always, full of green and bird song. Spring never disappoints and what you feel that you missed seeing, there is always next year to look forward to. It seems like every year Spring just come upon us so quickly with so much flora and fauna to see that you just can't take it all in. As always....I've enjoyed every moment I get to spend in nature. I enjoy all the seasons and weather. Petey and I continue to get out there every chance we can. I love this dog, he is becoming an amazing companion, I can't believe I used to want another dog. I am so happy hubby has always said no, one is enough this time around. He was so right. Petey is special, very special and he doesn't need to share us. He and I are in three classes right now, OB2, Agility and Show Handling. None of which we excel at, but during the process, we are bonding more and more.

We went on our annual Memorial Day trip to Letchworth State Park, to spend time with good friends. Nothing like gorgeous scenery and close friends to make for a awesome extended weekend. We always rent the same tiny cabin, surrounded by temperate rain forest plants and giant trees that we don't have at home.

Today I received my grade for the Wildlife Rehabilitation test, I got a 99%. I'm not a bad test taker like I've always thought my whole life...it was the subject matter that stunk! I sent off my first two letters to the editor tonight. Warning people to leave baby birds and animals alone. Here is the letter.

If You Care Leave Them There

It's that time of year again when baby mammals and birds begin leaving their dens and nests. Every year, many people unknowingly upset the lives of young wildlife when they only mean to help. They take fledgling songbirds, young rabbits, fawns or other animals from the wild in a mistaken attempt to rescue them. Most of these animals and birds don't need rescuing. Venturing out and away from their parents is a necessary, natural part of their development. It is how they learn to find food, stay away from predators and in the case of fledgling birds, fly. It can take several weeks or even months for these babies to finally be on their own with out their parents watching over them. It may appear that their parents are no where to be found, when in all actuality it is instinctive for them to stay hidden away from humans. They are usually nearby watching and waiting for you to leave so they can attend to their young. So please unless you know that both parents are dead as in the case of a bird or the mother in the case of a mammal, please leave them alone. Watch from afar and enjoy the sighting. If you are worried your cat or dog might bother them, put your pets in the house and monitor them when they are outside. The best thing for wildlife it to remain Wild and Free. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Carol
Wildlife Rehabilitator

Bear!

I haven't had much chance to write about my recent nature jaunts as we have had a project going on at our home. This bear passed through our yard on Friday. He was about 300# and in beautiful shape. I've been out with Petey most days, and have done quite a few short hikes with my hubby. It's always fun for me when he is injured and can't ride for a couple of months. Lots of Warblers and other migrants around. Today I saw a Black Throated Blue and a a Scarlet Tanager. Two incredibly stunning birds.

Last Pine Siskin.....

This poor little guy was the last Pine Siskin left at the feeders. It was apparent for the last couple of days that he was not going to be around long. His flock had migrated with out him. This morning he looked really bad and he passed away by 11:30am. It was weird how a squirrel and chipmunk were so gentle with him.

Red Eft

Last night hubby and I sat out on our front porch and listened to many Wood Thrush singing....so delightful! Their song has to be my absolute favorite sound on earth.

Today notables were a RS Towee in my front garden, Orioles at Greenwood Lake. The Wizard of the Woods, Oven birds everywhere singing up at Cascade Lake Park. Beaver sign up at the Park too!!! First Very happy about that. Also a Red Shoulder Hawk calling up there. First Red Eft of the year! No Warblers yet for me....I plan on getting out tomorrow. I love love love SPRING...every day is like opening up a gift...so exciting to be in love with the natural world!

Happy May Day!!!

Sweet Petey!

Petey turned 2.5 years old on the 27th! I can't believe he is already on the other side closer to three...time is flying by.

I am missing out on the big Warbler flight, the trees popped because of the heat, and now I will spend tomorrow in the hospital with my hubby. Oh well....next year!

Rose-breasted Grossbeak

A pair showed up at the feeder today....always a delight!

N. Water Snake

My first Snake of the year at the County Park Pond. What a pretty snake. Male American Toads were all in the pond Calling. Two Great Blue Herons, one had caught a fish. Also Water-Thrush.

