The Nature of Things

Being bitter

2/4/2026

Allegheny River between Oil City and Reno

Earlier this week a certain prognosticating groundhog’s proclamation was met with anger and frustration from some folks. On Monday, Punxsutawney Phil declared that we would see six more weeks of winter.

Threatening memes and many angry emojis flooded social media over his prediction.

It was hard to hear that there wasn't quick end to what appeared to be a tougher than usual winter.

A look back at January’s weather statistics yielded a colder and snowier month than normal.
The normal average for Franklin for January was 26 degrees.

This year came in lower at 21.1 degrees, according to data provided by the National Weather Service’s station at the Venango Regional Airport.

January in Franklin was a little low on precipitation.

The normal is 3.27 inches and 2026 on tallied 2.79 inches.

However, the snow totals told a different story. The normal for Franklin for January was 17.9 inches.

This year’s tally surpassed that number at 26.9 inches.

The weather service’s station reported that Franklin saw 4 inches of snow on Jan. 25 with an additional 8 inches of snow on Jan. 26.

View from Petroleum Street Bridge

Allegheny River between Oil City and Reno

A post from explorevenango.com on Jan. 26 claimed that parts of Clarion and Venango counties received nearly two feet of snow.

The article said Gov. Shapiro “noted that while Clarion County’s 23-inch report led the state, neighboring counties also saw significant totals. In Venango County, a report from southeast of Clintonville reached 22 inches, matching the intensity seen in Jefferson County, where areas near Sigel also clocked in at 22 inches. Other significant reports included 17.5 inches in Brookville and 16 inches in Punxsutawney.”

While the Jan. 25-26 snow event came from a different direction, other reports indicated that the lake-effect snow machine may be shut down.

A Jan. 29 post from Erie News Now said, “It’s been 11 years since more than 95 percent of Lake Erie was covered in ice.

With record cold tonight and a deep freeze sticking around into February, it could be a while before the lake opens back up.

A frozen lake may shut down lake-effect snow for now, but it also means spring takes longer to arrive.”

Meanwhile, the weather service’s station at the Venango Regional Airport reported a high of 63 on Jan. 10. The above freezing temperature seemed like a distant dream.

Lowest low was -10 on Jan. 30, 2026, according to weather service data. It was the coldest in a couple of decades and was tied on Jan. 30, 1977. However, a low of -14 on Jan. 30, 1966, beats that number by four degrees.

Allegheny River between Reno and Oil City

A Facebook post from the National Weather Service’s office in Pittsburgh gave some information about the city’s temperatures.

“It's official: January 2026 was the coldest January since 2014 for Pittsburgh. It will go down as the 26th coldest January of all time in Pittsburgh with an average temperature of 23.4 degrees.

This is still a ways away from the No. 1 spot of 11.4 degrees in January 1977,” the post claimed.

Nonetheless, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center offered some hope for warmer temperatures.

The center’s graphic for Feb. 10-14 said there was a 33 to 40 percent chance of above normal temperatures during that time

However, the National Weather Service predicted a high of 8 degrees for Saturday. That forecasted temperature was little too cold for some four-legged friends.

On Feb. 2, the Franklin Events and Marketing office announced that the Franklin on Ice carriage rides were cancelled.

“This decision was made with the horses’ wellbeing in mind. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming them back later in the year when the warmth returns,” the post said.

Folks will need to bundle up to view the outdoor activities during the event. There are also indoor events as well. One of those being the Nature Art Showcase and Sale, held Feb. 6 and 7 at the Barrow Civic Theatre.

The Louie Project

I have two pieces in the show. One featuring a hummingbird that goes with the show’s “On the Wing” category.

The other is the Louie Project. It is a “deer” piece that has been in the works for a while. Here’s a link to the back story on the project.

Franklin on Ice will definitely be “on ice” this year. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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The scope of things: Life under the ice

1/30/2026

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Things were very quiet in the woods as the cold and snow set in. On a whim I decided to take a few water samples and put them under the microscope. This meant breaking some ice to get to the actual water. To my delight, I discovered a lot of activity.

One sample yielded a paramecium party. The screen was filled with small organisms zooming around like bumper cars.

Paramecia are often abundant in stagnant basins and ponds, according to Wikipedia.

“A paramecium is a free-living, motile, single-cell (unicellular) organism belonging to the kingdom Protista that are naturally found in aquatic habitats. They have a lifespan of a hundred, a thousand or even a million years,” said a post on www.sciencefacts.net.

The post said that paramecia travel using their cilia. It also explained the bumper car-like movements.

“The coordinated action of cilia propels the organism forward in a counterclockwise fashion.

The Paramecium spirals through the water as it progresses.

On hitting an obstacle, it reverses the beat of cilia to swim backward for a brief time before resuming its forward progress.

If it runs into an obstacle again, it repeats this process, until it can get past the object,” continued the post.

In another water sample, I came upon a funnel shaped critter known as a stentor.

Stentor (previously known as "trumpet animalcules") is a genus of trumpet-shaped, ciliated protists common to most of the world, according to a post on Wikipedia.

“A stentor is a single-celled freshwater protozoan belonging to the phylum Ciliophora, commonly found in ponds and slow-moving water bodies,” said a post on biologyinsights.com.

“Its trumpet or horn shape can extend significantly when attached to a surface…. The stentor primarily exists in an attached state, using its holdfast to anchor to submerged plants or debris. However, these organisms are also capable of detaching and swimming freely, at which point they typically assume a more oval or pear shape,” the post explained.

The post went on to mention that the stentor has a remarkable ability to regenerate lost body parts.

Meanwhile, other samples pulled from the icy waters revealed a critter that I had seen before, a rotifer.

I likened the rotifer’s look like a walrus with two mouths that rotate.

“Rotifers are commonly known as wheel animals …the name ‘rotifer’ derives from a Neo-Latin word meaning ‘wheel-bearer’ due to their characteristic ciliated crowns that resemble rotating wheels.

These cilia are used for both locomotion and feeding,” said a post on animalfact.com .

Rotifers are mostly found in freshwater habitats, according to the post.

“Rotifers primarily filter-feed on algae, bacteria, protozoans, phytoplankton, and organic detritus ... They modify their feeding behavior depending on environmental conditions and prey abundance,” the post explained.

Paramecia

Stentor

Rotifer

Diatom

Diatoms

More samples displayed a variety of diatoms. These stunning artistic diatoms belong to a very large genera of algae.

It was nice to have some photo subjects who weren't frozen. It was good to know that while some woodland creatures are sleeping, others are busy surviving under the ice. That's the nature of things 'round here.

See some of Nature of Things writer, Anna Applegate's work ate Nature Art Showcase.

At The Barrow-Civic Theatre, Franklin, Pa.

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It will freeze like that

1/18/2026

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Milo

Moments can be caught with a click. The camera can freeze a point in time. Faster shutter speeds have made for hilarious photos. Animals were pictured with flying ears, wagging tongues and priceless expressions.

Earl and Milo

Milo, the goat, has become quite the expert on crazy looks. The tongue action was no doubt testosterone fueled as both Milo and Earl searched for love. The upturned lips and noses were basically signs of bucks in heat.

Earl

Their contorted faces made me think of the saying “your face will freeze like that.”

Milo, Earl and Gus

A search of the internet reported that the saying dated back to the 1800s and may be rooted in folklore. The expression was reportedly used to caution children against making silly faces. It suggested that if a child made a face for too long, it might become stuck that way. There were a couple of variations of the expression. They included, “If the wind changes, you’ll stay like that,” and “If a fly lands on your face, it will stay that way.”

Milo

With the click of a shutter, the camera froze the goats’ facial expressions that would have been lost to time. Their faces would “stay that way” as long as they were preserved on digital media.

Milo and Earl

Meanwhile, the camera also nabbed some headbutting action. Poor testosterone fueled Milo and Earl, could have been sensing the female goats across the road. Those does are off limits to them. They turned their frustration on each other.

Milo

Earl

Daily walks were spent chasing and challenging each other. Frozen moments in time made the goats appear to be standing. Other shots netted the goats seemingly flying across the snow or streams.

Gus

However, the goats weren’t the only ones creating unique scenes. Flopping Saint Bernard jowls and flying bloodhound ears were frozen in awkward positions.

Jeb and Clem

Daily dog battles resulted in very interesting action shots.

Jeb and Gus

Sticks pushed up lips and created funny faces. Snow swirled under running paws.

Meanwhile, the camera froze water dripping from icicles. A close-up crop of one of the droplets revealed a blurry reflection of trees.
Reflecting on December’s weather, Franklin ended the month with slightly above average precipitation of 3.46 inches compared to the normal of 3.36 inches, according to National Weather Service data from the station at the Venango Regional Airport. According to the data, December was snowier than normal with 15.8 inches compared to the average of 11.7 inches.

Clem and Gus

It was a little cooler than normal with an average temperature of 35.4 degrees which was below the normal average of 38.1 degrees. The lowest low was 4 degrees on Dec. 9. There wasn’t much competition for that low in recent years, but in 1917 a low of -6 degrees was recorded.

Jeb

A high temperature of 57 degrees was observed on Dec. 29 and 30, according to the data.

The U.S. Drought Monitor report released on Jan. 22 categorized all of Venango County as abnormally dry with Forest County and parts of Clarion County remaining in the moderate drought slot.

The accumulation to date for Dec. 31, 2025, was 41.83 inches which was lower than the normal of 46.33 inches, according to weather service data.

Milo and Earl

Meanwhile, a January Facebook post by the National Integrated Drought Information System depicted a graphic that predicted an end to drought conditions in Venango County from January through March 31.

Earl and Milo

Gus

While Mother Nature was actively freezing water, the camera was busy freezing moments in time.

Those included adorably awkward looks.

I often used the funny, funky faces for Facebook profile pictures.

If I could get a laugh or chuckle at my animal’s expense it was worth it.

After all, their survival is at my expense.

No animals were harmed during the filming of this project.

Well, Clem’s ear was a little ripped up.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

Clem

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A complete view

1/12/2026

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Nodding ladies' tresses

Big pictures are made up of small details. That thought came from, of all places, quotes posted on the internet. I searched for inspiration about detailed photography. Two quotes appeared quite promising to me.

A quote attributed to Sanford I. Weill, said, “Details create the big picture.”

Another quote said, “When you pay attention to detail, the big picture will take care of itself.” That statement was attributed to Georges St-Pierre.

Cone flower bloom

The background of those quoted was surprising. I thought maybe the two statements were from artists or photographers.

I was wrong.

Sanford I. Weill is the founder of Citigroup, a financier and philanthropist. Georges St-Pierre is a mixed martial artist.

Nonetheless, photography can help reveal intricate details that add up creating a bigger picture.

Old man of the woods mushroom

Close-up photos of mushrooms and fungus aided me in identifying them. The photos revealed textures and details that one might miss just walking by. Having a side-by-side comparison was especially helpful when looking up information in mushroom field guides.

Oyster mushrooms

Chicken of the woods

Eyelash cup

Black trumpets

Pictures of the mushrooms’ undersides displayed the difference between gills and pores. A zoom lens was especially helpful with those fungi located 20 or more feet up a tree.

A closer look at the top of an old man of the woods mushroom displayed a unique surface. Photos of a few black trumpets revealed lovely patterns and textures. The photos were a little deceptive as the mushrooms aren’t that large.

