Second Flower

In many ways these purple tinged Trilliums look completely different from their initial form showing pure white flowers.  These transplants have held this ground for many years now producing blossoms sized much like the native plants across the river.  Maidenhair ferns in the immediate background have also been here for a number of years.  Somehow these plants cover and hold their ground.  It is the result of luck not skill.  The general area is also home to a large number of violets which pull the deer in for a tasty snack.  The wire cage is intended to keep the deer foot prints away from this ground.  Not native but it works.

Decades ago daughter Amy and I were hiking at the Buttermilk Falls park near Ithaca.  A sharply sloped shale ridge was home to a huge group of Columbine plants.  How these plants were able to send out roots into tiny cracks in the stone wall remains a mystery.  This single from seed plant growing from our drystone wall serves as a reminder of the day we happened on generously flowered cliff face.  The Ground ivy is viewed as an invasive pest but it does have blue flowers.

Bluets have a long history here of resisting our efforts to grow them.  This small group is inside of a small mesh wire cage but they are self planted on the horizontal surface of the stone wall.  These plants were originally taken from a sloped lawn that was moist from a septic dry well.  Subjected to mowing and dampness they thrived.  We have been largely unsuccessful in our many attempts to grow this plant.  These will stay caged where they are while we look for new from seed plants in the immediate area.

 

Prairie smoke is a Great Plains native that has held this spot near the house for a few years.  These after the flowers airy presentation is just super.  We do not know if the cage is necessary but why risk removing it?

 

It has taken several years for this Perennial bachelors button to hold its ground  The initial transplant appeared to have died but a low cluster of leaves could be seen during the second year.  It took awhile for the plant to reach a size that allowed blossoms.  Some care is needed to remove nearby weeds.

It seems that we hold a fascination for ditch weeds.  Dame's rocket seems to be everywhere alongside of any road.  It resists transplantation since it has a hefty tap root.  A true biannual, it shows a large coarse robust circle of  close to the ground leaves in its first year.  The explosion of growth in its second year features a variety of colored flowers.  We keep it in our garden by allowing plants from seed to grow in the stone paths between planting beds.  How could anyone not see these blossoms as desirable?

Pinxter bushes are more than welcome here.  When we still had a sense of smell, the calming effect of these flower's scent was a real mood booster.  Their growth habit of open flowers ahead of leaves  is unusual but the number of blossoms is amazing.

The fox has not been seen here for quite some time.  Its right front paw has sustained an injury.  Every step features a limp but when it is time to move on super speed is still possible.  When this animal was first sighted a slow walk straight toward the window was attempted since past movements inside of the house have sent the fox running.  It was in the freshly mowed lawn when first seen but my movement sent it away.  Several days after this picture was taken we came upon a dead fox in the road.  We were about four miles from here when we encountered it and hope that it was not the one that hunts here.
 

Sleeping In The Sunlight

Our weather has definitely taken a turn toward seasonal cold.  Overnight frost has become a common occurrence with chilly days frequent.  We can put on a extra layer of clothing but the animals have to seek a natural source of heat.  This milk snake was likely newly hatched here in late spring.  Larger milk snakes are frequently seen both in and on the dry stone walls leading down to the basement.  Shiny unblemished skin suggests that this little guy recently shed his skin.  Stones placed in bright sunlight quickly warm up.  This snake allowed me a close approach to get this picture but stayed put without moving a muscle.  Somehow it knew that we would not inflict any harm.

This fox is catching a midday nap very close to the house.  Its sleep is restless with frequent interruptions to raise his head looking for intruders.  Despite this wariness, I was able to open the window without disturbing the nap.  I needed him to raise his head for the photo.  My friendly soft verbal greeting resulted in an instant head raise followed by a quick run for the trees.  It did not take long for the fox to return to the warmth of the grass.  Both Becky and I are usually harmless and we enjoy the company of the animals as long as they are not eating our plants.  In that case we send them running with a sharp loud verbal commands until they disappear into the bushes.

Later in the day, time spent weeding in the garden seemed like a great way to use this sunny day.  Pulling my Ames Lawn Buddy cart, which serves both as a place to sit and a tool box, I noisily entered the garden.  The fox was again sleeping on the grass but initially had no reaction to me.  Eye contact was avoided thinking that the fox might remain.  A peek out of the corner of my eye sent him heading for the bushes.

Some time later it felt like someone was watching me.  A sideways glance revealed the fox on the grass peering down at me.  Again, eye contact sent him scurrying into the pines.  This day was made truly special by our numerous encounters with this beautiful animal.

Fox In The Morning

 It was so easy to stay curled up in bed this morning.  When I did get up I looked out the bedroom window at the garden like I always do.   I saw the fox reclined on the top of the stone wall.  For a few seconds I got to admire his beautiful fur coat and bushy tail, but when our eyes met the fox disappeared in a flash.  I say disappeared but really the fox was not one bit rattled and simply kept hidden from my view using the garden as cover.  Ed grabbed the camera and we moved to the living room window.  Quick glimpses of fox were all we got to see for awhile, but then the fox came into view and hopped on top of  a bag of leaves.  First he dug in the top  to fluff up the leaves.  Then several circles were made before he settled down  just like the family dog would do.  Having flopped down in this comfortable spot it was time for a little wash up.  He licked his front paws like a cat.  The fox did not remain in that cozy spot for long.   Perhaps it was the noise of the camera or maybe he saw us move, but once again he disappeared  back into the safety of the garden..

