8/27/06

Recent work:

• 8/23/06 - Mowed lawn
• 8/25/06 - Put up 4 additional signs (at causeway, at junction, across lake)
• 8/26/06 - Cut up 3 downed trees + removed from trail

Yesterday we found an excellent polypore edible mushroom, "chicken of the woods" Lactiporus sulphureus. It was growing on an old stump (probably conifer) on east side of driveway not far after bent when heading out.

On 8/24/06 at between 9:30 + 10:00 am, I ran into crazy dog walker (see 7/31 entry) while running on the north loop, north side. This time I was prepared with my cell phone in hand. Shockingly, he had his dog on a leash. I said "good morning" as I approached, and just after passing said, "Thanks for having your dog on a leash, we appreciate it."

We'll see if he continues to comply, but this was certainly heartening.

The roadside ditch I dug out is working well with recent rain. However, the upper 1/2 of the driveway has no ditch, and the road continues to wash out.

Gutter was put on back of the cabin around 8/16 or so. It seems to work well, although apparently UM charged SNRE an arm + a leg for it!

Lots of evidence of mice in the house (droppings on counter + top of fridge) - scurrying sounds at night. We have set some traps.

The chimney needs major cleaning!

8/9/06

• CHAINSAW JUST BACK FROM SERVICE & SHARPENING
• it was working fine, but previous caretaker indicated that it was about time.
• BOUGHT GAS FOR MOWER (gas is 3.19/gal at present)

We've been mowing every 2 weeks now instead of every week due to gas prices and desire to pollute less, etc.
Went birding the other morning here w/CM and saw a wide variety of species: kingfisher, northern flicker, hairy woodpecker, possibly grebes, peewees, flocks of redwing blackbirds. Many others that I can't recall. The causeway on the west side of the lake overlooking the neighbor's pond seems to be the best place to bird.

We also listed to tapes and realized that our owl is an Eastern Screech Owl. Quite an eerie sound, human/mammal-like, combined with a horse whinny sound. It usually comes from the trees on the west side of the lawn.

Picked more boletes at the end of last week. We also found a large patch of coral fungus that we haven't identified yet. We found some huge boletes that at first sight appeared to be king boletes. However, close up they were fuzzy and light purple colored, with a rather fishy and putrid smell. Amazing + beautiful nonetheless.