Chocolate tube slime mold

Dacrymyces palmatus, or orange jelly fungus

Possible parasola plicatilis mushroom or pleated ink cap

Some Facebook posts that were of mushroom spores under a microscope inspired me.

I tried to get a few spores to come into focus, but I wasn’t successful.

I did smush the gills against the glass slide and discovered something moving. There were nematodes, worms or some type of larva hidden in the gills.

Meanwhile, I was able to see some pollen under the microscope. While, not fungus, the ghost pipe is a perennial wildflower that uses fungi to feed.

Ghost pipe

“Ghost Pipe is unlike most plants because it doesn’t rely on sunlight for energy. It doesn’t contain chlorophyll, so it doesn’t photosynthesize. Instead, it taps into fungi that connect to tree roots, getting nutrients indirectly from the trees,” said a post on naturalistguide.com.

Ghost pipe pollen

Meanwhile an April article posted by Penn State stated that the plant has garnered some interest from a research team.

The study’s authors claimed that there was an uptick in the harvest and economic trade of this plant due to social media and the internet.

People were starting to use the mysterious plant for medicinal purposes.

Team leader and senior author on the study Eric Burkhart, was quoted as saying, “As a wild harvested species, little has been documented about its use throughout the U.S. and any growing conservation needs.
This study helps to inform future research and education efforts so that consumer safety and wild conservation efforts can both be appropriately targeted and aligned.”

Zooming in on a couple of native orchids unveiled intricate blooms that made up a set of blossoms.

While the group of tiny flowers made the plants visible, there was so much more going on with a closer look.

Both downy rattlesnake plantain and nodding ladies’ tresses sport showy small white flowers that grow on one stem.

A close-up photo of whorled yellow loosestrife revealed a spider hanging out in the background.

Meanwhile, the microscope uncovered the reason for the neighbor’s pond being green this summer.

As the summer warmed up and the rain lessened the green hue covered more and more areas.

The emerald coloring was due to tiny, microscopic creatures in the euglena family.

Downy rattlesnake plantain

Euglena bloom

Eventually cooler weather controlled the spread of the little critters.

Euglena

Zooming on other woodland creatures created the illusion of tiny orange dinosaurs roaming around the forest floor.

Earlier this year when things were moist in the woods, I saw as many as ten of these tiny creatures on my walk. I only got photos of eight.

Meanwhile a May 31 Facebook post on the Warren-based Allegheny Outfitters’ page told of viewing the red eft newt as well.

Red eft newts

“In the first two miles on Toms Run, we averaged 10 red eft newt per mile (npm). Once we picked up Ironwood trail, that declined drastically to a disappointing two newt per mile. But those adorable little salamanders in their orange suits really picked things up at the end, averaging 19.3333333 newt per mile for the final 1.5 once back on Tanbark and Toms Run,” the post stated.

“A whopping 53 red eft newts over 5.5 miles, with an overall average of 9.6363636364 newts per mile!,” the post concluded.

I surmised that I had roughly about that same average on my walk. We cover up to a mile on our daily treks.

Northern pearly eye butterfly

Pinecone

Common whitetail dragonfly

Teaberries

However, sometimes we can get wrapped up in small details. With a few steps back the big picture comes into focus. At a glimpse, the ghost pipe is a unique tiny parasitic wildflower. A closer look at the plant may reveal a bigger medicinal benefit.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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Merry memories

12/22/2025

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Shaymus

What normally was a time of glee for me became a bittersweet memory. Unbeknownst to me, little goat, Shaymus, was ill and his sickness would claim his life.

What I thought was him looking down his nose at us, was a sign that he was suffering.

There was hope during his first trip to the vet. Unfortunately, there was not much improvement in his condition after treatment.

We made the hard decision to let him have a final rest.

Looking back on his priceless photos, I decided to focus on what a character he was.

Shaymus

He was starting to come out of his shell and didn’t even mind donning a Santa hat or reindeer ears.

He was surely a sweetheart.

Shaymus

Earl and Shaymus

The other goats were a different story.

Earl ran around for a while trying to shake off the offensive head gear before settling down.

I placed reindeer ears on him unsuccessfully.

It took some chasing to remove them.

I was able to trick Milo and get a hat on him. I utilized some corn.

The Santa cap only made it around his neck and not on his head. His trust in me was lost.

I was pretty sure I was going to have to break the string to get the hat off.

More corn was needed, but I was able to remove the horrendous holiday helmet without strangulation.

Earl and Milo

Meanwhile, as usual, Clem was a pro at posing during the Christmas chaos.

Clem	Jeb and Clem

The exception to his professionalism was Jeb, who insisted on trying to remove the costuming to chew on it.

Separate photo shoots were in order. Gus continued with his shameful looks of pity in an effort to avoid the process.

He endured the Santa hat and some reindeer horns.

Jeb’s photo shoot was an experience in split second shutter speeds.

He wasn’t standing still for any of it.

I had to act fast to get the photo and save the props from destruction.

Gus

Jeb

Originally, I had sought out senior feline Wiggles for the first photo shoot. Being the oldest one of our critters, she knew what was in store and went into hiding.

Wiggles

That didn’t exempt her though. It just postponed her humiliation for a few days.

Ernie

Ernie was the best cat candidate. He was purring under protest. Here we called it “nervous purring.” A quick search of the internet revealed that cats can purr when stressed as a self-soothing mechanism. It is kind of like humans using relaxation techniques to manage anxiety. Ernie purred through his whole ordeal. He might have needed therapy.

Timus

Ernie’s brother Timus expressed his disgust with the costuming catastrophe. He tried to hide in a box. His safe space wasn’t exempt.

Buttons

Buttons also tried the box block.

She was very upset when it didn’t work for her.

Lil’ Bit was also used to the holiday humiliation.

He took the photos in stride and hid his pride.

I managed to photograph all the cats except for Beans.

Her eternal attitude was agitated.

For the sake of life and limb, she was exempt from the photo spectacles.

While my holiday spirit was dampened a bit with the loss of little Shaymus.

I felt that he was finally at peace after being released from his struggles.

Lil' Bit

This season, everyone could use some peace on Earth and goodwill towards Clem. However, during Jeb’s waking hours there is no goodwill towards Clem.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

Clem

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Winter wondering

12/20/2025

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Brisk temperatures and snowy days have made it seem like a rough winter, even though it technically wasn’t winter yet.

The first day of winter in the northern hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice which is Dec. 21.

This year the month of November appeared a little more wintry than other years.

For Franklin, November wrapped up with below normal temperatures and above average snowfall.

The normal high temperature was 49 degrees. This year’s average high was 47.3 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.

The average low temperature for 2025 at 31.2 degrees wasn’t that far off from the normal average low of 31.7 degrees.

The highest temperature was 62 degrees on Nov. 16 and the lowest was 24 degrees on Nov. 11.

This November’s snow totals were high even though the precipitation levels were below normal.

The total snowfall for November 2025 was 6.5 inches which was above the normal of 2.6 inches, according to National Weather Service data.

However, Franklin ended November with a total precipitation of 2.42 inches which was lower than the average of 3.41 inches.

These statistics were enhanced by information from Drought.gov. The site said that this November was the 26th driest November for Venango County on record since 1895. Their data stated that this November’s total was 2.06 inches which was a decrease of 1.12 inches from normal.

The U.S. Drought monitor report released Dec. 18 depicted the northern half of Venango County in moderate drought with the southern half listed as abnormally dry.

Meanwhile, back in October, the Pennsylvania Drought Task Force announced that Beaver, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Schuylkill, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren, and Washington counties were under a Drought Watch.

“The DEP makes drought declarations based on long-term trends. …, “said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley in the October news release.

In fact, NOAA and the National Weather Service’s winter outlook for 2025-2026 included a graphic that depicted that the drought would persist in our region through January 2026.

However, the National Integrated Drought Information System posted a graphic on Facebook on Dec. 18 of a three-month drought outlook. The map forecasted an end to the moderate drought in our region through March 31, 2026.

The year-to-date precipitation from Jan. 1 to Dec. 20, was 40.46 inches which was below the normal average of 45.13 inches, according to National Weather Service data for Franklin.
Franklin received a little boost with .67 inches of rain on Dec. 19. Area waterways got a rise out of the rain and snowmelt.

Oil Creek at Rouseville jumped from 3.03 feet to over 6 feet on Dec. 19, according to the USGS’ water level chart at waterdata.usgs.gov. The creek crested a couple of times on Dec. 19 at 6.25 feet and 6.15 feet, before starting to recede Dec. 20.

The Allegheny River at Franklin rose from 4.29 feet to 7.05 feet on Dec. 19. The river crested at 8.14 feet early Dec. 20 before the levels started to fall.

Like November, December so far has been snowy and cold. Franklin received 3.5 inches of snow on Dec. 2, according to weather service data reported by a station at the Venango Regional Airport. According to the station, Franklin had 10.8 inches of snow up to Dec. 16. The normal total for this point was listed as 5.5 inches.

On Dec. 9, the low for Franklin was recorded at 4 degrees. This was the lowest temperature recorded for Franklin for 100 years, according to the data. However, going back to Dec. 9, 1917, the low was -6 degrees.
Franklin bottomed out at 5 degrees on Dec. 5 and Dec. 16. None of these appeared to be records for their respective dates. A low of 0 was recorded on Dec. 5, 1966. A low of -7 degrees was reported on Dec. 16, 1904.

However, a high of 54 was recorded on Dec. 19 for Franklin. This was a sign of a coming change.
Several Facebook posts said that a turn in the weather was coming. Chances of a white Christmas were dwindling despite the current snowy situation.

“A large area of the US is expected to see warmer-than-average temperatures for the rest of December … The exception is the far northern tier, which could see thermometers hover right around or just below the norm for this time of year,” said a post by meteorologist Chris Dolce on erienewsnow.com.

“Some of the snow on the ground in the Midwest and Northeast will melt away because of the milder temperatures. Rainfall will also play a role, especially from a storm system that will bring downpours as far north as Michigan and Maine late this week,” Dolce reported last week.

WPXI’s meteorologist Scott Harbaugh posted about the chances of a white Christmas on Facebook on Dec. 16.

“Here's my call.... No White Christmas this year. Despite nearly 10 inches of snow this month, high temperatures will be mostly in the 40s for the week leading up to Christmas. We'll see more rain chances December 18-25 than snow chances,” Harbaugh posted.

“It seems our period of below normal temperatures will come to an end by Dec. 20 as the pattern shifts to a warmer pattern. Thus, above normal temperatures are expected through Christmas. This will mean rainfall events will be more likely than snow through this period,” the National Weather Service Office in Pittsburgh posted Dec. 15 on its Facebook page.

A post by weather.com’s senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman, claimed that a “white Christmas is likely only for the usual spots in the northern tier of the country and mountain West, with warming temperatures expected to eat away the impressive December snowpack in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.”

Erdman said, “… a general warming trend is kicking off in much of the country that will last into Christmas week. That includes the snow-covered, recently chilly Midwest and Northeast.”

A post by PA Weather Plus said a white Christmas was possible, but not imminent for Venango County.
A graphic stated that snow was “Very unlikely, but not *completely* ruled out. I am watching for a potential northwest-to-southeast sliding system that could bring accumulating snow sometime between Dec. 23 and 25.

If this occurs before Christmas and it is cold enough; the White Christmas chance will increase. If the storm system does not happen or it tracks too far north and brings rain instead of snow, a White Christmas will not occur. This region has a 15 to 20 percent probability of a White Christmas, so a Christmas miracle is needed” the post said.

