Tree VIEW

The maple on my front lawn has been in full color for more than a month.

 It held on to its leaves while other trees around it lost theirs.

Then after a rather windy rainy day, it lost all of its leaves in about 12 hours.

However, I discovered a very tiny nest on one of its outer limbs.

Can you see it ?

What kind do you think it is?

Now the mornings are freezing and foggy but the tree is still an amazing form to see to start my day.
I feel that it watches over us here on this rural road.  A silent sentry.

Do you have a special tree in your life ?
Are your mornings foggy ?

Friday Fences

Please do not think that every day is a foggy fency day here in Vermont.

I just happen to drive around a lot on foggy days and take photos of fences and farms.

 

 On days like this, all photos appear just black and white.

 

I often hope a red cardinal will enter and fly by or sit on a fence as I am looking at scenery, but so far it has not happened.

 

My favorite trees are birches.  I have a genetic disposition to love them and they have a very important meaning to my family.
I am also a big Bev Doolittle fan so whenever I see a birch tree group I think of her and try to "see" other things in the woods.
Fortunately, I was an early fan of hers and have a few small pieces of art.

Do you have any Bev Doolittle art?
Or are you making your own ?
Take a look at her website and tell me what you think.
~

Alien Cows

Rain, cold, fog.

Perfect recipe for alien cows at 6:30 am

Seen any alien livestock near you?
~

Cow Fog

If it wasn't for my one white cow, I would never be able to find the herd in the early mornings.

The fog has been so thick that the cows are almost invisible, especially the black ones.

Have you ever lost your herd in the fog?

How is the weather where you are?
~

Foggy & Soggy

It hasn't stopped raining yet.

The barn yard and barn field are a soggy thick landscape of deep manure and rivers of water.

The fog came today as well.

Walking across the barn yard has its own hazards.

There is still ice under all this wetness.  One false step can land you on your back, or worse---face first in some really icky stuff.

It happened to me once.

I had to get myself to a carwash to rinse myself off, it was that bad.

I will spare you the rest of the gory details.

But one thing I DO know is that some boot-wearing farmer, somewhere, is falling in their barnyard during this most icky time of year.

I did find the new calf a running and a jumping this morning as his mom chased after him.

He looks like he gained 10 pounds overnight.

He was wet and his mom was giving him periodic baths to get the mud off his face and legs.     A full time job in this weather!

I decided he was too wet and headed him towards the shed.

Amazingly he walked the full width of the barnyard without assistance and went directly into the shed.
Smart calf!!!
It was then that I noticed that the other cows must of gotten into the shed last night and ripped open the other bales of shavings.
Just like a dog who rips open a down feather pillow, there was stuff everywhere.   
 I quickly shoveled most of it up to save it for later and then spread some on the wet places.
Gracie & Guy investigated the area for awhile. Sniffing every inch in the crowded little shed.

I brought hay for mom.

And soon the calf laid down and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I would never make it on a big cattle ranch in a cold climate with thousands of cows.   I worry too much about calf mortality.   

He seems so much older than just 24 hours old.

I left the herd and went and test drove several vehicles in the rain, sleet and snow.

This 2001 Chevy S10Z automatic with a Vortec engine, was the one I liked the best, but it has 102K on it and I am very nervous about high milage vehicles.   

Test drove this 2004 Jeep Liberty with 103K on it. 5 speed, 6 cylinder.
It drove better than the Chevy.
Anyone driving a Liberty?   Got any input-- The good, the bad ?

As the rain came down harder I returned to the farm and found the G-family laying on some hay in the middle of the foggy and soggy barnyard.

Even though the calf looked fine, I knew he had experienced 24+ hours of rain.

Neither one wanted to move from their "nest" so I went and got some dry hay and covered him in it.

Gracie munched on it

and then gave him another bath.

Its still raining tonight.
Will need a canoe to get around the barnyard in the morning!!!