August 27

Yesterday was Dragonfly Day! Are dragonflies lucky? I don't know, but they are beautiful and somehow mysterious. It was probably a coincidence that yesterday I mailed a manuscript to a publisher involving dragonflies, and all morning I saw dragonflies everywhere I went! I must have seen 50. So was it a coincidence or do the dragonflies know something....?


Much later...Sept. 30- Yeah, it was just a coincidence! I received an extremely nice and complimentary rejection letter...but still a rejection.

Critter Watch

I love to watch the barn swallows swooping in and out of our barn. They don't look like they are catching insects, they seem to be flying for the sheer joy of it.
The barn swallows make nests that look like little cups of mud and straw, with horsehairs woven in that hang down.
We also have cliff swallows nesting under the eaves of our house. Those nests look like gourds made out of clay. Those swallows like to swoop around the house also. And, of course, they leave droppings all over my deck! Luckily, those wash off pretty easily with water. I don't mind the clean-up too much because the birds are so much fun to watch.
I saw a coyote out in the horse pasture. I don't know if it was a male or female, but it was taking a roll in the grass and just kind of chilling out there. I'm glad they are back.

Critter Watch

Last weekend was fantastic! I watched a hummingbird eating from my shrubs in the front for several minutes before he flew away. The deer are moving all around at all times of the day. We can watch egrets and blue herons in our marsh every day. My bluebirds like to come up to the house and sit on the deck. They make a mess to clean up, but they are so pretty it's worth it. There is also one aggressive male bluebird that fights with his reflection in our windows. Yesterday he was attacking our truck windows! What a fighter!

Critter Watch

Rain, rain and rain! We are finally caught up and it's STILL raining! This is a good thing- the past two summers have been extremely dry. I saw two deer this morning, as well as pheasants and turkeys. The eagle flies by regularly. I think it lives nearby. Have not seen any coyotes this spring, but we hear them sometimes at night. And with the two bears seen in the suburbs recently, I keep thinking I may see one of those someday. Not that I really want to!

Critter Watch

Happy Earth Day! The daffodils are blooming and so are the dandelions. The lilacs have buds; the loons are back and calling in the morning. My hostas are beginning to peek out of the ground. Spring is always lovely, but it's especially sweet when it comes early, as it has this year. The chill in the air this morning (it was only 40) reminds us that we still live in Minnesota and we shouldn't get complaisant.

Critter Watch

Happy Easter! This is Bird Day! I heard a loon when I woke up this morning. I'm so glad they are back and living close to us.
We've been seeing sandhill cranes for a week or two in the pasture. They clack and clatter like crazy.
There was one big tom turkey strutting around with his tail feathers displayed and 12 hens wandering around. He kept herding them where he wanted them to go.
Best of all, we saw two eagles circling each other and going higher and higher into the sky. I got dizzy watching- they were directly overhead. Hope there's a nest nearby!

Critter Watch

There are hoards of crows in the trees across the pasture. Lots of cawing and movement. Are they breeding? We wonder what is going on in Crow World.
We have also been seeing a lot of a young bald eagle and hope he is a resident now. He has a white head, but his tail is not white yet.

Quote of the Day:
"I believe in God, only I spell it nature"
-Frank Lloyd Wright