Eight & 322/Eight & 27
[email protected]
  • Eight & 322
  • Sports
  • Arts
    • Artist resources
  • The Nature of Things
  • Eight & 27
  • News From You
  • Purchase Photos
  • The Photo Dude
  • Editorial
  • About
  • Community Photojournalism presentation

Is someone building an ark?

6/22/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
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. 
Picture
​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.
Picture
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.  ​​
Picture
Tadpoles in vernal pool
Picture
Picture
Bullfrog tadpoles
Picture
Picture
​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. 
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
0 Comments

Hoppy, flopping, Easter

4/18/2025

0 Comments

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

Picture
Clem
Picture
Clem
Picture
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. 
Picture
Sadie















​
(Author's note: This was Sadie's final costumed photo shoot before her passing. As always, she handled it like a pro.)
Picture
Jeb
Picture
Jeb
Picture
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. 
Picture
Gus
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
Lil' Bit
Picture
Wiggles
 However, Ernie was clearly the winner of the most offended look. That's just the nature of things 'round here. 
0 Comments

Peaks and valleys

4/18/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
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.
Picture
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. 
Picture
Milo
Picture
Sadie loved to swim whether it was cold or warm
Picture
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.
Picture
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.

Picture
Picture
Daffodils
Picture
Periwinkle, vinca minor or myrtle
Picture
Trailing arbutus
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
May apple in mid-April
Meanwhile, the rain and warmer temperatures brought forth some new plant growth.
Picture
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.
Picture
Tulip
Picture
Tulips
 The last frost dates varied over the past few years; April 30, 2022; May 10, 2021, and May 14, 2020. ​​
Picture
Bleeding heart
Picture
Picture
​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.
Picture
Damaged bird feeder
While I wasn’t thrilled about the bear visitor, I anxiously awaited the arrival of the ruby-throated hummingbirds. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
Picture
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. 
0 Comments

Marching ahead

3/16/2025

0 Comments

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

Picture
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. 
Picture
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.”
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
Daffodil
Picture
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. 
Picture
Eastern comma
​Meanwhile, other signs of spring have been popping up.
Picture
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. 
Picture
Skunk cabbage
PictureMallard 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. 

Picture
Canada geese
Picture
Gray comma
Picture
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. 
Picture
Wood frog
PictureWood 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. 

Picture
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. 
Picture
​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. 
Picture
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.
Picture
Picture
​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. 

Picture
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. 
Picture
Eastern comma
0 Comments

Icy reception

2/23/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
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. 
Picture
Jebediah
Picture
Jeb
Things were very different from his birthing place and there were new faces and smells. ​
Picture
To make things worse, his new human mom put a hat on him. 
Picture
However, Jeb took things in stride. It only took a couple of days to figure out the dog door. 
Picture
He finally settled down enough to enjoy his doggy pillow. 
Picture
Gus and Jeb
Gus and Jeb hit things off. However, Gus had to be careful not to step on the diminutive bloodhound. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
Jeb and Otis
When Jeb greeted Otis, he was welcomed in goat-fashion with an attempted headbutt. 
Picture
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.  
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
Picture
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. 
0 Comments

Winter waning??

2/3/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
​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. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Allegheny River at Oil City
Picture
​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.

Picture
Oil Creek at Oil City
Picture
​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. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
​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. 
Picture
​The freeze and thaw cycle created some interesting ice formations on the area streams.
Picture
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. 
Picture
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.
Picture
That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
0 Comments

A little bit of caution and a whole lot of luck

12/30/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
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.
Picture
Gus Gus
Picture
Picture
I marked the area of the bear den for future reference.
Picture
Picture
Picture
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. 
Picture
The late Buford
Picture
Coyote
Picture
Fisher
Picture
Fisher
Picture
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.
Picture
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.  
Picture
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. 
Picture
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.
Picture
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. 
0 Comments

Naughty or Nice

12/18/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Wiggles
"Twas" many nights before Christmas and the creatures were stirring all around the Applegate house. They were being pursued by a crazy photographer lady in search of some holiday hat photos. Some of the persecuted were nice about wearing Christmas décor.

Others were not-so-cooperative. 

This year one of the best photos came from a not-so-nice feline expression.

​Wiggles, hands down, exhibited the best “bah humbug” expression I have ever photographed. The 13-year-old calico seemed to be saying that she was way too old for these shenanigans. 
While we have six cats total, only one more feline could be rounded up for the holiday humiliation. 

​Lil’ Bit begrudgingly donned a Santa hat against his will. He sat peacefully before escaping hat-free. 
Picture
Lil' Bit
Picture
Clem
An early December snowfall provided and excellent backdrop for the canines' Christmas photos.

Clem, the pro poser, was nice as ever during the photo session.

I had purchased an extra-large elf costume. However, it didn't fit around his chest or hind end.

​It was only secured around his neck. Nonetheless the dedicated hound dog, took things in stride. 
His stoic poses in a Santa hat always make me giggle. 
Sadie,below, begrudgingly wore the elf costume.

​She looked like the epitome of Christmas costume suffering. 
Picture
Clem
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Sadie
She also grew bored with the candy-cane striped antlers. 
Picture
Gus
Picture
Gus
Gus Gus struck a serious Santa hat pose as well. He also had a cute reindeer antler shot. The latter was due to his chomping on a treat at the time of the photo. 
Picture
Otis
I managed to capture a photo of Otis, the goat, in reindeer horns. Thank goodness it was a Sunday closed to hunting. I could only affix the horn headband once he was nose-deep in the treat bag. 
Picture
Milo
Meanwhile, Milo escaped the clutches of the holiday hat fiasco. I can get him to eat out of my hand, but once I try to place a hand on him; he runs away. That's just the nature of things 'round here. 
0 Comments

Snow: Love it or Leave it?

12/16/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Gus
Picture
Picture
Gus, Clem and Sadie
​On social media, some folks seem to have a love or hate relationship with snow.

Here at the Applegate household, the canines love the snow. However, the goats are not so fond of the white stuff.
​I like the fact that snow provides me with photo opportunities.  

I don’t care for the challenges it brings while driving.

​However, I am willing to forego the disadvantages of snow for some great photos.

A couple of snowy days earlier this month had me anxious to get out and about in the weather. 
The snowfall around Dec. 5-6 was awesome for pictures.

​ Clem, Gus and Sadie delighted in roughhousing in the white powder. 
Goats Milo and Otis did venture out after most of the snowflakes stopped falling.

​I was able to snap a photo of Otis near a Christmas goat flag which may have been quite ominous for him.

There was not much green for them to eat except for evergreens. 
Picture
Otis
They seemed quite fond of white pine boughs. However, I noticed their beards appeared to be greasy. I discovered that it was pine pitch. I had no idea how to get pitch out of a goat’s beard and had no intention of trying. ​
Picture
Milo
​The snow on Dec. 11 was the most picturesque so far this season. Everything was outlined in white.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The scenery had changed completely in just a few hours. I have gotten turned around in some of these snowy scenes as the landscape becomes somewhat foreign to me.
​
I’m not the only one who appreciated this type of scenery. 
​“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost was pretty much spot on for describing late evening winter views.

Frost’s words, “The only other sound is the sweep of easy wind and downy flake,” rang true that evening of Dec. 11.
​
I wasn’t the only one taking photos. 
The trail camera also snapped a couple nighttime shots of swirling snow. ​
Picture
​Nonetheless in terms of snowfall totals, the snow event on Dec. 5-6 had more of the white stuff. According to the National Weather Service’s weather station at the Venango Regional Airport, there was a total of eight inches of snow over those two days.

​That early December snowfall surpassed the normal total of 6.2 inches for Dec. 1-18.  
Picture
​Meanwhile, December totally snowed in November’s numbers. The weather station reported that for November of this year there was only a trace of snow. That total was below the normal tally of 2.6 inches.
November was also lacking in the rain category. The total for November 2024 was 3 inches which was slightly below the average rainfall of 3.41 inches.

The U.S. Drought Monitor report released Dec. 12 still listed most of Venango County in the abnormally dry range. However, the year-to-date precipitation accumulation for Franklin was set at 46.97 inches on Dec. 7. This was still above the average of 44.82 inches for the same period, according to National Weather Service data.
Picture
​With the eight inches of snow melting and recent rainfalls, the Allegheny River started to fill its banks. The river at Franklin was forecasted to crest Dec. 17 at 9.17 feet. The river had ranged between 3.25 feet and 5.9 feet in late November and early December. The level started moving upward Dec. 9.
​
Meanwhile, the river was open with no ice formations. The neighbor’s pond had ice and then it didn't. 
Picture
Picture
​Cold snaps provided some nice abstract ice formations. Frost formations were a little harder to come by as I only ventured out in the evening when temps usually were warmer.

As temperatures bobbed up and down, forecasters attempted to determine if the region would have a white Christmas.

