Goofy Hannah

This pup. This dog.

I wanted a terrier or part terrier because I knew they could be rambunctious and idiotic. I knew that they loved to play and had endless energy.

Morris was a pure Jack Russell. This one? Her mom was a Rat Terrier, a best guess was that her daddy was a doxie because of her long body. But...

Morris [my very first terrier] was never quite this exuberant!

I just had to stop and video this crazy little dog. 

This rainy-ish day hike took a long time, but we were not in any hurry. I wanted to just get out and stretch my legs and the dogs were eager to enjoy hiking in the cooler temperatures.

Since we'd had over 6 inches of rain over the past weekend, we stuck to the paved bike/walk/ride trail. We went very early while it was still quite cool and enjoyed a peaceful hike only meeting one other person taking a short walk with her elderly dog.

The sky was overcast and we had a 12 mph ENE wind which kept things nice and cool. Even Charlie, who has lagged along all summer was setting the pace. 

That made me smile even more. He will be 9 when Hannah turns 1. I like that he still likes to go go go. Although, he is not silly like Hannah. He is all business and very stoic about everything. What a combination I have to enjoy.

The best decision I made was to walk to the far end of the trail 3 miles away. We were lucky enough to see a pair of swans and their ...swan-lets? I didn't have a long lens, but I got this anyway. 

That was Monday's hike at the Reserve.

I'm conserving my expenditures in gasoline so we decided to go local on Wednesday.

The land next to me is unoccupied and I've talked about how they have 'ruined' the land by aggressive logging.

Much of the beauty of the land has changed. However, the dogs and I picked another cool and wet morning to go and explore what the logging has done to the land.

Yep, the Family Trust may have gotten a lot of money from the logging, but the land has [in my head] been desecrated and devalued by the loggers. I really don't feel anyone cares about anything but a very simple thing.

Money.

Money.

Below is a shot of one of the 'logging' trails they made on a steep hillside. What you can't see is the the geology of this hillside. It is rock, sandstone, limestone, and clay with about a foot of topsoil that was scrapped away.

Just to the left of Charlie is a deep wash out from last week's rain.

I walked most of the parameter of the land that belongs to the Peterson Trust. I followed new trails and old trails.

To me there was absolutely no consideration for conservation of the land. The trails were made by bulldozers and skidders to remove logs. There are no roads other than the very old logging roads from years ago. 

So they created new ones without much thought as to what would happen with the run off of rain and snow.

However.

I can go hike the land as long as it isn't deer season and explore the trails. The old and the new rather poorly designed ones.

This trail is still there, see the bent over piece of tree?

The photo below is from 8 years ago when I used to hike and ride this trail a few times a week. They have taken and destroyed so many trees that it is almost impossible to recognize this same spot now.

I do know it. I've walked it and rode it for 30 years.

The guy in charge of the logging does understand the lay of the land. I've known him since 1996. However money is the driver. Profit is the thing.

I was amazed that a dozer cut through this area with the steep hillside. Of course they did. Lumber was just there waiting to be plucked. The shot below is how the trail held up. There are places where it is washed out to the depth of 10 feet or more. This hillside is ...

sandstone and lime.

With another few heavy rainfalls, this area will only be passable to deer or by foot. I know the owners of the 'trust' wanted ATV/UTV trails for the 9 day deer gun season. No vehicle will make it up or down this trail.

Ahhh. Here is an area that they didn't touch. It was logged in 1997. You can see the stumps left over in this heavily wooded area that is mainly Maple trees. I was pleased to see it still there with familiar old deer trails.

What can I say. I still love this land and appreciate it. I do not like what they have done to most of the other 400 acres. Thank goodness, they left this area alone. Perhaps because none of the trees were worth taking.

PeeWee Peterson controlled the logging with his nephew in the 1990's. The logging was careful. The logging was supervised. They only took what $$$ they needed to keep the farm going.

Now?

The Other Nephew in charge of the trust wants money [He is in his late 70's]. 

Simply that. 

Nothing more. 

He rents the farmland and leases the forest for hunting. 

Sometimes I wonder about greed.

I'll still find something to appreciate. They pretty much destroyed all the forest near where I live but at least it is on the other side of the fence.

Sadly, this was one of the most unique properties in the whole county. Over a square mile of pristine forest with two valleys and streams with unique properties.

I have been lucky to live next to this place for 30 years. 

After our exploration of today I do know I can still find extremely beautiful untouched areas that others haven't touched.

I still have this.

A beautiful spot to watch the moon arrive....

and a wonderful spot to sit with the dogs on a fall evening and have a little campfire.

I know I am lucky. 

Again, I wander

This is the new header👇

 It is the top of a rock that I took my friend Pat to Friday morning.

