GREEN in the woods

Walking up an old logging trail in the spice woods 

Evergreen Hemlocks

Ferns stayed green all winter

Shelf fungus highlighted by green algae

Green grass in a wet valley

Large cushion of haircap moss

Lycopodium or ground pine has spread throughout our woods

Lichens beneath woodpecker hole

Lichens growing on downed tree

New holes by woodpeckers

Well the old man can embed a video too!

This one is  better quality than the other and made about 2 weeks later.  I'm learning all this high tech stuff slowly (not so sure about surely).
We had some rain last night, finally enough to wet the ground!

Just about 2 inches!  I've been waiting for the ground to pick up some moisture before laying plastic mulch so this should help a lot.  Have to get to work now.

Phil

Greenhouse video

Dad is getting high-tech.

Dry spring

Mid April and still very little rain this spring. It has made it nice to get field work done but is starting to get a little scary. We are forecast to get some rain today and the next few days also. Hope we do,the ground is pretty dry. Also with this 'good' weather I don't have any excuse for being behind.

In the greenhouse the peppers are all transplanted and growing. The tomatoes are all seeded and in the germination chamber. If you go to the garden centers you can see plants big enough to set out but I prefer to "plant after my neighbors rather than replant with them". That being said this mild spring it would have been nice to have a high tunnel. I know the greenhouse heat bill will be less than usual.

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April brings no showers

Mom says, "Now that the weather is nice and we have lot's to write about, I don't want to be in at the computer.  I'd be rather be outside doing stuff." So, here's what they are doing today:


Dad is spreading manure, or to put it nicely, adding organic matter to the soil.  It's a two tractor job.

  

The greenhouse is filling up.  After starting the first peppers right after it was covered, Dad has now moved on to planting seeds for the early tomatoes.  Mom has been transplanting peppers from the small flats (244) to large (36 or 48).  She started out working in her carhart overalls, but soon changed to lighter gear late this morning, and now she took a break for somewhere cooler.  Even on a mild day with a brisk breeze the greenhouse gets hot.

What else is planted?  Besides tomatoes and LOTS of peppers, there is some lettuce (shown above), cabbage and other cole crops, and onions.

Maybe we will soon get some April showers and the people who are doing all this work will have time to come inside and post something.

Greenhouse redone

Dad has been busy fixing & recovering the greenhouse.  He's redone some of the frame and replaced the translucent plastic with a clear, sturdier polycarbonate.  Here are a few pictures that I took, until it rains and he is inside working on the computer again.

all the old plastic, and the box containing the new roll of plastic

 You can see through the the ends now!

Putting on the plastic

Even Charlie helped.

Dramatic video of second layer of plastic being pulled over: http://youtu.be/Ojsn6krNtU8

SNOW!! and Birds

After a mild winter with only 1 decent snow (Jan. 21st) this week has been the exception. It started off mild but a wet clinging snow came Wednesday.

Thursday was milder and most of the snow on the southern slopes melted. Friday afternoon snow started falling again. By dark or shortly afterward the ground was snow-covered again. PennDot was out on our road by 8PM. Predictions were 1 to 3 " then 2 to 4". Last I checked a total of 5" by Sunday. We also have a lot of wind so there is a lot of blowing snow with almost zero visibility at times. So Kate went sled riding. Phil and Becky watched from the window until Phil decided it looked like enough fun to brave the wind and cold (16.5 F, 15 to 25mph). Well it was fun but Phil was wondering if it was wise for someone almost old enough for medicare to ride a toboggan.

Even the birds were hunkering down during the gusts and squalls.

And speaking of birds next weekend, Jan. 17 to 19 is the Cornell Great Backyard Bird Count. It is a chance for all bird watchers (amatuer to professional) to assist the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Go to http://www.birds.cornell.edu for more information.

Birds we regularly see at our feeders are:

Black-capped Chickcadee http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id/ac

Tufted Titmouse http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/id/ac

Slate Colored Junco http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Dark-eyed_Junco/id/ac

Nuthatch http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/id/ac

Northern cardinal http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id/ac

House Finch http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Finch/id/ac

Mourning Dove http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id/ac

European Starling http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/id/ac

Red Bellied Woodpecker http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id/ac

Downy Woodpecker http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id/ac

Wild Turkey http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wild_Turkey/id/ac

sparrows that I don't know well

and occasionally

Sharp-shinned Hawk http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id/ac

Lots of other bird spieces are around the farm but these are the most frequently seen around the feeders. What do you see at in your backyard?? Let cornell know next weekend!