White Christmas or not, the first day of winter is Sunday, Dec. 21. It is the shortest day of the year and signifies the start of the winter season. However, meteorological winter began on Dec. 1.

Finally, the days will start to get longer. As of Dec. 14, the sun set at 4:52 p.m. By Dec. 25, the sunsets would be three minutes shy of 5 p.m. The sunsets began slowly getting a little later, but the sun wasn’t arriving as early in the morning.

For example, the sun rose at 7:34 a.m. Dec. 14, but by Christmas the sun won’t rise until 7:40 a.m.
Rain or snow, cold or warm, only Mother Nature knows and the rest of us will just have to deal with it. That’s the nature of things round’ here.

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Trail camera fails

11/30/2025

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It has been said that Mother Nature is sometimes unforgiving. Trail cameras can also be unforgiving. Moments captured meant to depict serene wildlife scenes turned into possibly embarrassing photos -- as if the critters cared. From silly expressions to the occasional slip and fall, the game cameras capture them one and all.

While going through a year’s photos, I came across many that gave me a giggle.

There were so many interesting photos. I separated them into categories and composed a slide show for each genre.

Serious Selfies

Whether it was curiosity about the camera or vanity, several deer selfies were taken throughout the year.
Some were downright serious and stunning. It made me jealous because I often don’t get to take such detailed deer photos. My walking canine companions often don’t allow such opportunities. Nonetheless, the automatic cameras captured some beautiful photos. Their poses were very natural and not forced.

It that an ear or an eyeball?

Other selfies were downright failures. Only bits and pieces made it into the pictures. Some selfies were definite photobombs of other animals’ cameos. Gazing at a year’s worth of photos I discovered that the deer were not the only experts at these pictures. A few birds go into the game as well including one irate looking bluebird.

Animal attitudes

Additional selfie efforts appeared to work out. However, many of them seemed to include a few exceptional facial expressions. Some deer appeared to be annoyed with the camera’s presence. One appeared slightly disgusted with the weather.

It takes a licking

Quite a few photo captures seemed to depict the critters sticking their tongues at the cameras. In their defense there may have been some “treats” or a salt lick in the area. A few does were caught in mid-chomp under the peach trees. However, one bear appeared to be sticking its tongue out after destroying one of my bird feeders.

Curse of the empty bucket

Sometimes the treats went missing. The bucket operates on a first come first served basis. There were looks and acts of desperation caught on camera. One photo included a disgruntled goat searching a wagon.

Bucket-o-fuzz

Occasionally, the bucket was filled with a squirrel. They had absolutely no consideration for other wildlife diners. There was a bear in the bucket one night. It laid right down and spent at least a half-hour clearing out some treats.

Raccoon bullies

While no one was around when the bear was there, other critters deterred the approaching deer. There were photos that appeared to illustrate apprehension around raccoons. It seemed to me that the deer didn’t cross the smaller, yet feistier, critters. Even those armed with antlers dared not push the limits with the treat bandits.

Getting physical

There were no physical altercations between deer and raccoons photographed. However, deer-on-deer violence was recorded. Some rambunctious goats were caught in the act as well.

Look behind

There were a lot of deer rears on camera. It was almost as if they said, “Here’s my best side.”

However, a few photos were a little more risqué. When nature called, it was on camera. Urination, defecation and random unmentionable body parts popped up on the camera cards.

Trail cameras have given me such an awesome glimpse of who or what uses our trails when we are not there. A few of the photos are downright artistic. However, sometimes a random spider or a stick on a windy day can result in forty or more photos of the same image.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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The power of corn?

11/16/2025

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Milo, Earl and Shaymus

For many months Milo was a lonely, only goat. Then he got some new herd mates whether he wanted them or not.

Milo had been at a loss after his life partner, Otis, passed away of a urinary stone this past spring.

Milo

At the end of May, we hopped in the car and drove to a farm near Bellefonte to pick up two new kids. They were Nigerian dwarf goats born the first week of March.

I expected a carful of screaming kids for the two-hour drive home. Earl and Shaymus just huddled in the back of the car and never made a peep. I saw this as a sign that things would go smoothly. That omen proved to be wrong.

Earl and Shaymus

I naively expected Milo and the new kids to get along immediately. I placed them in the same pen and shed as Milo.

The first night did not go so well. There were false hopes that Milo was more scared than Shaymus and Earl. Milo discovered that the new kids were in “his” house. His bully goat switch was activated. Then the screaming started. No injuries were reported. The assaults appeared to be more verbal than physical. However, some headbutting was involved.

Milo, Earl and Shaymus

Shaymus and Earl were exiled to a smaller pen inside the goat enclosure. The verbal assault continued through the fence.

However, after several weeks the goats got used to each other. They were able to share the same pen and housing. There still were flare ups, but those were just goat behavior.

Earl, Milo and Shaymus

Then, the hormones hit. Afraid of another loss from urinary stones, I had not gotten any of the bucks wethered or neutered.

Milo, Shaymus and Earl

Male goats like to wear their cologne for the ladies. This lovely perfume is pee. I’m not sure if the neighbor’s goats were in heat or the young bucks were just entering puberty. The goat pen was soon filled with the scent of urine. It was also the scene of much humping and bumping. The nights and days were filled with frustrated verbiage between the three.

Despite the three Billy Goats Gruff’s demeanors, I attempted to make them pets.

Earl and Shaymus

First, they were unsure of their surroundings and remained around the house and yard when let out of their pen. I foolishly thought that they could free range while I walked dogs. After a few calls and observances of the three “amigoats” on or near the road, they were locked up again.

Milo, Earl and Shaymus

I tried an alternative that revolved around an old commercial. I had my own take on the old ad slogan, “Behold, the power of cheese.” It was from a 1997 America's Dairy Farmers campaign.

I did not want to downplay the prowess of cheese. As a canine owner, the aforementioned food has helped several unwell dogs receive their medication.

Shaymus, Earl and Milo

However, when it came to my goats, the saying changed to “Behold, the power of corn.”
Milo, with the aid of corn, allowed some very short physical contact. This had never been observed before.
It also helped some new kids come out of their shell. Pun intended.

However, the pursuit of corn meant for wildlife consumption united the goats in a common cause.

Milo, Shaymus and Earl

I did not want them to consume a lot of corn as it is more of a junk food for them. Armed with a baggy of corn and goat treats, the goats started to follow me. The corn meant they also didn’t fear the dogs as much. I was able to hand feed Earl, Shaymus and Milo. Milo would never let me get near him in the past.

Earl, Milo and Clem

The corn bag served as a motivation for creek crossings. Earlier this summer, the streams were dry and the efforts were not an issue. When the rains returned, the corn was used to coax goats to jump across the waters.

Milo, Jeb and Clem

For weeks, the corn strategy appeared to work. Recently, it seemed that testosterone may have overridden the power of corn. Milo kept breaking out in a run and sometimes headed for the roadway. I tried to keep our walks away from the roads, but Milo continued to run with the other goats following suit. I was yelling and shaking the corn bag, but there was no response.

Milo, Shaymus and Earl

I want the goats to enjoy some time outside their pen, but I may need to change my strategy. Shorter walks without the dogs may be needed along with some leashes.

The option of neutering is still on the table, but it would involve surgery since Milo is older.

Earl and Milo

However, if the screaming, running, bumping and humping continue, all the corn in the world won’t save the boys from the veterinarian. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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Halloween Horrors

10/30/2025

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Gus

As autumn winds howled, the Applegate pets braced for another season of the terrible torture of Halloween hats.

This was the first year for Jeb, the bloodhound, and Earl, the goat, to endure the horrible harassment of the annual photo shoot.

A very active Jeb was hard to pin down. The costumes' Velcro was indeed a sticking factor.

I was able to affix a spider costume to the agitated bloodhound. He was then distracted by trying to tear the legs off his annoying ensemble. Treats were dispensed and the humiliation forgotten.

Meanwhile, Earl, was highly offended by the addition of a hat to his head. I think this was the first time I had heard a goat try to growl. After a few photos, it was very challenging to attempt to try to remove the hat. An irritated Earl had lost all trust in me. Eventually, the hat was removed. Treats were dispensed. Earl was compensated.

Tick under magnification

Meanwhile, the Applegate pets faced a real threat in their yard and woodlands. These blood-sucking parasites seemed relentless this fall. Ticks were the real Halloween horror story this year.
In an article by DeAnna Poole posted on msn.com, Heather Nies, the Kennels Manager at Erie Humane Society, was quoted as saying, “Ticks this year are really, really bad…”.

Nies urged preventative measures against the blood sucking parasites.

Nies went on to say that dogs and cats “can still have ticks crawling on them, they’ll bite them, and then they’ll instantly die from the preventative that they will be on.”

Meanwhile another article by Tina Deines posted on msn.com talked about a Pennsylvania scientist who specializes in tick-borne research.

Tick under magnification

Nicole Chinnici, the laboratory director at the Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania, was reported as saying there was an increase in ticks sent in for testing this season.

Chinnici told the Associated Press that this year has been "tickier" than usual, with more of these bloodsuckers being tested, according to the post.

In the article Chinnici said that the most common species is the blacklegged (deer) tick, which is associated with the majority of tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease … She added that there has been an increase in American dog ticks as well as Asian longhorned and lone star ticks.

In the post claimed that the increase that Chinnici and her team are seeing at their lab is not an anomaly. “Warmer weather is helping ticks and other disease-spreading vectors to survive for longer periods through the year, giving them more time to breed. Higher temperatures are also helping ticks spread north and west to new parts of the U.S. and Canada,” the article stated.

Day in and day out, the Applegate fur kids faced the creepy crawlies. Vaccinations helped but weren't always the cure all. Clem had some phantom hip pains, and it turned out he had Lymes disease even though he was vaccinated against it. Recently, a blood test revealed that Gus had Lymes disease despite having the vaccination. The moral of this story was that a blood panel may be the answer to mysterious ailments. The test cost under $90 at a local veterinarian clinic.

Pet owners can try everything, but there still may be dangers hiding in small packages. That's just the nature of things 'round here.

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Colorful conditions

10/26/2025

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Blood Farm, Oil Creek State Park

For everything there is a season. “But what if the region experienced all the seasons within the past few weeks?,” I asked myself.

Before the calendar pages turned to the official first day of fall on Sept. 21 there were signs of the season. Leaves started to change colors and drop in early September.

Acorns were falling when still green at the end of August. At the beginning of autumn, I was sure the area wasn’t going to see much of a fall foliage display this year.

A good number of leaves just dried up, turned brown and left their branches.

I scoffed at a few internet articles that said that moderate drought conditions could prolong the fall foliage season.

My point seemed to be proven when some much-needed rain turned the forest green again after some early color.
The rain and wind left many trees bare of leaves. Other trees and plants started to turn green again.

Pennsylvania’s DCNR’s fall foliage report for Oct. 23 to 29, listed Venango County as having reached peak color already.

Oil Creek

The district manager in Cornplanter State Forest serving northwestern Pennsylvania said that parts of Erie County lagged a little behind … “Most of the other district counties, including Crawford, Venango, Warren, and Forest are declining.”

However, it was reported that forestry staff in Clear Creek State Forest (serving Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Mercer, Clarion, Jefferson, and Venango counties) were looking forward to another colorful week in the woods! Peak fall color will last one more week in much of west-central PA as oak trees continue to turn gold, rusty brown, and dark red.