Here it the bottom of the rock....👇

I go here a few times a year. The path to this place is not for the light hearted. The narrow footpath travels through dense woods.

In August and September the forest on each side sports amazing fungi. [Of course! I love mushrooms!]

Beware though. The trail is lined with Poison Ivy on both sides. The narrow trail is rough but well worth it.

I took Pat through and cautioned her not to put her hands down in the brush on either side of her until we got to a clear area.

Photo of Pat looking back at the trail that winds up to the top of the rock.

The first view as we emerge from the forest on top of the ridge.

A walk out to the edge.

Me taking the first photo and the new header for the blog.

For this hike I only used my cellphone camera, it was quick and easy. That is Charlie's rear end next to me.

Both hounds came with us of course.

My friend may be as crazy as I am. I invited her to do a pre sunrise hike to the Rock Top where we could sit and have some coffee and watch the valley come alive.

She nodded and said she wouldn't mind doing that. 

About 4 years ago I convinced another hiking friend to do just that. It was the blue hour when we hiked to the top. It was his first and only time experiencing this amazing place.

He was speechless.

I will be going again soon. My last visit there for a breakfast granola bar and coffee was two years ago with Charlie.

We hiked up in the dark. We waited, listened, and watched the world awaken.

I cannot even describe immense emotional feeling of watching the sun rise and listening to the forest below wake up.

My heart slows, my eyes widen, 

my breath is deep,

 and my mind goes quiet and lives purely in the moment.

It feels magical and I don't want to leave. 

Flowers

 Things are really popping with colors.

Here is one of my Wild Gardens with about 25
Sunflowers.

Nasturtium..

These are my tried and true flowers...

I think I'll go with mostly these 

next year around the porch.

Bug!

Best guess?
Damselfly resting on a Blazing Star in

my east garden.

 

We've been taking evening walks and early morning walks. 

I sometimes just let the dogs lead on my land and follow them through brambles and brush.

I'm glad I did.

Ghost Pipe Plants also known as Monotropa uniflora

Another evening bonus.

Black Berries. Generally our forest isn't blessed with a lot of them. But.

This summer they are flourishing.

...and then.

As I picked them and ate them both

Charlie and Hannah had to investigate.

I handed berries to Charlie.

I handed berries to Hannah.

Hannah figured out she could pick her own.

and on the way home she hunted berries and found them in underbrush were I wouldn't have looked. 

Now we've been going out to the forest in the evenings to hunt up dessert. 

Catching up.

So a lot of this is 'news' that isn't worth news to some folks. 

Sunshine is doing well at Kristi's place. In April she will be 29 years old. She is showing her age in her face but not her attitude and willingness to go riding.

Kristi has given her a new pasture mate named Willow. Another mare and Sunshine is really quite happy with that.

Her gelding Cash, seems to be losing weight so she has moved him into an area where she can grain him and help him maintain a healthy condition.

We have finally figured out what is going on with Siera. Her weight and the great pasture I had was not kind to her.

I did some more researching about pastures and removed them from the back meadow. It is lush and has quite a bit of white clover in it. The high sugar content is not good for her. In years past, that back meadow has been grazed to the ground with 4 or 5 mules so it wasn't so lush and dangerous.

This morning I walked around and set up a plan to try and deal with Siera's weight [I know, I dropped the ball on this issue because she had been going through periods where she seemed 'cured'.]

Tomorrow I am making Sundance and Siera a smaller lot in this shady area. I can keep them there until Winter and they can be joined by Sunshine this late fall. It will be a dry 'lot' where I can monitor exactly what they eat and their condition.

Old photo from 5 years ago.

This morning.
What a difference a wet summer makes when you have only 2 grazers instead

of 5.

This area is on my list for a clean up project for next year. It won't take much but it will take machinery I don't have to clean up the fallen trees not pictured here from last August's windstorms.

Sundance is the youngest mule. She has been off and on slightly gimpy for quite a while now.  She has been diagnosed with ringbone in her right front. Otherwise she is perfectly healthy and full of herself. Ringbone is a form of arthritis. Treatment can include joint injections, special shoes, and special meds. She is a pasture pet and only shows slight discomfort once in a great while. 

Three older mules and an ancient pony cannot keep down our pastures so I have to consider doing something different.

The large meadow in front of the house will be brush hogged and one section will be bulldozed so I can mow it myself next year. The other half will be used as a winter pasture since it offers protection from the winds.

Photo from last year. Winter Pasture.

I'll keep mowing the back meadow because the dogs and I love walking there and in the winter it will make a nice area to cross country ski.

Little Richard is 35 years old and his teeth are worn out. He made it through last winter with flying colors. 

This summer he gained weight being staked out and having access to a small forested paddock. He is slowly losing weight again. I am fighting a slow motion battle that I will lose. It will pain me to possibly make a decision this fall with him.

