Almost a year

It's been almost a year since I have posted.
In the year we have finished working on the house, with the exception of painting the doors.  I just had a great light installed in the garage.  It is still very strange to have the car parked in the house.  I open the door and there is my car! So not Brooklyn.

I dragged Larry with me on a cruise to Alaska. 

He couldn't believe that he was wearing winter clothing in June. 

And not all that pleased about it. 

Very cold but happy. Glacier Bay was the best part of the trip. 

Artic Tern

Bald Eagle

Me

Larry maybe smiling on the outside, but inside he is saying,
how did I let her talk me into to this?

We did see an Orca close up on the Banana Boat.
Aren't they KILLER Whales??? 

Thanksgiving 

Happy and free before Thanksgiving

After

Living next to the woods has been interesting.  Last year was a relatively warm winter. It is on average 10 degrees colder her. So far this autumn, we had Hurricane Sandy rip through the area and then a snow storm.  Luckily, we had no damage to our house, and only lost power for 10 hours the night of the hurricane.  The real damage was cause by the foot of snow that fell a week later.  The damage to the trees in the area was incredible. So many trees broke in half like match sticks, very sad.  

Our favorite places to go birding have been severely damaged.  Many of them closed for the foreseeable future.  The Leeds Point boardwalk is still intact at Forsythe NWR, Brigatine.  

Our plank is still there.

Squirrels 4/Larry Baffled

Yesterday we continued our fruitless attempt to keep the squirrels off of the seed cake. We were under a limb, which is about as high as the house, attempting to throw a stick with a rope over the limb. We figured that we can hang the feeder from the rope and the squirrels couldn't get to it. It took about 10 or more throws to get the stick over the limb. Once it was over we had to re-position the rope with the pole trimmer. The rope of the pole trimmer kept getting tangled with our rope. That was mess. Then Larry finally threw the stick in the right place but it didn't get over the limb because he was standing on the line. I was so glad that my neighbors weren't witnessing this.

Eventually everything worked and we got the feeder to dangle from the line. This morning we watched a squirrel on a limb about 10 feet higher than the feeder, try to be a trapeze artist. He leaped from the limb, missed the seed cake and drop to the ground. Nice try fellow!

When Larry looked out the window a little later, there was a squirrel on the seed cake. If you don't succeed at first...try, try again. A philosophy held by both squirrels and Larry.

His friends are sending him info on how to build a better baffle.

To be continued...

Squirrels 3/Larry 0

The squirrels are winning the baffle wars.

'

Here is the 3rd iteration of baffle over the seed cake holder.

Next we are going to dangle the feeder from a high limb.

Let's hope the 4th attempt deters them.

Larry admitted that he is feeling sort of sorry for the squirrels this year. The oak trees have shut down on acorn production and the squirrels are really hungry. The average oak tree produces 250 pounds of acorns a year. This year they are averaging 75 pounds. Larry has been collecting acorns and bringing them to the backyard for them.

But yet

He would rather be feeding birds.

This morning we had some special visitors to our feeders.

The squirrels left the seed cake long enough for a Carolina Wren to show up.

and on the ground was a Fox Sparrow.

Our feeders have been a hot bed of birding activity in this week. Juncos, Titmice, Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, Goldfinches, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays and the occasional Downy Woodpecker.

It was 12 degrees here in Whiting, NJ this morning. We had the 2 cats under the down comforter with us this morning. We were all warm and snugglely. Glad I didn't have to leave the house today.