Those 4 wheelers

Well two years ago I notified the Absentee landowner that 4 wheelers were trespassing on his land and tearing up the first valley. I texted him with a photo of one of the vehicles that had parked up on the road.

His answer was "I'll check it out."

That was the last word I heard from him.

Here a photo of what the 4 wheelers had been doing.

I was heartbroken and disgusted at the same time. The owner never got back to me.

One day while taking photos and hiking, I allowed myself to be seen by the 4 wheeler 'dudes'. The three of them pulled up. They were actually pretty polite, said they had permission to be there. I found out later that they are actually NOT nice people and the long arm of the law has been after all of them off and on for different reasons.

With no word from the owner, I continued to arrange my hikes, rides, and daily explorations with an ear out for the 4 wheelers.
The past year someone has brought in big UTV's and chainsaws. They have cut down trees to rearrange trails and make new ones. Their engines are so loud that two weeks ago when I was in the back valley [a mile away] I could hear them unload their UTV's on the ridge.

Yesterday a truck and trailer with 3 ATV's pulled down into our place.

It was a nephew of one of the absentee owners who lives locally.  He'd just taken his kids back on 'the farm' as they call it to do some riding around and he was horrified at the damage being done to the steep hillsides and places where the fragile earth would just slide and crumble down the hills and creek banks.

He said he'd been back deer hunting in November and things didn't look as bad as they were now.

The damage IS pretty horrifying. These big machines go to wet spots and dig it up with their huge tires and fling mud for no other purpose but to fling mud. Those wet spots are natural springs that provide water to the creeks that flow in the two valleys.

Ok.

I told Derek that I was surprised they didn't know about it. The local family members had pretty much left this chunk of land alone and only came out during the 9 day deer hunt.

Well, apparently these 4 wheeler/UTV's are trespassing.  And I said I'd call Derek to notify him when they unload this weekend to go out and tear things up. I said they were like clockwork.
They off load around noon and tear things up for about 4 to 5 hours or mor

I can only hope that we get peace and quiet back. That would be nice.

I'll help keep an eye out not because I'm just a good/great neighbor.

But because I love this land that I have roamed daily for 24 years. I know every tree and trail like they are my best friends. And I am selfish, I love this land and am the only person that visits it daily.

Just for fun

I found these interesting items made out of brass in a box covered with dirt and dust and bird poo while cleaning the shed. The box fell apart and these strange little items were with it.

I cleaned them up with no idea what to do with them at first.

Sell them? Sure, but I am not Ebay savvy and they probably weren't worth my time.
Then yesterday I was trying to save these little Hen and Chicks that didn't seem to be doing so well.

This 'snail' was an ashtray!

How unique.

A teapot...
There is a little Hen 'n Chick inside there, I added the fake little trees for color.

The dragon seemed pleased when I put it all on the spool top I'd saved from a rotted wooden spool.

There is even a Hen 'n Chick in a tea cup.

I'm enjoying arranging and re-arranging these little items as the garden starts to take shape.

The unicorns seem pleased too. I found one occupying the rather ugly experimental fairy house I made out of a peanut butter jar this winter.

At the Hummingbird feeder......

And...then the Rumble!!!

Well, the winner stayed and the loser came back later.

I do have an Oriole feeder about 10 feet from this one.
Never the less, they are fun to watch in the morning and evening when they are busiest.

They are not the clearest shots as I shot them through two doors! But you get the idea.

Thank goodness.
This morning I woke up to find that it had actually rained last night.

Tomorrow is a planned 'Social Distance' Hike with my friend again. We are going to complete the trail we started to explore last week.

Some happy things...

Not all is gloom and doom.
In fact we are doing fairly well considering the circumstances.

Yesterday I picked up my order from Farmer Danika and she did include sweet yummy treats just as I asked. Rich was happy and pleased.

He IS a ham if I point the little camera at him.
What a total goof. But this is what keeps us going day after day.

Did you know that a mini Daschund/Pekinese can retrieve?
Charlie comes to Rich or I each evening to play ball. He stands and grunts at us until one of us goes out to the porch and tosses a ball.

It is a hoot to watch him and play. After a few throws, Charlie will just watch the ball roll away and then give you a hard stare, or just turn his back on it. He isn't a die hard fan of retrieving. Seems he is more interested in seeing our reactions and making us do things for him!

What a cad!

I've started to replant the Hens and Chicks into some bizarre and interesting little 'pots' ... not pots. My Non-Fairy Garden is starting to take shape.

More on that as I get more work done.

I think I'm going to have some fun with this.

Be silly if the world is too overwhelming.

"You must never stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever,
give anyone else responsibility for your life."
~~Mary Oliver 
Wild Geese

9 weeks?

