Warm and dry

We're into week two without rain here, so the stream is drying up. It's still much cooler under the trees than it is elsewhere in the city, though. At ten am, it is just now getting to 75 degrees and steady.
We've got a bit of a breeze here, as well.
The barometer is at 29.47 inches of mercury and steady under clear blue skies.

We had a large group of people here yesterday for the every-other-Thursday work project, including a group from the Worcester Public Schools. Much sign routing, painting, staining, and log shaping going on well into the afternoon. You'll be seeing the fruits of that labor going up at various properties as we head into the fall!

The logging work at Cascades West is now completed (and if you didn't see the T&G report on this, check it out), and the new route of the Meadow Ridge trail is open for hiking. We've gotten some good reports on it already! We'll be watching the newly cleared space this summer as it starts to come back with grasses and bushes, much better and more mixed habitat for all that lives here.

Mailbox being reclaimed by the forest

We have an enthusiastic grapevine trying to take over the mailbox.

I also realized today that we have chipmunks living under the front steps. Periodically, one stops on the porch and squeaks at us.

Speaking of new families

...we have a growing number of these little guys (can you see him? In the center on the rock?) right around the Lodge lately. They seem to be living in the rock pile, though they frequently chase each other around and right under the house.

Springtime!

I found a red eft on our porch this morning, 'though he was gone when I went back out to take his picture.
On Monday, traffic stopped in both directions for a gigantic snapping turtle going back across Olean, having laid her eggs on the Cascading Waters property.
We also have a pair of robins frantically flying back and forth from one of the big evergreens by the Lodge, keeping their brand new hungry chicks fed.
Springtime is here!
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At 8:45, it is 67.3 degrees and steady
95% humidity (though not currently raining)
29 inches of mercury and steady under cloudy skies
We've gotten half an inch of rain since last night.

Brisk

A bit chillier out there than the sunshine might suggest today: it's 39.2 degrees and rising with a wind at 9 am.
The humidity is 39%: really low for spring. Fire danger is MODERATE.
This morning, we were lucky enough to see a muskrat eating, swimming, and generally having a great time across the street at Cook's Pond.

Fox on Goddard Memorial Drive

This was an honest-to-goodness Jeff Barnard Wormtown Fleet moment. Heading up and over Airport Hill from Main Street to Tatnuck Square, what do I see on the side of the road but this guy? A young fox, just standing there, staring into the weeds by the side of the road! A closer look (after I took this, I pulled around the median again to to get a closer look, but he ran off before I got a closer photo) revealed that his eyes were all squinted up, as if he wasn't well somehow. I don't think he was rabid--he was together enough to run from the car--but he was a bit dazed.
Anyway, Jeff, you may have forgotten your camera today, but I didn't!

Sunny

At 10:44 am, it is 67.1 degrees and rising, under clear, sunny skies.
The barometer is at 29.26 inches and rising.
Humidity has dropped significantly to 43% and steady
The stream is at 4.4 inches; we've had no rain in the last 24 hours.
No wind at the moment (measured) 'though we've had a light breeze on and off this morning.

We've got a chipmunk out exploring the platform of what was the old shed.

Bear on Moreland

Looks like someone followed the forestline south today.
Really, you want to bring the birdfeeders and cat food in. Not kidding.

Green everywhere!

Suddenly the woods aren't looking nearly so brown. While most of the trees are not yet budding, the bloodwort and lots of other sorts of groundcover are popping up!

Hat tip to the fun albino robin spotting in Athol!

The stream is down to 5.2 inches.
The fire danger remains HIGH (VERY HIGH to our north).
At 9:30 am, it is 60 degrees
Overcast right now with the barometer at 29.15
The Cascades are still running, but they have slowed down considerably.

Chilly!

The temperature has dropped back down today, 'though it does not appear to have slowed down the robins all over the lawn!
I woke up to them singing this morning.

At 9 am, it is 38 degrees (hey, it's too warm to snow, at least!)
The barometer is 29 inches even and rising (!)
Light rain
The stream is at 7.2 inches
The Cascades are flowing
The fire danger is MODERATE, but should be falling over the course of the day

Squirrel

And in loading this up, I missed a photo, straight outside the window, of a groundhog. He's up!

A bit of a photo

If you know what you're looking for...
He's behind the rock, heading away from you.

FOX!

And we were all so thunderstruck that we did not get a photo.
It just now (at 9:30 am) headed up the trail from the Olean Street direction, crossed the brook by the house, and headed north across the neighbor's lot.
It was acting normally, too.

Brook is freezing!

I think Monday's post will be the last brook measure for awhile; when we checked this morning, it was frozen hard enough to walk on, right at 4 inches. It isn't frozen all the way across (it usually doesn't), but it is frozen well around the edges!
And the Cascades look like a big snowpile.

At 9am it was 18 degrees and rising, barely.
Barometer is 29.26 under cloudy skies.
We aren't seeing too much trail activity beyond dog walkers. It is COLD.
It doesn't appear to have slowed down the juncos, sparrows, chickadees, mourning doves, and blue jays, however!

Hawk!

...but alas, no working batteries in the camera.
But what looked like a young hawk just came and sat for five minutes or so directly next to our birdfeeder. No mistake I'm sure.

Snow!

The birdfeeder is busy this morning.
As of 10 am, we'd gotten about four inches, with more still coming down.

Sunny but chilly

At 9 am it is barely scrapping 30 degrees.
Bright and sunny with a light wind
The stream is at 6 inches; you may not have noticed, but there was some melting yesterday.
The barometer stands at 29.38 and rising

The birds are taking advantage of the clear weather; our birdfeeders (we added a new one this morning) are very busy! One chickadee was so impatient that he flew right over to my feet as I was filling the feeder on the porch!

Juncos are here!

I don't know if they were waiting on snow or what, but those flocks of busy little gray birds are out there this morning. And, tipped off by the squirrels, they've found the birdfeeder.

The stream is at 5.6; down a bit, as the snow really isn't melting.
The temperature is 36 and slowly rising, as of 9am
The barometer is 29.47 inches and steady under overcast skies

Clear day

Nice clear cold day out there this morning. Frost on the ground and the windshields.
At 9 am it is 39 degrees and rising (slowly).
Barometer stands at 29.38 and steady.
The stream is at 4.8 inches.

We finally got one of our birdfeeders out yesterday; we'll see if the birds remember us!

Rainy fall

We're having some highly seasonal fall rain here today. Who says New England doesn't have a wet season?
This brings the stream back up to 2.6 inches, and we'll expect that to go higher as the 400 acres behind us drains downstream. As you'll see from the photo below, we've got at least one downstream neighbor who will be enjoying the water!
At 9 am, it is 56 degrees and rising.
Raining like the dickens
Barometer is 29.64 and falling

We'll expect to see largely only the most devoted of dog walkers out there today. It is pleasant, if you don't mind getting wet!