Rainy Sunday

It has been a rainy day here in the Hollow. The plants are loving it! My gardens seem to be growing as I watch. The crocus's are beautiful and the honey bees were in full force to be the first to taste them. Lucy seems to like the rain too. Of course she's a goose and geese are supposed to like things wet. All the more reason to put in a pond! As I type I can see her waddling about the back lawn. My husband is putting out a big container of water so she can drink without going to the creek. What a softy he is. We do love our "Lucy!"

I'm not sure when I will be able to post again as I will be flying to Colorado in a couple of days. My hope is to post from there. We'll see. I will be keeping in touch with people back home to make sure all the animals are doing well. I have my husband and two friends who are taking care of things while I'm away. Enjoy your day. Till next time.

The Girls

click on photo

This is what happened when the "girls" met. Nothing. They didn't even seem interested. Lucy now comes to the door for food. She has turned into a beggar! She looks in the door and honks at me. Of course I jump up and feed her. I train so easily. Just ask the cats!
My trip is just a few days away and I think I have every thing in place as to the care of the animals. My husband will feed morning and night, a friend will feed mid day and another friend will be on vet call. (I have two cats who need weekly vet visits while I'm gone) What fun animals can be! I do love them but would happily give up the vet bills. I think my son was cheaper! Then again, maybe not.
My gardens are showing more and more signs of life. All the bulb plants are shooting up at such a rate I am wondering if they will bloom while I'm gone. Other plants are popping green shoots. The pussy willows are blooming. I cut a few branches to put in the house. The "Hollow" is coming to life. Soon the trees will start to bud out and the grass will green up. I love spring, I love green and I love my gardens. So does the goose as you can see in this next photo. I caught her sleeping in my new bed. I hope she doesn't take a liking to perennial plants and flowers.

But isn't she cute?
Enjoy your day. Till next time.

The Forge

click on the photos
I took a walk yesterday and snapped some photos of the monument that commemorates Forge Hollow and of the creek I often speak about.

As for Lucy (the goose) she is doing well. She now knows how to come to the front door to beg for food. She also asks to be fed below our bedroom window. This usually happens quite early in the morning. It's a good thing we are early risers. I called our codes enforcer and was told I did not need a permit for a small pond. Yes, we are seriously talking about building one now. It seems we have a goose so it just follows that we need a pond for the goose. As I am leaving for my trip next week I don't think it will happen any time soon. Maybe in May if Lucy hangs around. That's it for today. Enjoy the sun. Till next time.

It's Here!!!

SPRING!!!

It is finally here! Yes, it's cold,24 degrees this morning, yes, I see snow out of my front and back windows and yes, we will get even more snow, but it is still spring! When I step outside, as I do every morning about 6:15, I am hearing more and more bird songs. My gardens are showing a lot of little green shoots. The willow on my front lawn is getting very yellow. The best part of spring is sunshine! I admit it. I am a sun worshiper. I lay in the sun, I read in the sun, I garden in the sun, any excuse to be out in it. Add a body of water and it's perfect. Oh yes, I love water too. At camp I sit by the water. If it rains I sit inside and look at the water. Today is going to be a busy day for me. I am spring cleaning! That's on top of getting everything I own ready for my trip to Colorado. No, I am not taking it all, just one carry on. But I have to have every thing ready for any kind of weather so that the day before I leave, after I will check the weather, I can pack accordingly. It has been quite warm there so I am hoping it will continue. That's it for now. Maybe later I will another photo of one of my indoor pets. HMMMM! which one? Have a great day. Until later. It's Bob!

Spring

Tomorrow brings spring to Forge Hollow. Here it means hope. Hope for many things such as, warm weather, forsythia blossoms, budding trees, green grass and my favorite, spring flowers. The bulbs I planted last fall are getting taller and I have noticed more and more popping up. The anticipation is growing. I planted many kinds of bulbs in several places so it should be wonderful when they start to bloom. I think spring is my favorite season. I love watching the earth come to life. Speaking of life, I hear Lucy calling to me. She now comes to my front door and honks for food. She is training me to be her servant! I must train easily as I have already been trained by four furry friends in the house. Our throw away cats rule inside and now Lucy rules the outside. Yes, all of our cats were abused or thrown away. We find them a joy. Of course I am one with my vacuum cleaner but it's worth it. That's another thing spring brings, shedding! I don't enjoy that. Big tuffs of hair drifting all over can be a bit annoying. Oh well, I love my pets so I put up with it and of course, vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. I am posting a photo of our newest taken last Christmas. Her name is Sylvia. Enjoy your day. Until next time.