64 days since we went out anywhere as a couple. We visited Rich's mom in the nursing home. Before that?

Rich was at the VA in February. 75 days ago.

At first I was really put out. I missed my CrossFit time at the gym, it had become a daily ritual I really looked forward to. Good friends, good exercise, and camaraderie.

Then we had to make some tough choices. Being social was suddenly out. I've arranged some socially distancing hikes with my friend Bill.
Another would like to join us but at this point she has stated that she doesn't believe in isolation, masks, or washing unnecessarily... she believes the virus is a hoax and that when she gets it she will be just fine.
And the statistics are with her.

However they are not with my husband. So I've made a choice to not include her on our hikes.
I simply cannot risk bringing the virus to Rich.
Eventually it will happen right? I can't avoid it forever. And that is a scary thought.
No matter what, Covid-19 will find its way here, eventually. My hope would be that we find a vaccine.


I'm getting used to this isolation again. After all, I do live with a bonafide Hermit. He has no desire to go anywhere at all.

So I enjoy my walks in the woods. Yesterday I went in a light rain and just wandered about looking at tracks in the dirt/sand/mud along the creek. Looking at flowers that were struggling with the cold weather, and just exploring.

And then there is this:

Morning coffee

Or...Covid-19 Hair. Friends don't let friends do their own hair...
[It's a wig]

What a person with a camera can do when a bit bored.

Meat.
I went to the store on Friday morning and noted that the meat shelves were pretty scarce.
Yes, I have old Bart in the freezer, but on chance I messaged a friend of mine who has a country store and raises home grown beef.
I asked her to put together a beef and pork package for me [her choices...surprise me] with a few of her country store items.
I gave her a price and asked her to use her own judgement.

I'll drive to her farm this morning and hand her the money while she puts my goodies in the back of the Subaru.

Our area is unique in this way because we are rural. Neighbors are calling up other neighbors with cattle and arranging butchering on the farm or at one of the local shops.
Those who work the Farmer's Market in town on Saturdays are trying to figure out how to do something similar as we are not sure that the mayor will allow the Farmer's Market to go on as planned.

Again, we are lucky. Our rural people are moving towards the rural Farm to Table model they have been suggesting all along.

And since this was already in the works, it is working better in our local area.

However.
How do cities deal with food? I see in the news that inner city people are waiting in line for food at pantries. Our local food pantry has had a huge uptick in visitors according to Bill.

What next?
I don't know.
And I think that is what worries us so much.
There is no guidance from the folks that should be in charge.

So after my meat/store pick up, I'll be back to doing mundane work around our farm.
The yard needs a trim...
The woods need me to hike them...

and Spring is coming on fast...
I would like to enjoy it.

The Hunt for Morels

What can I say? I like hunting for Morel Mushrooms.
There are a few things that a person really needs to be successful.
Yes.
Know your trees.
In our area, know your hillsides too!

Most of all. Do not be in a rush. You must have a lot of time.
Time to squat near a place to just let your eyes roam about to look for the pattern of the Morel.

If you find some, the advice is ... don't move. You may be stepping on them. I found that to be true enough.

Slow is better. Take time, don't hurry. Be relaxed and listen to the birds. Enjoy the fresh air.
Or the gnats and bugs when it gets warm. [Not quite as enjoyable]
Don't pick the False Morels.
I've had people tell me you can eat those reddish ones.
Nope, I don't think so. It isn't worth the risk now is it?

I found enough early Morels to make a 'mess' for us the other morning.

Homemade Bread and Morels.
What better spring treat can there be?

These were the early ones. If we get some rain, the other trees further up the hillside ought to produce...


I'd put up a trail camera near one of the trees ---- what an active place it is!

Hmmm.
The person in the photo is someone I know and I sort of figured he'd drop over and check out the big tree that produced so much last year. I missed out on a rather large crop of Morels because 'someone' had picked them!

He's a good guy really but it is a bit irritating. I don't search his property for Morels.
I am conflicted in a way. About 7 years ago he called us to ask if we liked Morels and Rich said we loved them! He told us about another tree that on our place just over his fence that he had picked nearly 10 lbs at!
He offered to bring the Morels over and we just told them to keep them.

Since he lets me walk and take photos around his creek bottom I feel compelled not to start something. After all, I know I can call him if I need his help in an emergency.

I do have a surprise waiting for him under the tree though.

Evil laugh.

No, it will not be harmful. Just curious to watch his reaction on the Trail Cam.

Those are not real Morels, they are Candles made to look like them!

:)

Distance Hiking?

I know there is a huge issue with public lands, state parks, and social distancing. We happen to live in an area where crowding is not an issue, especially during the weekdays.
Going hiking together with friends can present with problems...

