16 April 2022 Spring in ASP

We were happy to be visiting ASP again with the dogs. We were hoping for birds and were rewarded with a pair of mergansers and a nesting osprey.

We returned to visit a section of the North Country Trail running along the reservoir. Spring was in its glory here as we walked the Phin and Lizzie.

Back at home, Phineas agreed to wear the easter bunny ears.

14 August 2021 In the Woods

 We were on our way to a weekend in Pennsylvania when we spotted this Pontiac Silver Streak on the road in Edinboro.  Imagine what changes this Pontiac has seen since leaving the factory in the late 1940's.

In late August there aren't so many wildflowers in the deep wood, but there is a variety of life to see.

6 June 2021 Searching for Orchids

 We have a limited number of orchids we have found on the property.  There is a small stand of round leaf orchids which used to bllom, but have not in a number of years.  We set aside time each year for a trail maintenance and orchid hunt hike.

We make certain to keep eyes open for any wildlife along the way.

We found three orchids this year which seems to be what we normally see in recent years.  None had any sign of a flower spike.

We always try to identify species we find.  The caterpillar and the spider remain a mystery.

Our clearing had nice stands of blue-eyed grass in bloom.

30 May 2021 Spring Outing

We started the day with a visit to an ANF trail alongside Brown Run.

The trail is a dirt forest road, but the stream is scenic.  We were hoping for more wildflowers, but happy to see starflower in bloom.

We also spotted a smooth carillon flower.  We have one that always returns at our home, but they are an interesting find in the wild.  They are also difficult to capture in an image.  This one was near to blooming.

Our first venture over to Brown Run yielded a nice salamander sighting stream side.

Our next stop was along th boat launch area.  Birding here can be good.  Today we both saw an eagle, but I missed the image.  A few ducks also passed our way.  I finally captured a cedar waxwing within a small group.

While Ali was chatting with new cachers who happened to be at the same cache, I spotted a few megansers on the far shore.

I always enjoy the very short walk through the woods trail at the Kinzua Dam area.  Despite all the dam visitors, this rarely has more than a few visitors.

Our last stop was at Anders Run.  We've made this an annual stop to look for orchids.  We found them, but unlike most years, there were very few.  We were happy for the sighting.

29 May 2021 Wet Holiday Weekend Start

 We were in Pennsylvania for the holiday weekend.  It was a wet start with hope for drier weather as the weekend moved forward.

Our stream was running quickly.  The banks were lined with spring wildflowers including mayapple leaves.

7 May 2021 Rainy Wildflowers

 The plan was I would drive to the house in PA after leaving Cortland.  I was planning to work at the house during the day with Ali and the dogs arriving in the evening.  It didn't work out.  Ali was tired and the rain was disappointing so we decided I would work through the day and drive home in the evening.  Before I left I took a walk around at what would be the last of many spring wildflowers.

18 April 2021 Wonderful Wildflowers

 We were happy to be in Pennsylvania for the spring wildflowers.  It was a great walk on the trail...

3 October 2020 Jack's Run

 It had been a month since our last visit to Pennsylvania and the ANF.  We decided for a walk on Jack's Run.  The woods were a mix of bright fall colors and trees not yet ready to transition for winter.