We waited and watched, thinking our morning encounter was over, but to our delight he hopped up another stone wall where we could see him again.  For a time something up by the bluebird boxes held his attention.  At that distance he no  longer seemed a bit concerned about us.

 Foxes love to walk on the top of stone walls.  He stopped to sniff the stone wall next to the hazelnut.  Big fat chipmunks inhabit the stone wall there.  Maybe he will stop back at another time for a furry snack.

He made his way along the wall at a slow pace. We had time to take several really fuzzy pictures.

Once the fox ran out of wall  he took off streaking across the grass with his tail streaming behind him.  In seconds he was gone.  Even a brief glimpse of a fox makes my day.  This morning was beyond exciting,

Certainty

During the snowstorm yesterday, Amy and Ed saw a large group of robins at the bottom of the driveway near the sumac trees.  Today Amy and I went for a walk to try to locate some feathers that I saw down at the gravel bank. On the way, there were lots of tracks in the snow.  When I declared the above tracks in the snow robin tracks, it was easy for Amy to believe.  The sumac berries depicted are a favored food before the ground thaws.

I thought these tracks were made by a fox due to the double register.  Amy was not certain so Tracking and the art of seeing was consulted.  She still had some doubts.

Outside the living room window later in the morning, I actually spotted a fox.  We all watched as it walked, trotted, sat, scratched, licked and then got up and walked down into the notch and out of sight.  We caught a quick glimpse of her/him heading up the hill in the woods, but then s/he was gone.

Certainty is a wonderful thing so Amy and I headed back out in the cold to look at fresh tracks that were made by a red fox.  We saw it, so we were absolutely sure that the tracks were made by a fox. These were the only tracks in the fresh snow when we visited the location of the sighting.  They do resemble the older tracks spotted earlier.

This is definitely known to be a place where s/he sat.  This isn't the first time we've seen fox taking a moment to create comfort before going on its way.

Finally We Saw A Fox

I had hoped that the single register footprints in the snow belonged to a fox, but the truth is we have not seen a fox in the garden for a long time.  In fact the last time we posted a picture of a fox was in 2014.  I am including a link to the post here, but be warned it is not pretty and the fox is dead.

However, late this afternoon when the sun was setting behind the hill to the west and the blue cast returned to the snow,  Ed and I were thrilled to see a red fox streak across the garden.  It was a big good looking fox with a bushy white-tipped tail!  It was going fast but seemed to hesitate for a second and look back like something was chasing it.  It is nearly time for foxes to begin their mating behavior.  We hope this was the first fox sighting of many yet to come. We have enjoyed watching foxes in the garden before and the prospects of a repeat of those happy times for the foxes and for us are exciting!

Death Along The Trail

This is the sight that greeted me as I crested the hill leading down into our dead ice sink.  Shock and sorrow were quickly replaced with a feeling of envy.  Nearing my seventieth birthday, thoughts of my inevitable end sometimes fill my mind.  Dropping alongside the path seemed, at the time, like a good way to pass.

Dead wild animals are part of the natural cycle and are usually taken in stride.  Somehow the death of this fox created unexpected emotion.  A wild fox moving across the meadow is a thing of rare beauty. Poise and confidence are evident with every move.  Displaying characteristics that are at the same time feline and canine add to the mystic.  A thick bushy tail that is almost as long as the body attracts and holds ones attention.  

Black ears could be photographed without disturbing the carcass.  I failed to look for the white tip on the tail although one can be seen in the first picture.  Only the imported red fox displays the white tail tip.  Our native gray fox sports a black colored tail.  The red foxes were imported for sport hunting.

Our fox was laid to rest at the base of an ancient gravel borrow pit.  A huge white pine tree shades the spot and its fallen needles build pleasantly scented soil.  Large rocks will keep this spot undisturbed although two of them would otherwise make excellent wall stones.

A Fox Tale

Our lack of snow at the Stone Wall Garden makes watching the wildlife a bit of a challenge.  The animals blend in to the point that you can be watching a deer and as soon as his movement stops he disappears as if by magic. The animal is still right there in plain sight, but matches the background perfectly.  This morning I was lucky enough to spot a fox walking down the hill on Ed's curved path.  I got the binoculars to get a better look.  This fox is in magnificent condition.  Her huge bushy tail looks black, but with a white tip.  Her red fur glistened even in the subdued light of this cloudy morning.  Her front legs were black.  I watched as she walked along the top edge of the mowed area.  The leg movements fascinate me because I want to understand exactly how a fox manages to leave those single line tracks in the snow.

When the fox reached the  patch of long grass beyond the wall, she stopped to hunt.  I watched as she stood there motionless, listening.  Then she stuck her nose into the grass to get a good whiff.  Finally she pounced like a cat.  Alas she came up empty.  The entire process was repeated again.  This time she caught a grey critter about the size of a red squirrel.  I couldn't see what it was for sure.  The furry critter menu here is extensive.  I watched as she ate her prize.

This is a closer picture of the area where the fox was hunting.  After she finished eating she stopped to mark this spot with urine and then headed toward the trees.  I thought the show was over, but the fox took off with incredible speed.  She had found a rabbit.  The rabbit had a considerable lead on the fox, but as they headed up the hill the blinding speed of the fox was closing the gap.  They disappeared over the crest of the hill.  Once again I thought the show was over, but in just a minute or two the fox appeared again walking down Ed's curved path.

This time she walked along the edge of the grass and climbed to the top of the rough compost pile.  As she stood there I just had to try to get a picture.  The windows of the kitchen door were a little foggy.  I set the camera and then carefully opened the door.  I never saw the fox leave or saw where she went.  This fox tale came to a quick but final end.