I gazed upon several predictions. Some ranged from snow to freezing rain. Weather.gov as of Dec. 18 was calling for a high near 38 on Christmas day with a chance of rain. 
​
The National Weather Service's Pittsburgh office posted on its Facebook page that the city's chances for a "White Christmas" this year were looking low, "but you can always still ask Santa for a miracle."
​
The post continued that Pittsburgh's last "White Christmas" was in 2022. However, the office said this year will definitely be cooler than last year. 
"Last year, the high temperature on Christmas Day was 60°," the office posted. ​ There may be folks that don’t want snow for Christmas, but I’m pretty sure that no one really wants freezing rain on that day either.
​
This winter season we have already used the snow blower twice. That was the total number of times it was used all last winter. I wondered if that meant that we were done with the heavy snow this winter. If we aren’t done with the snowblower just yet, this winter will no doubt set the record on the number of times the device has been used over the past few years.  That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
0 Comments

Gracious surprises

11/28/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Clem, Gus and .... Sadie
Gray, dark, chilly and damp... that was all I was going to have to say about November. The title of this blog was slated to be "Not so much, November." The gray days and lack of sunlight was getting to me. 
Picture
However, some much needed rain and a rainbow delighted me on November 20. Originally, I headed out on the drizzly evening without a camera. Rain showers ensued. Then the sun appeared creating a brilliant spectacle on an otherwise dreary day. I ran across two or more acres to retrieve my camera. Thank goodness, it was all downhill. The dogs excitedly ran with me, apparently thinking I was in hot pursuit of some prey. 
Picture
I'm sure I was quite the sight in a bright yellow rain slicker running in the rain. The rainbow was a gracious surprise and a delightful detour from the gray skies. 
Picture
Sun dog
Earlier in the month I was surprised by some other rainbow-colored phenomenon. 
Picture
Sun dog
"A sun dog is similar to a rainbow and more common," wrote author James J. Garriss in an article about sun dogs posted on www.almanac.com. He continued to explain that both rainbows and sun dogs are formed by moisture filtering the sunlight.

"A sun dog is seen about twenty-two degress (22°) to the left or right of the Sun. Sun dogs often form in pairs on either side of the Sun," Garriss wrote. 

One other interesting point was that to view a rainbow, one must look away from the sun, and, to view a sun dog, one would look toward the sun. 
Picture
Meanwhile as the days grew shorter, I found some solace in the flowers blooming in the basement. They basked in the artificial sun of some grow lights. The shortest day of the year will be Dec. 20 or Dec. 21 with only 9 hours, 13 minutes and 51 seconds of daylight. However, the earliest sunset is right around the corner on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 at 4:50:41 p.m. 
Picture
Lil' Bit
The flowers had been able to enjoy the real sun and protection from the frost on the front porch. Lil' Bit also soaked up the sun on his hammock. However, December temperatures quickly cooled and even the porch became too cold for both the flowers and the cat. 
Picture
Clem and Sadie
The lack of light for our evening walks was not helpful as far as photography. However, the dogs provided some inspiration. They also discovered a rather morbid surprise in early November.
Picture
Picture
It was the heavily decomposed remains of an eight-point buck that I had captured on the game camera several times this year.

They had visited the area where he lay about a week earlier, but I paid no mind as no one seemed to be rolling in or eating anything. However, the pungent odor of decay led me to check out the area. The buck was such an awesome photo subject even though I technically never snapped the shutter.

​I decided to call the Pennsylvania Game Commission and get a salvage permit. The cost was $10 a point.

The deer was so far gone, I only obtained the head. While talking with the game wardens, I said I watched the buck on camera and never named him. One of them suggested "Louie," and the name stuck. I was able to show them some photos of Louie before his demise. Louie in some earlier photos had what appeared to be a wound on his left check that would heal and then open again.

The wardens surmised that this or possibly a bad shot led to his death. There wasn't much left of Louie to tell that story. So, while holding my breath, I attempted to clean Louie up as much as I could. However, I left most of that job to a local taxidermist and his skull-cleaning beetles. 

I planned on doing a European skull mount as there was really no flesh left to persevere. Louie's skull should be ready in a few months. In the meantime, I decided to gather photos of Louie from this year.

​I hope to mount them in an old window frame somewhere near the skull. Louie deserved to on display even if nature didn't necessarily have those plans for him. 

Picture
While I wait for the return of Louie, I'm still thankful for little surprises that help brighten my dreary days. My first snowfall with Milo and Otis was entertaining. Otis was willing to brave the weather and venture outside the pen. Milo, despite his longer coat, abhorred the snow and frantically called Otis to come back inside their shed. 
Picture
While I try to cope with the lack of sun, the trail camera has been stealthily snapping away.

I appreciated the fact that it was able to capture some photos in the fleeting moments where the sun was out. I did hope for some snow to provide some brighter scenery.

​I desperately wished that in our travels we would not come across any more deceased deer.

​However, it was hunting season.

Nonetheless, a couple of inches of snow could make anything disappear until the temperature warms up and that's just the nature of things 'round here. 
Picture
2025 Nature of Things calendar available. The cost is $13.75 a piece. Calendars can be mailed for an additional $7. Email [email protected].
0 Comments

Wet and wild winter??

11/5/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
What kind of winter will it be? Here are three different opinions on the subject.

Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Farmer’s Almanac cited that La Niña would have an impact on this winter season.
​
The Climate Prediction Center, a division of NOAA’s National Weather Service released its outlook for December 2024 to February 2025 on Oct. 17. 
Picture
​“This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska.

Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions are expected from the Four Corners region of the Southwest to the Southeast, Gulf Coast and lower mid-Atlantic states,” the center stated in the post. 
​
“This winter, an emerging La Niña  is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center. 
Picture
​“Unfortunately, after a brief period in the spring of 2024 with minimal drought conditions across the country, more than a quarter of the land mass in the continental U.S. is currently in at least a moderate drought,” said Brad Pugh, operational drought lead with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “And the winter precipitation outlook does not bode well for widespread relief.”

The report went on to forecast warmer-than-average temperatures for parts of the eastern Great Lakes and seaboard.
​
It also predicted wetter-than average conditions in the Great Lakes state. 
Picture
Picture
Meanwhile, The Old Farmer’s Almanac projected a “temperate, uneventful winter—potentially a welcome reprieve from the extremes of recent years.”, according to Carol Connare, the Almanac’s editor-in-chief.
​
The post’s accompanying graphic depicted our region as being sandwiched somewhere between cold and dry and mild and dry.  
​The Farmer’s Almanac, in contrast, forecasted a wet winter whirlwind.
​
“Taking into account the effect La Niña has on the weather, along with our long-standing formula, we anticipate the winter of 2024-25 will be wet and cold for most locations,” said a post on the almanac’s website.

The season’s coldest temperatures will be found from the Northern Plains to the Great Lakes region. 

​But areas east of the Rockies into the Appalachians will also experience many periods of cold conditions.

The coldest outbreak of the season will come during the final week of January into the beginning of February, when frigid Arctic air brings a sharp plunge in temperatures almost nationwide, but especially across the Northern Plains.

​ As this very cold air blows across the Great Lakes, heavy snow showers and snow squalls will bring intense bursts of snow to the lee (east) of the Lakes,” the Alamac’s post said. 
Picture
Meanwhile, a graphic on the almanac’s site depicted that western Pennsylvania is on the fringes of both white and wet and mild and wet.
Picture
​While not everyone enjoys snow, the region could benefit from some form of precipitation. Early rain showers in April had Franklin’s total precipitation-to-date at 41.58 inches which was slightly above the normal of 39.82 inches.

However, the drought monitor continued to expand its listing of abnormally dry for most of Venango
County. The report released Nov. 7 showed an expansion of dry conditions throughout most of the state. 

At the beginning of November, Pennsylvania’s Drought Task Force declared a drought watch for 33 counties. Two counties, Schuylkill and Berks, were declared to be under a drought warning. 
Picture
Venango and other northern counties were not included in the watch. However, much of the state faced the risk of brush fires.

On Nov. 4, the Venango County Commissioners issued a burning ban for the entire county. Despite one tenth of an inch of rain earlier this week, the ban appeared to still be in effect. 

“Much of the Commonwealth is at a high risk for fire danger as a result of dry conditions, and it is critical that Pennsylvanians use extreme caution when handling fire or avoid any burning as these conditions persist,” Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said.
​
More rain could be on the way on Sunday if weather forecasts pan out. 
Picture
​Franklin finished out October with 1.71 inches of rain which was more than two inches short of the average of 3.76 inches, according to National Weather Service data.