Trout Lilly

Big Day

Although I never caught the *Big Night* this year, today I had a big day of sorts. I've been keeping a eye on the puddles where dozens of Spotted Salamanders laid their eggs this year. It became apparent over the last couple of days that the puddles were going to end up completely drying up well before the eggs hatched. I decided this morning to head up to the the puddles, with a backpack and several gallon size zip-loc bags. Last weekend I found a spot that I had decided to move the eggs to, so they have a fighting chance at hatching and some day ensuring that there will be more *Big Nights* in my lifetime. Some don't agree with tampering with nature, but in this day and age with so much habitat being decimated and few people who really care to try and help, the creatures of our earth don't have much chance of surviving long enough for my future grandchildren to enjoy seeing them. Reptiles and Amphibians have the least chance of any protection as they aren't cute and cuddly like mammals. I have a soft spot in my heart for all the slimy, scaley creatures that roam this beautiful earth...they are my favorite animals. I gathered a total of about 2 gallons of egg masses from 4 different puddles and carried them to the top of the mountain and put them in an old beaver pond where there are other spotted Salamander eggs. I plan on checking on them for the next few days...as they will hatch pretty quickly now. I will share pictures of the larva when they hatch.

Today during our adventure my Petey enjoyed a nice swim in the old beaver pond, and he had a blast running on the trails during our hike. Notable birds this week: N. Waterthrush, Broadwing Hawks, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, a few Pine Siskins, chipping Sparrows. Black Flies are hatched....lots of warbler food...let the warbling begin! Best part of Spring!

Best sighting of the week, Thursday night the 16th after a wonderful hike up in Cascade Lake on the way out of Cascade Road, there was a 300# bear on the side of the road. We were able to stop the car and watch him slowly meander across a backyard. Gorgeous animal. Seeing one always makes my heart pound, so exciting each time.

Easter Sunday

Yesterday hubby, Petey and myself went for a wonderful 3.5 hour hike up to Cascade Lake Park. It was sunny, windy and only about 45 degrees out. Hubby has been clearing the trails for mountain biking and he took me up to a beautiful swamp that I have never been to before. It was a Beaver home in the not too distant past. There was a dam as well as three lodges. It is a oasis on the top of the mountain. Full of birds and all sorts of other creatures. We hiked all the way up to the AT and could see Greenwood Lake. It was so nice to spend such quality time with my hubby, I really miss hiking with him. We went home a prepared a meal of Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb, Asparagus and Scalloped Potatoes. Great Easter!

Today I returned to the Swamp because it was another gorgeous day with warmer temperatures and no wind. There were a few species of birds, my first N. Water Thrush of the year. Phoebes, Tree Swallows, lots of Turkey Vultures flying over, Juncos, Chickadees, Robins, W.T. Sparrows, Wood Duck, Mallard. I now have a new spot to go for the BIG NIGHT~the puddles at Cascade Lake have as many Spotted Salamander egg masses as the Vernal Pool up in the Co. Park. Much easier to get to in the pouring rain. I moved a Zip Loc bag full of eggs to a safer body of water. They were getting run over by the ATVs that are illegally riding up in the park. Tomorrow I have plans to move even more egg masses, the puddles are drying up and the egg masses don't stand much of a chance of producing nymphs if I don't move them. I also brought home a few egg masses to hatch and head start. Every year I hatch amphibian eggs, and I never tire of watching them. It gives me a chance to be a kid again.

In the backyard scene we have lots of frisky squirrels, and I noticed some of the females are already nursing. Red Squirrel is here most days. A raccoon has been coming on the window feeder. I still have Juncos, W.T. Sparrows, Pine Siskin, Gold Finch that are almost all yellow, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downys, Robins, Red Wing Blackbirds, Grackels, Cowbirds, T.T. Mouse, Chickadee, Juncos, Turkeys,

Feeder Birds

Petey's Pack

Petey 29 months old

Warwick Eagle

A friend of mine from the Mt. Petey Hawk Watch, captured this photo of a Bald Eagle. It was sitting over looking a pond right up town! Nice of him to share it with me.

