Lake Wynonah Spring Ramble ... OR BRAMBLE?

"Daffodils Coming Up"

I went out today to do a little bit of yard work. My buddy Eric had told me a couple weeks ago that he was already collecting branches and sticks cleaning up his yard and I felt a little guilty. So far the Nor'Easters have been preventing me from doing that. Although I really could have but I'm just really using that as an excuse. Ha-ha. I'm kinda NOT gonna do major yard work until it hits the 50s. Today was an anomaly. Guilt ridden too. The yard is a mess. LOL

I was collecting sticks in the yard while make sure that the fake owl hanging from the corner of the house is still there to ward off the woodpeckers. He still is. Went down into the lower backyard and collected all of the planters and pots that had blown into our yard from Charlotte's over the winter. I collected them and put them neatly stacked next to her shed and realized I was putting them next to the entrance to her groundhog hole under the shed. Made me chuckle. That groundhog is the bane of our existence. Our neighbor down the hill, Ronnie, usually takes care of them for us. I call it "relocating." But there is one furry guy who seems to be evading him. :)

I thought then about the big old hornet's nest in the back in the woods behind our house in Lake Wynonah, about 30 yards back. I see it from my back bedroom window. Hornets abandon their nest in the winter and the queen burrows in the ground or a log. All the workers die. Pretty tough cycle if ya ask me.

So I went back looking for it and I couldn't find it. I was disappointed because I swear I could see it for my back window just the other day. John said maybe one of the past Nor'Easters had blown it off back further into the woods. Possibly.  Oh well. Is what it is.

The land owners in the back cut down the trees over 30 acres behind the house for money, just the expensive hardwood older ones. Pretty sad, just for money. It was one of the last virgin stands in our area, beside those of course on the big old Blue Mountain. There's black bears in dem hills. LOL

"Spring Onions" 

Back to the woods behind the house. It was pretty sad because it's all scrub now except for trees here and there. They took down 4 trees for every 6 I think. But it's interesting to see because the scrub has grown now at least 6 ft tall. Most of it is taller than me. I was a little shocked at that. Ronnie down the hill said that the deer are more attracted to that because it provides really good cover for them rather than woods. I can see why now.

We've had more deer than ever. The deer appear regularly and move from Ronnie and his wife Leah's yard up the hill through Charlotte's yard to ours. Ronnie is a smart older Skook County native. Great guy, you end up wishing forever for neighbors like him and his wife Leah. Really decent good peeps. And Charlotte too. We are really lucky. Ronnie gives great bear hugs too but sometimes my back hurts the next day. LMAO.

I spent about 15 minutes moving through the back woods and scrub looking for that damn hornets nest. I was a little preoccupied as I gathered some great field stones for the flower beds. Picked up 5 good sized ones. I didn't realize but a lot of the scrub are brambles. Prickly bitches. It was fine tugging on my shirt and jeans but they tended to rip my hands and wrists apart as I made my way toward from the back of the house looking for that stupid abandoned hornets nest.

I suddenly heard something over head and looked up above me expecting to see a turkey vulture or one of our local hawks or bald eagles but instead was blessed to see a beautiful graceful grey heron flapping through the air about a 50 feet above me. Still low enough though where I could hear her flap her wings.  I think she must've been coming off of Fawn Lake. What a sight. I gazed at her until I lost her in the distance, head steady, wings flapping at a constant.

"Damn Snow" 

The daffodils are finally starting to come up. No blooms yet like in South Jersey, Philly or Delaware. We're still too cold up here. I do see all of the Spring onions sprouting up though. Along with the daffodils they seem to be always the first to come up. Don't forget the hardy crocuses too. LOL. Love their purple and yellow colors early in the Spring.

There's also the pussy willow tree I see budding from my kitchen window. Like cat's toes, they grow forth excitedly, without worry from the last remnants of Winter's cold touch. Reassuring me that Spring will be here in just a few more drawn out muddy weeks.

It seems that Spring is coming around finally after several punishing Nor'Easters. Luckily we won't be getting the 4th in a row up here this week. We thought we would but it just looks like a rain event mid week for us. Great, muddy muddy yard though. What are those muddy boots people buy? Duck boots? I'll just wear my hiking shoes, thank you very much. LOL

Although, I STILL have snow in the yard. That's the funny thing living just 50 miles north of Philly. We still have this damn snow. Sometimes it feels we are in a different weather zone. My Lake Wynonah neighbors and friends can definitely concur. No big deal though. It is what it is.

Of course our favorite state ground hog, Punxsutawney Phil deemed it so. He was correct this year. I am surprised my good friend Ronnie hasn't taken care of him yet. LOL

Thanks for always reading. It means a lot to this small fish in a big sea.