Turkey Day Is Early This Year.

10-19-09 VERMONT: Today was warmer and sunny, yesterday was densely overcast. There has been no rain here in spite of all the storms in the NY metro area. I have been dutifully cleaning out the flower beds for next spring and summer. I have done three days work, short days to be sure, and have about one more day or two. The job consists of cutting down the dead stalks, raking them out of the bed and hauling away the debris, about eight cartloads so far.

If you clean out the beds in the fall as time permits, you don’t have the urgency of rushing to get it done in the spring. The snow melts more quickly in sunny spots in the spring. The shadier parts of the beds, against the walls or behind the house or under pine trees are the last to be snow free. As soon as the snow melts, shoots sprout, so the back of the bed is snow covered and the front is busy springing forth. If you try to clear that bed in the spring, you injure the growing stuff in front and can’t clear the frozen parts. You do have to be careful, in the fall, not to harm the hollyhocks, foxglove, valerian and any other biennials, or they won't be there next year. Do it in the fall, enjoy the leaves and the wildlife.


The happy, clean beds waiting for their long winter's nap.

Oh yeah, wildlife. Yesterday afternoon I saw flock of about 18 wild turkeys in the pasture in front of the barn. I rushed for the camera to get a snap before they ran off. I got 99 pix as they marched up the pasture in front of the big barn and then the little barn, under the fence into the yard, then between the house and the pond to the apple trees above the pond, then behind the pond to the apple trees by the fence. They ate apples at every stop. The favorite tree was the Lily tree. If one bird found a tasty morsel, others would rush over to share, try it and then rush to some other piece that might just be better. One or two birds were always on the look out. After every one had enough, they walked back to the woods. I took pix through the windows and then snuck out the front door and snapped from the deck. The dogs slept straight through.


Wild Turkey, undistilled.

There are 15 or 16 birds in this shot.

This afternoon the dogs, in the house after dinner, went crazy. I didn’t see anything so I let them out and went out on the deck to see what the deal was. I got a two second look at a gorgeous, big red fox with a big white tipped brush of a tail.

Two nights ago, Sam, the night prowler dog, came in about midnight with a touch of skunk aroma, not a blast in the face, just a delicate hint of the fragrance. The next day the scent was hanging in the air by the roses by the fence.

The dead pine tree by the road comes down tomorrow.

New blooms: witch hazel.