Oil Creek State Park

In the previous week’s (Oct. 16 to 22) overview the DCNR reported that some chilly nights last week helped more colors develop throughout Pennsylvania forests. With morning lows for the next few days expected to be consistently in the 30s and 40s, that trend should accelerate.

For much of the Commonwealth, recent rain has also helped keep some leaves on trees while helping them to shed some brown, increasing the quality of colors.

Blood Farm, Oil Creek State Park

Driving to and from work, there were still some awesome colors. There were pockets of brilliance here and there on our daily treks. While the maple in the front yard didn’t glow as golden as in past years, there was still some yellow.

Meanwhile the red maple in my parents’ yard did not fail to produce a bright display. It was accompanied by some other maples that in other years had been bare by the time the red maple changed.

I stopped earlier in October to capture some photos from the Blood Farm area in Oil Creek State Park. All week long I wanted to pause and photograph the scenery.

I only found time on Friday evening and wouldn’t the sky have to be overcast.

Still some colors shown through.

Like at home, there were spots with bare trees and then pockets of spectacular color.

Drought and frost

While the rain may have helped some trees, drought conditions continued to affect the region.

Oil Creek State Park

The U.S. Drought Monitor released on Sept. 25 had all of Venango County in moderate drought. However, the report out on Oct. 16 had the northern third of Venango County in severe drought. The newest monitor release continued this pattern. All of Warren and McKean counties also remained in severe drought.
Meanwhile, low water levels had Kinzua Dam officials pleading for more rain on the dam’s Facebook page.
They provided some records for pool elevations at the dam.

“For those who are interested, the Allegheny Reservoir's record low pool elevations are: Jan. 25, 1968: 1268.21 feet, Feb. 23, 1979: 1268.25 feet and March 13, 1978: 1268.42 feet.

Oil Creek State Park

At 8 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2025, the Allegheny Reservoir was at 1299.08 feet elevation. On Oct. 24, 2025, the reservoir was 1297.13 feet

“We are below our normal winter pool level of 1305’ feet. We will continue to drop the reservoir because we have a downstream low flow augmentation requirement we must meet in addition to our requirement for flood storage capacity. Our water management team in Pittsburgh makes the daily decision on where to place our gates based upon the forecast of the cumulative impact of 16 reservoirs that contribute to the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers to form the Ohio river in Pittsburgh. We definitely need a lot more rain,” the post concluded.

Further south in Clarion County, the Pale Whale Canoe Fleet closed for the season on Oct. 6 citing very low and cold water conditions on the Clarion River.

The year-to-date precipitation level for Franklin on Oct. 26 was unsurprisingly below normal, according to National Weather Service data.

This year’s number was 33.99 inches which is lower than the normal of 38.92.

This level was low despite Franklin receiving 2.06 inches of rain on Oct. 8. Before the rains, Oil Creek and the Allegheny were lower this year than in 2024.

On Oct. 17, 2024, Oil Creek at Rouseville was at 2.27 feet compared to 1.77 feet this year.
The Allegheny River at Franklin was at 3.95 feet last year and only 3.28 feet this year.
Total rain accumulation for the month of September was 2.66 inches, which again, was below the normal of 3.94 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Nonetheless, while Franklin saw above average temperatures for most of September, there were some dips. However, October brought the possibility of frost.

While the temperature reached 82 degrees on Oct. 8, a low of 33 degrees was reported on Oct. 17.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service Office in Pittsburgh posted on its Facebook about stopping freeze and frost warnings with the end of the growing season.

“After experiencing multiple frost/freezes across the area in recent days, and in collaboration with neighboring NWS offices, we have ended the growing season for our area of responsibility. Frost/freeze products will resume in Spring 2026,” the post said.

Yourerie.com posted a freeze warning effective Sunday night into Monday morning.

“Crawford and Southern Erie Counties are affected, including the cities of Warren, Jefferson, Meadville, Edinboro, Union City, and Titusville. Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 22 expected, the post said.

Online the Old Farmer’s Almanac reported that the median date of Franklin’s first fall frost was Oct. 17.
However as of Oct. 26, I still had a few roses and dahlias blooming. But I did suspect that the area had experienced some patchy frost days earlier.

Seasonal signs?
Other indications of fall came in late August.

Area bucks started to shed their velvet by the end of August. This year’s fawns began to lose their spots. Soon the does separated themselves from the bucks. By early October some testosterone induced sparing could been seen on the trail cameras.

Meanwhile, Penn State has a rut tracker that traces deer movement over the years.

“So far this year, female movements are far below average. Although not that far outside what has occurred in prior years, so far females in 2025 are moving the least that we’ve observed over the past 13 years,” said a post on the site.

Some of their movements of lack of, may have to do with where the food is.

This year, like last year, there was no shortage of acorns. In contrast, in my immediate area, there was a drought of apples.

While my peach tree fared well, my apple tree was barren. However, the deer were OK with enjoying some peaches instead of apples.

I surmised that a later frost may have been to blame for the lack of apples. A review of weather stats revealed that Franklin saw a low temperature of 34 on May 10.

Temperatures would quickly rebound to the mid-70s and low 80s within the next few days. I surmised that the peach tree, which blooms earlier, had set its buds before the frost. The apple tree blooms must have succumbed to the lower temps and failed to produce fruit.

To the skies

Other signs of the seasonal change included the arrival and departure of several winged friends.

In early September the hummingbird feeder was still buzzing with three or four visitors. Then within a week the number dropped to one and then none. My last hummingbird visitor was seen feeding on some Mexican sunflowers on Sept. 26.

Cedar wax-wing

Also leaving the hummingbird feeders were the yellow jackets and hornets that swarmed about.

I soon discovered that once some of the smaller wild asters bloomed that the bees flocked to their blossoms.

Weeks after the hummingbirds left, I observed and uptick in tufted titmouse visitors to the bird feeders.

While they are year-round residents, there seem to be more in the winter.

Later in the month, reports on Facebook birding pages reported the return of dark-eyed juncos.

I sometimes can get photos from the fall visits from flocks of cedar waxwings that feed on the fruits of the gum trees growing near the neighbor’s pond. Robins on the move also stopped to feed. I also saw several warblers but didn’t get a chance to see them long enough to photograph or identify them.

While the acorns were falling in early fall, the squirrels seemed to depart the bird feeders. This wasn’t due to migration. They had no doubt laid siege to my parents’ hickory tree. Hull and nuts could be found far away from where any hickory tree was located.

Acorns

I waited all summer for an opportunity to photograph a monarch or two. Some had been glimpsed here and there while driving or furiously flitting by.

I finally snapped a photo of one of the orange and black beauties on a Sept. 26 trip to Benezette. The elk we sought didn’t make an appearance that day. Temperatures were pretty warm. Additionally, a healthy acorn crop most likely kept the large mammals under forest cover.

Meanwhile, back home, the very next day I was able to capture two more photos of monarchs. One was feeding on wild asters and then the next day one visited the Mexican sunflowers in my garden. My last sighting this year for a monarch was Oct. 3.

A quick search of the internet found that most monarchs leave Pennsylvania in mid to late September, according to a post on Bird Watching HQ.

“From there, it takes many weeks for them to reach their final Mexican destination. Most individuals arrive in early November,” the post continued.

Another post on the subject at blog.entomologist.net provided a nice overview of monarchs in the state.

“In Pennsylvania, monarchs generally reach the state by May, where they lay eggs to produce successive generations. …. September is a significant month for monarchs in western Pennsylvania as they prepare for their migration to Mexico.

The cyclical pattern of migration, mating, and breeding emphasizes the adaptability and ecological importance of the monarch butterfly population,” the post said.
“Monarchs born after August 15th in Pennsylvania do not reproduce but migrate south to return the following spring, it added.

Oyster mushrooms

Fungus

The hot dry weather during the summer made those seasonal mushrooms hard to find.
Oyster mushrooms were plentiful in the early part of the summer still using the moisture in some dead wood. However, by late summer, any fungus that emerged one day, dried up the next. That was the case with the bioluminescent Jack-O-Lanterns. Some of them didn’t even make it to maturity before being desiccated in the dry heat.

Last year, I saw many, many patches of the orange mushrooms.

This year seemed to be the year for birch polypores. They appeared to thrive. I noticed several trees that were coated with the umbrella-shaped fungus.

Fall rains helped some fly agaric mushrooms arrive on schedule.

Birch polypore

Possible American yellow agaric.

The mushrooms are common under pine trees in late fall in the east. They are not edible. Still fighting with mushroom identification. I couldn’t decide if I was the yellow orange fly agaric, Amanita muscaria var. Formosa or Amanita muscaria var. guessowii, which is known as the American yellow agaric.

Meanwhile, recent rains have helped other late fall mushrooms emerge. I still don’t know what most of them were.

Little rain fell. Temperatures were warm and cold. Autumn displays and other fall signs were affected. However, I did find some color here and there. The dryness may have dulled some displays, but it didn’t stop them.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

Look above for a photo of every colorful tree I found and some other late summer, early fall scenes.

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Web art

9/28/2025

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Sunday's misty foggy conditions made the unseen seen.

Heavy dew settled on spider webs throughout the forest creating displays of droplets and silk.

One could truly appreciate the work of the eight-legged artists.

It was nice to view the webs instead of wearing them.

I usually ended up with the webs, their occupants and the remnants of spider meals across my face or covering my head. This was not enjoyable for any parties involved.

However, the invisibility of the webs allowed the spiders to do what they do best. These are the tools that some spiders use to serve as nature's pest control. They help keep the insect population in check.

Possible shamrock orb weaver with a dragonfly for dinner.

Recently two cases of bugs gone bad have begun to affect areas near or in our region. A graphic with a story posted by Penn State Extension reported that Venango County had been added to the spotted lanternfly quarantine just this year.

In other parts of the state, the infestation was so bad the bugs were spotted on radar.

"This afternoon (again), the low reflectivity values shown on the radar imagery across the Pittsburgh region are bugs -- and most of them are more than likely lantern flies. Yuck!," said a September 16 Facebook post by PA Weather Plus, LLC.

While I have not yet spotted a spotted lanternfly, the invasion appeared imminent.

These bugs have strong preference for economically important plants including grapevines, maple trees, black walnut, birch, willow, and other trees. The feeding damage significantly stresses the plants which can lead to decreased health and potentially death, said the Penn State Extension post.

Another insect was ravaging the deer population in Ohio. Reports indicated that Ohio may limit deer hunting due to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).

As of Sept. 18, 2025, the public had reported nearly 7,500 dead or sick deer to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Internet reports pointed to culicoides midges as the culprits behind the deaths. The midges breed in moist environments near water sources.

Environmental conditions, such as excessive rain followed by dry spells can create favorable conditions for midge reproduction, increasing the risk of EHD outbreaks, according to reports.

A press release from the Pennsylvania Game Commission said the disease had been confirmed in several western counties and is being investigated in some southeastern counties.

"Currently, EHD detections include: Butler, Erie, Lawrence, and Mercer counties," the commission said.
"EHD is spread by tiny biting midges or “no-see-ums”, that typically appear in late summer. They continue to remain a threat until a hard frost. Infected deer can show swelling of the face or neck, loss of appetite, weakness, lameness, and excessive salivation," the release continued.

The commission was asking the public to report any sick or deer, especially if multiple animals are found in the same area.

Folks can report these sightings by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD.

