A slower Sadie and a lot of boot-sucking mud meant we lingered a little longer on the trail in recent days.
Sadie had developed a limp and needed to take frequent breaks. I didn’t mind the pauses on the sunnier days as they allowed me to do some dawdling. I tarried here and there taking pictures of various spring scenes. 

The definition of tarry according to www.merriam-webster.com is to linger with expectation.

I did this exact thing while trying to photograph some early spring butterflies. One red admiral taught me to slow down and enjoy the moment. It sat there with its wings closed as I waited with expectation for it to open them.

Other butterflies we observed as we paused on the path included gray commas, mourning cloaks, and red admirals. The red admirals seemed to be everywhere and in greater numbers this year. I had a comment on a post in Butterflies and Moths of Pennsylvania Facebook page that backed up my observations. A group poster from Erie also reported seeing more red admirals this year as well.

​As spring lingered, nearly every butterfly I saw was a red admiral. 

​Meanwhile some of the spring blossoms that the butterflies and the bees feed on didn’t linger too long and faced the threat of frost.
The peach tree had dropped its blooms by late April. While this appeared to be disappointing, it may mean more peaches this summer.
​Spring frosts after the blossoms have set or are done blooming aren't as much of a threat to the survival of the fruit. 

​However, the flowering crabapple tree was ready to burst forth in pink flowers while the National Weather Service issued frost warnings for the county. A few apple trees were also flowering under the threat of frosty nighttime lows.

I frantically covered my bleeding heart plants to protect them from the frost.
​
They spent several frosty nights under blankets propped up with stakes. I spent a lot of time under the blankets in the colder weather as well. However, I just propped them up with cats instead of stakes. 

According to Almanac.com, the median date for the last spring frost in Franklin is May 9. A check of records at Climate (weather.gov) listed the median date for Franklin as May 10.

The earliest date for the last spring frost was recorded on April 17, 2008. According to the records in 2003 there was a frost as late as July 29. Last year the final frost occurred on May 18.
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Back In the garden, the daffodil flowers have wilted. Nonetheless, the tulips took their place in providing a colorful spring display. 

​In the woods, serviceberry shrubs were aglow with snow-white blooms.  The mayapples unfurled their green umbrella-like leaves as early as April 21. 

​While some bees and butterflies were out, I was still awaiting the arrival of the region’s hummingbirds. No orioles had shown up at the feeders either as of April 25.  
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Meanwhile. white throated sparrows, chipping sparrows and towhees have returned to my feeders. 

Along the trail, I often paused to check on a vernal pool that was near the strip mine. I hoped that the water would linger in the puddle that not only is home to several wood frog tadpoles but some growing salamanders as well.

​ I posted a photo on the Pa Herps Facebook page and a user posted a helpful link. It helped me identify the cloudy egg formations as spotted salamanders. I don’t think I have ever seen an adult.

​That was most likely because they live underground most of their lives. A link to photos of the spotted salamander can be found here.
​
Last year I had wished in vain that the vernal pool wouldn’t dry up before the wood frog tadpoles were able to transition into frogs. I watched as the water level got lower and lower. After a while I just stopped checking knowing that their demise was inevitable.

There was hope this year. The abundance of April showers has kept the water level high. I hope to be able to see the tadpoles progress into frogs and see the salamanders hatch before the pool disappears.

​Meanwhile, the slower pace on our walks appeared to aid in Sadie’s recovery.
​
Sadie didn’t mind waiting for the butterflies or the other walk stoppages. The breaks gave her a moment to rest her weary leg. Gus and Clem seemed to take the stoppage in stride and sat and waited as well. 
Sadie’s self-prescribed daily hydrotherapy in the neighbor’s pond seemed to help her ease back into a better walking pace. Of course, some pain meds may have helped too.

Nonetheless, she, Gus and Clem lingered too long near some timbered treetops. They managed to scare up a ground hog. The varmint climbed far enough up of a tree to be out of the canines’ reach. The dogs were called off and an incident was avoided.
​
Our daily walks took a little longer. That was OK because the days were growing longer as well. As the sun lingered so did we. Those who wish to linger here a little longer can view a slide show below.

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

​April showers bring May flowers... unless April flooding washes them away. The region has seen more than its fair share of precipitation lately. Area residents have had to deal with flooded basements, road closures and the “joys” of hydroplaning on area roadways.
​
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning at 9:41 a.m. Friday, April 12, for Venango, Forest, Clarion, Armstrong, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties. At 6:33 p.m. Friday the warning was extended from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Saturday morning. 

“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring. Numerous roads remain closed due to flooding. Streams continue to rise due to excess runoff from earlier rainfall,” the warning stated.
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A Facebook post from the National Weather Service Office in Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. Friday said, “Generally, 0.25 to 0.75 inches of additional rain is expected in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia through 8 a.m. (Saturday). While rainfall rates will be lower, rain will prolong existing flooding. Turn around when you see a flooded road; it only takes six inches of moving water to lose control of a vehicle.”

An accompanying graphic to the post displayed that most of Venango County was in the half-inch to three-quarters of an inch range for expected precipitation. 

Posts from two Venango County Facebook pages that monitor police and fire calls reported water on roadways and basement floodings as early as late Thursday evening. Some of the areas with high water included Emlenton, Clintonville and Cranberry.

An area of Tarklin Road was reportedly flooded late Thursday. A Friday afternoon check of Tarklin Run showed the creek still within its banks. However, debris on the roadway showed various washouts in places.  
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Meanwhile, folks on the Friends of Cook Forest Facebook page started posting around 3:30 p.m. Friday that the Clarion River was up over River Road. A later post indicated River Road was closed by Toms Run Bridge. Updates on road closures due to flooding, downed trees or other incidents can be found at www.511pa.com.