​However, Franklin’s precipitation-to-date was still running slightly above the normal of 39.82 inches with an accumulation of 41.58 inches since January 2024. 
Picture
​Franklin also ended October with warmer than normal temperatures. The average high for October 2024 was 65 degrees compared to a normal high of 61.4 degrees.
​
Speaking of warmth, Franklin’s temperature for Nov. 5 reached 75.9 degrees, according to data from the National Weather Service station at the Venango Regional Airport. A later check of Franklin's monthly data listed 77 as the high for the day. It didn’t appear to be a record. The National Weather Services’ almanac showed that Franklin's highest temperature for Nov. 5 was 78 degrees in 1935. 
Picture
 However, the Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service posted on its Facebook page some climate site that either tied or broke their record high temperature for Nov. 5.
​
They included Pittsburgh: 81 degrees so far (previous record 80 degrees in 1948); Zanesville, Ohio: 82 degrees (79 degrees in 2022); New Philadelphia, Ohio: 80 degrees (79 degrees in 2022) and Dubois: 79 degrees (76 degrees in 2022).
Picture
​While the fall so far has been warm and dry, it remains to be seen what winter will bring.

I did spot a reportedly winter prognostication wooly bear caterpillar. It was predominantly light brown in color which supposedly meant a mild winter. It wasn’t wet, but it wasn’t raining. So, I couldn’t tell if there were any predictions on winter precipitation.

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

Hounded by Hats

10/23/2024

0 Comments

 
The time of year had come when bouts of maniacal laughter were heard from the Applegate estate.

The Applegate critters ran in fear when the bag of Halloween costumes emerged from its hiding place.

​However, many did an about-face once the bag of treats was opened. 
Of course, Clem was his super professional poser self.

​He patiently kept his getups on for many minutes at a time.

This happened while I tried in vain to get all three canines costumed and sitting calmly.

​It didn't (and never) happened. 
This year I was able to find an extra-large spider dog costume that could fit my huge hounds.

​Clem proudly displayed the "scary" outerwear. He didn't even seem to mind.

 I surmised that the costume fit more like a dog jacket than something that only goes over the head.

However, it was strange to me that the costume has eight stuffed legs.

​Then you add Clem's four and we could be going for more of a caterpillar vibe.
Sadie was also forced to wear the arachnid getup.
Picture
Clem
Picture
Clem
​She wasn't pleased. I thought she was the saddest spider I had ever seen. ​
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Clem posing while Sadie eats a small pumpkin.
Picture
Gus
I draped the costume over Gus while he was resting on his chair. I didn't attempt to secure it, because I'm not sure it would have fit around his hefty chest. He was not impressed either. 
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Gus
Picture
Gus
Picture
Gus
Gus additionally dressed up as the cowardly lion.

​His lowered head showed that he wasn't thrilled with the lion's mane.

He kept approaching me and burying his face in my jacket.

​It almost made me feel bad, but not bad enough to try out a couple more hats. 
Sadie managed to sit pretty with a pink sombrero on.

​She was distracted by the miniature pumpkins that I added as props.

​She distracted herself from the humiliation by chewing on the orange orbs. 
While she was chomping on one, I was able to get a shot of the furry alien hat. It was a little hard to photograph this costume.

​The eyes didn't really stand out. It was difficult trying to get a good exposure on a dark dog and a bright green fur piece. 
Sadie and Clem also donned some devil's horns.

​That was when Clem became bored with the whole ordeal. 
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Otis
Picture
Clem
I then turned my attention to a new victim, Otis. I only had seconds to snap a photo before he ran off stomping and jumping. He did a little better with the llama hat because he was eating treat at the time.
Picture
Otis
 I confess I did have to check the hat's tag to see if it was supposed to be a llama or an alpaca. It was weird that llama Otis had four ears and a whole other face. 
Picture
Milo
I didn't try to outfit Milo with any adornments. He's still pretty spooked by getting touched. In fact, while he was being subdued for a vet checkup, he may have dislocated a vet tech's finger. Although, I must admit that he would make an awesome Santa goat around Christmastime.

​I'll have to decide if I wish to chance bodily harm or not. That's just the nature of things 'round here. 
Picture
0 Comments

Brrrr…illance

10/19/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hillside along Old State Road
Autumn colors arrived. However, so did colder weather. The region will see its best autumn colors beginning today according to the In the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Oct. 17 fall foliage report.

​The DCNR graphic listed Venango County as at peak color. 
Picture
Autumn colors reflected on the surface of the pond.
​“Consistently cold nights and cool days have spurred a very colorful change in Penn’s Woods. Bright color can be found from the southern Poconos though the middle and southern Appalachians. The Allegheny Plateau is gorgeous from northwestern Pennsylvania to the southwestern reaches of the Commonwealth,” said the report.
​
“Leaves are falling, but there is still plenty of color to enjoy in the northwestern woodlands of Pennsylvania,” reported the district manager in Cornplanter State Forest.
Picture
​In the Oct. 10 report the manager said that at stormfront earlier this month brought some leaves down.

The manager said the front also ushered in cooler night temperatures, which has encouraged the development of fall colors in northwestern Pennsylvania.  
​
I agreed with the assessment that the region was at peak color. On my drive home, colorful maple trees and others lined Bredinsburg, East State, Tippery and Old State roads. Of course, a rain cleared pond meant that colorful reflections of autumn were easily captured daily. 
Picture
Otis
Picture
Milo
​I observed that a lot of leaves had already fallen. There were quite a few bare trees. However, the oaks along the Allegheny River in Franklin had only started to get a touch of gold added to their greenness.
Of course, the goats Milo and Otis didn’t mind the fact that there were multitudes of leaves on the ground. They quicky commenced cleanup from the leaves that had already fallen in the yard. 
Picture
Chrysanthemums
​Sadly, the leaves would soon be the only things of color. As colder temperatures meant the end of the growing season. Frost and freeze warnings for the region were posted over the past week. The Old Farmer’s Almanac said Franklins median first frost date Oct. 17 on its website. However, the post noted that frost dates are only an estimate based on historical climate data and are not set in stone. 
Picture
A search of National Weather Service data listed a mean of Oct. 5 for Franklin reaching 32 degrees in the fall. Last year, Franklin reached 32 degrees on Oct. 23. In 2021, it was Nov. 4 before Franklin saw its temperature drop to 32 degrees.

Garden.org had a cool frost dates chart on its website.
​
“Your risk of frost really begins around October 5, and by October 25 you're almost certain to have received at least one frost event,” the post said about the region.
Picture
Trees along Sawtown Road.
​National Weather Service data for Franklin showed that the coldest temperature so far this month, 33 degrees, was recorded early in the morning on Oct. 17.  A check of the data from a Clarion County weather station reported that on Oct. 11 the temperature fell to 32 degrees. 
Picture
Camp Coffman Road is visible through an electric company right-of-way.
​Nonetheless, the Applegate canine crew enjoyed the cooler temperatures. Sadie, the Newfoundland, decided that it was still warm enough to swim. There were still attempts at frog hunting despite the lack of frogs due to the chilly air.
Picture
Sadie
While the cold had decreased the insect activity a little, one such pest seemed to be increasing their numbers.
Picture
Meadowhawk dragonfly
Picture
Clem looking for frogs.
The dogs had ticks.

The goats had ticks.

Even I had ticks on me. So, it was definitely a good time to check for ticks before heading indoors.

​Meanwhile, various passing cold fronts delivered some rain to the region in September and October.

September 2024 finished up with 5.25 inches of rain which was higher than the average of 3.94 inches.

​The two highest days for September precipitation were Sept. 7 with 1.7 inches and Sept. 25 with 1.33 inches.

The highest daily rainfall total so far for October was Oct. 13 with .85 inches of rain.
​
The U.S. drought monitor released on Oct. 17 continued to list most of Venango County as abnormally dry. 

The additional moisture from September brought forth some interesting fungi to the woodlands.
Picture
Gem-studded puffball mushroom
Gem-studded puffballs with their white coloring stood out against the forest floor. Several internet posts and my field guides listed it as an edible mushroom. Since I don’t eat mushrooms, I’ll take their word for it. I hunt for photo subjects and not snacks.
Picture
Bear's head tooth fungus
 I discovered some bear’s head tooth fungus while mushroom hunting. The fungus was listed as a choice edible in my field guides.
Picture
Bear's head tooth fungus
“Hericium americanum, … is an edible mushroom in the tooth fungus group. It was described as new to science in 1984 by Canadian mycologist James Herbert Ginns,” said a post on Wikipedia.

“The fungus is commonly found on decaying trees in the Northern United States and Canada. It grows exceptionally well in the environment of temperate deciduous forests,” the post continued.
I found at least two patches of the shaggy looking fungus. 
Picture
Asian beauty fungus
​I thought I had found the mushroom on several other timbered treetops. After some research I discovered that this was not the case.

