Baby barn swallows

Juvenile Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
It's that time of year, when baby barn swallows are out of the nest and zooming around with the adults, catching bugs and generally having fun. Looks that way, anyhow.
It was a good year for them here. I counted 60 on the wires near the pond. I haven't figured out where they nest -- maybe in the neighbor's actual barn. But they definitely like to spend their days here after the babies have fledged.

At first I thought they were begging, but then realized it must have been the gular fluttering that Swamp Things told me about a while back.

Sadly, most of the Google searches concerning Barn swallows that the blog receives are along the lines of "how to get rid of barn swallows". I can't help but wonder why you'd want to! I guess they can be messy if they're nesting over your front door, but...
1) They're not going to be there that long. Eggs hatch in about 14 days and the young fledge about 3 weeks after that. When they're gone from the nest, you can tear it down and put a rubber snake in its place if you don't want them to return the next year.
2) They eat bugs! Lots and lots of bugs!
3) Watching them fly around, swooping and diving in search of insects, is a sure-fire natural blood pressure medicine.

The better to see you with

Here's a recent game camera shot of a reddish coyote. I still haven't managed to get a better photo of the suspected melanistic (black) coyote. I think this one may be his/her mate. I've gotten a couple of shots of them together, but Red here is always the one in the foreground.
After viewing our previous shots, the local Extension agent agreed that the black canid was most likely a coyote. He advised me to bait the area with meat for a better photo. I'm a little afraid that would attract the wrong element though... stray dogs. There have been a few more of those around lately.

Daytrip to Dillon Beach

As Ma was snapping this picture, she tripped over something and...

...well aren't these gorgeous? So here's where the peeps kinda had breakfast!

Dillon Beach is located in Sonoma County, just north of where we live. It's a great doggeh beach, cause we can go unleashed! It's about a mile long and ends at a lookout across a channel that divides the Pacific Ocean from Tomales Bay - right on the San Andreas Fault Line hehehe!
Instead of parking at Dillon Beach today, we decided to drive on through to Lawson's Landing.
The Landing is a campground at the very end of Dillon Beach; there's a wonderful view of one arm "end" of the Point Reyes National Seashore where you can see Tule Elk. Here's a little movie of Avalon and me having some Zoomies which we needed badly after the long car ride!

And here are some more pictures of us having a cool time on Dillon Beach as the tide let out.
Yuuuummmmmzers! Something smells absolutely splendid!
My sis needs to learn sand management.

Mo' zoomers!
A pelican hunting for dinner - never saw what he caught, but his dive was impressive!
And a million gulls...
Smellin' them... on your mark...
Gotta get me one!
Then we checked out the boardwalk/fishermans' area at Lawsons'. What do you think these kids were lookin' at?
Ewwwwwwwwww! Neither me or Av were even slightly interested in those.
But we got lots of attention from this guy! Look at all the doggehs!
And here's another, if you look closely! He did not appreciate our coming too close.
It was too cool to witness the boat launch here. $20.00 gets you tractor service; boat to truck or the reverse!
Then you won't believe what we saw on the way home. Turkeys! And a baby turkey!
And then Mom finally looked to her left and saw that! What a great day! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Sending golden vibes to our pals who are in need.

The Best Reason for Simplicity

"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. WE prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ." ~Donald S. Whitney
Thanks, Wayside Wanderer, for the above quote. It's the reason for simplicity to the Christian. I need to keep this utmost in my mind so I'll remember that my life isn't "all about me".

Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

How Do You Do? Nice Day!

Did you hear a noise? If I look this wayCan you look that way?Did you see anything, Old Boy?There it is again.What is that man doing in my field?I say - You...yes...you!Clearing the field, tidying the molehills!

Thank-you for making a mountain

(of lovely graded-grains soil)

out of your molehills

Mr Mole.





It is time to get busy with the seedlings!

Early Winter Wonderland on the Arrowhead Trail

More than a foot of snow already blankets the landscape along the Arrowhead Trail in Northeast Minnesota on November 23, .

Visit Germany

Germany is a wonderful country and a very popular destination full of interesting places to visit!
If you are going to plan your travel inGermanyhere you will find some useful posts with tips and photos that will help you planning your itinerary.
Our recommended destinations inGermany:
BAVARIA: "Probably the most amazing castles of the world!"A travel in Bavaria visiting the romantic castles of King Ludwig II, his amazing life and many useful tips for your travel... and a video of what you are going to see!

ETTAL / BAVARIA: "Not just Castles! A wondeful Abbey near Ludwig Castles".

Read our post about and see our photos of the wonderful Ettal Abbey.

It is an unmissable stop out of the beaten track if you are planning to visit Neuschwantsein and the other King Ludwig's Castles.

One of the best examples of Baroque in Germany and a very inspiring place.

The Comforts of Home in the Springtime

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." ~Jane Austen

Activity on The Trace

Lots of activity on the Wabash Tace yesterday. Was a windy day, mostly sunny, and high about 70. With the wind from the South, it would be a good day to ride there.
Headed out of Silver City. There were all sorts of creatures on the trail today. Some just in time for Halloween.
On the way I encountered a pick-up truck. Two guys checking out surveying marks. As I rode past Malvern, there was another pick-up parked on the trail. He was checking bridges (something about possibility of chaning some of the bridges from wood to concrete.
Same place, I encountered 2 of the other SWINT board members. They were clearing dead falls.
Turned around at White Cloud. Cross wind for the first couple miles. Most of the rest of the way I had a tail wind. legs were tired by the time I got back to the car. Pedaling into the wind took itout of me. Still logged 25 miles.