Marbled orb weaver

Meanwhile, I attempted to identify some of these pest control artists. The spiders responsible for the ring-shaped webs were dubbed orb weaver spiders.

The spiders are common in the state and contribute significantly to the ecosystem, according to internet reports.

The ones I had observed the most were marbled orb weavers. Their markings were distinctive.

Marbled orb weaver

"The webs are found in trees, shrubs and tall weeds, and grasses in moist, wooded settings and can frequently be found along the banks of streams. The webs are oriented vertically and have a 'signal' thread attached to the center that notifies the spider when prey has been captured," said a Penn State Extension post.

Possible long jawed spider

I struggled to find the identification of a spider I had photographed at the pond's edge. I believed it to be a member of the Tetragnathidae family. The arachnids were also known as long jawed spiders. According to reports some species are often found in long vegetation near water.

Possible giant lichen orb weaver

Orb weaver spiders are common in Pennsylvania and contribute significantly to the local ecosystem, said several internet reports.

I believed the other two spiders I had recently photographed were also orb weavers.

A possible shamrock spider had netted a dragonfly dinner in its web located near the neighbor's pond.

"The quickest way to recognize the shamrock spider from other garden orb weavers, is the white bands on the legs. Not all the shamrock spiders have these white bands, but when you do see the white bands, it is likely an Araneus trifolium," said a post on usaspiders.com.

Another spider attempted to hide from being photographed.

After an internet search, I decided that the curled up arachnid could be a giant lichen orb weaver.

Reports indicated that the spider is primarily found in the eastern United states and southeaster Canada.

The orb weaver thrives in forests and areas with abundant lichen.

While orb weavers are beautiful web artists, we sometimes don’t get to see their work until it is in the right light.
That’s just the nature of things round here.

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Just brown and down?

9/21/2025

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Recent patterns have given new meaning to the term “crisp” fall weather. Warmer temps and dry conditions had me treading on crunchy leaves for at least a week. They were dry, brittle and sunbaked. Nonetheless, the first day of autumn arrives on Monday and with it the possibility of precipitation.

Venango County and other surrounding counties were upgraded to moderate drought conditions on a graphic released last Thursday by U.S. Drought Monitor.

In the report from the week before, only a small sliver of the county was in moderate drought with the rest in the abnormally dry category.

Meanwhile, information on drought.gov reported that 2025 was fifth driest August on record over the past 131 years.

There was a decrease of 2.05 inches of precipitation from the area’s average.

The site also said that 2025 so far was the 42nd driest year to date (January through August) with a departure of 1.37 inches of precipitation from normal.

The National Weather Service’s rainfall-to-date data for Franklin was reported as 28.28 inches, which is short of the normal tally of 34.54 inches.

Courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor

Male American Goldfinch

Clem, Jeb and Gus Gus at a Pinegrove Township pond.

The total was still low despite the region seeing above average accumulation for much of May through July.

August’s weather station data for Franklin revealed that the region saw a decrease in precipitation. This August’s total was 1.18 inches which was below the normal of 4.24 inches. Interestingly, the hottest day of the month was Aug. 13 with a high of 92 degrees. It was also the day with the most recorded rainfall with a total of .48 inches. Most other days in August saw no accumulation.

So far for September, Franklin has received .49 inches.

The normal total for the entire month of September was reported as 3.94 inches by the National Weather Service.

The drought in precipitation meant that area water levels sank.

Data from the United States Geological Survey said that area waterways were down slightly from last year at this time. The Allegheny River at Franklin was at 3.10 feet. In 2024, the river was at 3.24 feet. Oil Creek at Rouseville was at 1.65 feet this week. Last year, it was reported at 1.74 feet.

Several Facebook reports from Pale Whale Canoe Fleet, a canoe and kayak rental business in Cooksburg, kept repeating that the Clarion River was low.

“Canoes are limited to no more than two persons. These conditions aren't for everyone so please make the best decision for yourself -- it is very low and the water is cold. ... Keep your vessels as light as possible,” a post said.

The Sept. 21 post reported the current river depth at 2.05 feet.

There were other signs that area water tables were low.

Travels past several area roadside springs that were still flowing revealed a hotbed of activity. Folks gathered what water they could but faced longer wait times as the once gushing pipes had slowed to a trickle. Some springs had no one around suggesting that they had dried up.

Hopefully, the impacts of the drought will be cut short by some much-needed rain. It was forecasted to arrive this week.

“Kiss the sunny days goodbye! … According to the European model, and other models that are also starting to suggest we'll see a series of systems that will bring rain starting early next week all the way through the following weekend, PaAction Weather LLC posted Sept. 19 on Facebook. A graphic accompanying the post predicted up to 2.35 inches for the Oil City area.

House sparrow

Areas south of Pittsburgh received rain on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh’s office.

“A new weather system moving in Monday into Tuesday is expected to bring the best chance for measurable rain to the area,” the office said in a Facebook post.

“Finally! Rain is returning to the area this week with several shots of showers and thunderstorms. The bulk of the rain will be on and off Tuesday through Thursday.

However, some of you will see some liquid falling from the sky Monday and Friday, too,” exclaimed a post from WPIX meteorologist Scott Harbaugh.

Harbaugh’s later post said the region could see 3 inches or more.

“Computers forecast models jumping all over heavier rain this week,” he posted.

The Climate Prediction Center’s six-to-10-day outlook for Sept. 26 to 30 forecasted above normal temperatures and a chance for above normal precipitation.

However, the center’s outlook for Sept. 28 through Oct. 3 depicted below normal precipitation and still called for above normal temperatures.

If drought conditions persist, the region could see various impacts, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor site.

Those effects include decreased honey production; hay and gain yields could be lower than normal; trees and landscaping are stressed; fish are also stressed; voluntary water conservation is requested; reservoir and lake levels are below normal capacity; and wildfires increase.

A quick search of the internet revealed that these conditions can also affect the fall foliage season.

The trees may drop their leaves earlier. Prolonged drought can stress trees.

This causes them to drop leaves that are already brown instead of seeing color changes.

Reports additionally said that cooler nights can stimulate earlier color changes and lead to brighter colors.

However, the region has been seeing above average temperatures.

Other forecasts on the internet were not predicting a drastic drop in temperatures until sometime in October.

“Severe drought during the growing season tends to cause trees to begin to turn color early and not last as long; it can even lead them to skip color all together, browning and falling before fall even really gets started,” wrote Andrea Thompson in a 2016 Scientific American post.

“More moderate drought, on the other hand, can actually delay the onset of fall color,” the post continued.

“Like drought, severe heat stress can contribute to the early browning and loss of leaves, while moderate heat can actually delay the change to fall colors, because trees aren’t getting the signal that fall is here,” she added.

A Facebook post on PA Weather Plus LLC echoed some of the same effects on this year’s fall display in Pennsylvania.

“In general, I expect fall foliage to peak a little earlier this year than in most regular years, due to the recent cool and dry pattern.

The developing drought stress from mid-to-late summer is already causing leaves to drop across portions of the state. While a general warming trend is still expected into mid-September, we will still have plenty of cooler nights to satisfy the leaves changing.

The best conditions for fall foliage colors are cool, crisp nights followed by seasonable/warm sunny days,” the post continued.

An accompanying graphic listed the region’s peak display as leaning toward mid-October. The graphic stated that the exact dates could be anywhere between Oct. 13 – Oct. 21.

A graphic posted by Uncovering PA also highlighted the second week of October for peak colors in our region.

Still yet, other Facebook posts touted the first week of October as the peak for foliage in the region.

Wild asters

The Pennsylvania DCNR hasn’t released its foliage reports quite yet, but they should be coming within a matter of days. In 2024, the region’s best color reportedly started on Oct. 17.

A look back at some other reports saw that in 2018 Venango County hadn’t reached its best color until the last week in October. In contrast, the report for 2022 saw colors starting to fade by the third week in October.

We still have a few days to see just how much the higher temperatures and lower rainfall totals will impact our fall display. Many of the leaves I have seen have just turned brown and fallen to the ground. However, there were a few peaks of color here and there.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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Fighting and fueling up

8/16/2025

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An increase in hummingbird visitors, has energized my quest for the “perfect” hummingbird photo.

I also attempted to get as many hummingbirds in one shot as I can.

This year so far, I have only got three.

In years past I have netted as many as seven in one photo.

There were two likely reasons for the uptick in ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Fledglings have left the nest, and the hummingbirds have started to migrate.

Back in the spring, my first hummingbird photo was April 29.

This observation was repeated along the East Coast according to reports on journeynorth.org.

A Connecticut resident spotted a ruby-throated hummingbird on April 21.

“The inland edge of the migration is just north of Pennsylvania’s southern border, with sightings dotting the map from Pittsburgh east,” said an article on the site.

In a post by Jacob Swanson on May 23, the site reported that the hummingbirds had reached the northern part of their range.

An Indiana resident said she saw three hummingbirds trying to nectar on her Major-wheeler honeysuckle vine.

“Hummingbirds love honeysuckles, and we do too.

Their trumpet-shaped flowers are pretty to look at and great for feeding hummingbirds. One important note is that I am not talking about Japanese Honeysuckle, an aggressive, invasive plant whose planting is very much not advised,” Swanson added.

Last year I purchased one of these plants, lonicera sempervirens. There were no blossoms last year, and the vine seemed to be infested with bugs. However, this year, it vined out and sported some brightly colored blooms

The honeysuckle vine was described as a deciduous vine which can grow up to 10 to 15 feet tall. While the vine is frequently advertised as a native plant. It is primarily native to the southeastern U.S., but has naturalized in other parts of the eastern U.S.

I haven’t seen any hummingbirds on the vine’s blooms. However, there were a few hanging out in the general area.

After my initial sighting, more of the tiny birds started to filter in. For most of the summer, I believed I had at least two pairs visiting my yard. I had four feeders out and the two males would spend their time guarding them.

I questioned whether these were the same hummingbirds I had seen the year before.

“If you think the same hummingbirds, come back to your feeders and flowers every year, you might be right! Banding research shows they are likely to return to the area where they hatched,” said a post on hummingbird facts at birdsandblooms.com.

The article also touched on how fast hummingbirds are in general.

“They’re … among the fastest fliers for their size, reaching speeds of up to 37 mph, and up to 60 mph in courtship dives,” the post said.
They are fast and furious according to that and other posts.

“They spend a lot of time chasing other birds away from the feeders or flowers they’re protecting,” said the birdsandblooms.com post.

“Hummers are also notoriously hostile around feeders and gardens, where aggressive males and females alike strive to defend their food sources,” said an article by Alex Tey on www.audubon.org.

Even though I currently have five feeders out, the feisty fliers competed for the sugar water.

Even though I currently have five feeders out, the feisty fliers competed for the sugar water.

With the recent heat and lack of rain, bees have been drawn to the feeders. I added a couple of bee feeders and am making up about 8 cups of sugar water daily.

I wondered if the higher temperatures shortened the life of the hummingbird food.

A post on birdwatchingtoday.com said that in hot weather nectar may need replaced every three to four days.

“Generally, hummingbird food can stay fresh for about five to seven days. However, this timeline can vary due to environmental factors like temperature, humidity, sunlight, and airborne contaminants,” the post said.

“Sunlight can accelerate the degradation of hummingbird nectar.

The UV rays in sunlight can cause the nectar to break down and become less appealing to hummingbirds.

To combat this, choose a location for your feeder that receives partial shade during the day,” the post continued.