A post on www.fungusfactfriday.com that was published by Thomas Roehl on Feb. 22, set me straight. It turned out that the fungus was not even from North America which is why I couldn’t find it in my guidebooks.
​
“R. copelandii is a distinctive fungus that produces a mat of whitish teeth along the surface of recently dead broadleaf trees, usually oaks.  The mushroom recently arrived on the continent from Asia, which gives the mushroom its common name, ‘Asian Beauty.’  The Japanese names for the mushroom are “Sagari haritaki” and “hanging needle mushroom.”  R. copelandii is currently spreading in eastern North America and is quickly becoming one of the most common mushrooms within its range” Roehl wrote. 

Picture
“Given its prevalence and Asian origin, R. copelandii is likely an invasive species.  For something to be considered invasive it must meet two criteria: 1) it is not native to a region and 2) it causes harm.  R. copelandii is definitely not native to North America.  However, nobody has ascertained whether the species is causing harm somehow.  Since it is now one of the most common mushrooms within its North American range, it seems likely that R. copelandii is outcompeting native species,” Roehl cautioned in the post. ​
Picture
Acorns
While the added precipitation was a boon to area mushrooms, the downpours created a walking hazard in some parts of the forest. As the rain brought down the leaves, it also felled many, many acorns. The nuts were turned into flying projectiles propelled by gravity and wind. I felt as though I would need to take my hard hat home with me to safely traverse the woodlands.

​Acorns were down everywhere. At points, it was like walking on marbles.
Picture
While acorns littered the ground, there also seemed to be an abundance of apples as well.

Additionally, just about every apple tree in my area had fruit on the trees and covering the ground underneath. 
Picture
Neighborhood does
This wealth of food sources had area wildlife on the move preparing for winter.
Picture
Picture
​Many different critters were active including a bear that the trail camera captured in late September. ​
​
The neighborhood deer herd was often seen out in full force grazing.
Picture
Chipmunk
Picture
Bull elk grazing near Benezette.
In the woods, chipmunks could be heard chipping everywhere.

At every alert, a flurry of canine paws headed off in the direction of the sound.

​As with frog hunting, those hunting attempts were not successful. 
​However, during our annual trip to Benezette in early October, we only saw a couple of elk.

One was a big bull who attracted a crowd as he grazed along the roadside.

He was there for quite some time.

When I got a closer look at a photo I had taken, I figured out the reason why.

​Above him was an apple tree with full branches of fruit. 

​Back at home, the birds were busy as well.

​My last hummingbird sighting was in late September.

I transitioned the hummingbird camera over to a regular bird feeder.

For several days not one bird appeared.

Then one chickadee showed up. He was featured in several videos. While 20 seconds isn’t a very long time, it only took about five seconds for the chickadee to grab a seed and fly away. Within a week I had another visitor, a male cardinal.

​He seemed very content to fill time with videos of him cracking open sunflower seeds. 
Picture
Gus on frog patrol
Picture
Clem and Gus

​Cold and colorful could have been used to describe the region over the past few weeks.

Forecasts show a warmup. As the temperatures climbed, the leaves came down. My fur-coated friends sure enjoyed the cooler temperatures. However, I'm pretty sure that the higher temps won't necessarily slow them down too much. As for me, I’m not sure if I will need a winter jacket or no jacket at all. Nonetheless, I will make sure, jacket or not, that I check for ticks after being outside. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
​
Below is a slideshow with about a month's worth of photos due to the fact that I am a procrastination pro. That's my true nature. 
0 Comments

Train of thought derailment

9/16/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sadie
​On a past Friday, I thought I could beat the rain, but I didn’t. We needed the good downpour. However, I was a little uncomfortable being soaking wet and a few acres from the comforts of a dry home. The dogs didn’t mind, they had already been swimming in the neighbor’s pond. 
Picture
Clem
​I thought I could keep the dogs dry during the following Saturday’s walk. I didn’t.
I decided that it was cool enough that Sadie, Clem and Gus didn’t need to swim in the neighbor’s pond.
Sadie, a Newfoundland, was always the hardest to keep out of the water. I kept repeating “Drinks only, no swim.” Unfortunately, sly Sadie would often pretend to get a drink and then lay down in the water. 
Picture
Gus
​That Saturday, treats were used to distract the dogs while I quickly grabbed a card from the trail camera at the pond.

We then proceeded around the pond as fast as possible to stop any last-minute dips. However, we still had another creek to cross that Sadie liked to “fall” into.

We managed to cross the stream without incident with the aid of more treats and the distraction of a chipmunk.

However, the lake effect showers were deceitful that day.

One minute the sun shined.

​Then the wind picked up and the rain came. 
​So much for dry dogs. We headed for the nearest conifer tree, which was a hemlock. I have found that with a light rain, sheltering under a large white pine or hemlock tree will keep you somewhat dry.
Picture
I thought the rain had subsided when we headed out from under the tree. It  didn’t. Thankfully, I had a jacket on due to the previous day’s miscalculations. 
Picture
Sadie
​I thought it would be easy to dry off the dogs when we got home.
It wasn’t.

I got distracted by a fungus that I wanted to photograph. I didn’t notice that Sadie decided to squat in a puddle she found.
​
Puddle squatting is worse than pond swimming as it leads to more mud. When drying the dogs off with a pet dryer,

​I would often get sandblasted with whatever debris was in their fur.
​Thought I had all the trail camera cards last Saturday, but I didn’t.

Apparently in my haste to keep the dogs dry, I put the cards in my jacket pocket and not my backpack.

​ I guessed that somewhere along the way a card fell out of my pocket and into the wilderness.

​I wasn’t’ so much mourning the loss of the card as I was sad that I would be missing a week of photos. 

​​I thought could find the lost trail camera card by walking the goats. I didn’t.
Picture
Wild turkeys
Picture
Milo and Otis
Picture
Milo
 ​However, Milo and Otis got a decent walk around the pond trail circuit. We did not attempt any water crossing during this outing.
Picture
Otis
I thought I knew what the goats would like to eat.

I didn’t. 

​It turned out that Milo and Otis have slightly different tastes than Kyle and Kennedy had. Kyle and Kennedy were never impressed with any of the apples in our yard but loved crab apples. Milo and Otis discovered the apple tree and make a beeline for it whenever they can. Kyle and Kennedy voraciously trimmed the overgrown forsythia plants in the area. Milo and Otis could care less. 
​I thought the goats escaped, but they didn’t. A check of a camera that covers the goat pen revealed some brown figures outside the fence.

​However, the figures turned out to be deer and Milo and Otis remained captive.

After some freedom from the pen, Otis had decided that he was a free-range goat.

​I explained to him that that wasn’t going to happen. 
Picture
​I thought I had enough bird seed in the feeder, but I didn’t.
​
A trail camera placed in the front yard revealed that the birds weren’t necessarily the reason why I was filling the feeders every day.

​A large buck and a doe were draining the bigger bird feeder at night. 
Picture
Gus
Picture
Clem
​I thought had cooperative dogs, but I didn’t.

Clem was cooperative for the sunflower photoshoot. He has learned if he just puts up with the nonsense for five minutes, he will get a treat. Photos of a costumed Sadie(top of this article) had to be captured within the 10-second window of her flinging off the yellow headdress.

​Gus just kept heading toward me with a shameful and painful look. It was as if he was pleading with me to take off the stuffed yellow torture device. 
Picture
Mexican sunflower
​I thought I would have time to photograph some hummingbirds on the flowers, but I didn’t.

I waited around the garden for them to feed on the Mexican sunflowers. I tried to hide, but they spotted me.

Their numbers have dwindled. It was possible that the two or three birds I had visiting my feeder were not my regulars. Therefore, they would be a little more wary of me.
However, my trusty feeder camera was on the job capturing some of the last of the tiny, winged ones before they headed south. As of Sept. 16, no hummingbirds were visiting that feeder.
Picture
Pearl crescent butterfly
​I thought the still blooming Mexican sunflowers would bring in some butterflies. They didn’t.

​While the hummingbirds would feed on the bright orange blooms, I didn’t observe any butterflies. There were a few fritillaries floating around elsewhere. Near the pond, several tiny pearl crescent butterflies were sighted. 
Picture
Common eyelash fungus
Picture
Oyster mushrooms with bugs
Picture
Birch polypore
I thought I was done finding mushrooms to identify. I wasn’t. 

The dry weather seemed to have stunted some fungus growth.

​Nonetheless, I discovered another patch of oyster mushrooms.

​They were about 20 feet up a tree and had gone to the bugs already.

​I spent countless attempts to get a good photograph of some birch polypores that were thriving on the remnants of a thin and broken birch tree.

​ A couple of Facebook friends and their apps helped me identify some common eyelash fungus that I found on an old oak tree.
Picture
​I thought I wouldn’t write about the weather, but I did.
​
The U.S. Drought Monitor graphic released last Thursday, Sept. 12, showed continued abnormally dry conditions for most of Venango County.
“The new Drought Monitor .... shows a slight expansion in drought in OH/WV. A large area of D4 (exceptional drought) still lingers in eastern Ohio.