However my good friend from CrossFit [and a neighbor who lives about a mile away], and I have figured out something that has given us both as very active 60+ people ... how to hike together and apart!

We have set up a goal to hike together/apart once a week. Four weeks ago Bill was feeling rather down and out. We discussed this on the first 'hike' we did with Charlie and decided that we were both having a hard time dealing with Social Isolation and the huge disruption in our daily routines of being able to work out and hang out at the gym.

Bill and I have decided to limit our exposures [hiking] to our two households. Our county is starting to show up with some serious cases so we are practicing mental and physical support for each other.
We've found that this once a week event help us deal with everything else in our lives.
Interestingly enough, while hiking with Bill, I don't feel compelled to complain or even gossip!
Bill is recently retired and is all about exploring this new natural world that he lives in.

Our hikes our with Charlie and for the sole purpose of discovering plants, new trails, ... and easy trails that he can find to take his wife on.

Getting partially lost on new trails seems to be a thing we do.

Here is Charlie tied to a tree while I climbed out on an out cropping of rocks.

It looks more dangerous than it was.

Having another person along is so much safer. Rich doesn't mind as I normally come back with such a calm laid back attitude that it makes our life in Isolation much nicer.

Our focus is Charlie. The little tiny dog with 3 inch front legs who trots along the trail and leads the way.

Well, not entirely. Exploring the spring flowers was something that stopped us both in our tracks.

Bill said it best. He stood amazed and said, "I don't think I've ever in my life seen as many Trillium as I see in this spot. In fact I think this is more Trillium than I've ever seen in my entire life!"

We both just stood there admiring the forest of thousands of trillium interspersed with Spring Beauties and Bellwort.

I mean we literally just stood and took it all in!

I found some of the old horse/mule trails to get on top of the rocks. At one time we used to actually ride to the top of these places.

I got Bill to ham it up for me.

He is not at the very edge. I just angled it so it appears that way.

When we reached the 'Loop Lookout' Trail we realized that we didn't have enough time to actually hike the loop and get back home before our spouses would wonder if we fell off the earth.

I sat on the trail and pulled out the map. I noted that the trail we had been following skirted a ridge and a crop field. I showed Bill that if we simply crossed the field we'd cut shorten our time hiking back.

Let me say that I am so grateful for all of the time I've spent learning about maps and the way this land is formed.
We walked around the field and were only 15 minutes from where we had parked.

Next trip out, we'll take the short cut and proceed to the loop we intended to do in the first place.
Now that we know about the short cut, we can explore more rock out crops.

Here we are failing at keeping 6 feet apart.

I set up my little red camera on the log as we stopped to have an apple and share some bits with our Trail Boss, Charlie.

Our Distance Hiking/Safe Socializing is working pretty well for us.

I showed Rich the photos and he quipped, "Finally! You have found someone your own age to play with!"

I am grateful to have a friend like this who is genuine and who likes hiking and exploring as well as I do.

And...
now
we wait to see what next week brings.

"I want to be improbable
beautiful and afraid
of nothing,
as though I had wings"
~~ Mary Oliver

There is Evil...

We know someone evil is planning to take over the world with this Covid-19 stuff.

The virus is real.
It is a hoax.
It can kill you if you are old.
Ahhh, that is how the evil 'them' are planning to get rid of the old folks.

Unless you are young and die from it too.

But wait, send the little vectors back to public school
where they can spread it to the teachers and families.
For the greater good. Or the great Evil.
Or discover how well you can educate your children at home.

Or discover how the kids are getting on your nerves and
you'd like to send them anywhere BUT home!

Masks.
Wear them, don't wear them.
Wait. If you wear them with sunglasses then the
evil government can't use facial recognition on you!
Wear a mask!

Be kind to your neighbor.
Don't be kind to your neighbor.

A vaccine will implant us all with computer chips.
[Hey, that may be good for old people who wander off!
Wait, the virus will eliminate old people who wander off...or
it won't.]
A vaccine may save many lives.
So a vaccine is good.
Or bad.
Or evil.

This evil virus was created in a lab.
Or in a wet market.
It was released as a weapon.
It just happened.

Let's get back to normal!
Define Normal.

There was never a normal.
Really?

Then we get the meat of it.
[Where's the Beef! Vegetarians are behind this!]

I'm right you are wrong.
My opinion matters, yours doesn't.

Quarantine Fatigue.
Isolation Fatigue.
Stay at Home Anger.
Social Distancing - Isolation.


Now if you have gotten this far, you should know that this is written with a bit of sarcasm and 'tongue in cheek'.

I'm going to blame Creepy Baby and his Nefarious Frog Friends. They are at the bottom of this working in their crazy little lab.

Note: If you ever watched Pinky and The Brain you'll know where I got this idea.