Disappointed

One of our fun activities at Wind's Echo is to check the trail cam! Living out here, it's just natural to have a good trail camera- a waterproof, motion-activated camera that you secure to a tree and leave- a day, or two, or a week... When you come back, you get to see all the things roaming around your property at night, or when you're not around. Often, it's eye opening!!! There was once a time where we discovered we had, not one! but TWO bears hanging around!

  

We captured thousands of photos of deer, and elk, and a few of coyotes and bunnies.

 We've used it several times to capture photos of whatever culprit is bothering the chickens.

(click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see the raccoon)

And once... we got THIS photo... (look on the left- those are eyes of a predator- see how close they are together? not far apart like a deer or elk. But WHICH predator???) Click on the photo to enlarge it... it's eerie

But- over the years, I realized that the old trail cam was just not cutting it any more. It stopped working at night :( which is when we NEED it to work! So, for Christmas, I got Bruce a new one! 

The first time I set it out, I wasn't used to how it worked. I THOUGHT I'd turned it on :(  but instead, I'd left it on set up. It burned up all the batteries *sighs* and I didn't get a single video or picture. 

So, intrepid and stubborn, I set it out again a few days ago.

The trick is definitely finding a good place to put it out.... well, that and turning it ON! *sighs*

This camera has SUCH a wide angle, I thought setting it to watch our back meadow, where we'd spied elk earlier, would be PERFECT! And that is what I did. 

Oh! and THIS time? I turned it on!

And then, a photo of me taking it down 

So... meh.

Nothing exciting THIS time.

But the irony of the story???? 

When I went down to feed the horses this morning? There were elk tracks in the snow ALL around the barn!  Guess where I'm going to set out the camera next???

to be continued.....

The First Snowfall by James Russell Lowell

When my mother was just 20 yrs. old, in 1940, she lost her first  born child- her only son. Although, she continued on to have, and  love 4 (in her eyes, at least) precious daughters, she never forgot  her first child. I can remember her reading this poem every  Winter when the snow would fall- and I knew she was thinking of him. The First Snowfall ~James Russell Lowell The snow had begun in the gloaming,  And busily all the night  Had been heaping field and highway  With a silence deep and white. Every pine and fir and hemlock  Wore ermine too dear for an earl, And the poorest twig on the elm-tree  Was ridged inch deep with pearl. From sheds new-roofed with Carrara Came Chanticleer's muffled crow, The stiff rails softened to swan's-down, And still fluttered down the snow. I stood and watched by the window The noiseless work of the sky,  And the sudden flurries of snowbirds, Like brown leaves whirling by. I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn Where a little headstone stood;  How the flakes were folding it gently,  As did robins the babes in the wood. Up spoke our own little Mabel,  Saying, "Father, who makes it snow?"  And I told of the good All-Father  Who cares for us here below. Again I looked at the snow-fall,  And thought of the leaden sky  That arched o'er our first great sorrow,  When that mound was heaped so high. I remembered the gradual patience  That fell from that cloud like snow,  Flake by flake, healing and hiding  The scar that renewed our woe. And again to the child I whispered,  "The snow that husheth all,  Darling, the merciful Father  Alone can make it fall!" Then, with eyes that saw not, I kissed her:  And she, kissing back, could not know  That my kiss was given to her sister,  Folded close under deepening snow.  — The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (1882) All photographs were taken by me either last night (Jan. 17) or this  morning (Jan. 18)

Life is a Snapshot

Maybe it’s normal. Maybe EVERYONE in the World does this. Maybe I’m just being ego-centric.... but I go through Life seeing situations, my world, EVERYTHING as if I’m looking through a camera lens. I see the world as a series of snapshots. It even, sort of, sparks in my brain. There’s a snapshot. There’s another one. Details, details, minute details, and then a panorama clip.

It’s snowing. I see the beautiful tableau- of course, I do! 

I also see....

footprints on the back patio starting to fill up with snow.

I see....

The snowblower... waiting, waiting as the snow continues to pile up.

I see...

The stark black branches of the crabapple tree frosted with snow. And the snow continues to fall, as I make my way to the barn. It’s no different here. My internal photo album of the day continues to fill up. Here it’s a video clip of the mares shuffling into the barn to be fed.

In the barn, I focus on snowy backs... 

On a tiny Junco perched on the fence...

Heck... I focus on how the snow looks on a wooden slat!

It’s interesting though, right? Everything has it’s own beauty in the details. 