Unfortunately, no precipitation is forecast through at least Tuesday … which will continue to worsen impacts,” the National Weather Service Office out of Pittsburgh posted last week.
​
However, the office offered a little hope with a graphic posted Sept. 15.

The illustration depicted a 30 to 40 percent chance of Venango County receiving .50 inches of rain from a tropical disturbance off the coast of the Carolinas.

​The disturbance is expected to move inland and affect portions of the region by mid-week, according to the office’s Facebook post.
​
However, updated forecasts only called for a 20 percent chance of rain in the region. Wednesday came and delivered some misty sprinkles. The next chance for rain was predicted to be Monday, Sept. 23.  
According to 
Picture
Picture
National Weather Service data, Franklin’s precipitation to date as of Sept. 16 was 36.48 inches. That total was above the normal of 34.27 inches for that period. The normal precipitation for the month of September for Franklin was 3.94 inches and so far, the region has received 1.91 inches this month, according to weather data.
​

The normal temperature for September was around 74.2 degrees. However, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s Sept. 23-29 outlook called for a 50 to 60 percent chance of above average temperatures. 
Picture
Desmids
​I thought the vernal pool would be dry after more than a week with no rain. It wasn’t.
Upon approach, frogs leapt from the tall grass into the puddle. Water samples revealed quite a few microscopic creatures. Among the most plentiful were desmids.

​According to the Oxford Dictionary, desmids are” a single-celled freshwater algae which appears to be composed of two rigid cells with a shared nucleus. The presence of desmids is usually an indicator of unpolluted water.” However, the neighbor’s pond was still sporting a green cast to it from a continued euglena algae bloom. 
​I thought I would have time over the past weekends to sit on my front porch and I did.

​However, I didn’t have as much time relaxing there as Lil’ Bit did.

He slept and bathed himself in his hammock. I attempted to take photos of his spa day. However, his bathing involved scenes that were too risqué for photography.  
Picture
Lil' Bit
Things don’t often turn out to be what we thought they would be. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
0 Comments

Moving forward

9/5/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Monarch butterfly on Mexican sunflower
With the start of meteorological fall Sept. 1, two Pennsylvania centered blogs have already issued their fall foliage forecasts. However, the Pennsylvania DCNR won’t start releasing its popular Fall Foliage Reports  on www.dcnr.pa.gov until the end of this month.
Picture
PaBucketlist.com which is authored by Rusty Glessner posted a graphic that predicts Forest and Elk counties’ foliage will peak the week of Oct. 8 to 14 with Venango and Clarion sporting their brightest colors the following week from Oct. 15 to 21.
Meanwhile, Uncovering PA by Jim Cheney predicted that Venango, Clarion, Forest and Elk counties would all reach their most colorful foliage during the second week in October. 
​Commenters on both blog’s Facebook pages wondered if the leaves would even last until October due to the drier summer in some parts of the state. 
Picture
Picture
Pear crescent butterflies
​The most recent U.S. Drought monitor graphic released Thursday depicted that the northern half of Venango County and all of Forest County were still in the abnormally dry category.

The southwestern corner of the state did not fare so well with some counties ranging from moderate to severe drought.  
​
A check of the National Weather Service data for Franklin showed total precipitation up to Sept. 5 coming in at 34.69 inches which was still above the normal of 32.56 inches for the same period.
​
Another graphic showed Franklin finishing out the month of August with 5.52 inches of rain compared to the normal of 4.24 inches of rain.
​
The National Weather service out of Pittsburgh offered a little hope on their Facebook page. The post said rain is in the immediate forecast, “but will be followed another stretch of dry conditions the second half of the weekend and next week.”  
​As the chances of rain stalled so did the numbers of hummingbirds visiting my feeders.

As we move forward toward fall on the calendar many of our winged friends started their annual migration. The hummingbirds were no exception. However, I was able to get my new hummingbird feeder up before they leave for the winter.
Picture
Jewelweed
Picture
Ruby throated hummingbird
It includes a video camera triggered by motion. During installation I was surprised when “it” started talking to me during the mounting process. Here it was my husband who was setting up the technical aspects of the device. He discovered that the camera had a speaker and could double as a security camera if needed.
At first, I questioned why a bird feeder would need a speaker… so you could talk to the birds. I could only imagine it being used as an intercom with a conversation like: “Humee to the house. Humee to the house. The feeder is out. The feeder is out. Over!”

“House to Humee. Running low on sugar situation is dire. Over.”
​

While I don’t plan to use the speaker much, it was so awesome to be able to see the hummingbirds in action up close. 
​Meanwhile, I moved forward with my plans to fill the empty goat pen. After months of staring at an unoccupied shed, I finally made a move.  ​
Picture
Otis
Milo and Otis came to live with us at the beginning of August. They were still trying to get used to the dogs. They adjusted to their new home within a week. They are both around three years old. Milos is a long-haired buck, and Otis is a short-haired wether. 
Picture
Milo
​Otis has wattles. Wattles are skin appendages found on some goats. Internet reports claimed they were evolutionary remnants of a gland that common day goats no longer needed. They serve no purpose and aren’t unhealthy. However, some breeders for appearance purposes will remove the skin tags when the animals are young. 
Picture
Otis
​A vet visit for shots revealed that Otis and Milo may in fact be a little chunky and will have to cut back on the grain.

We were starting the process of walking without the dogs who get overly excited. The goats were still adjusting and didn’t venture far from their shed. Hopefully in time everyone will get along.
While Milo and Otis enjoyed eating some goldenrod, other late summer flowers were able to bloom despite the drier than normal conditions. ​
Picture
Goldenrod
​In addition to the goldenrod, wild asters, nodding ladies’ tresses and jewelweed decorated the fields and forest with their flowers.

​The winterberry bushes went straight to decorating for Christmas with bright red berries and green foliage. 
Picture
Asters
​Back in the garden blooming Mexican sunflowers attracted a few monarch butterflies.

​They were very scarce this year, but I think I may have seen a few more than last year. 
Picture
Monarch butterflies
​Meanwhile, there was no scarcity of frogs at the neighbor’s pond. I enjoyed a good chuckle on Sadie’s behalf. She takes her frog hunting very seriously. Stalking a frog can take minutes of stealth movements. While cropping a photo of Sadie in the pond, I spotted a frog in the lower righthand corner of the photo. Sadie was oblivious.  
Picture
Nodding ladies' tresses
Picture
Winterberries
Picture
Sadie
Picture
Male goldfinch
​Even if we try to remain oblivious to the seasons changing, nature will surely remind us. Fall foliage and fall migrations will move us forward whether the weather cooperates or not. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
0 Comments

Liar, liar

8/18/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Morning glory
​All I did was write about drought, hot days and lack of various mushrooms. Mother Nature made a fibber out of me. However, the U.S. Drought Monitor map released this past Thursday, Aug. 15, still showed portions of the northern two-thirds of Venango County in the abnormally dry category.
Picture
​Despite only a trace of precipitation from the remnants of Debby, Franklin received 1.93 inches on Aug. 7, according to National Weather Service data. The rainfall total so far for August 2024 is 4.18 inches which is above the normal of 2.49 inches for August. Franklin’s precipitation-to-date for Aug. 17 came in at 33.23 inches which was above the average of 30.11 inches.
Picture
Elderberries
Picture
​The U.S. Drought Monitor’s Aug. 15 report removed several counites in the middle of the state from drought designations. Although, the western half of Elk County was still listed as abnormally dry despite some rain from Debby. Several posts on the Friends of Benezette Facebook group showed muddy water inundating several places. A video revealed that the driveway for the Elk Country Visitor Center turned into a raging downhill river.  A PennDOT news release from Aug. 9 announced that “a section of Route 555 in Elk and Cameron counties has been closed due to flooding."
 
“As of 11 a.m. Route 555 is closed from the intersection of Rock Hill Road in Benezette Township, Elk County, to the intersection of Route 120 in Driftwood Borough, Cameron County,” the release stated. The road was later opened after flood waters receded.

Picture
Sensitive fern
A review of National Weather Service data from the DuBois Regional Airport in Clearfield County displayed the precipitation totals for the region.
 
The weather station reported that on Aug. 9 the region received 1.28 inches of rain after seeing two days with .8 inches of accumulation. The region experienced 3.79 inches of rain so far in August which was well above the normal of 1.3 inches for the entire month.
Picture
Begonia
The precipitation-to-date at DuBois Regional airport was reported at 31.87 inches for Aug. 17. That total is above the normal level of 27.27 inches.
 
Meanwhile the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s six-to10-day outlook valid for Aug. 17 to 21 called for near normal temperatures and a slightly above average chance of precipitation.
 
However, the outlook for Aug. 22 to 26, called for a slight chance of below normal temperatures and a 40 to 50 percent chance of below average precipitation.
 