New Boots

I am my mothers daughter after all. Just like mom, I have a thing for shoes. When I was growing up my mom was forever getting a new pair of shoes. Mom loves to shop and loves getting a bargain even more then shopping. She would find a pair that she wanted, and then wait for them to go on sale. She would check on those shoes every time she went to that store, and wait for the price to hit her magic $5 and then score...she would own them. She had to sneak them in the house so my dad didn't bust her chops. My mom had more shoes then all of our family put together! I am not a shopper and I don't wait for bargains. I also don't get into dress shoes. I know what I like, and I usually buy my dress, party shoes online, and keep them forever. I'm a boot, clog, flip flop kind of women, if it isn't comfortable, I won't wear them. Once I have a few pairs in my closet, I give little thought about shoes until they start looking really worn, then it becomes a chore to replace them. The exception is my love of hiking boots. About every two years I replace my hiking boots. I start looking at reviews and I am forever hopeful to find that perfect pair. They need to fit like a glove, repel water, have good traction and look decent too. I have learned that buying cheap hiking boots isn't worth it for me. They wear out so quickly that there is no savings, you end up buying 2 or more pairs in the same time frame that a good pair lasts. Back in the Fall I replaced my worn out sneakers with a pair of Merrells. They are the most comfortable sneakers I've ever worn. So this year I decided to really treat myself and go for Merrell hiking boots. My feet are in heaven, I may have finally found the brand I will stick with for the rest of my life. Time will tell.

Now Spring has definitely sprung here in lower NY. Sadly I missed the *Big Night* again, I didn't get so see even one Spotted Salamander and the Vernal Pools are full of eggs. I found that they must have come out over several days, because we would have rain, and then a nice day, then rain again. Wood frogs have also laid their eggs, but are still in the pools along with Spring Peepers, all singing their little hearts out. Skunk Cabbage leaves are unfolding. Trout lily plants are all over the ground now, and should flower soon. Trees are full of flowers. Hints of green are filling the woods. On April 1st one of my feeders was taken out by a bear, so I knew they were out of hibernation, last night we confirmed that while out driving to a party we saw our first bear of 09! I never tire of seeing them it is always as exciting to me as the very first one I saw many years ago at Waywayanda Park in NJ. My Pine Siskins continue, still a large flock of about 200. Black bird flocks in the thousands. I've been seeing wood ducks quite often, and actually saw a pair on my street checking out a big ole tree that has potential next cavities. Vultures are everywhere. Lot's of deer in the woods, Petey is doing very well with not chasing after them. It has been a heavenly Spring....just wish it didn't move so quickly so I could savor it more! Get out there and enjoy!

My first 3 Babies....

After leaving my childhood home for college what I missed most was having a pet. I took my turtle Pee-Wee with me, but I missed my dogs and cat. Although turtles are one of my favorite creatures upon this earth,there is nothing like having a dog or a cat to be there when you come home. For me a house is not a home unless there is a furry creature.

The first animal that I was able to adopt was a cat, his name was Snowbank Frank, but he was shared by several of us in a large college home, and was eventually given to a friend. No dogs were allowed in the first place that I lived, so that is why I *settled* for a cat. My longing for a dog never stopped, Once I moved into a apartment that allowed dogs, my quest became intense. I even looked a beautiful litter of Golden Retrievers, none of them spoke to me, I'm just not a Golden type person. I need more piss and vinegar in a dog! On my 21st birthday I was sitting at the bar in the Idle Hour, with my then BF and asking him why we couldn't get a dog, that's all I wanted for my birthday! I was willing to settle for a Beagle, something small, because the BF had never had a dog, and wasn't too keen on the idea of a Big dog. Well a friend over heard us, and said....you know Tasha the wolf dog at the local head-shop? Well she has a litter of puppies and they may have one of the eight puppies that isn't spoken for! My BF said...well that's a dog I'd be interested in! The next day we went and picked out our puppy, Genghis Khan. The puppies were all named already. We had to wait a month, until after Christmas break for them to be ready to leave their mom. I could hardly sleep that entire month with excitement, one of the best birthday gifts of my entire lifetime, my first dog. Khan joined my life and became an ambassador for the Wolf-dog. He and I were very connected, more then any other dog I've owned, including Petey(so far). That once in a lifetime soul-mate dogs. We went everywhere together. Including many moves over his lifetime, he lived in several states and went on lots of vacations. Those were the days before leashes.

Soon after getting Khan, Tex the half Siamese Cat joined our growing fur-family. He was more like a dog then a cat, and would actually go hiking with me, and follow me to work, and hang out in the bar. A true college cat. He was one of a kind and irreplaceable, he will remain as the only cat I've ever owned. He was that special. He and Khan became the best of friends, playing for hours each day, so much in fact that Tex was short haired during Khan's puppy-hood! The boyfriend and I broke up, and the future hubby came in to our life, he was a true animal lover, and adored Khan. We spent every weekend at his house on the lake, Khan loved having more people to hang out with.

Life was good, and changing, Graduations and then our marriage, I have a picture of me in my wedding dress with Khan. He was with us at the reception. He was with me for two major moves to CO and ME, finally settled again, the longing for another dog started. Bugging my hubby for another dog...I wanted a Doberman. My Aunt Mary had Baron, a Gorgeous big black boy, and my FIL had Brandy a beautiful Red girl. Hubby refused to let me spend money on a dog when there were so many out there that needed homes. I dreamily looked at Doberman adds, and thought someday I will have one. One day we were out driving around looking at property to buy, when we passed a yard with a Black female Doberman and a ton of puppies running around a yard. I poked hubby in the shoulder and said...LOOK DOBERMANS! He ignored me, and continued to talk to the Realtor we were with. My shoulders slunk, feeling sad as we drove home after dropping off the Realtor, hubby drove to the house where the puppies were and asked how much they wanted for a puppy....the owner said FREE-take as many as you want! They were Dobe/Weim mixes. There were eight puppies,six all black, a pure gray one, who hubby wanted, and the owner told we couldn't have as he was staying. So hubby picked up the biggest puppy in the litter, pops him under his arm and says...we will take this one! He was the color of a *Red* Doberman. Hubby named him Bigelow before we even arrived at home. He was a delightful silly GIANT boy! The Big Dummy was his nickname. He had a tail the size of a bull whip and used it to inflict major damage on all men that came to visit. Khan and Bigelow became instant friends. Bigelow followed Khan every where. We settled in to a nice life with our fur family. We all moved back to NY. We continued to spend time with our kids, even buying our first new car for them. A hatchback with windows that rolled down so they could hang their heads out. They went everywhere with us for the first five years of our marriage.

Unfortunately for hubby and I, all three were lost to us with in an eighteen month period. Biggs was the first to go, only six weeks before the birth of my first son. Devastated doesn't even begin to cover my feeling over the loss of him, it truly ruined my last six weeks of pregnancy. Next it was Khan who we lost only six weeks after the birth of our son. A dark cloud was over our lives, and a colicky baby made things even more awful. When our son was seventeen months old, Tex was stolen by a neighbor who moved to Maine with him. I was very pregnant with my second son, and too busy and tired to mourn for too long. But It would be a decade before I could bring myself to let another dog in my heart. I felt like I was the most unlucky animal owner in the world. I didn't know if I'd ever have another pet....but the longing started again...and has never left. Dogs are a gift we give to ourselves, they come with pain of loss, but what they bring to our lives far out weighs that pain. I'm thankful that I continue to welcome them in to my life.

The Vernal Pool in the Co. Park had lots of egg masses this morning. Not sure how I missed the females coming as there hasn't been more rain yet. I will take a night time trip up to the pool if we get rain over the next couple of days. It's tradition. In my yard, the flock of Pine Siskins might be nearing two hundred now. They must communicate, how did they all find out that I'm the bird lady, and my feeders are never empty? I'm still hoping that the Green Siskin will return, just so I can get a picture.

Petey and I start a new OB class tonight I'm really looking forward to getting back to training with my sweet boy.