Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Hurricane Irene slams Vermont
My family and I weathered the storm on Sunday in our house in Dorset. From the window, we could see the flood of rain falling from the sky, from 7.30 pm Saturday until midnight on Sunday. There was no wind here until it got dark on Sunday and the rain subsided. We said, "phew, thank heavens that wasn't so bad."
The reality hit when we were watching the Weather channel that evening and saw that the worst reports of flooding and storm damage were coming from Vermont. We watched in shock and horror as the eyewitness videos and photos poured in from areas as close as 30 miles away--barns under water, streets turned into rivers, houses washing away in the stream, roads and train tracks disappearing.
The next day was comically beautiful--the sun was shining and the air was calm, as if Mother Nature was giving everyone the finger. We drove into town and up to my grandparents' house near Winhall to assess the damage. Thankfully we were safe, but a lot of others were not so lucky.
This has been an historic weekend that a lot of us wish we had not witnessed.
The reality hit when we were watching the Weather channel that evening and saw that the worst reports of flooding and storm damage were coming from Vermont. We watched in shock and horror as the eyewitness videos and photos poured in from areas as close as 30 miles away--barns under water, streets turned into rivers, houses washing away in the stream, roads and train tracks disappearing.
The next day was comically beautiful--the sun was shining and the air was calm, as if Mother Nature was giving everyone the finger. We drove into town and up to my grandparents' house near Winhall to assess the damage. Thankfully we were safe, but a lot of others were not so lucky.
This has been an historic weekend that a lot of us wish we had not witnessed.
Friday, July 8, 2011
What are those purple boxes?
Has anyone been wondering what those purple boxes hanging in trees are? At first glance, they look like oddly-placed birdhouses; however, these boxes have been proliferating along roads in Vermont, as well as in neighboring Massachusetts.
The purple boxes are traps designed to monitor the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that attacks ash trees and that was introduced to the US from Asia in 2002. Emerald Ash Borers can devastate trees, especially ash trees. They have been found in the Northwest and Canada, the highest populations being in Michigan and Ohio.
For additional information about the Emerald Ash Borer, please visit the official prevention and control site at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.cfm
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Watch the Birds: Fox and Friends, 6/16/11
The rising of temperatures and of the grass levels can only mean one thing: that the long winter has finally melted away to reveal a radiant Vermont spring. After a few short days of high temperatures, the valley has burst into bloom and is ready to welcome our winged friends who have returned from more temperate climes.
Looking from my window, I was pleased to see not only the "old faithfuls"--from feisty chickadees and raucous blue-jays, to flocks of goldfinches, who have shed their dull winter feathers for a buttery yellow counterpart--but also some of my summer favorites. The rose-breasted grosbeaks have returned, as have the wrens who are busy building a nest in my wren house in the field. I was delighted to see my first hummingbird of the season last week, when he zipped over to investigate my red wheelbarrow as I was doing some gardening. In addition, the canada geese have started to parade their goslings over by the Dorset Pond, where I also had the luck to see a majestic great blue heron fishing.
One reader reported having spotted an indigo bunting, the sapphire-blue little birds that I love so and see rarely even during the summer months. I had another reader report from Marianne, who told me she spotted approximately ten great blue herons atop their nests in the marshes on the new Route 7 by the Arlington exit. Sure enough, on a trip to Bennington, i spotted the parents and their newly-hatched chicks standing as if on stilts atop the spindly trees.
My biggest surprise of the week, however, came very early one morning as I groggily looked out the window to see a grey fox munching on birdseeds below my feeder. Needless to say, all of the birds and chipmunks remained far away as the fox, about the size of a large cat, nonchalantly gorged himself. The fox returned in the evening that night to get another snack. I've seen foxes in the area before, but only in the winter and certainly not eating birdseed, so I was greatly surprised. I was even more surprised and confused when the fox brought a friend, another fox, to feast on seeds the next evening. The pair stayed for about 20 minutes, and I was able to observe these beautiful animals and get some excellent photos. Throughout this week, I have seen the foxes--both individually and in a pair--every day, usually in the morning and the early evening. Talk about an interesting surprise!
As always, spring brings an array of surprises to the Northshire area. Have you had any interesting sightings lately? Is there a question you're dying to ask? Feel free to email me your questions, sightings, and comments at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com!
Looking from my window, I was pleased to see not only the "old faithfuls"--from feisty chickadees and raucous blue-jays, to flocks of goldfinches, who have shed their dull winter feathers for a buttery yellow counterpart--but also some of my summer favorites. The rose-breasted grosbeaks have returned, as have the wrens who are busy building a nest in my wren house in the field. I was delighted to see my first hummingbird of the season last week, when he zipped over to investigate my red wheelbarrow as I was doing some gardening. In addition, the canada geese have started to parade their goslings over by the Dorset Pond, where I also had the luck to see a majestic great blue heron fishing.
One reader reported having spotted an indigo bunting, the sapphire-blue little birds that I love so and see rarely even during the summer months. I had another reader report from Marianne, who told me she spotted approximately ten great blue herons atop their nests in the marshes on the new Route 7 by the Arlington exit. Sure enough, on a trip to Bennington, i spotted the parents and their newly-hatched chicks standing as if on stilts atop the spindly trees.
My biggest surprise of the week, however, came very early one morning as I groggily looked out the window to see a grey fox munching on birdseeds below my feeder. Needless to say, all of the birds and chipmunks remained far away as the fox, about the size of a large cat, nonchalantly gorged himself. The fox returned in the evening that night to get another snack. I've seen foxes in the area before, but only in the winter and certainly not eating birdseed, so I was greatly surprised. I was even more surprised and confused when the fox brought a friend, another fox, to feast on seeds the next evening. The pair stayed for about 20 minutes, and I was able to observe these beautiful animals and get some excellent photos. Throughout this week, I have seen the foxes--both individually and in a pair--every day, usually in the morning and the early evening. Talk about an interesting surprise!
As always, spring brings an array of surprises to the Northshire area. Have you had any interesting sightings lately? Is there a question you're dying to ask? Feel free to email me your questions, sightings, and comments at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Fox and Friends!
Mr. and Mrs. Fox pay a visit to my birdfeeder to munch on seeds. Perhaps they're on a vegan diet? The chipmunks aren't holding their breath.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
In spite of the fact that Easter comes shockingly late this year, it's still rather doom-and-gloom outside. A strange cocktail of snow, sunshine, and rain has kept me guessing these past few days, and made me crave something, well, a little more Springy.
Melissa Clark's recipe for homemade Peeps in this week's New York Times hit the spot (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/dining/20appe.html). I don't really know anyone who likes the taste of Peeps (if they have a taste at all...), but they're just so cute that, once you realize that you're eating flavorless heaps of pure sugar, you've inevitably gone through half the box.
These funny little critters are not too tricky to make, and will definitely win you some brownie points among friends and guests. How many people can say they have *made* Peeps? Few, my friends. Very few.
In addition, these pastel candies have a taste--and a good one at that. I opted to make the Pomegranate flavor, which results in a rosy batch of bunnies and chicks. Though the pomegranate flavor was unfortunately lost, the delighftul undertone of honey remained, making these a sweet Easter treat.
*Pro-tip: Take the mound of extra marshmallow you have after cutting out the first batch of shapes and melt it back down. Set it and cut them again!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Happy Spring!
After the largest full moon in eighteen years shone in the sky last night, shedding a clear crisp light over the valley, we celebrate the arrival of Spring this evening. It looks like Punxsutawney Phil was right this year about spring coming early; if the sunshine and warmer temperatures continue, we're sure to be outside enjoying mild weather soon!
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