While the weekend was a little wet, the upcoming forecast called for things to dry up after that.  l did not see a chance of rain until Thursday, Aug. 29. 
Picture
Oyster mushrooms
The moisture from last week's rain aided in a boom of mushroom growth. The tables have turned. I am not seeing any jack-o-lantern mushrooms. Other varieties were popping up every day.

After the rain, I couldn't believe my eyes. At the amount of Oyster mushrooms appearing on dead trees. While there were several lookalikes for the fungus, I was able to confirm my identification by smell.
​
Author Walter E. Sturgeon wrote that the " odor (was) fragrant at times... anise-like or fruity. "
It was a very nice smell for a mushroom.  Although I had to admit that I never sniffed a fungus before.  

Picture
Parasol mushroom
​American parasol mushrooms also decorated our trails in the woods.
Sturgeon described the cap as a choice edible, but the stem should be discarded.
 "The true Macrolepiota procera is a species known from Europe. Our species differs but in most guides it can be found under this name. … Our Parasol Mushroom will someday have a new name",  Sturgeon added in his explanation of the mushroom.  As I kid, I would find these and give them to my Grandfather Weckerly who liked to eat them fried in butter.  However, at the time we knew the mushrooms by a different name. 
Picture
Bolete mushrooms
Various Bolete mushrooms were scattered about the forest floor. Identification for me was tricky.  For a proper identification, a spore print and dissection were needed

 The Western PA mushroom club has a great guide Boletes on their website at Boletes | The Bolete Filter (wpamushroomclub.org).
​
Some boletes were edible, some were not. Nonetheless, a few boletes in my area were consumed and I was fairly sure that it wasn’t by humans. 
Picture
Sunflower with fritillary butterfly and bumblebee
​Meanwhile, other plants benefitted from the rainfall. Jewelweed blooms were observed as well as hawthorn berries.  The sunflowers went crazy and were attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.  Despite my previous observation of short stalks, quite a few rose the occasion and were towering over the rest.  
Picture
Ruby-throated hummingbirds
While the hummingbirds had many flowers to eat from, they still chose to squabble over the feeders.  I believe at last count; we were up to eight or nine fighting over the two front feeders
 That total didn’t include the feeder in the backyard. 

​I had read a post on Facebook that stated that the male hummingbirds would start their departure by the end of August. Local birder Gary Edwards in his book” Birds of Venango County” listed the hummers latest departure date as October 9. 
Picture
Sadie
​As the rain helped green up the garden, it washed the color out of the neighbor's pond. I felt confident enough to let the dogs back in to swim.as the water had cleared from signs of an algal bloom.

 However, my relief was short-lived. After four or five days the pond returned to being green. I took a few water samples and turned to my microscope to deduce a culprit. 

My samples and some random research led me to some little … critters called Euglena.
​
"Euglena is a genus of single cell flagellate eukaryotes. ... Species of Euglena are found in fresh water and salt water. They are often abundant in quiet inland waters where they may bloom in numbers sufficient to color the surface of ponds and ditches green (E. viridis) or red (E. sanguinea), " a post on Wikipedia said. 
Picture
Euglena
Further exploration led me to confirm the Wikipedia entry that euglena viridis was responsible for green blooms while Euglena sanguinea was responsible for the red ones. The red blooms were often referred to as red tides. The blooms are deadly to fish as they obstruct the fish’s breathing.

Since the bloom in the pond was green, I focused my efforts on euglena viridis.

An overview of the flagellate on microbenotes.com provided some useful information. 

 "It is a solitary and free-living freshwater flagellate. It is found in great numbers in stagnant freshwater ponds, pools, ditches, and slowly-running streams, etc., containing a considerable amount of vegetation,” the post stated. “Ponds in well-maintained gardens, containing decaying nitrogenous organic matter, such as feces of animals, leaves, twigs, etc., are a good source of this organism.  It multiplies rapidly and forms green scum on the water surface (like algal blooms) under favorable conditions.”
Picture
Another post from the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website investigated research that tried to narrow down which euglenophytes were responsible for the harmful algae blooms.

​ “Euglena sanguinea is known to produce the alkaloid toxin euglenophycin and is known to cause fish kills and inhibit mammalian tissue and microalgal culture growth.

​An analysis of over 30 species of euglenoids for accumulation of euglenophycin identified six additional species producing the toxin; and six of the seven E. sanguinea strains produced the toxin,” an abstract on the study said.
​
If I understood the information correctly, while Euglena virdis was involved in the testing it was not found to produce the toxin.

Another post on the center’s website added an interesting tidbit of information about the toxin created by euglenophytes.
Picture
Picture
Euglena
​An abstract stated that “a Euglena-derived natural product, has shown that it can be utilized as a potential anti-cancer drug.” 

​In the meanwhile, another bout of rain cleared the neighbor’s pond again of the second algae bloom. While the gardens and the forest's received water recently, forecasts said that may be it for quite a few days. Mother Nature is the only one who knows; and she likes to make a liar out of me. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.
0 Comments

Boom or bust

8/1/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Ruby-throated hummingbirds
Picture
Picture
Picture
Hummingbird clearwing sphinx moth
Picture
Tiger swallowtail, silver-spotted skipper and bee
Picture
Monarch butterfly
​For the past few days, a flurry of tiny wings has plagued my hummingbird feeders.

Over the years, late July and early August have always seen a boom in the hummingbird population around my home.

​The yearly uptick in these small angry birds is most likely due to their breeding and the hatching of smaller angry birds. Ruby-throated hummingbirds typically lay two eggs and can have up to two broods per season, according to internet research.

The numbers do add up.
​
Our record for the most hummingbirds at a feeder at one time was at least a dozen.
This year so far, we have counted five at a feeder.

However, I had spaced my feeders apart. It had become nearly impossible to get a good count.

​Nonetheless, I deduced that this was a good year for hummingbirds. 
​Another visitor to the yard that can sometimes be mistaken for a hummingbird was a sphinx moth.

I have seen one or two of these neat little creatures so far this year.

​It was a hummingbird clearwing.

​Other years I have had higher numbers of the clearwings and few different types of sphinx moths visiting. 
​This year seemed to be a good year for various swallowtails.

I have seen a decent number of both tiger and spicebush swallowtails.

One boon that aided the butterfly boom was that milkweed had begun growing near the neighbor’s pond.

​There were a few days that the blossoms were bursting with butterflies. 
​In late July, I saw my first monarch sighting of the year.

I desperately hoped that it would be a good year for monarchs.
​
While I wished for more butterflies, I did not want any more deer flies. 
​Unfortunately for the deer and those who also traverse the woodlands, this year was booming with deer flies.
​Several photos on the trail cameras showed deer covered in insects. The cameras were able to pick up more than just bugs. 
Picture
​There was some new blood in the form of fawns that increased the neighborhood deer population by at least two or three.
​
Undoubtedly, they too will have to suffer due to the higher number of deer flies.
Picture
While flies can be pests, they do serve as a meal for other creatures like spiders and birds. 
Picture
Six-spotted fishing spider
​I was able to land a photo of a large fishing spider at the neighbor’s pond. It was a six-spotted fishing spider.

Females are larger than the males and can reach up to 2.4 inches long including their legs.  

​While fishing spiders mostly prey on aquatic insects, I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate to snack on a deer fly if given the opportunity. 
​
Meanwhile for the dogs, swimming was a bust.

​The lack of recent rainfall had made the water stop flowing into and out of the neighbor’s pond.

There was some algae growth that had me concerned. 
Picture
Possible algae bloom
Picture
Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) are microscopic bacteria found in freshwater lakes, streams, ponds and brackish water ecosystems, according to an article on the Pet Poison Helpline website.
​
They can produce toxins (such as microcystins and anatoxins) that affect people, livestock and pets that swim in and drink from the algae-contaminated water. … Algal concentrations vary throughout the year but are most abundant during periods of hot weather in mid- to late-summer months and are most likely to be found in nutrient-rich water,” the post continued.
​
The article went on to say that not all algae blooms produce toxins. Testing would need to be done.
​
“Thus, all blooms should be considered potentially toxic,” the post warned. 

Sadie, Gus and Clem were reduced to wallowing in a couple of inches of water upstream where the water was still flowing.
​

There was no doubt that the lack of rainfall in June and July caused problems for more than just swimming canines.

The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Aug. 1 showed an increase in areas dealing with drought.

​All of Venango County was listed in the abnormally dry category.

