COLD, COLD, COLD

COLD, COLD, COLD

I think that was a Little Feat song. I just pulled it from somewhere in the back of my mind. It just seems appropriate. Yes, it is here. Bleak dreary horizons and naked skeleton trees; the shades of gray have taken over. Some lucky inhabitants get to hibernate. The fortunate ones migrate. The rest just exist.

I had seen and endured all of the snow I ever needed to see by the time the seventies were over. I have to admit that when I lived in places where it didn’t snow; it was pretty nice to get a little shot of snow and cold, on rare occasions. I like wintertime beaches when nobody else is there. I guess that as we age our tolerance for inconveniences diminish. Winter and the dead of summer are to two most unwelcome things in my life. I get no pleasure from either.

The December day I dread most is that day when I harvest the last deer I need for the freezer. That is the day I know it is over. Nothing to do until it is time to dig some ramps. I don’t tend to run on the same calendar as most of you do. I know that winter doesn’t officially begin until almost Christmas. Thanksgiving week is the start of winter to me. The last days of harvest time are closing in. It seems to me that the only things we do around here are get ready for winter and endure winter. Blah.

We tend to hear a lot from the outdoor type experts about layering for the cold temperatures. I have heat in the house and heat in my vehicle. I have wool behind the seat of my truck. I can run the snow blower with my ventilators and wool socks just fine. I can make a couple of mad dashes to fill up the birdfeeders. I love wool and have all that I need, but I’m not planning on staying out in that mess any longer than I have to. The only layers I need are layers in the freezer; they start with ramps and asparagus and end with venison. There are lots of fillers in between. Those are the only layers I worry about.

I guess the only thing I like about winter is when the Great Lakes freeze over and we get an interesting push of waterfowl into our area. I always look forward to the opportunity to see some rarities. The anticipation of the unexpected is the one thing that keeps me out there in the frigid months; searching for spots of open water. Several years ago I found a spot where I could watch a flock of wild turkeys ice skate across the river to a stand of oak trees. They made the trek nearly every day. That was my favorite sight to see during the winter and I never told anyone about it until just now. The oaks were cut down this spring. Just another memory, now.

I’m not a total scrooge and I hope that everyone wanting a white Christmas gets their wish. You can even have it right into the New Year; but that should be enough. So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don’t win the Powerball; I’ll still be here.

This is my article for the December 2015 issue of Two-Lane Livin

(c)2015 High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

PONDERING PANTHERS (Part One)

Backbone Mountain

I do not think anything has been as controversial over the years than the presence of Mountain Lions in the mountain state. It has been pretty much agreed upon over the years that the last wild cougar was killed on Leatherwood Creek in Webster County in the year of 1877. The fact that genetically all Mountain Lions (Puma concolor couguar) that reside north of Nicaragua are one and the same. The consensus among the Experts who derive their salaries from either the Federal or State government is that there are no breeding populations of mountain lions in the East; except for in south Florida and possibly northern Ontario. Studies have been done and done again. Same results, every time. Still, nearly every year there are sightings by credible people. I know several who have seen these big cats. If any one of these witnesses told me that they had just seen Snowy Owl at Seneca Rocks; I would drop everything I was doing and drive over for a look. No questions asked.

I am not going into the so and so said they saw or heard about someone seeing something stuff. I am going to tell you what I have seen over the years. Some are in WV, some are not. But, all are in the exact same mountain range that runs through here. The mountains are the mountains and they are the regions’ highway. It was late September of 1979; I was bow hunting in the Bear Creek drainage of Garrett County, MD. I didn't have much sense back then and I didn't come out on the road I thought I was going to end up on. It was black dark when I hit pavement and of course I didn't have a light. My truck was probably 2 miles away and I started hoofing it. Within about 30 minutes; I had a very strong feeling that I was being followed. I could occasionally hear gravel clicking on the blacktop behind me. I never saw anything, but I had a real strange feeling. There was one house on the road and my truck was about a quarter of a mile beyond the house. I walked by the house, a yellow porch light was on and I could see the TV on. Everything was quiet. I was probably 200 yards past the house when the dog started barking. It wasn't happy to see you barking, either. It was very obvious that something was back behind me in the road that the dog did not want there. Makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, too, something like that tends to make you pick up the pace a little; even if you are already about used up.

I went back into the same area the following spring, listening for turkeys and digging some ramps. There was about 2 inches of wet, melting snow on the ground. I dropped down into the hollow that I came out of that night in September. There they were two sets of tracks. One really big cat with a smaller big (Bobcat) sized one walking side by side. There was someone with me that morning and we followed the tracks down to the stream where they crossed a log. The snow ran out fairly quick going up the other side. Neither of us had to question the other upon what we had just seen.

This is my article for the February issue of Two-Lane Livin Part one of three.

(c)2015 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) High Virginia Images

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Glad You're Back

I stopped at my favorite summertime spot on Backbone Mountain, today. The milkweeds are in full bloom and vanilla fills the air. It was even hot up there today. Just a touch of breeze and Monarchs ! I was able to see five individuals at the same time. I believe that may be more than I saw up there all of last year; which was not a good Monarch year. One pair was in the process of mating and I am sure that there will be many eggs laid soon. I don't think I even found one caterpillar last year, up there. I do remember one crystalis which didn't hatch. Hopefully, 2012 will be a good year for the Monarch. They need a good year and deserve a break. I sure do love the smell of a big patch of milkweed in the hot Summer breeze. It just makes a miserably hot day just a little easier to tolerate. 

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors  Photo by High Virginia Images (c) 2012 All Rights Reserved

Still No Monarchs

I leave numerous milkweeds around my garden and normally have several Monarch butterflies hatching in my yard. My milkweed is just about finished blooming and I still haven't seen any caterpillar activity. I have only seen 2 Monarchs hurriedly flying through the yard. It sure doesn't look as if we are going to have much butterfly production around here.
I did see 2 Spicebush Swallowtails  laying eggs on my Sassafras, last week. This has been a slow year for butterfly photography. I sure hope that it picks up as the Summer progresses.

I checked out my favorite butterfly/milkweed spot on Backbone Mountain last week and there was nothing present; except for little wasps, bees and flies. The milkweed was blooming and in normal years; the area is teaming with Monarchs. I guess that we will have to wait and see if anything shows up.

Photos (c) High Virginia Images