Mar
25
2016
I decided to visit my creek. Half the time or more it is dry. We have been getting some rain and I glanced down in the water and saw a ?frog disappear under a rock. That was a first. It is not unusual for toads to be found in our front yard. Sometimes I even find toads in our garage. That was the first time I ever saw a frog in that tiny creek.
Aug
9
2013
For the second time I saw the tiny toad at the entrance of the garage. And today I saw a larger one disappear into the garage. That is three different sized toads I saw living in our garage. I guess there are enough bugs caught in spider webs for them in our garage.
Jun
13
2011
You never know what creatures you will see around my house. Last week I flushed a deer in the woods out back. It must have been drinking water from the tiny creek there. It is not unusual to see deer in the area although that was the first time I spotted one in our yard.
A few days ago I moved my mower which was on our front porch and a two inch black toad hopped away and disappeared into a crack between the porch and wall. I had never seen one that color before although I have seen many toads of all sizes on our porch that are attracted by the bugs the porch light brings.
Just today I saw a chipmunk on the limb six feet up on a branch of our white pine viewed from (???) of our living room. Usually he is only seen scurrying on the ground helping himself to the bird seed scattered on the ground. I know they can climb but that was an unusual spot to see him. You never know what animal you are going to see. We live on the edge of the countryside.
Mar
23
2011
I wonder who will show up at my doorsteps. Each year toads, of all sizes, from tiny to humongous, show up attracted by the insects the porch light collects. Every year or two a large box turtle comes from the tiny creek in back of our house.
Sometimes it can be found sunning himself on the slab of concrete in back. I never (???) exactly what creature will make an entrance. Twice we saw large orange salamanders in the yard.
We usually uncover them accidentally: they like moist environments. I had no idea of their exact identity.
Once my wife saw a wild turkey in the front yard. They are in the area but I never saw one being in the yard before. A few weeks ago a possum was discovered by the dogs.
I shooed then away. I thought it might be dead and was relieved when it was gone the next day. I never know exactly what will appear in the yard. I just enjoy and welcome the next creature who comes to our doorsteps.
Apr
2
2010
I resisted the temptation to bolt. It was seventy-seven degrees outside–a touch of summer. I thought I’d go out and drive to the River. I then decided rather to walk around my property to see what I could observe.
The little creek in the back was almost dry. I really do not know where our toads that appear at our front door come from. Where do the polliwogs swim?
I noticed a patch of yellow and white daffodils in the middle of the woods. The white ones were a larger variety. Whatever possessed someone to plant them there.
I turned over an ten by six inch long moss covered log hoping to spot a salamander but no luck. Twice over the years we discovered four inch long orange colored salamanders in the yard. I know so little about them.
I noted two white hyacinths were blooming and I dropped to the ground to smell them. I had always loved their fragrance.
The raspberry and blackberry bushes were just starting to sprout. It will still be awhile until the white flowers come. And even longer before I pick the berries.
Then Lynelle will bake scrumptious berry pies that simply got gobbled up almost as fast as they are baked.
I wondered whether the Black eyed Susans which my wife planted along our hundred foot long picket fence will come up. I thought they would look neat there. It remain to be seen.
Every thing in its own time. I returned to our house. I will go out again but will not travel by car anywhere and see again what I could observe in my own backyard.
Feb
24
2010
Every time I glance out my kitchen window onto the backyard and woods I am awed. There is mystery there. Toads, turtles and cottontails live back there. And I do not know what else.
Today everything is white and there is calm. The snow is falling. If I look carefully, I often see birds alight on some of the bushes. It is wild back there.
Two summers ago I discovered a large raspberry patch in the corner of my property. My wife made at least two pies from the berries I picked that year.
I love looking at the symmetry of the trees, how they placed themselves. I know there is a higher power. And every time I look at (???) that window I am assured of that fact.
There is a tiny creek back there which sometimes goes dry but the gully it created is at least six inches tall so it has been there for awhile.
Every once in a while I tramp around never certain what I will find. I love surprises although they generally occur when I am not looking for them. It is a piece of our property I love. I never know exactly what I will find.
It is wild and I want to keep it that way. I hate manicured lawns. I do not know why people are so proud of them. And work so hard to keep them that way. To me, it is an exercise in futility. I certainly don’t envy their neat lawns. I just love looking out my window.
Feb
23
2010
Somewhere in the backyard buried in the woods is at least one large box turtle. Every year he visits us. Last year I saw him sunning himself on the concrete one hot simmer (summer???) day. He must be at least eight inches long.
He must have seen quite a few winters. When I think of box turtles I usually think of small ones. I did not know they grew so big. I am waiting to see if he will appear again.
It is just another mystery like those toads who also appears at our doorsteps all sizes from tiny to humongous and everything in between. They like to feed on the insects the porch light attracts.
I wonder whether they hibernate in the cold weather? I don’t know. And how old do they get? They appear when I least expect them to and I make sure none of the dogs harass them. I want them to come back. As well as the turtles.
Jun
19
2009
Familiarity breeds discontent. Sometimes paradise is in your own backyard. For example I had no idea a large patch of raspberries lay in the furthermost right corner of my yard. I discovered that accidentally when a surveyor came in because we had to know the exact boundary of our property.
I considered driving twenty minutes to go to a state park to go fishing. I looked around and realized I only had to drive a few minutes to be at the shore of the River, which usually was deserted. Paradise is always somewhere else.
I decided to stay put. I plan on watching the sun go down on the mountains of the nearby Susquehanna River. I simply will bring my Coleman lantern for light. I may even build a fire to enjoy the darkness which will descend on the River.
I also considered camping there. There is even a closer area for me to camp only mere minutes from me–Lake Heron. Sometimes you have to take a closer look at your surroundings to determine you do not have to go far to find paradise.
Toads of all sizes keep appearing in front of our garage attracted by the night light. You never know when a box turtle will turn up at our footsteps. We discovered that another bird built a nest only steps away from our door. Today I saw a bird alight on it but was not able to identify it for it flew away too quickly.
There is so much beauty in our own backyard. I simply have to open my eyes to see what is actually in front of me. I really do not have to go far to land in paradise. It is here. Right in front of me all along. I just have to pay attention.
Apr
16
2009
I was looking out my back door window and just thinking. A large section of our front yard no longer has grass and for a short time my wife was considering laying down sod. I really do not care. I always felt American’s obsession with having a large neatly manicured lawn was and is an exercise in futility. I want a garden not a lawn. In fact, a landscaper is going to help us with developing that.
The back yard is another story: most of it is wild. Toads appear at our doorstep every year–all sizes from tiny to humongous. They are attracted to the bugs that come to the porch light.
There is a small creek in the back–most of the time just a trickle. You never know when a box turtle will appear. We also saw wonderfully orange colored salamanders at least twice. Rabbits play in the undergrowth.
I do not want to cultivate this area. I love not knowing what I will see next, what unusual bird or whatever comes my way.
I love the wild. It gives me a sense of the mysterious, the unknown, a feeling I love. That is why I won’t cultivate the back of our property.
Last year after living here for over four years, to my delight and amazement I discovered a large patch of wild raspberries on the far corner of my property. And I love raspberries. I even picked enough berries for two pies.
I do not know exactly what lives there but I am always expectant when I peer out my kitchen window wondering what will come along next. It is out of my control. That is the way I want it. This is one plot of land that will grow wild. I rejoice in it.
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