11/26/06

We've had quite the Indian Summer during this Thanksgiving week. It feels as though it's 50° out - I'm out writing again by the lake. I haven't seen too m,uch so far, though there are several crows across the lake and east of the house making quite a ruckus. It feels like a mild April morning rather than late November.

We are up to having trapped 4 mice thus far in the cabin. We've caught them using conventional snap traps and a bit of peanut better. They've all been caught in the oven broiler drawer!

I keep hearing a decently loud sound in the woods across the lake - sounds like something running through the leaves - but can't put a finger on it. Deer perhaps?

Have seen and heard quite a few chickadees (I think that's what they are but will have to confirm). A flock of ducks just flew east.

Yep it's a black-capped chickadee. Also saw a Downy woodpecker the other day.

A couple of ducks just landed at the east end of the lake. I could hear their wings cut the air as they turned - pretty cool!

11/14/06

UM Graded the driveway and put additional gravel in spots.

H. heard the Great Horned Owl from inside the cabin yesterday at 6 AM!

We spotted a hawk flying across the yard this morning; H. almost hit a deer in the driveway this morning.

Several folks with dogs off leash on Sunday, but they were affable about it.


As prelims approach and the weather gets colder, I haven't been doing my morning outdoor writing.

10/29/06 --

Spent 2 hours caulking gaps in roof, covering chimney to block drafts, filling squirrel gaps/holes (near chimney/roof intersection) with foam.

• Also cleared gutters again

• Cleared tree from causeway w/ chainsaw

10/29/06

It's only the end of October. I'm certain that I won't be able to do this continuously through the winter; it will be too cold for me to sit here. I'll have to do walks instead. I got out here at 8:25, though it was actually 7:25am because of daylight savings time today. It's been very tough to get up because of the darkness.

NEW PROPANE HEATER INSTALLED 10/17/06

It's been working fine. The other one worked fine, too, but was so old that no one was willing to fix it if it broke down. When M.R. moved out, he insisted that it be fixed. The problem is the heat goes straight upstairs. To prevent this, we've rigged up a box fan with rope hanging over the heater - when we turn it on, it blows air into the room. This has been quite effective.

At the properties meeting a week or so ago, we talking [sic] about clearcutting a stand of Ponderosa Pine at Saginaw. Theya re getting old, are invasive, and could generate needed income for the property. B.Barnes + C.Olson were both amenable to the idea.

Very little activity this morning. A fish jumped on the lake when I first sat. A mallard landed at the east end of the lake. I've heard and seen several crows.

We've had a great deal of rain in the past several days, and the water level on the lake is high. Today we've got a clear blue, crisp sky. (I skipped last Sunday due to rain). Itmust be in the upper 30s/lower 40s temperature wise - we has snow mixed with rain yesterday.

Nearly all of the trees around the lake have lost their leaves. A few on the other shore haven't yet; from here they appear to be cottonwood or birch. The southern part of Saginaw is full of yellow-leaved sugar males, as well as some Norway maples that haven't completely turned yet. The trails are an inch or two deep with colorful leaves now at times making the footing quite challenging.

10/16/06 Fall Break

It's a warm morning on the lake for October (especially after the snow flurries this past week). The sun is not out this morning - the sky is overcast entirely. Several mallards (or the other species closely resembling them) were on the lake, looking for food and perhaps courting a female.

There is a light across the lake in the NE corner. It looks as though it could be a campfire? A small one? I'd say it was the sun's reflection, but there's no sun this morning.

There's a slight breeze, SW blowing on the lake. This is not the usual wind direction, making me think that a front is on its way in or out.

According to H., the light is actually on the Pall property (he has seen it before).

A flock of migrating birds just headed southwest - a small flock, with a flying pattern of: flap, flap, glide, flap, flap, glide.

Pall is here right now testing the water - he said the place looked much better than last time hew as there, which was nice to hear.

The heater guy cam today to check out and install a new heater. Apparently they are supposed to install it tomorrow. Perhaps H. can be here for that. The old propane heater puts off lots of heat, but it's probably highly inefficient.

A couple of small sparrows are flying around - they have a bright orange stripe down their head. My usual woodpecker is back, pecking away. It's a male downy woodpecker.

10/14/06

H. spent 2 hours covering inner cabin windows w/plastic for winter.

10/10/06

Saw 2 sandhill cranes fly overhead on my way to the outhouse this morning.