New Happenings on Our Property

We are trying to make things easier around here. The Mister can no longer work so hard at getting the portable generator in place, hooking it up and storing enough gasoline to run it for several hours -  especially in sub zero degree weather. Winter power failures will definitely cause frozen water pipes. We can't have that!

Automatic standby generator delivered

It's definitely exciting to have these different and new things. "It's so nice to have some men about the house!" Their job was completed in one day!

A ditch is dug for wiring

Labor and brain in action

Eating and working at the same time

Trench will be deep

Breaker box nightmare - power off for 4 hours during work

All conduit finally installed and buried 

We are wired

Base built on site

Unit is absolutely level

Waiting for propane gas to be hooked into unit

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The Bald Eagle Visits

Sometimes two fly together high over the lake. Quite often we see only one sailing over the lake from a distant stand of trees to another. Last year we saw one on the dam shoreline rocks tearing a fish apart. This winter we saw one savaging a goose that was stuck in the ice. Today it was on the grassy bank eating "something." From my front porch chair I took pictures of the hungry bird feasting. On what this time? It departed once when there was a loud noise, probably a firecracker left over from last week.  It returned right away back to the same spot on the bank. It finally took leave and didn't return when a rowboat filled with fishermen came down the lake toward the shore. The Mister hopped in his truck and went to see what the meal was. There was a large carcass all stripped out with only feathers remaining. It was a goose. He saw its feet. Eagle dinner was over. An hour later it flew over again, dipped down quickly, and flew away. We think it was fishing but we couldn't see for sure because it happened so suddenly and it soared away fast. What a wing span!

Distance from my porch seat

Closer

Closer

Closer

Closer

Closer

Early evening it was spotted AGAIN - high up in the dying Basswood on our lakefront beach. I dashed outside and got a pretty good picture. (Burned the pizza that was in the oven too!) What a day! A mature bald eagle lives here and we are very lucky and enjoy our sightings.

What are you looking at?

click image to view even closer

The New Guy

This is our new helper - "master" of tree trimming and weed whacking. Since the Mister can't do all of the necessary yard tasks, we are very lucky to have this fella. He did some satisfactory chores for both daughter and her neighbor and charged $15.00 hour. He works constantly and gets it done very thoroughly and quickly, cleans up very well and is dependable. 

Now the limbs won't get entangled in my clothesline as before, and the small trees that have started to grow on the bank behind the cabin are removed. We have already engaged him to do the autumn gutter blowouts and the leaf blowing. 

Hostas are finallyblooming

Rock garden flourishes

Everything is GREEN

Back behind the cabin all cleaned out

Steep bank all Creeping Myrtle

Behind Myrtle many trees

Trees on top of bank

A mixture

Going up some more

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Great job well done. I regret not taking "before" photos. It was a mess!

Visiting Pair

My camera has given me really satisfactory performance for medium and close up photos, but when it comes to shots of far away critters, not so good. Guess I'll stick with 'closer to me' images; the 24X optical zoom is just not enough. Where can you buy a brand new camera for under $180.00 that works as well with most of my amateur efforts, as the one I have? It has had a lot of use since I bought it in November, 2012. All I have is all I really need. (For now.)

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The young pair just arrived.

A Canada Goose sees the "intruders."

The boldest confronts the goose.

Then decides to move away before feathers fly.

The first one leaves.

The 2nd one watches his partner's departure.

And joins in the flight awaaaay across to the other side of the lake.

They are both now on a goose-free piece of land. Only one is shown here.

Missy - HD 720p

 Missy had her eighth surgery on July 7. Her condition is very good today, and she'll be home in a day or two. Back problems have been serious for several years but she keeps on going. I'm VERY proud of her. Besides being a daughter and sister, she is a wife, a mother, an animal lover, a wonderful cook and a talented gardener.

Middle Daughter Missy Traits

 1-unpretentious

 2-forgiving

 3-candid

 4-sensitive

 5-nurturer

 6-resourceful

 7-considerate

 8-creative

 9-resolved

10-determined

More "Shrooms"

I'll just bet that you'd like me to stop my obsession with the "shrooms" that I've been showing you. Well, since they only appear in the summer, and are easily accessible to shoot, I will not stop - yet. Every time I examine them I discover something new.

Four days ago the Mister mowed the beachfront grass. I suggested to him that it would be OK to mow over the existing crop of mushrooms under the large Spruce tree. I already had my pictures.

This morning I was compelled to take more shots because they popped up again. (I knew they would.)

This one has collapsed

Do you see what I see?

It's hard to take pictures with sticky fingers, but I did!

I flipped it over (messy)

Yes, tiny maggots feasting!

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Now I wonder about the maggots! What will they become?

Research:

Gnat Fly Larvae

Internet picture

Fungus GNAT!  Mycetophilid larvae mostly feed on fleshy or woody fungi.

Internet picture

Informative Link

DID YOU KNOW?

The FDA allows 100 maggots for every 100 grams of canned mushrooms.

Canned mushrooms may have “over 20 or more maggots of any size per 100 grams of drained mushrooms and proportionate liquid” or “five or more maggots two millimeters or longer per 100 grams of drained mushrooms and proportionate liquid” or an “average of 75 mites” before provoking action by the F.D.A.

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Oh my gosh! I didn't know that!!!

The Agave Flowers

My friend, who still lives in SC near where we used to live has graciously sent me the final bloom pictures of the Agave plant. The last photo I took was on June 17. We left on the 19th.

She snapped these on July 5th; therefore, it took almost 3 weeks to reach the final stages of its life. 

Notice on the lowest branch the flowers are dead already.

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If you'd like to review the previous development and growth, check out my post here:
http://nookworm-connectionsmore.blogspot.com/2015/06/agave-bloom-2015-hd.html