Nonetheless, the high and mighty Allegheny River was gaining ground in Franklin. A graphic from the National Weather Service showed the river at Franklin at 13.8 feet Friday evening. The river was forecast to crest at 14.5 feet on Saturday. A check of the area on Friday afternoon revealed that the water had reached the steps at the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail parking lot near the Eighth Street bridge in Franklin.  Several large trees were observed floating very fast down the river. 

​Another graphic provided by the United States Geological Survey showed that the Allegheny River at Franklin had not been this high in a year.

High points for this year included January 29 at 11.35 feet and 11.02 feet on April 4.

It was the same story for the USGS gauge on Oil Creek at Rouseville.

The April 12 reading of 8.53 feet was the highest level the creek has been at in a year.

Meanwhile, the folks at Kinzua Dam were working to deal with all the excess rainfall.

On Thursday, a post on the dam’s Facebook page stated, “Today we will be performing a series of gate operations in order to slow down the release of water. We anticipate we will soon be at 7,500 cubic feet per second and 10.42' outflow gage height, at 1500 we will close again and anticipate 5,400 cubic feet per second and 9.75' outflow gage height.”
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No updates were posted Friday. 

The National Weather Service Office in Pittsburgh posted some sobering stats on its Facebook page on Thursday.

“Pittsburgh has never had a wetter start to Spring in its period of record going back to 1871 ...”, the office posted.

 Another post listed various statistics for April 11:

• 4/11's 2.77 inches of rain shattered the old daily record of 1.46 inches (1933)
• 4/11 was the 25th wettest day on record (records back to 1871)
• Month-to-date, PIT is now 6.11 inches above normal
• This is already the third wettest April on record (and likely the first by the end)
• This is the wettest first 11 days for any month on record
• This is the only time the first and second greatest daily rainfall for a month have occurred in the same year (4/2 and 4/11)

​According to National Weather Service data, Franklin was also ahead on precipitation for this year. From the beginning of the year, Franklin received 17.81 inches of precipitation, which was higher than the normal of 10.91 inches, but shy of the highest record of 18.79 inches in 1913.

​By comparison, last year’s total precipitation at this point was 13.71 inches. 

​In addition to the rain, rain and more rain, area residents were also faced with a wind advisory in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday.

“Do to a slight uptick in forecast(ed) winds expected today and Saturday and (in) consideration (of) saturated soils allowing ... trees to more easily fall, a wind advisory has been issued valid until 7 a.m. Saturday,” the weather service posted on its Facebook page Friday.

A graphic displayed that 39 mph winds were forecast for late Friday night in Oil City and 38 mph wind gusts were possible up until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Unsurprisingly in its weekly report issued Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed no issues with drought for the whole state of Pennsylvania.
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That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 

​Kennedy caused trouble up to the very end. Nothing was ever easy with the stubborn old goat. His last few hours were no exception. After several weeks of a decreased appetite, some odd nasal discharge prompted an emergency vet visit for Kennedy last Monday.

​I loaded Kennedy into the car and sped off. On such short notice, my husband couldn’t come. I forgot to place a barricade between the front seats and Kennedy.

He apparently thought that he might escape the car through the windshield. On the drive to the vet’s office, I had one hand on the wheel and the other hand on the goat.

Meanwhile, Kennedy was sneezing his nose juice all over the car and me. ​

​When I searched for photos of him over the years, several of them were named “Kennedyeats.”
He became rather round as he grew older. A few years ago, a mobile vet making a visit for shots exclaimed in jest, “He’s pregnant.”
​
His current vet expressed Kennedy’s appearance with a little more tact saying he was “well-dressed.”

​Kennedy joined our menagerie in 2015. He met his half-brother Kyle who immediately welcomed him by bullying him. 

​The abuse didn’t end there. Photos from 2015 showed that Kennedy was indeed subjected to the horrors of the “Holiday Hats” photo shoot. Over the years he was subjected to hat humiliation from Easter to Halloween. 

​However, Kennedy would get back at me over the years. He really knew how to annoy me or rather get my goat. When I looked up the meaning of that idiom. I giggled because there were so many times when he or Kyle would make me so agitated. Mostly of the trouble making revolved around me trying to shield my flowers and shrubs from their teeth. 

​I was taking photos of spring flowers recently.

I did not have to creatively detour around to make sure Kennedy didn’t follow me and eat my photo subjects.

​I will be able to take my time to photograph the patch of Lady Slippers this summer. I usually had to wait until Kennedy or Kyle were busy eating somewhere else. Then I would rush over to grab a few shots before they followed me. 

​Kennedy had an additional irritating habit. He had a fixation with the trail cameras along our routes. He constantly and consistently readjusted them by headbutting or chewing on them. If I didn’t catch him, I would end up with a whole week of crooked pictures.

​In fact, I had to move one trail camera, because he figured out how to eject all the batteries from it. I will miss all his trail camera selfies and pictures of him waiting to attack the cameras behind my back. 

​This past week’s rainy weather also reminded me of how Kennedy disliked getting wet. Often if it was raining hard, he would refrain from walking. When the creeks we had to cross swelled, I would have to try to search upstream for a narrow place that Kennedy could cross. Nonetheless, he was pretty good at jumping across. 

​It never occurred to me how much his absence or the lack of any goats would affect my daily activities. We have gotten used to having goats for at least a decade. My spouse and I both talked about how we have engrained habits related to their care.
​
I still look out a window at an empty goat pen searching for him or Kyle. No one is there. 

​There were just three and me on the trail last week. Sadie, Clem and Gus were the sole members of my walking posse.

The loss of fur family members is always hard. However, I was thankful that I took so many photos.
It was like every day of their life had pretty much been documented.

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