I had heard that boiling my hummingbird food was necessary and may make it last longer.

However, the internet has different opinions on boiling the water-sugar mixture. Some claimed it helps dissolve the sugar and remove impurities.

Others said that outdoor contaminants would reach the feeder once placed outside anyway.

Meanwhile, the little birds continued to fuel up for their upcoming migration south.

“During the Fall Migration the Hummingbirds need to drink a lot of Nectar for the long flight.

They need to increase their body weight by 25 to40 percent,” said a post on hummingbird-news.com which is a site that sells feeders.

“In September and October, the Ruby-throated Hummers will gather in Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

They will be preparing for their final flight either across the Gulf of Mexico or by land route to Mexico,” the post continued.

“During the non-breeding months, ruby-throats join many other hummingbird species in Central America,” said Alex Trey, a reporter for Audubon Magazine.

“Although 24 hummingbird species have been recorded in the United States, the Ruby-throated is the only one that breeds east of the Mississippi River, with its range extending throughout the Midwest as far as Texas and encompassing much of southern Canada,” Trey wrote.

Last year, my final photo of a hummingbird was on September 3.

It dawned on me that my time to photograph them this year might be limited.

As reported before, the latest reported sighting of a ruby-throated hummingbird in Venango County was during the first week of October.

However, folks were encouraged to keep feeders out until November for any stragglers or western hummingbirds that might stray into the region.

Until then, I decided to continue to stalk the feeders to capture the fast and the furious. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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Is someone building an ark?

6/22/2025

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It has felt like a never-ending monsoon season in the region. As the area wrapped up the month of May and headed into June, the rain just kept coming. Inconveniently, most of these rain events seemed to happen over the weekend.

Case in point, Saturday, June 14, was very wet in some areas. Weather stats from the National Weather Service’s weather station at Venango Regional Airport were sketchy with some missing data. However, the precipitation count for that weekend was around 1.34 inches. My parents reported nearly two inches of rain in their gauge through Saturday, June 14.

According to Facebook posts, Route 8 from Kaneville to Rouseville was closed around 1 p.m. June 14 due to flooding. It reportedly opened later in the evening. There were also reports of Route 322 being closed for flooding near Meadville.

Not to be outdone, areas in mid and southern Venango County got drenched on June 17, 18 and 19.
Here in Pinegrove Township, Venango County, on June 17 there was at least 3 inches in my parents’ rain gauge for the day. Then there was approximately another 2 inches on June 18 and nearly three quarters of an inch from storms on June 19.

Some of those deluges didn’t reachFranklin. The weather services’ station at the Venango Regional Airport reported 1.05 inches on June 17, 1.25 inches on June 18 and .39 inches on June 19.

Closer to Pinegrove Township, the national weather service’s data from a station in Clarion reported 1.38 inches of rain on June 17, .69 inches on June 18 and .27 inches on June 19.

Allegheny river levels in Franklin that had reached 9.42 feet on June 14 had lowered to 5.6 feet on June 18. The totals appeared not to show the rain that fell on June 17.

This made sense to me as many of the waterways in Pinegrove Township feed East Sandy Creek which enters the Allegheny River south of Franklin.

Tadpoles in vernal pool

Bullfrog tadpoles

A look at the river levels in Parker revealed a slight hike in river levels on June 18. The river rose from 5.6 feet on June 17 to around 8 feet on early June 18.

However, there must have been some isolated downpours before that date.

On June 15, the Allegheny River at Parker crested at 10.37 feet. It continued to recede until it got a boost on June 18 and then climbed again to 9.85 on June 19. By June 22 the Allegheny River at Parker had decreased to 6.57 feet.

Meanwhile, river levels in Franklin went up to 7.7 feet on June 17 through the 20. They continued to fall and were at 6.69 feet on June 22. On a side note, the river levels at Franklin hit 9.93 feet on May 4. A look at other area waterways in May and June unveiled many ups and downs.

Oil Creek at Rouseville rose up to 6.17 feet on June 14 at 1 p.m. The level then dropped to 4.7 feet by that evening.

The creek climbed to 5.83 on June 18 but had receded to 3.35 by June 22. The creek had risen to 6.17 feet on May 4, but the total on May 22 surpassed it at 6.38 feet. The flood level for that area is 11 feet.

French Creek at Utica peaked at 7.13 feet on June 14. The creek was hovering around 3.38 feet before that deluge.

The creek saw an increase to 6.34 feet on June 20 and then began falling again to 5.16 feet around June 22.

The Clarion River at Cooksburg was at 10.66 feet on June 15. It dropped to 9.52 feet on June 18 and 9.45 feet on June 19. By June 19 the river slowly receded to 5.39 feet.

All the extra water wreaked havoc on recreational boating on the weekends.

“Unfortunately, the Allegheny River is high and fast and will remain that way throughout this weekend.

The outfitting side of AO will remain closed,” Allegheny Outfitters of Warren posted Friday, June 13 on their Facebook page.

“For those considering going out
(which we do not recommend!) please understand the water is very swift and very cold for this time of year. Islands will be submerged, and stopping will be much trickier due to the volume of water, and the power that volume brings… Please make good decisions. Don't put yourself or our volunteer rescue personnel in harm’s way,” the post continued.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that the equipment store had suspended rentals. On May 22, the store reported, “... there's no need to sugar coat it, it will not be safe to be on the Allegheny River this weekend.”

Due to increased outflows from Kinzua Dam, the store closed its outfitting side on June 10 as well, continued a post on the AO’s Facebook page.

However, by June 20, the business was able to be open for regular operations.

The Warren County business wasn’t the only one affected by high water this year.

“Good morning! Unsurprisingly after the torrential downpours yesterday, the river is high and swift, so we are currently closed. We cannot predict how quickly it will recede, but we will provide an update, when possible,” the Pale Whale Canoe Fleet in Cook Forest State Park posted June 10 on its Facebook page. Other posts announced that the business was closed on June 14 and 15 due to swift water levels.

The business posted, “You guessed it - we are closed,” on June 21. However, by June 22 the Clarion River had receded enough for them to resume operations.

The tailwater fishing access had been closed at the Kinzua Dam due to increased water releases. Nonetheless, by June 17 the operators were able to open fishing access again.
Meanwhile, for the month of April, Franklin was above the normal for precipitation. The total was 4.92 inches, which was higher than the average of 4.15 inches for the month.

Northern water snake

The total precipitation for May 2025, according to the National Weather Service statistics, was reported at 5.91 inches, which was above the normal at 4 inches.

The accumulation-to-date on June 22 was 24.23 inches for the year so far which exceeded the normal of 20.99 inches.

While the region got a break from the rain, temperatures were on the rise in Franklin.

The highest temperature for April was 83 on April 25 and 30.

The lowest temperature was marked as 22 on April 9. The highest temperature in May for Franklin was 83 degrees on May 2 and 13.

The lowest temperature was recorded as 34 degrees on May 10. Overall, the average high temperature for the month of May 2025 was 68.7 degrees, which was lower than the average of 70. 9 degrees.

June temps for this year appeared to be a different story. Heat advisories were issued from June 22 through June 25.

A look back at National Weather Service data for Franklin revealed some high temperatures from way back.
The highest temperature recorded for Franklin on June 23 was 96 degrees in 1923, according to National Weather Service data. On a cooler note, 1972’s high for June 23 was only 57 degrees. A high of 95 degrees was reached on June 24, 1923, and a high of 98 was set on June 25, 1921.

Dragonfly

Early Monday morning the National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh posted to its Facebook page that at 1:56 a.m. Franklin's temperature was 75 degrees and Clarion's temperature was 77.

While all the crazy weather locally seemed to be an inconvenience, the area appeared to have it better than southern areas that experienced dramatic flooding.

However, 40 years ago during a tornado outbreak, the region was not so lucky.
A look back describes the devastation that took place on May 31, 1985.

Lady slipper orchids

Meanwhile, the local lady slipper patches thrived and then subsided just like the river levels. The patches seemed to be doing well and then the blooms faded by mid-June.

During several rain events, waterfalls could be seen in places where they weren’t normally present. The swelled creeks created hazardous crossing conditions.

The wet conditions provided sanctuary for tadpoles striving to survive in various vernal pools.

Humidity and heat will undoubtedly stir up some more moisture as rain is forecast for the end of June. That's just the nature of things 'round here.

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Hoppy, flopping, Easter

4/18/2025

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Ernie

Our apologies for the late Easter posting, editor's fault. But these are too good not to share anyway.

Clem

One sunny day sandwiched between several cloudy and rainy days spelled some brief moments of "torture" for some of the Applegate fur family members.

The canines were the first victims as the lighting was better outside.

Clem, of course, was the best poser.

This unfortunately meant that he endured the most humiliation with multiple photo sessions.

He also received more treats in return for his cooperation.

However, he too had a point where he had had enough.

Sadie was able to pause for a moment and treats to give her happy bunny face.

Sadie

(Author's note: This was Sadie's final costumed photo shoot before her passing. As always, she handled it like a pro.)

Jeb

Jeb also required several sittings. However, that was due to excessive energy and no cooperation. Finally, I settled for an indoor shot where the lively young bloodhound could be confined to a smaller area.

Gus

Gus clearly showed a pained expression on his face as he endured the persecution prompted by the bunny ears. Another shot caught him in mid-chew as he devoured a treat that was used as a bribe.

Timus

Even though they were inside, several Applegate felines couldn't escape the torment of the bunny ears. The ears designed specifically for felines included Velcro fasteners which meant the headdresses were not easily discarded. Timus' photo looked more like a chef's hat than rabbit ears. Each feline displayed an expression of disgust.

Lil' Bit

Wiggles

However, Ernie was clearly the winner of the most offended look. That's just the nature of things 'round here.

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Peaks and valleys

4/18/2025

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Jeb smelling (trying to eat) some daffodils

Life, like the recent weather, has its highs and lows. While we celebrated the arrival of warmer weather and new growth, we mourned the loss of two of our fur family members.

Otis

We said goodbye to Otis the goat in late March. He was apparently suffering from a urinary stone. His kidneys were already damaged when we got him to the vet.

While he hadn’t been with us for very long, I lamented his loss and wished for more time with him.

His lifelong partner, Milo, was clearly distraught and was not used to being alone. He called out for Otis with no answer.

Slowly, Milo started warming up to the dogs and was working on adjusting to the single life. However, plans were in the works to find him another pasture mate.

Then last week Sadie, the 8-year-old Newfoundland, suddenly stopped eating and had no appetite.

Milo

Sadie loved to swim whether it was cold or warm

Sadie

On Friday, she ate her food like normal and went on our walk. However, on Saturday and Sunday, she had no interest in eating and was lethargic. She went to the vet on Monday where she was cared for and kept for observation. However, she passed away that night at the veterinarian’s office.

She was our brown-eyed girl and matriarch of the pack. I wanted to write more about her life. However, it may be some time before I can find the right words.

To help life my spirits, I focused on our current fur family members and the abundant signs of spring.

Multiflora rose bush

As my spirits rose, so did some of the temperatures in March and April.

According to National Weather Service data, March’s warmest temperatures were 76 degrees on March 20 and 72 degrees on March 30.

The average temperature this year for March was recorded at 54 degrees, which was higher than the normal temperature of 45.6 degrees.

While March gained on the temperature, it fell short in the precipitation category.

The total precipitation for the month was 2.21 inches. That tally is lower than the normal of 3.36 inches.