Wonderful!

What wonderful weather we are finally having! I have been so busy. Today I hope to clean up my front garden. All the bulbs I planted last fall are sticking their heads out and giving the hope of spring. Of course this is upstate New York so we know the snow will still fall and the wind will still chill us to the bone but the hope of spring is there waiting with my flowers. Yesterday I heard a red-winged black bird calling. I love that the birds are returning to sing us awake.

Lucy, my resident goose, is still here and seems to be making herself at home. She spends her days in my yard and nights in the creek. We are seriously talking about a pond now. I talked to her owner yesterday and they told me we could keep her and that they would locate a male and give him to us in hopes that she would accept him. I'm not sure she is staying or what is going to happen yet so a male is on hold. Lucy has quite a personality. I had a small gathering yesterday and she greeted everyone. Her honking can be loud and startling if your not expecting it. As I said before, geese make good watch dogs.

In a couple of weeks I'm off to Colorado. I have a new grand niece I can't wait to see. Family is very important to me. I have three grand nephews who know they are loved and now my first grand niece. The sad part is she is a long way away. I guess that's why airplanes are popular. I managed to find a very good fare with great travel times so off I go.

It's now time to go out and work my little piece of earth. Till next time.

Spring?

I know it is to soon for spring but there are many signs of it being right around the corner. I am so pleased to find many bulbs coming up and several other plants showing signs of life in my garden.

As for Lucy, the goose, she is doing well. I am already trained to her demands of food and she is enjoying the temporary pond in our back yard. If she hangs around I may get the pond I've always wanted. What fun! I do wish her mate hadn't died but if she stays we will try to introduce a new male to her and see what happens.


Thats it for today. I hope for a sunny and early spring. Till next time.

Wonderful!

What a difference two days make! It is 57 degrees and I just noticed that several spring bulbs are peeking out of the garden mulch. What they are is any ones guess as I planted them last year and did not take note as to what was planted where. My windows were showing more dirt than glass so they got a fresh look thanks to water and ammonia. I love clean windows. A friend asked me once how I kept them clean?????? No, she wasn't blond. My friendly neighborhood goose is still living here. Her owner tried to catch her but to no avail. He said he would try to herd her to the creek and push her up while in the water. I hope it works because she is lonely and not very happy without her mate. This afternoon I received an e-mail from my niece with a photo of an eagle that has been hanging around her place. It seems he likes the good living on Keuka Lake over in the Finger Lakes. I am attaching the pic she sent me. What wonderful birds they are. I hope for a great weekend and much laughter. Until next time.

Still

It is now March 4th and we are still in a deep freeze. The weather man tells us that will change soon. We still have good sized snow banks and ice. Daylight savings time is coming upon us and spring is just around the corner. How I hope for an early and nice spring. As for the goose, she is still here. At night she goes to the creek and during the day she sits in my back yard calling. She now has a name. I decided to call her Lucy. It seems to fit. I have been feeding her bread but plan to pick up some cracked corn today. I figure if she is going to hang around I won't let her go hungry. I've been thinking that maybe a pond in my back yard wouldn't be a bad thing. We'll see if she hangs around. Till next time.

Sad news

I am very sorry to say that the male goose was hit by a car today. The female was sitting on my lawn but since has moved and I can't find her. How sad that there are people who don't care for their pets.

Visitors

The geese have decided they like it here in the "Hollow." Maybe it's the food I've been giving them? The neighbors have been joking about tough times and how good a goose dinner would taste. They are rather large but most likely not to tasty. I have called the owners which say they will be down to get them but so far no one has come. The male hisses at me all the time I'm feeding them. A bit ungrateful I think. They are lucky I like them. I hear geese make great watch dogs. Hmmmm.