Wild Critters
Most folks think that NY is little island thats covered with concrete. This just ain’t so. We live in an area that is about as backwoods as you can get. Most folks that make it out for a visit make some remark about us being “way out there”. We are about 30 miles from anything, and we like that way. My favorite part of living in the sticks is the wildlife. I’m sure that the fact that we have not used any pesticides or herbicides contributes greatly to our diverse wild critter populations. Just last spring we had a whitetail give birth and raise her fawn about 100 ft from our house. She didn’t mind us, heck the kids even got to sit with it a spell. A few days ago we were treated with a chance to watch a Coopers Hawk eat a Ruffed Grouse in the yard. He caught it over in the “little woods” and brought it over to a path in the snow just outside the door. I almost steped on him! He came back latter to finish his lunch and the kids sat in the window watching him rip breast meat from the grouse. We have one of the largest populations of birds of prey you may ever find. Many kinds of hawks and every few years we see an eagle. The kids have started a list, inspired by David Kline, of the many different birds they see. Keeping a healthy population of birds takes care of our bug problems in the garden. The birds and our healthy toads keep the insects in check. I always joke the sunflower seeds are our only pest control expense up on the hill. This morning my mom called down to the barn to tell me that a possom was sleeping in the flower box on the front porch. I find possoms to be fasinating animals. Of course, being a keeper of chicken means that when they get down to the farm they have to be taken care of. A possom can kill a lot of hens and thats one reason that the reformed farmer carries a sidearm. These fields and woodlands are full of God’s creatures. We share our farm with beavers, bears, deer, foxes, coyotes, coons, possoms, skunks, bobcats, and mink just to name a few. The birds and frogs and fish, gee whiz the list could number the thousands and I still would leave someone out.
Heres the boys and the fawn. Its the only picture we have and Noah started coughing just as we snaped it. It looks like he’s crying, but it was really coughing. Here is a link to The Story
February 28th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Wow, what a wonderful treat for your family. I love it that you were crawling through the grass with your boys. They will always remember those special memories.