Friday, July 15, 2016

Good old summertime

It's hot here as I suppose it is everywhere else.  Sitting in the basement at the computer is about 10 degrees cooler so it is a good time to post.  I took some pictures of the garden I would like to share with you as a salute to summer.


cholla in full bloom - nothing says "keep out" to the neighbors like a border of cactus!


new gate - the iron lets one have a view into the backyard but my cactus still say "keep out"


Old boss never looked better


I chose purple and black flowers this year


Dante (named by variations on light) surveys his realm in hopes that one of us will croak in the heat and he will dine upon our eyeballs


suppose to be black but blooming yellow and black - go figure!


His Lordship likes this one because you can see Dante's eyes.

The deer came a dining yesterday (they munched on all sorts of things meant to be "deer resistant")so this morning I made up a concoction of ghost peppers to spray on my plants.  It is short lived however, as I can hear the thunder again.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Owl Adventure

Most of the creatures associated with Halloween make me smile.  Black cats, bats, spiders, snakes, crows, and ravens are each amazing in their own way.  But by far my favorite creature of the night is the owl.  Recently, I got a chance to experience some owls up close and personal.

Friday night,  I dragged his Lordship from his evening of IPA and reality TV to accompany the Aiken Audubon Chapter on a search for flammulated owls.  Dr. Brian Linkhart led a trip through the Manitou Experimental Forest in hopes of seeing these elusive creatures.  Flammulated Owls are cavity nesters that rely on old woodpecker holes. North Americas second smallest owl species, they hunts mainly insects in old growth ponderosa pine forest. 

 After a harrowing drive down a very wonky dirt road,  we arrived at the first nest at dusk.   The female owl sat guarding the opening, waiting for darkness.  The species is dark eyed but the glare from the flash is giving her a rather demonic expression.
Photo courtesy of John Drummond

The equipment you see around the nest tabulates how many times an evening the male owl delivers food to the young. 

Dr. Linkhart climbed a ladder and removed three owlets to weigh and measure. Members of the group assisted by holding the spares.  The handling does not cause the parents to reject them in case you were wondering.  From the measurements, he could tell how old they were and when they would fledge.  We returned the owlets to the nest within 15 minutes so they could begin recieving their evening feedings. 

Photo courtesy of Mary Jane - she is pictured above.

As you can see, they are very small with dark eyes - just cute as a button!

We then had a Q and A with Dr. Linkhart as he shared a small portion of what he has discovered in 35 years of  research.   For example, male flammulated owls tend to be loyal to their territories, returning year after year.  The females, however, are more fickle and like to move up the ladder - choosing a better territory every year they breed.  Also, for the privilege of mating with her, the male is required to feed her throughout the breeding season. 

As darkness fell,  we ventured to another nest and watched as a female entered the vicinity and vocalized her pangs of hunger.  Shortly thereafter, a male delivered food to the owlets. 

Next,  we went farther up the terrible high clearance road and bush wacked across some woods to yet another nest.  At this site, Dr. Linkhart needed to capture the male.  He did this with a net on an extension pole which he held up in position by the nest hole 30 feet in the air.  I got a crick in my neck just watching him.  Within minutes, however, he caught the male and was surprised to find out that this bird was not the same as last year and was nesting with an older female.  After a few measurements he was released.  It was now midnight, way past our bedtime so we made our way home.

Such a cool trip and a life bird for me.  I shall have to work out a way to include a flammulated owl in the haunted parlor for this years Halloween soiree'.





Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Clock Progress

In Minnesota recently, my brother-in-law bestowed an amazing gift upon me that will be the perfect addition to the haunted parlor.  When I showed it to his Lordship, however, I received a rather snide comment about the clock laying downstairs awaiting a make over.  Nothing like a little husband distain to spur me to action.  So last week I actually worked on the clock.  It is not finished yet but I have made some good progress.  First, it received a couple of coats of chalk paint followed by distressing and waxing.  Then I added some embellishments I had purchased on Etsy from the Wood Shape Store.  I purchased a clock kit from Michaels so that it would keep time.  As a working clock, his Lordship said he would happily welcome it into his study.   That is great because storage space is at a premium around here.  I have plans to add a dropping spider (instead of a pendulum) and lights to the interior of the cabinet.  Here are some pictures.