The southwestern parts of the state were in moderate to severe drought. However, the cut off for the precipitation data was at 8 am. Tuesday, July 30. Much of Tuesday’s rain amounts may not have been included in the data. 
A quick check of National Weather Service data showed a precipitation deficit for June and July. According to the service, July is supposed to be Franklin highest month for precipitation during the year with a normal 5.32 inches. With .45 inches from rains the previous week and an additional .31 inches from this past Tuesday, Franklin finished out July 2024 with only 2.43 inches of rain. June 2024 ended with 2.66 inches of rain with the normal number being 4.86 inches.
However, with the help of some spring rains, Franklin was still ahead in terms of year-to-date accumulation, according to the weather service. 
.According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, “spring and early summer rainfall completely alleviated drought concerns across the Midwest … However, the reprieve was short-lived as extreme heat and below-normal rainfall drove the expansion of drought in Ohio and Kentucky over the last 5 weeks.”
​
An article by Ian Livingston about the drought in the east was posted on msn.com.
“A 'flash' drought — described as such because of its rapid onset — developed over large parts of the eastern United States during June and persisted through July. In early June, only South Florida was experiencing drought, but it has since expanded to cover a zone from Ohio to Georgia and several surrounding states,” Livingston wrote.
​
 “In recent weeks, parts of North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee have seen more regular rainfall, easing the drought. Still, rain remained spotty overall in July, which is typically one of the wettest months of the year, so a lot more precipitation is needed for a larger area to see significant improvement,” Livingston continued. 
Some relief may be on the horizon. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s 8-to-14-day outlook issued through Aug. 15 called for slightly above average chance of precipitation.
​
The 3-to-4-week outlook showed above average chances for precipitation.
Picture
Picture
Dewberry
Picture
Red-spotted purple butterfly
Picture
Spicebush swallowtail
Picture
Picture
Sunflower
Picture
Calla lily
Picture
Calla lily
The prediction center also posted a graphic on drought status that provided some hopeful information. Most areas of Pennsylvania currently listed in drought status were in the category to potentially have the drought status removed. Further south into the Virginias in areas that were listed in severe to moderate drought, it was predicted that the drought would remain, but that conditions would improve. ​
Picture
Cone flowers
While the rain may return, it didn’t seem like the warm weather was going anywhere fast.  
“Cooler weather may not arrive until November, as the nation battles an oppressive record-toppling heatwave,” said an article on msn.com. 
​
 The climate prediction center’s 3-to-4-week outlook called for above average temperatures, as well. 
Picture
Begonia
Picture
Turk's cap lily
Picture
Purple milkwort
​The hot dry weather had an impact on my flowers and vegetables this year. It was safe to say that this year’s sweet pepper harvest will be a bust.

​I couldn’t get them to thrive no matter what I tried. To make matters worse, the plants were then eaten by the deer.

​My beans and potatoes were chewed upon as well.

The only thing booming in the vegetable garden weren’t vegetables at all.

​Surprisingly, the sunflowers that I planted grew and filled their row quite nicely. They seemed a little shorter than years before. I surmised this could be due to the weather or just the variety of seeds I had chosen. 
​In the flower garden, my calla lilies were doing better than they had in other years. This was the first time in two years that the yellow one flowered. The cone flowers were thriving as well. Two begonia plants that I wasn’t sure were going to survive surprised me. They appeared dead when I put them in the basement for the winter. This summer they were bursting with blooms.  
​This year however will be a bust for photos of Turk’s cap lilies. Photos on Facebook from earlier years showed robust orange blooms. There were at least three to five blossoms on each plant. This year I only saw one tiny one that was growing by my house. The others had been chopped off when the electric company cleared their right-of-way. They will grow back, but there was a lack of photo opportunities for the year. 
Picture
Ghost pipes
Growing in a safe place away from the electric company’s right-of-way, was some milkwort. The tiny purple flower appeared to be weathering the weather and putting out more blooms than I had seen before.
According to a post on paenflowered.org, field milkwort blooms from June to October. 
​
“On close examination the individual flowers are fairly complex in structure. Two large sepals, three small sepals and three small petals combine to form a tubular flower with wings,” the post said.
The post added that the plant’s common name comes from the old belief that eating this herb would increase milk production in cows or for nursing mothers.

When crushed, the root gives off a wintergreen odor. It is sometimes called purple milkwort, blood milkwort or candy root, the post continued. 
Picture
Jack-o-lantern mushrooms
In the woods, a plant without Chlorophyll appeared to be trying to beat the heat and dryness.

​Ghost pipes or monotropa uniflora were seen in numbers comparable to years before. However, after breaking the surface the plants quickly dried out and didn’t seem to have the longevity that they had had before.

In an article posted on usda.gov about the plant, author Chantelle DeLay answered the question of how the plants survive without chlorophyll.“Ghost pipe saps nutrients and carbohydrates from tree roots through an intermediate source, myccorhizal fungi in the genera Russula and Lactarius,” DeLay explained.
​
While the plant’s numbers were strong, they only lasted a day or two until the heat baked the life out of them. 

​​Meanwhile this year brought feast or famine from some other fungi.
​I felt like I was seeing Jack-o-lantern mushrooms popping up everywhere.
Picture
Jack-o-lantern mushrooms
Picture
Jack-o-lantern mushrooms
Picture
Chicken of the woods
They were thriving when other mushrooms like chanterelles were affected by the dryness.
I found one very large grouping of the “jacks”. They had grown completely around a large dead tree.
The mushrooms are reportedly bioluminescent. I had a crazy idea to take the dogs and a tripod out after dark and try to get a photo.

Along with one slightly irritated husband, we made the ten-minute walk to a couple patches of the orange mushrooms. We saw nothing. Disappointed, we trekked back home.
​
I wondered why we didn’t seem to see anything. A little searching on the internet helped me understand.  
“The jack-o'-lantern mushroom is orange. Its bioluminescence, a blue-green color, can be observed in fresh specimens in low light conditions once the eye becomes dark-adapted. The whole mushroom does not glow—only the gills do…”, said a post on Forest Wildlife.
Picture
Queen Anne's lace
“The light produced is a pale greenish yellow, similar to a firefly’s glow, but the glow is easy to miss except on a very dark night with little other light interference,” the post added.
​
I surmised that I didn’t let my eyes adjust and was possibly viewing the mushrooms from an angle that their gills were not visible.
The post also went on to explain why the mushrooms glow.
It stated that “the mushrooms glow to attract insects, which in turn act as ‘pollinators’ to help spread the mushroom spores. This phenomenon is known as foxfire.”
However, even the “jacks” were affected by the dry weather. While their numbers boomed, the dry heat severely impacted their longevity. 
I was able to find some chicken of the woods or sulfur shelf mushrooms. They were not as plentiful as in other years.
​
Unlike the toxic jack-o-lantern the chicken of the woods is edible by most people. However, some people could have adverse reactions to the fungus. 
Some things like the "jacks" have thrived in this current weather. Other things are just trying to survive this current weather.  I wondered if the region and other areas would receive enough rain to end the "flash drought" conditions. I hoped that the dogs could return to swimming in a pond with flowing water. I questioned if the warm weather continuing into the fall meant that my pepper plants might have a second chance at life.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.  
0 Comments

The scope of things: Vorticella

7/6/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
(Author’s note: The Scope of Things hopes to provide brief descriptions of some of the intriguing creatures I have viewed under the microscope. I’m not a microbiologist. This is my attempt at trying to make sense of a small but vast world of organisms we can’t see with the naked eye.)
​

Imagine my surprise when I saw a bell with small hairlike structures that could create tiny whirlpools to feed itself. Its unique shape was indeed a great help in identifying it. 
Picture
“Vorticella … are tiny, single-cellular, animal-like microorganisms. Vorticella is known for its bell-shaped head with a conspicuous ring of cilia (hair-like processes). … Vorticella can live in a variety of freshwater habitats, including ponds, pools, and ditches. They wave their cilia to bring food into their mouths,” said a post on rsscience.com titled "Vorticella – The Miniature Tulip Bouquet in the Microscopic World."
The organism belongs to a genus of ciliates, according to a Wikipedia entry.
“Ciliates are an important group of protists, common almost anywhere there is water—in lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, and soils, including anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitat,” said Wikipedia post. 
Picture
In fact, water samples taken from both the neighbor’s pond and a vernal pool both contained vorticella.
 There are over 150 different species of Vorticella, according to the rsscienc.com post. 
Other internet posts explained how the microorganisms are commonly seen together like a bouquet or bell choir.

However, the vorticella I viewed were all singular.
​
Nonetheless, together or apart these protists were certainly fascinating.

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

Nature and the three Ps

7/5/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Sometimes it has felt like I needed persistence, perseverance and patience to accomplish some of my goals.

Moreover, I believed that nature has demonstrated to me each one of these concepts.
​
However, a photo of a frog I took over the past few weeks had me wondering which concept nature was trying to show me. There were several flies sitting on the frog’s head.

“Was it a case of a very patient frog waiting for the right moment to act?,” I pondered.
​
Perhaps it was just some very persistent flies providing proof that bugs do indeed bug everyone. 
​Nonetheless, nothing exemplifies perseverance like a trail camera. Rain, shine, heat and cold, the trusty cameras take photos.

Besides being resolute in all kinds of weather, the cameras exemplify patience, at least as far as the motion sensors are concerned.
​
They show peaceful moments like a buck walking by the neighbor’s pond in the morning and not so peaceful shots like a skirmish at the salt lick.