I'm a realist. I won't keep animals that are in poor condition or in constant pain. I feel that is cruel. We set our long term plans in motion 10 years ago when Rich was no longer able to help with chores and maintenance. We kept the elder animals to give them a retirement. The young ones we had were sold. Over the years, the elder animals have crossed over. 

Charlie is recovering nicely. He has been bossing Hannah around and trying to steal her chew bones. Uffdah. I can't let him do that! He is back to ruling the household.

Hannah? She honors Charlie's space and cuddles with him when allowed to. She is also quite good at getting into trouble.

Here I ask her if she was in the shed digging under the old tractor.

Who...?
Me?

What shed?
What makes you think that?

It's August now and I'm finding it to be difficult to deal with so many decisions. It seems like that is all I have been doing for months now.

I'm even trying to plan out what I want to do once the large animals are gone. Some days I think I know what I am going to do and others?

I have no clue.

My busy messy gardens. Hannah update too...

A post by a friend AC, got me thinking about my own gardens and yard. The mowing is done by a zero turn and push mower and it looks pretty nice. Unless you count all the overgrown areas of pasture [not safe to mow] and weeds growing around old equipment.

So I've always tried to make a very colorful and brilliant bunch of little gardens.

They may be messy and weedy, but the birds and the bees are really enjoying them.

Creeping Thyme flowers.

Morning Glories on the porch.

Self seeded Sunflower in the yard.

Happy Birds

Sunlit Nasturtium. These flowers literally take over the SE section of the porch.

 

Not a hummingbird.

Blazing Stars being watered.

My outhouse garden looks amazing and is nearly surrounded by Bee Balm plants. I can sit on the back stoop and watch bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds dodge around in the flowers. 

If I move closer and am patient I can get photos of them.

The East garden. It is one of my free for all gardens. I have creeping thyme, vinca, iris, day lilies [not shown] bee balm, zinnias, cosmos, a pumpkin plant...😁 along with nasturtium and corn flowers. Basically I took a jar of seeds to the one side of the garden and tossed them in, raked, and stomped and thought I'd see what happened.

There is actually a hidden path that goes through the garden. The dogs and I use it.

Yes the garage is still there crumbling slowly. No word from Frank on when he is thinking of tearing it down. I'm okay with waiting because Frank is also busy with working on two farms with crops. He also raises cattle and runs a Excavating and Gravel business along with hauling things for farmers. His wife believes he should clone himself.

Below is another mess. I had Borage Flowers that grew to 4 feet tall and got taken out by last week's winds and 6+ inches of rain. But the surviving flowers are filling in. I don't do a strict border, but just mow close to the plantings. Love in the mist, Borage, Morning Glories, and it looks like some self seeded black eyed susans are going to appear between some marigolds and nasturtiums. I like my untidy messy gardens. Lots of crazy textures to admire.

I've ignored this spot-- below.... 

But this spring I had a tiny field of tall Sweet William which I just let grow. I'll probably save some plant seeds from these and dig the whole thing up this fall to start over or let it grow to grass. It is a mess and overgrown.

I'm going to pick my battles and do less next year as it is obvious I can't keep it all up. I didn't have time to properly care for it last year either. So perhaps it is time to go. Though I hate to dig up the black eyed susans that put themselves here too!

My one tidy garden is this one.

I may do the same for the other half of the porch next year. But I'd rather have cosmos and zinnias along with all the reseeded Love in the Mist flowers.

I love looking at tidy well done gardens, but for the life of me, I like to mix up as many things as possible and see what happens with no rhyme or reason.

I'm finding out what flowers like to grow together on my own and which plants like which places the best.

I suppose I could study some garden books, but the gardens they suggest are too rigid. I like wild and untamed.

Hannah and I saw Dr. Grimm, she is an awesome vet and Hannah loves her! Hannah does have what is called a seroma or pocket of fluid that is to the side of the incision. Her surgical incision is healing perfectly, the seroma is a small concern and we want to stay ahead of it.

So instead of my solution to keep her from licking it open...we changed tactics.
The area must be open to the air yet keep her from irritating it. 

I have a cleanser to swipe the spot twice a day.

So not a gross shot but here is a photo of the incision and the area points to what seems to be a seroma: Clear fluid that is next to an incision. 

Doc and I want to stay ahead of this as it could be serious and hard to treat if not taken care of.

I learned something today!

She has a new look with a PJ top from Olive's house, she gave me some shirts that her kids didn't wear anymore.

So Doc gave me some cotton balls in a solution to swab the sight and she came up with this to keep the area aired out and keep her from licking it.

It is a toddler t-shirt with leg holes. It is super easy to do and she was embarrassed at first, but is not bothered with it by bedtime.