A Busy Week

I got a little behind in my blog this week, and it has been a busy week.
Sunday Morning Ride was back. Made our Tour de Bluffs. The first problem we encountered was mud under the railroad bridge on the Manawa Trail. A reroute was well used. Stopped at the Lake Manawa mountain bike trails - areas are still underwater. Nice morning, threatening to get hot. Rest stops at Indain Creek bridge, Riverside Grill, and Hy-Vee. Rode a different course from Hy-Vee to S 16th - I did not like it. Taking down N 8th, Dennis would ride sometimes on the street, sometimes sidewalks and ride the crosswalk, other times riding the wrong side of the street.

Monday I headed out to check the readjustments made to the rear shifter on my trail bike. While riding, I logged my 1000 miles so far for the year. That's over 200 miles over last year at this time. That's great, considering the lousy weather this Winder and Spring. Now if the trails will only dry out so i can ride some dirt...
Tuesday was a recovery day - and more rain. URGH
Wednesday Morning Ride - it was Wabash Trace or Pavement. Suggested to Blaine (no one else riding) the do the Tour de Bluffs, showing him the route downtown. Bike shifted great. Pretty good pace, good ride.
Over Thursday, I read about burning fat - sprints with a higher gear. Friday, I thought I would ride the FX and put the hammer down. URGH, there was a problem with my heart monitor - so could not push it riding. After getting back at the shop, I rode over to the mall, to buy replacement battery, still the same problem - receiver no getting the signal. For some reason, the Nike receiver is now was only working with the Nike chest strap. Previously, I could use interchangeably between the Nike and Sigma monitors.
Saturday was trail work at Wilderness Park in Lincoln. I grabbed the directions from the THOR web site, and could not find the trail crew. Checking at the various trailheads that I knew, I gave up and decided to ride at the Pioneer Blvd end. Quickly blocked by a big dead fall. One final attempt and I heard a weed wacker along Old Cheney Rd. Changed back to my jeans, grabbed my bike, and headed to the trail. Did a little work, a lot of visiting with the folks from Lincoln

Ended the week with another Sunday Morning Ride. No one else was riding, so I headed over to Rich (ZQG) QTH to check out SWIARC Field Day. The ride means about 3 miles on the Wabash Trace. LOTS of clean-up needed there. Greg has work time planned for Tuesday, about 4:30pm from the CB trailhead. Thanks to those whom have made the trail "passable" in the mean time.

And back to winter

After the glimpse of spring in my last post, here's the other side of January in Scotland. When we left Speyside on 2 January to travel back to Edinburgh sleet was beginning to fall. Between Grantown on Spey and Aviemore the snow started - 'blin' drift' in Scots (translation: 'blizzarding snow, blown by strong winds so that it obscures your vision. 'Blin' pronounced as in 'pin'. I'm feeling rather Inuit-ish with my Scots snow terminology!) - and the road filled up very quickly. South of Newtonmore the traffic halted completely. We were comforted by the sight of a snowplough/gritter a few cars ahead of us, but all the same it was sobering to sit in a car rocked by a gale, on a desolate stretch of road, with only a food stock of left-over Christmas cake, mince pies and kettle chips. Plus the survival blankets which we always carry in the winter.
We eventually got moving without any digging out being required, and by the time we reached Perth there was no snow to be seen. Yesterday and today we're back to gales, so the year has got off to a turbulent start.
Among the pictures of this week's storm damage on the BBC Scotland website, I noted the irony of a house featured in the 'Grand Designs' programme which had lost its roof (it's the 7th photo along). On either side the stolid, very ungrandly designed houses appear unscathed.

Recycling (1)

Big clearings out going on in our house just now. With our son about to go away to university in the autumn we have finally got round to updating his bedroom. Our daughter has sussed our glacial rate of progress on the home improvement front, and has decided that she's not going to wait until she's about to leave home for improvements to her room, thank you. The upshot has been bags and boxes full of outgrown/no emotional attachment/why do I have this anyway books and just 'stuff'. And my husband and I have also entered the fray, sorting through books that we'd forgotten we had.
Until now I've always been a hoarder of books. I would get rid of anything else, but not a book. But with the exception of the true favourites that I read and re-read, I have little stomach for fiction any more. Two university degrees spent dissecting novels have given me my fill of fictional worlds. Now I'm hungry for facts: history, current affairs, the natural world, anything that fills the huge gaps in my scientific knowledge.
The result of all this physical and mental creation of space was Saturday's mammoth trip to the Oxfam bookshop in Stockbridge to donate a dozen bags of books. Donating to charity shops is now a slick business, especially with Oxfam. You sign up to Gift Aid your donations if you're a tax payer, enabling the charity to reclaim the tax and so increase the value of the donation. You get a donor card, and a sheet of sticky labels with your unique donor number to put on each bag you bring to the shop.
While I didn't give the fiction section a second glance, I did have to steel myself not to browse the gardening shelves on my way out. Immediately starting to replace what I'd just donated wasn't the purpose of the exercise.