One camera was able to catch a small fawn following its mother in late May of this year.

​No fawns appeared on the camera until July 4. Those photos showed three little ones with a doe.

​There have been lots of bucks from little to larger sporting still growing antlers.
​
However, even the most persevering cameras can be fraught with failure.

​Whether it was
failing batteries or a bunch of ants building a nest, the cameras were not ever enduring. That was where the patience part of the equation came in. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Persistence, patience and perseverance were always needed when photographing butterflies, dragonflies and birds.

The efforts to try to capture the “perfect” photo could drive one to insanity.

​I managed to capture a few photos of orioles and hummingbirds so far this year.
 
While resting dragonflies were easy photo targets, those on the move required a lesson in persistence and patience. 
Picture
Twelve-spotted skimmer dragonfly
Picture
Female Baltimore oriole
Picture
Female ruby-throated hummingbird
​Photographing butterflies provided lessons as well.
Patience was waiting for the butterfly to open its wings and persistence was trying to chase it down once it took flight.
Picture
Fritillary
Picture
Spotted wintergreen
Flowers additionally provided illustrations of persistence and perseverance.

There were quite a few spotted wintergreen plants that appeared to be thriving this year. In early July, parts of the forest floor were dotted with these small, perennial, evergreen herbs that are native to eastern North America.

​Most of the wintergreen plants that I have observed have persevered on land that was a former strip mine. ​
Picture
In other spots, daisies flourished in soil that was devoid of other plants.

In the garden, I was delighted by the blooms of flowers that overwintered in the basement.

​Begonias that had been reduced to roots produced lots of leaves and blooms. 
Picture
However, some tadpoles in a vernal pool did not appear to persevere during a June heat wave.

I was away from home during the period of intense heat and humidity in mid to late June. I couldn’t keep tabs on the vernal pool with a lot of what I believed to be wood frog tadpoles.

​A check on them at the end of June revealed a dry pool. There were a few times in this late spring where I had added water to the puddle until there was enough rain to fill it back up.
Picture
I was unsure of their survival. I asked the internet search engine Bing what happens if the vernal pool dries up before the tadpoles reach maturity.

“They all die,” was the answer presented in very large letters.

My heart sank, but I still had a little hope that the tadpoles may have matured.
Wood frog tadpoles take from 6 to 12 weeks to develop from tadpoles to frogs even though it takes years for them to mature as frogs.

My first photo of eggs was taken March 29th and I hoped that some of the tadpoles reached froghood before the pool dried up. Next year if the rain doesn’t persist, I vowed to make the choice to relocate them to the neighbor’s pond.

​There were already some wood frogs breeding there this past spring. While the water levels fluctuate, the tadpoles should be able to persevere. 
Picture
​While I was away, the region had persevered during a string of very hot and humid days. According to National Weather Service data, June 2024 finished out with Franklin seeing five 92-degree days during the period from June 18 to June 24.
​
The average temperature for the month was 82 degrees which was slightly above the normal average of 78.7 degrees. The month was short on rain with 2.66 inches compared to the normal of 4.86 inches.
Even though it was warmer, those high temps didn’t break any records.
Picture
Juvenile toad
​According to data, June 18’s record high was 95 in 1994; June21’s record high was 98 in 1933; June 22’s record high was 100 in 1933; June 23’s record high was 96 in 1923; and June 24’s record was 95 in 1923.
Meanwhile the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s 8-to-14-day outlook issued on July 5 called for above average temperatures. The graphic for precipitation called for a slightly above average chance of precipitation. 
Picture
Fledgling chipping sparrow
​Data also showed that for Franklin, July was the month with the highest temperatures. The normal high was 82.7 degrees with an average low of 59.6 degrees. While I don’t have any official data,

​I have observed that our nightly lows recently haven’t dipped down into the lower 60s let alone the upper 50s. Forecasted lows for July were predicted to be in the upper 60s for the next week. 
Picture
​Will the area have to preserve through yet another heat wave this summer? That was something only nature knows and another lesson we might have to learn. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here. 
0 Comments

Stand alone photos put together make quite a nature gallery

5/15/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
During my tenure at the paper, it wasn't too uncommon for you to hear an editor to tell you to find a stand-alone photo. That usually meant the stories for the front page didn't have photos to accompany them. I would then type in the term "stand alone" into the Associated Press search site. Up would pop hundreds of gorgeous pictures from the day that didn't necessarily have articles attached. 
​
That memory seemed appropriate for my latest blog as I didn't have much but a bunch of unrelated photos.
 
The one photo that exemplified the term stand-alone art was a picture of a cinnamon fern in a shaft of sunlight. It happens a lot when walking, that the right lighting will just highlight something under the dark canopy of the forest. I received some favorable compliments when I posted it to a Pennsylvania native plants Facebook group. Despite the fact that it really wasn't a good photo for identification purposes, the picture was well-liked. 
Picture
Cinnamon fern
Picture
Dame's rocket
Picture
Scaly inky cap
Picture
Possible common mycena
Picture
Oyster mushrooms
Picture
Red spotted newt in its red eft stage
Picture
The sunshine spotlight trick also worked with a photo I snapped of a dame's rocket flower.

Unfortunately, the flower is not native to Pennsylvania and is considered an invasive species.

However, this group of flowers grow in a manmade valley of an old strip mine where there is a dump.

​ It serves various butterflies in the area and shows no signs of spreading from its current location. 
Located in the same dump area was a grouping of scaly inky cap mushrooms.

Their appearance conjured up images of a small fairy village.

The cluster was quite large and spread over a 10-foot area.

​As a mushroom afficionado and not connoisseur, I should note that the mushroom is not considered edible. 
A cluster of what I believed to be common mycena mushrooms garnered my attention.

The tiny fungi popped up through the moss on a decaying log.

​According to an internet search, the mushrooms are not edible. 
The underside of some edible oyster mushrooms provided a unique view.

When I posted a photo of the fungi on a mushroom gathering Facebook group, most of the comments were "yum, oysters."

​However, I noted that the mushrooms had already gathered some bugs and were nearing the point of being beyond consumption.

Returning to the tree I discovered some more prime specimens growing further up, but harvesting would have required a ladder. 
Meanwhile, colorful little newts appeared along our path.

They were red-spotted newts. They live on land in their red-eft stage for several years. Then when they reach adulthood, they will live in the water to breed. 
​
The frog sightings were more prevalent as the weather grew warmer. I was actually able to snap a stand-alone photo that I had imagined earlier in the spring before the frogs were even out.
I saw a broken branch lying on the edge of the pond water. My first thought was to pick it up, but then thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be cool if a frog sat on that?." Low and behold, a few months later, my request was granted. ​

I found a snail shell along our daily walks. I moved it slightly into the sunlight for a better photo.

​To my surprise, it was actually inhabited. I was generally amazed, because I usually only discover the shells after the occupants were gone. ​
Picture
Chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly
Meanwhile back at the neighbor's pond, several dragonflies provided photo opportunities. I observed that one day there were only three or four flying around. The next day many more had hatched and there were too many to count.

​I noted that I generally see chalk-fronted corporal dragonflies during the first week in June. This year it seemed their appearance was approximately two weeks early. 
Picture
Lady slipper orchid
In the woodlands, the lady slipper blooms were starting to fade. Without any goats to distract, I was able to get a few more close-ups of the native orchids. 
Picture
Picture
Bumblebee feeding on foxglove
Picture
Wood satyr butterfly
Picture
Red-spotted purple butterfly
In the garden, a pair of color complimentary irises stood out against the background. 
Meanwhile, the foxglove blossoms were being visited by various pollinators.

​Due to its aggressiveness in spreading, the plant was seen in both the woodlands and garden areas. 
Speaking of pollinators, various butterflies were out and about.

​A wood satyr stopped its flitting long enough for a photo. 
After seeing several red-spotted purple butterflies flying around,

I was able to finally get a photo of one.

​While the photo wasn't necessarily the best, it was still better than the first attempt.

​There had been one flying around the dog kennel area.

When I grabbed the camera, my settings were set too dark, and the photo didn't turn out.

I was discouraged, but immediately perked up when the butterfly came back for second chance.

The settings were good, I just had to wait for it to land.

​However, Lil' Bit, the cat had other ideas and pounced on the butterfly.

I had to abandon my photography efforts to release the butterfly from the cat's grasp.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here. 
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    "The Nature of Things" features the writings and photographs of Anna Applegate, who is a lifelong resident of Pinegrove Township, Venango County. She is a graduate of Cranberry High School and Clarion University. After a 15-year career in the local news industry, she made a change and now works at a steel finishing plant in Sandycreek Township. She is a avid lover of animals and nature, and a gifted photographer.

    ​Very happy to be able to share Anna's great "The Nature of Things" blog.

    Check out Anna's other artwork here!
    Picture

    ​Sponsors
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    June 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly