Sunday 13 March 2011

Thaw

Childhood revisited - Had a most fantastic ride in deep powder snow with CD on one of her steeds, Harley, the magical centipede, who took such good care of me and was impeccably well behaved, considering I was acting like a giggly four year old and appeared to have lost all sense of balance due to this. It was a totally wonderful experience and I was grinning for the remainder of the day. I love how everything changes visually so drastically each season, it is like living in four different locations, without having the hassle of moving.


I‘think’ I can hear the cry of fox hounds…. wow I really think I am loosing it, ‘cabin fever’ must have set in. Later to find out that they were running hounds, to catch coyote. The hounds were calling, up and behind Murdock and then the sound of a chase as they headed off towards Summit Lake, the sound was amazing. I had to laugh, in Europe we ride horses to hounds, here, they ride in pick-up trucks.


I had only heard the Coyote once late last Summer. It was dark, I was in bed, all the windows were open because it was so hot and any hint of a breeze would have been welcomed, then I heard the eeriest noise, it sounded like a pack of wild dogs barking and yipping for a few minutes, then total silence for a few minutes more, finished off with a roar of howling. Amazing how having the windows open (even upstairs), makes you feel so incredibly vulnerable. I could see the Pie in the moonlight and he was watching for what-ever it was too, but he was fine, so that was good. We live in a valley and it ‘sounded’ as though they were right outside the house and I was SURE that what ever ‘they’ were, that they had taken down some huge deer, horse or cow (because something smaller just wouldn’t have been so impressive, frightening or scary plus my imagination was in over-drive). I will be quite fine if that is my only experience with coyote.


The Expo in NYC went rather too well and we have been suffering with a huge work load ever since, but that is the point, right?! L & J returned with a British Goodie Bag from a chocolate shop in the city loaded with all my favourite Cadbury pieces. Pure heaven - great people.


This weekend we had The Winter Raptor Fest at Fort Edward - Falcons, Hawks and Owls in free-flight displays. I lost Thomas for over an hour and a half, so I KNOW he had a great time. Over the brow of the hill, in deep snow, came two giant Belgians pulling a beautiful red sleigh laden with laughing people. It was like something out of a bloody Norman Rockwell scene!


You may recall the rogue wild turkey. I have decided he can not be wild, though maybe the rogue part was correct. He appears to be a Black Winged Bronze, so therefore a domestic. He spent about a month with us, ate all the barn cat’s food, patrolled the Volvo (very well I might add) and then decided to move down the road to where he found some cooped chickens (Casanova of a turkey that he is, if not a little mixed up with identifying species type). Unfortunately I received a call from the chicken's owner, who was visiting his property and very upset to inform me that the turkey had attacked him whilst he was leaving the coop, in fact, he could NOT leave the coop because the turkey stood in his way, he was terrified of said turkey and had to contact another neighbor to rescue him from this situation. He stated that the turkey’s head was in fact UP to the window of their Jeep when they fled their property in fear of their lives. I said I was very sorry, that the turkey was not mine, but that I would go straight down to collect him. He pointed out that this would be a dangerous task and HOW indeed could I catch the attacking wild turkey? .... a few minutes pass.... I get Thomas's assistance ..... we track turkey, who follows us quite happily back to the farm, then into the barn where he THEN he spots the Turkey House inside and darts for his freedom but is caught by the Thomas who then confines him to Solitary. NOW. The turkey isn’t mine, he is a free entity the way I see it, so what now? I can not leave him locked up forever as that would be cruel and unkind but if I release him he will surely return to the city dwellers abode and cause mayhem on their return visits, although I am sure the chickens don‘t mind him hanging around… Help!

Kathy & Billye - today we see gravel in the driveway and the stone wall is reappearing, Spring IS coming?! We survived our first winter and still, for the record, think this is the best place on earth. Thank you.

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