2025

This spring Willy turns 10 and Luna, 2

This is what New Year's day looked like. Temps in the 40s.

May 11: Caught this newt thinking about his or her escape. She later slipped back down into the water.

April 28: Trimmed the ash stump and installed a sculpture.

May 17: I have learned that the gelatinous globs floating in my pond are Pectinatella magnifica and they are the solution to everything--they consume silt and algae and contribute to a healthy pond environment. I have no idea how they came to reside in my little pond but I am thrilled. Jesse pulled down the old apple tree and the elm that was getting into the power lines on the 17th. I burned all the slash today just before the storm. The grounds are looking better than ever.

5/18: There were at least six of these floating around yesterday but today, after the heavy rains, I could see only one and it had attached to a lily stem. The others must have attached a bit deeper.

"The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish.[3] It has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years in the wild, and it may grow to 5 in (13 cm) in length.[4] These animals are common aquarium pets, being either collected from the wild or sold commercially. The striking bright orange juvenile stage, which is land-dwelling, is known as a red eft. Some sources blend the general name of the species and that of the red-spotted newt subspecies into the eastern red-spotted newt (although there is no "western" one)"

June 6: Mayhem in the pond. The toads have taken over the scene with several mating pairs and a noisy attendence of hopeful males. Meanwhile, the green frogs and newts are also mating. There are peepers and/or wood frogs as well. The water is constantly churned up by the activity. I fear for the bryozoans and can't see any of them. I installed a plastic collander and scooped up as many toad strings as I could because last night the newts ate all the frog and toad eggs. The newts had eaten every wood frog tadpole a few weeks ago, I'd estimage around a thousand. In one night. So research confirmed that it is not advisable to mess with Mother Nature so I will do what I can to help the tadpoles survive the newt invasion without impacting the natural ecosystem.

July 21: A huge limb broke off the dying butternut and took out the power lines, tripped the transformer, and smashed the hydrangea.
The limb that hangs directly over the power lines is the one I thought would go first. It's turn is coming.
The photo below looks like the lines are running through or over that limb but both lines are just below. They are doomed.

power lines down, just missing the pond on either side

Power lines missed the pond. GMP was here in 1/2 hour and had it cleaned up in 1/2 hour. I was chainsawing for 2 days.

Protecting the pond life from electrocution. It will not be long before another limb takes out the lines. Two more limbs left.

July 6: Luna at the pond

Burning the Buttenut.

September 1st: So the downed lines event happened all over again at 2:45 am. No weather involved. This time is was the ash in the back of the property which uprooted and fell straight for the power lines, snapped them hard enough to dislodge another dying limb of the butternut. I drove to the state line to get a signal and call it in. 5 guys showed up 1/2 hour later and in one hour had the whole thing cleared up, all with flashlights. Those guys are awesome. I've spent every day since dealing with that ash. Donny and Ed took it all. I forgot to get a photo of the impressive array on ash rounds. One guy stepped it down, 4 feet at a time. Those rounds were about 2 ft in diameter.

This little miracle was accomplished using my trusty 12' 4x4 as a lever. I will flip it over 180° and it will rot between the barberries.

9/6: The top piece has still to be cut up.

We've been in a drought. I think this is the worst I've seen it.