End of Goat Story - Sit Spot #1162 - April 5, 2022

Alice is the far goat

Gertrude is the near goat

Photo from 2013

Yes,

names in memory 0f Gertrude Stein

and Alice B. Toklas

Photo from 2011

Alice on the balance beam

Gertrude on the ground

Alice's story at the end of this blog post

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 11:20 a.m.

Sit 1162  :  Brush Pile W  :  Cloudy 

+7° (+5°) E 13-19 kph 82% humidity 

Cardinals,

Song Sparrow,

(Traffic noises),

(Jet - United Airlines flight 408 . . .),

Crows, 

Extras:

Along the Trails -

Chickadees, 

Mourning Doves, 

Goldfinches, 

Cardinals,

Phoebe, 

Turkey Vulture, 

Crows, 

Song Sparrow, 

1st Field Sparrow, 

Robins, 

Silver Maples blooming,

p.m. -

Red Maple blooming by road,

Killdeer by road,

Kitchen Window and Bird Feeder -

Blue Jays,

Cardinals,

Chickadees,

Crows,

Mourning Doves,

Goldfinches,

Juncos,

Red-breasted Nuthatch,

White-breasted Nuthatch,

Robins,

Red-bellied Woodpecker,

Dark Paper Wasp in house,

Chipmunk,

Black Squirrel,

Grey Squirrel,

Red Squirrel.

End of Goat Story -

Our old goat, Alice,

with the taste of fresh strawberries

still in her mouth

thanks to Fleur-Ange

was helped to be at peace this morning

she had been hobbling

all winter

but was unable to stand on her own

for the last few days

and

in attempting to get up had smashed her head

against the barn wall breaking a horn

and had been bleeding excessively

very sorry to lose her

but glad she is out of pain

Leroy, our donkey

and goat protector

let out a loud bray

at the moment the vet said that

Alice’s heart had stopped beating

did Leroy know somehow

Alice and her mother

are now lying side by side

 in a hill 

overlooking the meadow

that is in the photo

at the top of this blog

a painful day for this blog writer

Viburnum - Sit Spot #1162 - April 4, 2022

(Alice, the goat, looking better

   but I kept her in the stall today,)

Sweet Viburnum Buds 

finally opening slowly

Monday, April 4, 2022 9:50 a.m.

Sit 1162  :  Brush Pile W  :  Sunny 

0° (0°) No wind 86% humidity 

Cardinals,

Crows, 

Blue Jays, 

(Traffic noises),

(Jet  - Republic Airlines Flight 4910…),

(Train),

Song Sparrow,

Dog barking in distance,

Extras:

6:30 a.m. -

Venus shining brightly,

Cardinals singing,

Robins singing,

Crows cawing,

2 ducks flying over east pond,

Along the Trails -

Chickadees,

Crows,

Blue Jays, 

Red-winged Blackbirds, 

Song Sparrow, 

Robins,

Cardinal, 

Bluebirds, 

Junco singing,

1st Phoebe in p.m.

4 Mallards in west pond in p.m. m.

Kitchen Window and Bird Feeder -

Blue Jays,

Cardinals,

Chickadees,

Cowbird,

Mourning Doves,

Goldfinches,

Juncos,

Red-breasted Nuthatch,

White-breasted Nuthatch,

Song Sparrow,

Starling,

Black Squirrel,

Grey Squirrel,

Red Squirrel.

Photo Site #4 - North Ridge Trail

(Goat Problem) - Wasp - Sit Spot 1161 - April 3, 2022

(I earned my keep as a goat herder this evening.
I'll write more tomorrow when I have time.)

Dark Paper Wasp

Sunday, April 3, 2022 10:55 a.m.

Sit 1161  :  Brush Pile W  :  Cloudy 

+2° (-1°) NW 11-17 kph  80% humidity 

Crows,

Song Sparrow,

Mourning Doves,

Cardinal,

(Jet - Alaska Airlines flight 77),

Woodpecker drumming in distance,

(Traffic noises),

Extras:

6:45 a.m. -

Snowing again,

Only crows calling,

Along the Trails -

Blue Jays,

Cardinal,

Chipmunk,

Red-winged Blackbirds,

Crows,

Mourning Doves,

Song Sparrow,

Rabbit,

p.m. -

Wood Ducks circling the west pond,

Turkey  Vultures circling the east field,

Wasp in house,

Kitchen Window and Bird Feeder -

Blue Jays,

Cardinals,

Cowbird,

Goldfinches,

White-breasted Nuthatch,

Red-breasted Nuthatch,

Robins,

Chipmunk,

Black Squirrel,

Red Squirrel.

