It is mid November, and crazily warm for this time of year here. The days are sunny and still, the temperatures going up into the teens C, (53 to 59F), and there have been only a few, very light frosts visible as a white coating on the grass, some mornings.
The gardens are settled for winter, the garlic bed is leaf mulched, but in the herb barrels, the mint is still green and vibrant, the oregano shows only a bit of frost singeing, and the parsley is verdant. The chard and kale are fine, and we'll continue to use them until the deer find them, then they are out of there, as I don't want habituated garden deer!
It has been wonderful weather for walking in the woods, the leaves crunching and rustling under our feet. I've noted a few things on my walks. The red squirrels also prepare for winter by drying things... Here and there in the bush, one finds a mushroom propped up in a tree branch crotch. A red squirrel has put it there to dry, and will retrieve it later and store it away.
Here is a deer rub on a sapling, probably made by a small buck, maybe by the little fork horn that I showed a night picture of in the last post.
Day light buck pictures would be rare, as they are very, very cautious about showing themselves, the big ones get that way by being cautious!
Yesterday, on a meander through the hemlock grove, my attention was immediately captured by a small, rapidly moving critter...it was Marty, a martin.
They are very inquisitive animals, and he came up to within 10 feet, looking at me with those beady black eyes. Martins never seem to stop moving, only just briefly, to look, then are off, fossicking around roots and rocks and logs. The resident squirrels and chipmunks knew he was there, and were all scolding madly within the vicinity.
There was frost on the ground here this morning. That's wonderful that you got a picture of a martin!! -Jenn
ReplyDeleteThey are inquisitive little critters, and almost fearless! Got the fire going this AM.
DeleteWhen I hear the roof dripping I know the sun has crested the big pines. We are scraping the windows on the car. No hunters your way? Our woods are crawling. Too close for comfort. I'm looking forward to some white stuff as well. As long as the days are sunny it's all good, but the dark dreary November really gets me down. We're still bringing in firewood, but at near 70, I can't do that all day, every day.
ReplyDeleteA lot fewer hunters now, during the second week. We have a few acres to roam on. It certainly has not been a dark and dreary November so far!
DeleteNice to see a martin Rosalea! I'm wondering if I should leaf mulch my garlic bed too. It's just kind of sitting there with nothing on top. We have plenty of leaves that's for sure! It's a nice November here in New Brunswick, no snow...I remember having up to 50cm of snow in Quebec at this time of year, I'm so grateful to be living here!!! But...the Atlantic Ocean air is so darn chilly...haven't gotten used to that yet!
ReplyDeleteI know you don't like snow, Rain, but that damp cold is worse, IMO!
DeleteThe leaf mulch on the garlic bed just keeps the bulbs warmer a little longer so they can start to grow this fall, and it also keeps the weeds down next spring.