Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

I spotted it on the edge of the woods last night.  I angled my car a little so my spotlights could shine on it better.  It was dog shaped with big ears.  It did not run away but simply backed into the forest a little.  I immediately called a friend and described the animal to him.  ”Yep, you saw a coyote.”  I was not convinced though and went online the next day to see pictures.  I was puzzled it looked more like a jackal (with its over sized ears) than a coyote but they are not native to this area.  I decided to call my friend back to question him again.

Tags: coyote, jackal, my friend, not native to this area, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, knowledge&learning, local, nature, time | No Comments »

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.

Tags: animals, bird seed, black toad, bugs, chipmunk, countryside, creatures, creek, deer, edge of countryside, porch light, toads, white pine tree, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, birds, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

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.

Tags: animals, box turtle, creek, dogs, doorsteps, my wife, orange salamander, pets, porch light, possum, toads, wild turkey, wildlife, yard
Posted in animals, beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, local, nature, time | No Comments »

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.

Tags: awe, bird-watching, birds, cottontails, creek, exercise in futility, God, higher power, manicured lawns, my back yard, my wife, mystery, raspberry patch, raspberry pie, snow is falling, toads, trees, turtles, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

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.

Tags: backyard, box turtle, dogs, insects, pets, toads, wildlife
Posted in animals, knowledge&learning, local, nature, time | No Comments »

The grass is not greener elsewhere.  It is so tempting to believe that but it is not.  Sometimes paradise is right in front of you.  This year I discovered a large raspberry patch within an hundred yards on the street I live on the edge of some woods.

This was to be the second year I was going to pick raspberries in a patch I discovered last year on my property.  And then I discovered this patch.  I did not know who the owners were.  The berries were wild.  I picked enough at the new patch for at least two pies.

It amazed me I never noticed that patch before.  It was ten feet in from the road and I happened to notice it when my dog was sniffing around there.  What else am I missing right under my feet?

I was going home from church and took the long way because the land was wilder and I never knew what wildlife I would see from this road.

I was not disappointed this time:  I flushed a dozen wild turkey hens.  I do see wild turkey around here but I had never seen so many at one time.  I was thrilled to say the least.

I never know for sure what discovery I will make next time.  We have thousands of books between us and there is an universe in each of them so I have no need to travel too far to explore the next universes.

And that does not even include universe after universe in my music– thousands of LP’s, cassettes and CD’s.

I never run out of things to explore.  I do not have to go to far but don’t get me wrong I do enjoy traveling once in a while.  I just don’t feel I have to.

Tags: animals, books, cassette, CD, church, discovery, dogs, explore, grass is not greener, LP, music, nature, paradise, pets, raspberry patch, raspberry pie, right under my feet, travel, universe after universe, wild berries, wild turkey hen, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, balance, beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, music, nature, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

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.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, box turtle, bugs, creek, exercise in futility, garden, God, grass, landscape, lawn, manicured lawn, my wife, nature, rabbit, raspberries, raspberry pie, salamander, the unknown, toads, wild, wild land, wildlife
Posted in animals, balance, beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, local, love, nature, relationships, seasons, time | 2 Comments »