The snow total was down. This March had .3 inches of snow compared to the normal of 8.9 inches.

According to the National Weather Service's weather station at the Venango Regional Airport, April 18 was the warmest day of the month so far with a temperature of 78.1 degrees.

However, that high does not beat the record for April 18.

That record was set in 1914 with a high of 93 degrees. Earlier this month Franklin hit 73 degrees on April 14 and 72 degrees on April 4.
The lowest low was 22 degrees on April 9.

Daffodils

Periwinkle, vinca minor or myrtle

Trailing arbutus

Male bluebird

Two recent weather outlooks created by the NOAA and the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, called for a 60 to 79 percent chance of the region seeing above normal temperatures in the coming weeks.

Skunk cabbage

Franklin received .95 inches of rain on April 5 according to National Weather Service data. A look back at some photos from 2022 revealed that there was at least an inch of snow on April 18.

That extra rain and an increased outflow from Kinzua dam on April 7 raised river levels to 8.55 feet by April 7. The river levels have slowly fallen to around 5.1 feet by mid-April.

Despite some April showers, Franklin was still a little low on year-to-date accumulation. The normal was 11.63 inches and Franklin was at 10.01 inches of precipitation so far for 2025.

May apple in mid-April

Meanwhile, the rain and warmer temperatures brought forth some new plant growth.

Tulip

Like clockwork, trailing arbutus started to bud at the beginning of April.

By mid-April more had started to flower, but there were still quite a few buds that remained closed.

However, the skunk cabbage had started to unfurl green leaves.

Other trees and plants began to show little leaves or buds.

A few may apples appeared through the leaf litter by mid-April. Photos from 2016 showed that the may apples appeared on the same date as this year.

Facebook memories showed me that this year’s growing season may be slightly behind last year.

Last year, by April 17, I had photos of service berry bushes in bloom. There have been no blooms so far this year.

My tulips were in full bloom last year by mid-April. So far this year, only my mom’s tulips planted in a warmer sunnier location were flowering.

My bleeding-heart plant had flowers on it by April 17, 2024. This year, it was only inches from the ground.

A look at last frost dates for Franklin revealed that last year’s spring may have arrived a little earlier.

The last frost was on April 26 last year. However, as a reminder the last frost for 2023 arrived on May 18.

Tulip

Tulips

The last frost dates varied over the past few years; April 30, 2022; May 10, 2021, and May 14, 2020.

Bleeding heart

While the flowers seemed to be behind, our yearly spring visit from a bear was earlier than last year.

On March 25, a large bruin crushed our bird feeder and looked straight into a trail camera while doing it.

The bear then stuck around and cleaned out a bucket of corn set out for the deer and squirrels.

Last year it was April 17 when the bear visited our bird feeder.

Damaged bird feeder

While I wasn’t thrilled about the bear visitor, I anxiously awaited the arrival of the ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Last year, my first sighting of a hummingbird was on April 27. However, in 2023, I had a hummingbird visitor on April 17.

According to the Spring Arrivals list posted on the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society’s website, the earliest recorded sighting of a hummingbird in our region was recorded as April 19.

Various sites that track the hummingbird’s migration were showing sightings closer to our region. On April 13 and 14 there were sightings in Indiana, Pa. and Latrobe.

Eastern phoebe

Meanwhile, more and more of the region’s summer residents were returning. An Eastern phoebe, a yellow-bellied sapsucker, a few chipping sparrows and a multitude of brown-headed cowbirds were just a few of the birds I spotted over the past few weeks.

Jeb

One high point in the past weeks was when Jeb found an antler shed on March 24.
He was very proud of himself.
However, he agreed to trade me the horn for a dog treat. Most male deer had shed their head gear by early March.

By early April some were showing new antler growth.

White violet

This spring season reminded me that while we navigate the peaks and valleys of life, there are high and low points, death and life. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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Marching ahead

3/16/2025

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Crocuses

After what seemed like an endless winter, the snowpack has melted, and signs of spring are appearing. The first day of spring or the vernal equinox was on Thursday, March 20. That date marked when day and night were equally long. From this point on, the region will see more daylight and less night.

Hemlock branch

However, just because the calendar said it was spring doesn’t mean the weather will cooperate.

The Farmers’ Almanac, the Old Farmers’ Almanac and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offered a few suggestions on what the coming spring season may bring.

The Farmers’ Almanac long range weather forecast says spring weather will take its time arriving, allowing winter conditions to linger, especially across the Midwest, Great Lakes, New England, and Northeast regions,” said a post on the almanac's website.

Snowdrops

A graphic on the site depicts Pennsylvania as cool and wet for the spring season.

“Temperatures will run somewhat coolish for the northern and central regions…,” the post said.
However, it did predict pleasant weather for Easter.

Crocuses

A graphic on The Old Farmer's Almanac website painted a slightly different picture for Pennsylvania’s spring. It depicted that our state would be warm and wet this spring.

“The U.S. spring outlook predicts warmer-than-normal temperatures for most of the country …,” the post said.

However, the almanac also added the “best chances for some late-season snowflakes (outside of the mountains of the West) will be across the Lower Great Lakes, an area that may experience chillier weather during April.”

Snowflake flowers emerging

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring outlook predicted “above-average temperatures for the East and Gulf Coast regions…”

According to the administration, “The East Coast and much of the western U.S. have had below-average precipitation during the winter months, resulting in a low threat of significant spring flooding. However, heavy rainfall at any time can lead to flooding.”

The post also weighed in on the outlook for some areas experiencing drought.

“Moderate-to-exceptional drought conditions currently exist across more than 40% of the continental U.S.

Drought conditions are likely to persist in the Southwest and parts of the Rocky Mountains, while drought improvement is forecast for the Great Lakes region,” the administration said.

Robins

Meanwhile, a look at Franklin’s weather statistics revealed a cooler and wetter February than normal.

According to data from the National Weather Service the average temperature for February 2025 was 33 degrees, which was lower than the normal of 36.3 degrees.

The total snowfall for the month was recorded at 7.5 inches, which was lower than the normal of 11.5 inches.

However, 3.84 inches of total precipitation was above the normal of 2.66 inches.

The highest temperature reported was 52 degrees on Feb. 4.

The lowest temperature was 0 on the night of Feb. 19.

So far this month, the temperature bottomed out at 13 degrees on March 2.

Daffodil

Skunk cabbage

The highest temperature was 76 degrees on March 20. The record set for this date was 80 degrees in 1918. Franklin hit 75 on March 15 and it fell short of the record of 79 degrees set in 1990.

Eastern comma

Meanwhile, other signs of spring have been popping up.

Snowflakes

In the yard, snowdrops, snowflakes and crocuses made an appearance above ground.

Facebook memories showed me that on March 19, 2024, there were daffodils out. However, they were covered in snow. This year the yellow flowers were budding, but only one had bloomed.

A memory from there were crocuses out in early March, but again they snow-covered. This year my crocuses didn’t bloom until March 19.

Skunk cabbage

Mallard ducks

In the woods, the skunk cabbage was seen blooming as early as March 2.

The plant’s ability to perform thermogenesis helps it grow in icy conditions by melting the snow around it.

The neighbor’s pond saw the return of Canada geese and a mallard couple.

However, no one sticks around when we make the rounds.I spotted a couple of bluebirds checking out the nesting box in my parents’ yard earlier this month. Otherwise, the turkey vultures, robins and red-winged blackbirds were back for the season.

Canada geese

Gray comma

Mouring cloak

Flitting about in the woods were several butterflies on warmer days. My first butterfly sighting was a gray comma butterfly on March 13. In the following days I was able to capture photos of some Eastern commas and a mourning cloak butterfly.

Wood frog

Wood frog eggs

On some of the balmier days the air was filled with the calls of wood frogs. I first heard their unique choruses of croaks on March 16.
“Wood frogs are one of the first frogs to begin the breeding season, usually in early March. During the breeding season, males can be heard making quack-like calls day and night,” said a post on the frogs by the National Wildlife Federation.
“These frogs have adapted to cold climates by freezing over the winter. During this time, they stop breathing and their hearts stop beating. Their bodies produce a special antifreeze substance that prevents ice from freezing within their cells, which would be deadly. Ice does form, however, in the spaces between the cells. When the weather warms, the frogs thaw and begin feeding and mating again,” the federation posted.

Wood frogs

Wood frogs were the only things active in the water this month. Pond samples revealed a world of microscopic creatures who were still busy despite a layer of ice above them. Algae, microbes, diatoms and others created some greenery despite the gray skies above the water.

One such sample contained a tardigrade.
“Tardigrades were discovered in 1773 by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze, who nicknamed them ‘little water bears,’” in an article on the creatures by Mindy Weisberger.
“Under a microscope, you can see their plump, segmented bodies and flat heads. They have eight legs, each tipped with four to eight claws,” Weisberger posted.

Copepod

Tardigrades are quite hardy.
“They can survive punishing heat, freezing cold, ultraviolet radiation and even outer space. They do this by becoming dried-out little balls, called "tuns," and almost stopping their metabolism (the way they get energy from food), reviving only when conditions are better. In fact, these tough little water bears will probably survive long after humanity is gone, research has found,” Weisberger continued.

Meanwhile, goats Milo and Otis survived the winter with the help of a doghouse heater in their goat shed. On some of the colder days they didn’t even venture out. However, warmer days have them feeling some spring fever. They were still waiting for some green leaves to appear.
Their woodland counter parts, the deer, dealt with the ups and downs of the weather. As spring approached, the bucks began to drop their antlers. A photo captured on Feb. 23 showed that one buck had shed an antler. Another photo from March 1 showed a buck still hanging on to both horns. However, by mid-March there were no deer with antlers on camera.

Jeb

The deer were also starting to move around more. Other forest critters like coyotes, raccoons, groundhogs, possums and more were traversing our trails more. This meant that canines, Clem, Sadie, Gus and Jeb, were hot on their trails. However, the animals were usually long gone or out of the dogs’ reach.
Jeb was growing fast and going fast. He outgrew his fear of water and had even contemplated swimming on a few of the warmer days.
As the days grew longer and greener scenery appeared, it sure did seem that winter was over. However, as western Pennsylvanians we all know better. That there still could be a few cold days in store. We still have a few months until the threat of frost is out of the picture. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

Eastern comma

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Icy reception

2/23/2025

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Jeb

Mother Nature gave the newest member of the Applegate fur family the cold shoulder when he made the trip to Pennsylvania from Delaware on Jan. 10.

Jeb, a young bloodhound, was greeted by snow and frigid temperatures.

Of course, it was snowy where he was whelped as well.

Jeb was uneasy for his first week at his new home.

Jebediah

Jeb

Things were very different from his birthing place and there were new faces and smells.

To make things worse, his new human mom put a hat on him.

However, Jeb took things in stride. It only took a couple of days to figure out the dog door.

He finally settled down enough to enjoy his doggy pillow.

Gus and Jeb

Gus and Jeb hit things off. However, Gus had to be careful not to step on the diminutive bloodhound.

Jeb and Clem

Jeb quickly grew fond of elder bloodhound, Clem. He shadowed every move Clem made. It was rare that Clem could venture anywhere without Jeb close behind. Clem in addition to being Jeb's adopted brother was actually blood related to Jeb's mother. Clem in fact may be Jeb's uncle.

Sadie, Jeb and Clem

Sadie, like Mother Nature, originally gave Jeb the cold shoulder. However, like the weather she gradually warmed up to him, little by little.