My world is so beautiful, everywhere I turn, my eyes can barely keep up with the images processing in my soul. I want to drink it all in. I want to keep every impression. “Click” “click” “click”

Btw- I’m happy to be back, and so happy to see those of you still with me. It’s been a journey- the last few years, but through it all, the peace and beauty, and stillness of Wind’s Echo has been a grounding force- one I’m grateful for, and willing to share with you. Turn your volume up and relax. This is Wind’s Echo.

Culprit

On Sunday morning, the thing I've been dreading ever since Cade decided he wanted to raise chickens 18 yrs ago, happened. Something found the chicken coop with devastating results.

It could have been worse- much worse- but it was bad enough. SOMETHING got into the coop and grabbed Early- my little Barred Rock hen who ALWAYS was the first to lay an egg. It was a gruesome sight, and I'll spare you the photos. The rest of the chickens were huddled against the back wall of the coop- not uttering a sound! They were obviously scared and on edge- the slightest noise sending them into a panic.

Bruce was working check station and not at liberty to come home to investigate. I was sickened by the carnage, and saddened at the loss of my sweet hen, but I got it together enough to barricade the chickens into their coop (hopefully keeping whatever did this out!) snap a few photos so Bruce could examine the evidence when he came home, well after dark- And I set up our game camera, in case the culprit came back.

 

Before I left for work this morning, Bruce ran down to the barn to check on the chickens. He said he knew I'd worry all day if I didn't know that they (and Salem, the barn cat) were safe. He reported that whatever it was HAD come back and moved Early's carcass, but had NOT harmed any more chickens! AND, he said that there were photos on the camera! We didn't have time to upload the photos then, so I had to wait until I got home to see if we'd gotten a glimpse at our murderer.

We'd spent all Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday speculating what could possibly have killed Early. We'd ruled out any sort of bird. The chickens were roosting in the hen house when owls would be about, and the hit had been made during the night, ruling out Eagles, hawks, etc. We hadn't smelled a skunk, and we hadn't found any holes dug under the fence, so we doubted it was our resident skunk who enjoys spraying our dogs (wouldn't you think they'd LEARN?). And without an entry hole, it couldn't be coyotes, either. We were REALLY worried it was a weasel... small enough to go through the chicken wire but fierce enough to kill a fully grown chicken. The biggest problem with a weasel, would be in keeping it out of the hen house. They can squeeze through the tiniest of holes. Trying to thwart a weasel would be a daunting task.

I rushed home Monday evening, and Bruce was already at the barn. We worked on the door between the coop and the chicken yard. It hadn't been closing for quite awhile now, but Bruce got it back into shape. I barricaded the door on the other side just in case, but we both commented that if it was a weasel, none of this was good enough.

(not my photo! just a stock photo from the Web- seriously, though. How can you be mad at this animal?)

The camera said it had 15 photos on it! Surely we'd gotten some good ones of whatever predator had found our flock. I slid the card into the computer, and opened the files. The first photo was of the horse pasture... maybe taken while I was setting up the camera? There were a couple photos that I'd apparently not erased the last time we'd put the trail cam out. :( Then, a photo of the chicken yard... but no animal to be seen.

The next photo was of the barn cat, Salem. Bruce said, 'Salem wouldn't! Would he?' and I was quick to assure him that there was no way for Salem to get into the chicken yard. And that Salem had never shown ANY interest in the chickens, even though he helped me feed twice a day, every day... still, I worried a bit about what the next photos would show.

The next 3 were of Hobbes! Our house cat, resident Tiger. Fierce, but 11 yrs. old, and around chickens his ENTIRE life without incident. Bruce and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. It couldn't be Hobbes. Besides, Hobbes is safely inside every night.

Then, the oddest photo! A white blur covering over half the image. WHAT???

And then..... the next photo....

(If you click on the photo, it will enlarge, and you can see it better).

The culprit!

or should I say Bandit? *sighs* We didn't even know we HAD raccoons around! They've never hit the garden, or gotten into Salem's food! But this one is good sized, and had to have climbed over the fence.... hence that mysterious white blur on the photo before.

SO! Frankly, it's good news! This guy is NOT squeezing through a tiny hole- and therefore, as long as the chickens are closed into the coop at night, they should be fine. Since Bruce repaired the hen house door, it's just a matter of making SURE they are snug inside every evening.... right?

I felt so much better, until I realized that raccoons aren't necessarily nocturnal. :(