It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... My Daughter is Crafty

Laura wanted a nice big wreath to decorate the door this year. I was seeing them for fifty dollars, and not well-made even at that outlandish price.
Becky got up early, went collecting in the woods with five kitties, and made... this!

It's Hot Here

I just want to make sure that my friends in other parts of the world have a clear understanding that it's hot.

Here's a pretty sight that met me on the west side of the house this morning when I went around to see the dogs coming home from the fields with baby bunnies in their mouths. (They were cheating at hunting because a blacksnake had found the nest and they hogged up what he couldn't get down the hatch in time.)

I think the sky and trees and moon look so pretty this morning.

In the heat.

Black Bear!

Here are two pictures of the bear tracks going across the new path.
You'll have to trust me on this because they really don't show up well in pictures. I tried to outline the bigger track to illuminate the print for you, but it still looks like... mud.
While we were all looking down at the fresh tracks, we heard a sound in the woods. Joe Houndog was lurking, as per his usual manner.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about what happened to my heart rate when I realized an animal was in the underbrush next to the bear prints.

New Trails

Here are shots of the bulldozer work from yesterday and today. First the girls are riding past the oak tree, about to take a left at what we'll term for the public blog, "A.Q." The special clearing for a future cabin.

Turning left off the main trail.

Fat Suburbanite Dad's tree marker deep in the dark woods- till now.

Scott in the new clearing. Orange tree marker on the left outside the picture.

Looking left coming out at the creek from "A.Q." and looking at the new lane in the road through Beaver Crossing.

Monday will bring more new roads, widening the creek road, and making actual trails through the woods where the tree markers are.

Frigid Arctic Blasts

I couldn't blog for a while because Laura was signed into Google with her email address. I was finally in the room with her and asked her to help, and she easily enlarged the window, signed out, and signed me in.
I wish I were a teen.

Here are pictures representing the cold weather.
Clyde cleaning confusing snowflakes off of his fur.
A Cardinal, by Katie.
My neighbor delivered round bales and made my winter easier.
Frozen solid water trough.
Running water in above freezing weather!

And tonight it's back to negative numbers for wind chill temperatures.

My Little Fall Hike

Here are some images of today's peaceful hike through the trails.
This morning was overcast, but then the sun came out and I got to see this beauty surrounding me. Now it's cloudy again.

The Secret Pond

The girls were exploring the property and found this pond.
There are even fish in it.
I haven't been there yet, but they've cleared a path through the brambles so I'll be going soon.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Today is the quintessential fall day in Virginia.
The air is brisk, a gentle breeze is wafting, and the smell of fresh hay is lingering.
I particularly liked the clouds today. Some look bulky and ominous, but there's sunshine and bright blue sky as well.
Here they are.

Let's Talk About the Weather

Today a line of storms cam through and the warnings were well founded.

We didn't have any damage here, but this storm packed a punch to nearby towns.

It is really pretty, though.

It's What's Inside That Counts

From the outside this looks like a run down squirrel feeder on top of my clothesline.

But Becky found out that there's more to this feeder than meets the eye.

She called to me with an excited grin, using those words which I haven't heard as often lately since the girls are getting to be grown ups: "Mom, come and see what I found!"
As she lifted the lid I asked, "Are there eggs in there?"
Becky replied with an even bigger smile, "Not anymore."

We're not sure of the species, but the momma is a drab little bird.

My Happy Mother's Day Treats

This rose bloomed for me on Mother's Day.

I also got three flats of strawberry plants and two hives of bees for my special day.

I am perennially blessed this year!

And Suddenly, A Maple Tree!

In the busyness of the spring soccer season, I turned my back on Mother Nature for a day, and voila!, everything's suddenly green and verdant.

Now is probably a good time to get the lawnmower running.

Morning Light

Two gray kitties are checking this morning's egg collection for rodents. As there were no mice, just eggs, Tom contented himself with eating the hay.

My tulips in the light make me feel happy.

Moonlight

Before the moon had risen, a bright orange glow was on the eastern horizon.
We thought it was a huge fire.
Katie took this.

Surprise Snow Edition

The weatherman said he was scared that a small band of snow showers could hit a localized area.
We are that area.
It poured beautiful snow all day long.
If the temperature had been below freezing, I'm sure that the snow would be well over a foot deep.
However, it stayed warm all day, until nightfall, when the temperature went to freezing, and the glorious snow started to stick in earnest.
I was out in the field with the horses and dogs for less than an hour and got an accumulation of about an inch on my head.
We have about 6" most places. Some deeper, some less.

Superbowl Snow

I know that you can't see it well in the pictures, but it's bright and sunny and snowing hard!
It even stuck in the few minutes that it came down.
This was a very unusual weather event for us.

Woodland Vole Arena

This is "Willy," a woodland vole who was found by Tom and brought almost unscathed to the house.  
The girls kept her indoors overnight for observation.
When I suggested the next morning that maybe the vole would do better without the stress of being played with, Katie answered, "We're just watching her in the arena."
The video shows the vole in her arena, and here is a pretty picture of her munching on a carrot.  
She was released right after this, and we expect her to do fine back in the wild.
Till Tom gets better at hunting.

And Then, It Snowed

Here is a visual by Laura of our beautiful snow. This was a very wet and fluffy three inches that melted quickly. Since this, we've gotten another cold, dry, pelleted inch of snow.
Now the weather is tolerably mild, for winter, and the main action here on the farm is watching for a calf from Penny.
When the ground dries up we'll be back to horseback riding and soccer practice.

The Flood

For four days, the fourth ending in 3" of snow, we had a total of 6 inches of rain.
We needed it.
Here are images of the flooding that some readers will recognize.
The path by Cub Creek is flooded, and the panoramic view is where we wade into the creek.
Mr. B got his coat on for the snow so he'd be warm and dry.