Lil' Bit and Jeb

Then Jeb encountered feline Lil' Bit. There was biting, chasing and scratching. It was all in good fun until Jeb got too big and too rough. Lil' Bit steers clear of the puppy for now except for the occasional ambush.

Jeb and Otis

When Jeb greeted Otis, he was welcomed in goat-fashion with an attempted headbutt.

Clem and Jeb

It only took a little over a month for Jeb to join the big dogs on their walk. He soon had no problem going for the whole length of our daily journey.

He's working to get the hang of crossing creeks. Mother Nature made things harder with ice formations on one day and rising waters on the next. Jeb was motivated by treats and soon started double- and triple- crossing the waterways to obtain more goodies.

Jeb

Over the past few weeks, Jeb grew by leaps and bounds. On his first vet visit he weighed in at 19 pounds and on his most recent visit he was up to 32 pounds.

Jeb and Clem

Jeb is still struggling with housetraining. Again, Mother Nature and her frigid temperatures and freezing rain did not help the situation. No one wanted to be outside for very long during any of these weather events.

Jeb

Jeb has a small issue with his eyes. He is so wrinkled that his folds push his eyelashes into his eyes. The vet gave him some drops to lubricate his eyes. He may grow out of this issue once he grows into his wrinkles. However, he may need surgery later on to tack his eyelids. Clem had this issue, and it was resolved with stitches. Time will tell if Jeb needs to take that route.

Gus, Jeb and Clem

I'm sure that Jeb will face challenges head on in the future. Just as the weather is growing slightly more comfortable, Jeb is definitely more comfortable with his fur-ever home. That's just the nature of things 'round here.

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Winter waning??

2/3/2025

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On Sunday, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.

What a winter it has been so far. A look back at this January’s weather stats found that it has been snowier and colder than normal.

According to data provided by the National Weather Service’s station at Venango Regional airport, there were a few days that stood out for higher snowfalls.

On Jan. 4 there were four inches of snow followed by two inches on Jan. 7 and three inches on Jan. 11.

Additional traces of snow added up to a total of 19.2 inches of snow for Franklin for January which was above the normal average of 17.9 inches of snow for Franklin.

Meanwhile, the average temperature for this January for Franklin was five degrees below the normal of 33.7 degrees.

According to National Weather Service data, a high of 12 degrees was recorded on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22.

The high of 12 on Jan. 21 matched a high of 2008 and the high of 12 on Jan. 22 matched a high set in 2014.

The National Weather Service’s station recorded a low on Jan. 22 of -8 degrees.

According to data, this was the coldest low for Jan. 22 in the past 25 years.

Allegheny River at Oil City

Meanwhile, a warmup on Jan. 30 prompted some concern about ice jams on area rivers.

” Expect a warmup over the next couple of days as our air will be coming out of the south rather than Canada. This warmup will continue the process of melting the snow on the ground and the ice on the rivers.

A slow and steady melting is what we need to prevent flooding issues. However, a storm system will move northeastward from the south-central US this afternoon and cross our area Friday evening.

This system will bring widespread rain to the area beginning late tonight and continuing into early Saturday morning. ... At this time, no points on any of the rivers are forecasted to reach flood stage. But we also need to keep an eye on local streams as well.,” the National Weather Service’s office in Pittsburgh posted on Facebook on the morning of Jan. 30.

Oil Creek at Oil City

Photos taken Jan. 31 in Oil City, showed no threat of an ice jam.

There appeared to be clear channels for the water to pass through.

The water level gauge on the Allegheny River at West Hickory reported a steady river level at 3.3 feet until Jan. 21 when it climbed to and peaked at 7.75 feet on Jan. 23. It had slowly fallen to 6.35 feet as of Feb. 2.

The gauge on Oil Creek at Rouseville was at 2.67 feet on Jan. 31 and had reached 3.67 feet by Feb. 1.
Meanwhile the Allegheny River gauge at Franklin was steadily growing from 3.65 feet on Jan. 31 to 4.8 feet on Feb. 2.

In drought news, Venango County has no current drought conditions. However, the western portion of Forest County was still labeled as abnormally dry by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Monday, Feb. 3, didn’t deliver any precipitation but it did bring temperatures about 20 degrees below normal for this time of year.

The Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for Feb. 7-11 showed near normal temperatures and a chance of above average precipitation.

The center’s outlook for Feb. 9-15, was a little different.

It called for a slight chance of below normal temperatures but was also calling for a chance of above average.

As if the groundhog’s news wasn’t bad enough, the region might face a significant icing event Wednesday night into Thursday morning of this week.

Nonetheless, the wintry weather provided many photo opportunities for me.

A morning walk on Jan. 10 yielded awesome lighting for frost photos.

The crystals had grown overnight in single digit lows.

The dry and frigid air pulled the moisture out of branches and soil to create wonderous works of art.

The scenery changed daily as temperatures plummeted and then warmed again.

On Jan. 21, the small creek feeding the neighbor’s pond was open and flowing.

On Jan. 22, it was frozen solid.

We could walk across it.
Then by Feb. 1, there was open water again with a sketchy looking ice bridge.

The freeze and thaw cycle created some interesting ice formations on the area streams.

American tree sparrow

Meanwhile, the cold weather drove man birds to the feeder. Winter visitors included American tree sparrows, goldfinches, woodpeckers, dark-eyed juncos and more.

Meanwhile, the cold weather drove man birds to the feeder. Winter visitors included American tree sparrows, goldfinches, woodpeckers, dark-eyed juncos and more. Also at the feeders, there was a gray squirrel or two.

In the woods, bluebirds and other feathered friends were busy feeding on winterberries.

Bluebird

The deer were working hard to uncover the acorns that they hadn’t consumed in the fall.
However, the winter weather that created beautiful scenery can contribute to hardships like power outages and treacherous travel.

That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.

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A little bit of caution and a whole lot of luck

12/30/2024

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Sadie

I can't recall many "Oh, sh*t," moments in my life. I do believe most of them came about during winter driving. However, my most recent "Oh, sh*t" moment happened Christmas Eve while walking in the woods with the dogs.

For about a week before Christmas Eve, Gus was excitedly exploring some timbered treetops along our route. In one area, he stopped and barked.

I kind of ignored his barking for a while and called him back to the path. I figured it was a deer bedded down in the tree branches that he couldn't get to.

On Christmas Eve, I decided to go check out what he was fussing about. I was a little concerned that it could have been a porcupine and didn't want him to get into trouble.

I climbed the bank and went over to the downed trees. I held the dogs off just in case there was some kind of critter in there.

There was a large hole formed in the branches. I peered in, but not too close.

Just I as I stated, "Gus, I don't see anything," a bear head appeared on the other side of the hole.

It actually took me a few seconds to recognize that it was a bear. It had never crossed my mind that was what Gus was barking at. I would have never gone anywhere near the area or let Gus there either.

I was way too close for comfort and being in the timbered area, there wasn't any great escape path.

"Oh, sh*t.... no, no, no. We have got to go!" I exclaimed.

I quickly gathered the dogs and back down the path toward our trail. Thankfully, there was no attack.

There was no growling and no pursuit after us by the bruin.

We avoided the area for the next few days.

Nonetheless, my curiosity and stubbornness of not wanting to shorten our walks, led us back to the area.

Gus went into the vicinity. He was using his nose but was not as excited as the time before.

I have trouble deciphering the difference between squirrel excitement and bear excitement.

He went to the den but was just sniffing around. I guessed that the bear vacated the den in search of a quieter area to hibernate.

This incident made me recall how the canines acted on the day after the incident.

On our Christmas Day walk, the dogs were increasingly interested in trailing something onto neighboring posted property.

I surmised that said bear moved into an area where we don't traverse. This was a win-win situation for all involved.

Gus Gus

I marked the area of the bear den for future reference.

The late Kyle (black and white) and the late Kennedy.

The Christmas Eve event was a close call, but it was not the norm.

I have been walking dogs daily for at least 15 years. This broke down into 5,475 days, give or take a few for a couple of skipped walks.

I could count on 10 fingers the times that we have run into or experienced bear sightings. A good number of them were in our own backyard. Some didn't even involve the dogs, but mostly the bird feeder.

Thanks to an alert neighbor, we avoided a situation that probably would have been more than an "Oh, sh*t," moment several years ago.

The dogs, goats and I were headed across the field toward home. My mom summoned us from her back door and said the neighbor across the road warmed her about a bear in our yard.

Even though it was during daylight hours, the bruin was snacking on a suet feeder and couldn't be spooked off. We could have really been in trouble, as from the angle I would not have seen the bear and would have sauntered unknowingly into the area with two dogs and two goats.

Thankfully the bear left, and we returned home. However, upon entering the yard, the late great Kyle, immediately alerted to the bear's scent. Kyle had seen bears before in the yard and wasn't happy.

I think if Kyle had been on our Christmas Eve walk this year, I definitely would have been alerted to the presence of a bear in the near vicinity.

The late Buford

Coyote

Fisher

Coyote

Over the years, there was one time the dogs treed a bear. I called them back and the bear left. This was back when the late Buford was on the trail.

Sadie

When we first got Sadie, the Newfoundland, I kept having to remind myself that I had a black furry dog and I wasn't seeing a bear. However, on one walk, I saw something black ahead and thought, "What is Sadie doing up there? She was behind me." Upon further observation, I exclaimed, "Oops, not Sadie." It was a smaller bear fleeing from my rambunctious posse of pets.

Fisher tracks with dog remote for scale

We've been pretty lucky as far as wildlife encounters over the years. Perhaps that may have been due more to some divine intervention than luck. While trail cameras picked up coyotes, foxes, fishers and more. We don't usually see them.

To date, we have never run across a coyote even though their tracks often cross our paths. Recently I spotted some fisher tracks. However, tracks were the only thing we saw of the critter. We may have seen the tail end of a fox or two over the years as they hightailed it out of our way.

Mostly we encounter deer. The dogs are not allowed to pursuit deer. I don't wish to have to travel to the next county to locate my wayward canines. They have been instructed to "stay" over the years.

Nonetheless, one year a small buck was bedded down right were we entered the woodline. Of course, instinctively the dogs were ready to go. I yelled, "No." Everybody stopped, including the buck. I told the dogs to "stay" and instructed the buck to slowly leave the area.

Surprisingly he listened. He swished his tail and cautiously walk away.

Gus and Clem

I wished I could have said this would work for all wildlife situations. However, I am more of a realist than that.

The moral of this story is to be alert and aware. One should also be very cautious. Most importantly, one shouldn't trust Gus.

That's just the nature of things 'round here.

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Being bitter

The scope of things: Life under the ice

It will freeze like that

A complete view

Merry memories

Winter wondering

Trail camera fails

Serious Selfies

It that an ear or an eyeball?

Animal attitudes

It takes a licking

Curse of the empty bucket

Bucket-o-fuzz

Raccoon bullies

Getting physical

Look behind

The power of corn?

Halloween Horrors

Colorful conditions

Web art

Just brown and down?

Fighting and fueling up

Is someone building an ark?

Hoppy, flopping, Easter

Peaks and valleys

Marching ahead

Icy reception

Winter waning??

A little bit of caution and a whole lot of luck

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Serious Selfies

It that an ear or an eyeball?

Animal attitudes

It takes a licking

Curse of the empty bucket

Bucket-o-fuzz

​Raccoon bullies

Getting physical

Look behind

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Raccoon bullies