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Becky Parker
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 5:07am | IP Logged
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Yesterday ds and I were sitting in our room that looks out over the river. A HUGE bird was flying down river following the curves of it. As it flew by the window I realized it was a BALD EAGLE! So majestic! Last year we had one perched in a tree that we could see from the same window. We all went nuts taking pictures but it was too far away to actually see well. I thought I'd never see one again. Then yesterday to see one flying down the river almost brought tears to my eyes. (Yes, I'm a little emotional about these things!) It was gorgeous though.
As far as hawks go, we see quite a few of them. Last year, we were sitting by the same window again watching the chickadees at the feeders. Would you believe a hawk swooped down and grabbed a chickadee right out of the feeder right before our eyes?! I thought it was amazing. My dd (6 at the time) cried about the poor chickadee but ds (11) thought it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen!
Becky
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marihalojen
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 8:36am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| My f-i-l is always saying he'll bring up a salt lick for us to put out back so as to lure the deer within a range of vision. Does anyone know if this o.k. or would it be harmful in some way? |
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Dawn,
I would check with your Conservation Department as it probably varies from state to state. I know in Missouri salt licks are fine as long as you don't hunt the deer while the salt block is there. Everyone pulls in the salt blocks about a week before hunting season... except for the ones in the cow pastures. But who is silly enough to hunt deer in a cow herd anyway???
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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marihalojen wrote:
| I know in Missouri salt licks are fine as long as you don't hunt the deer while the salt block is there. Everyone pulls in the salt blocks about a week before hunting season? |
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Thanks Jennifer, I will call and ask. The woods behind us are conservation woods, but hunting season still worries me. I know there is hunting in nearby areas and during those months, if we go out in the woods (or even our backyard), the kids all wear vibrant colored jackets.
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
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marihalojen
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 10:53am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| I know there is hunting in nearby areas and during those months, if we go out in the woods (or even our backyard), the kids all wear vibrant colored jackets. |
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Wearing vibrant colors (hunter orange hats, anyone?) is a great idea, generally there is a hunting season for something (doves, woodcocks, even coyotes) at all times of the year. We used to write it all on our calendar to try and keep it straight. Also, see if purple paint equals no trespassing in your area. It is alot cheaper to paint your fence tops purple than post a bunch of no hunting/no trespassing signs.
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 5:31pm | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| We are trying to figure out what kind of bug it is, so if you have a moment would you mind taking a peek at my post? Thanks! |
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Update ~ we figured it out! Check here for results. 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 21 2006 at 5:35pm | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| Update ~ we figured it out! Check here for results. |
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Nice alien...  !
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 4:19am | IP Logged
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We had an Eastern Towhee here yesterday (a new bird for us)!
I just posted some nature photos at my blog. We have a few mysteries on our hands ...
There is a purple wildflower we can't identify, something is eating our rhododendron leaves and for some strange reason the buds on our spruce tree are growing differently on the north and south sides of the tree. 
If you can, please take look and let me know if you have any ideas! 
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 8:46am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
There is a purple wildflower we can't identify, something is eating our rhododendron leaves and for some strange reason the buds on our spruce tree are growing differently on the north and south sides of the tree.
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My guess on the purple flower is a "creeping charlie" variety, sometimes called ground ivy (though local names are deceptive...my "creeping charlie" could be another woman's "lawn flower") I have it too, and I like it. Glechoma is the genus.
I also have a 'dendron eater. I have no idea what it is. I hope it eats the whole plant, as it is in an inconvenient place .
I wonder if the spruce issue is just because one side is maturing faster, with different exposure? I'm not sure.
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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alicegunther
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 8:52am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
I also have a 'dendron eater. I have no idea what it is. I hope it eats the whole plant, as it is in an inconvenient place |
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Aghh! You see, now this is the kind of thing that makes me break into hives. We bought our house for the rhododendrons (I kid you not), and I live in fear that something will come along and ruin them!
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 9:16am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
| My guess on the purple flower is a "creeping charlie" variety, sometimes called ground ivy (though local names are deceptive...my "creeping charlie" could be another woman's "lawn flower") I have it too, and I like it. Glechoma is the genus. |
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I thought so too, and so did Melissa, but I think I have found it here (scroll down a bit). Have you ever heard of Henbit?
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 9:18am | IP Logged
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Yup. That's it. Way better match. Yeah, it's all over my back lawn, too. Good work! 
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MacBeth in NY
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 9:21am | IP Logged
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alicegunther wrote:
| [Aghh! You see, now this is the kind of thing that makes me break into hives. We bought our house for the rhododendrons (I kid you not), and I live in fear that something will come along and ruin them! |
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Now, Alice..if you keep feeding steroids to your rhododendron, nothing will happen to it.
Those of you who have not encountered Alice's massive hedge might find it impossible to believe, but if it were animate, Homeland Security would have a file on it.
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MacBeth in NY
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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Oh, speaking of Alice's yard, check out Mousey Trails (yes, Mary G...I updated  ). See link below.
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MacBeth in NY
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Christine
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 1:04pm | IP Logged
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I just posted an unknown purple flower on my blog, Our Lady's Garden. Dawn was such a great sleuth that I was wondering whether anyone could help me identify it.
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Christine
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 1:36pm | IP Logged
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Could it be Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum)?
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Christine
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
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That's it! How do you figure out what they are?
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Christine
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 2:07pm | IP Logged
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Christine wrote:
| That's it! How do you figure out what they are? |
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Well, I'm no flower expert that's for sure! But I have a wonderful book called Wild Flowers of North America. I used it this morning to track down the Hensbit in my yard, so after I saw your post, I looked through the book, saw that Herb Robert looked like your plant, and put in a google search where I found a photo that seemed to match exactly!
By the way, your blog is lovely!
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Dawn
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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Christine, all this talk about pretty wildflowers had me looking through my Cicely Mary Barker books this afternoon, and there in Flower Fairies of the Summer was this little poem:
The Song of the Herb Robert Fairy
Little Herb Robert,
Bright and small,
Peeps from the bank
Or the old stone wall.
Little Herb Robert,
His leaf turns red;
He's wild geranium,
So it is said.
(Just had to share! )
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Christine
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| Posted: April 27 2006 at 7:41am | IP Logged
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What a cute poem! Thank you, Dawn. We will be keeping Herb Robert in our backyard. I'm off to post the poem on my blog.
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Christine
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Christine
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| Posted: April 30 2006 at 9:41pm | IP Logged
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When I looked outside my kitchen window this afternoon, I saw two northern flickers, one stellar jay, one crow and several robins. It is not unusual to see a variety of birds in our backyard. What is unusual, is that I tried to take a photo of them. The photos were all blurry, but I hope to get some good photos this spring or summer.
Thank you, MacBeth, for increasing my appreciation of the creatures we see in our backyard!
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Christine
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Look what I just saw in my yard!
