Getting up with (or before) the sun has its benefits

Morning fog in the wetlands hem us in, but the sun slowly rises as three deer take a stroll across our backyard, and head for my "garden project". I believe they approved as they mused at the artwork of glass jars, the door, and a few other things I've placed there. Oh, and I'd left the wheel barrel out there, just because I was too pooped to move it again. I just hope they didn't eat any more hostas. I have cages guarding them.

Yesterday, while we ate breakfast, Dennis saw the wood ducks shoot in from the ponds/wetlands through the trees. From my window I saw the female dart right into the large hole in the catalpa tree, and Mr. Woody settled on a branch of a nearby tree to take his post as guardian. So, it was settled, we have Mr. & Mrs. Woody nesting in our backyard about thirty feet off the ground. Somehow they must have wrangled that hole away from the squirrels. Today I saw a squirrel poke it's head into the hole and didn't linger but climbed away. He thought better of it. I'm guessing the Missus isn't in the mood for visitors.

Meanwhile, I've been digging, cutting, pulling and transplanting certain plants, which I hope will take hold. Still have a lot to do. I have to remind myself I haven't even been off for a week, and yet I've gotten quite a lot done in my woods. I've gotten mulch down on my pathway. (Maybe someday I'll have pictures, but for now, believe me, this is coming together). The other day I hauled 6 wheel barrels full of mulch (basically wood chips from trees the forest preserve downed--they were the ash trees that had been attacked by ash tree borers), although I had put plenty down in other places on another day, more is needed. My pathway meanders through what once was very wild, with thorny raspberry bushes and weeds of an indeterminable type. The first phase took about 2 springs to work on. I didn't have the luxury of time as I do now. And once summer came in, the bugs too put a kibosh on my work in there. So far the mosquitoes have not hatched, but it's only a matter of time being that we're in the middle a wetlands.

I've stated that I've cleared another pathway through another spot where raspberries grow, and comes out about twenty or more feet just up from the original opening under the white pines. This section will have to come later for further development. Possibly next year's project.

I've determined there are many elderberries growing on our property (as well as in the park). Elderberries have the ability--it is claimed widely--to help the immune system resist certain ailments, including colds, flu, and who knows what-all. As a syrup or any other liquid form, they charge an arm and a leg in the store. I'm going to find a recipe on-line, and gather up the berries this year for our own drink. I've got a lot of faith in the power of natural remedies. This one is highly touted and I'm not one to miff. I've used natural remedies before, including cherries for gout--worked in 12 hours! Asparagus is good to keep kidney stones at bay--and since I've always eaten asparagus, I've never had a problem with such. I've put comfrey root on sprains. I need to get new plants, as mine have somehow disappeared in the last few years. The list goes on for natural remedies that I've tried. I'm a believer. Indians, and old world wise people knew the herbs and what cured what. Why use something that might cause other problems when a natural remedy might be easily obtained and used.

Well, that's my up-date on things around here. hope your week is going well.

Lorelei's Small Adventure

Myrtle Warbler courtesy of Darrell Coquillette
of Friends of Afton

Hi guys. Well, I have had a day. I needed to get outside because this weather is just too fabulous to pass up.

And since I live within the forest preserve, I wanted to get out there and do a little birdwatching. My husband and I had gone out in the park earlier, and did our "managing" duties of cleaning up after people. Discovered some maniacs actually tried to start a fire! The fire danger is very high right now and we have alot of long grass that wasn't burned this spring. Not a good idea!

After being out on the wetlands, and seeing different waterfowl, I wanted to get back out there after lunch, by myself and identify a few birds.

The wind kicked up after lunch. So, that limited me to staying close by, which was fine. I wanted to just get out there by myself. I hauled a backpack with everything I needed, and a fold-up chair that I could carry too.

Once I got close enough to the water I got rewarded by spying two water birds walking around in the shallows. This is a wetlands, and since they've built it we have had a lot of different types of birds flock to the waterways. Mainly Canadian geese, and the malards, but other birds come here too. So, I hunkered down, got out my spy-glasses and zoomed my feathered friends in. I believe they were Yellowlegs, but don't know if they were the Lesser or Greater. They look almost the same and their habitats over-lap.

Across the water, I saw a couple of people making their way down the path that lead to a levee. I knew they wouldn't be able to get very far, as there is no bridge there. I was surprised to see anyone out in the park at around noon on Easter Sunday. *shrugs*

I packed up and hiked a little further, following a path into the wooded area. They had cleared out some areas, but had left the woods to the west edge. This pathway skirted the old nursery. (see picture below)

I found a nice spot, slipped my folding chair out of its bag, got my binoculars out, bird book ready and again was rewarded by spotting in a maple tree that was just putting out leaves, a Myrtle  warbler. Very pretty. with yellow, black and white markings (picture above/credit). I had not yet seen this warbler (or any really, this spring), this season. So, pat myself on the back. I then saw two males together, flitting through boughs and branches hunting for bugs.

And then I had to make lemonade--bad!

So, I hiked back up to the house. Did my business and got back out, but I went into the old nursery. I had discovered this spot behind all the sheds and realized I could sit there, no one would know where I was if I didn't tell them. I got comfy and jotted down things in my journal. Wanting to get back to nature and enjoy the outdoors again, I felt that this would be the spot to do it.

And then I started thinking if I were to cut some low-growing branches on a few trees and clean up fallen branches here and there, I'd have a clear pathway further in. Where I was the finest, thinnest grass grows. A little further in and to the right a bunch of raspberries grow wild. I could pick till the cows came home. While sitting there I felt like I was a million miles away. I could ponder a lot just sitting there.

But, my desire to clear out the area took over. I strode further in, where the white pine trees made an impenetrable wall of sweet-smelling pine, and under the line of walnuts and considered walking up to the garage and grabbing a few tools to cut and saw.

Then, my husband made his whistle to me. There he was standing on the perimeter. I told him "C'mon in!" I showed him what I wanted to do. He got excited and wanted to help me--actually didn't want me to do all that cutting and lifting all by myself (worried for me, as always).

So he helped me with the sawing and cutting and lugging branches over to a spot where we made a wall so no one would be able to see in once things grew in and greened up. He even suggested that he could take the small mower inside one spot and mow down the grass so that I could sit there.

He didn't do that today. He did plenty of work over the weekend. This wasn't something he really needed to add to his busy weekend. In fact this morning while we were out at the spillway, looking at where they've proposed to put in a bridge, I turned around, and he wasn't there. I looked down. There he was on the ground. He'd stepped into a big hole! He was okay, but worried about jarring his neck and he did get a headache right after.

barn on Afton Forest Preserve property - to the
right is a portion of wetlands (after a controlled burn)
to the far right, beside barn is the old nursery
our house sits behind the barn.

So, that's how I spent my afternoon. And we came back up--exhausted (in a good way), and had ice cream with the strawberries we bought, and ate that. Our dinner was cooking away in the crock pot: Swiss steak. Yum!