Goat Problem -

When I went into the barn

in the evening,

Alice, our remaining old goat,

had the left side of

her head, shoulder, and leg

covered in blood and

was standing in a pool

of blood. 

She looked dreadful.

After a lot of careful cleaning

I did not find any cuts.

I think that it was 

a damaged horn.

She only has part horns

as one was almost totally

broken and the other about half broken

Each time there has been

a lot of blood but never as much

as last night.

I am hoping she will be

looking better tomorrow!

(No, you do not want to see what I saw!)

Photo Site #3 - West Meadow Viewpoint

Willow - Sit Spot #1160 - April 2, 2022

Photo Site #2 - East Willow

Twigs starting to turn colour

Saturday, April 2, 2022 10:50 a.m.

Sit 1160  :  Brush Pile W  :  Partly Sunny 

0° (-2°) S 6-9 kph 65% humidity 

Crows,

Song Sparrow,

(Jet - Air Canada Jazz flight 816...).

(Traffic noises),

Cardinals,

Chickadees,

Blue Jays'

Extras:

6:30 a.m. -

Cardinals singing,

Mourning Doves cooing,

Venus shining brightly,

Along the Trails -

Crows,

Red-winged Blackbirds, 

Donkey,

Robins, 

Cardinal,

Song Sparrow, 

Chickadees, 

White-breasted Nuthatch, 

Mourning Doves, 

Red-bellied Woodpecker, 

Blue Jays, 

Kitchen Window and Bird Feeder -

Blue Jays,

Cardinals,

Chickadees,

Cowbird,

Mourning Doves,

Goldfinches,

Juncos,

White-breasted Nuthatch,

Red-breasted Nuthatch,

Robins,

Starling,

Downy Woodpecker,
Red-bellied Woodpecker,

Chipmunk,

Black Squirrel,

Red Squirrel.

Flowers - Sit Spot 1159 - April 1, 2022

Netted Iris

A dwarf variety at the RBG

in a very sheltered courtyard

Beaked Hazel

A wild Shrub with tiny, tiny flowers

Friday, April 1, 2022 5:15 p.m.

Sit 1159  :  Brush Pile W  :  Cloudy 

+2° (-4°) W 35-50 kph 55% humidity 

Wind in trees,

(Traffic noises),

(Jet - Air Canada Jazz flight 259...),

Crows in distance,

Extras:

6:45 a.m. -

Cardinals singing,

Mourning Doves cooing,

Crows cawing,

RBG Spicer Court blooms -

1st Red Hellebore,

1st Netted Iris,

Scilla,

Snowdrops,

Winter Aconite,

‘Arnold’s Promise’ Witch Hazel,

RBG Hendrie Valley blooms -

Skunk Cabbage,

Speckled Alder,

RBG Arboretum blooms -

Skunk Cabbage,

Common Chickweed,

Turkish Hazelnut Tree,

American Hazel shrub,

1st Beaked Hazel Shrub,

‘Auroa’ Witch Hazel,

‘Barmstedt Gold’ Witch Hazel,

‘Brandis’ Witch Hazel,

‘Cyrille’ Witch Hazel,

‘Jelena’ Witch Hazel,

‘Pallida’ Witch Hazel,

‘Primavera’Witch Hazel,

‘Rochester’ Witch Hazel,

‘Westerstede’ Witch Hazel,

‘Winter Dawn’ Witch Hazel,

Chinese ‘Wisley Supreme’ Witch Hazel,

Vernal ‘Sandra’ Witch Hazel,

Along the 5:00 p.m. home Trails -

Chickadees, 

Song Sparrow, 

Mourning Doves,

Red-winged Blackbirds,

Robins,

Kitchen Window and Bird Feeder -

Blue Jays,

Cardinals,

Chickadees,

1st Cowbird of season,

Mourning Doves,

Goldfinches,

Juncos,

White-breasted Nuthatch,

Red-breasted Nuthatch,

Red-bellied Woodpecker,

Black Squirrel,

Grey Squirrel,

Red Squirrel.

Photo Site #1 - East Pond