Surrounded by farm land, and

Open fields of untouched soil

Winter is cold wet and frozen

Spring brings a thaw of rains, and  

Flood waters and open creeks

Those swell to streams

And then…they come into the house

How tempting a treat to a cat

Hawk or coyote

In a pet shop

You are worth a couple of dollars

To me your cost is closer to a thousand

To fix the damage, when

You, you tiny rodent

built a condo inside my car

Within the air ducts and around the engine

Time for Feisty Sanosuke, Kenshin, and PJ

To play with those Sweet little mice

In the garage,

Furry and fat scamper off my walls

I hear your nails scratching, and

your teeth gnawing

Your days are numbered

I have to insist,  give up your license

To my car, and my house

Your cash is shredded in this years nest

And plastic is not accepted

So run, run little furry mouse

Sanosuke, Kenshin and PJ want to play,

Tomoe just wants to watch

I will set out sticky traps

And search in every corner

Are just one too many mice in my life…

Join Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop and help to raise $5,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Hershey has partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network for over 20 years. CMN is a non-profit alliance of children’s hospitals dedicated to providing state-of-the-art care, life-saving research and preventative education across North America.

This Easter, Hershey’s will donate up to a total of $5,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network together with bloggers.

How can we do this together? It’s simple:

• Participate to Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop of giving away virtual Easter Baskets by creating a blog post with specific rules described here.
• Hershey Company will donate $10 per each blog post to CMN, up to total of $5,000.
• One blog post per URL counts towards the donation, but you can give as many virtual Easter baskets as you want.
• The Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop will officially begin at 12 AM EST on March 18th and end at 12 PM EST on April 4th, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted for.
• The blog post link has to be submitted to us for the donation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text in your blog post:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

• Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation

I am passing this Virtual Basket to Jingle   http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/  who has brought a lot of people together with good wishes and happy thoughts.

I found out about this at:    http://betterbasket.info/bloghop/ 

A Big Hershey Kiss to everyone!

Blueberry Jelly

By

Gerardine Baugh©9/2008

Blueberry jelly

Splattered across the table,

Ingrained in the rug

Flowing patterns spattered on the wall

Sitting in the corner, I watch

The spray, of bluish purple

Fly across the room

Slightly worse than spaghetti sauce

In the way it stains

In a way it is artistic

Blueberry jelly, relished

As an adornment,

A tasty goop of sweetness

Slathered on bread, toasted and buttered

None other than a child’s

face covered in blue

Hands sticky sweet, pulling at tuffs of hair

Stupefaction in the moment

Take not my blueberry jelly

and wash it down the drain

Let’s play sticky games on the walls

The rugs

The doors

The dog

for he will join in and clean

with tickling delight

That giggling face, hands and feet

Both will sit without quandary

reveling in the delight of

Blueberry jelly…

Uriah was very happy; he raced around me and kept looking at my pockets. I nearly tripped over him. He acted like I was playing and tried to race around me that lasted a whole minute. He is getting older.

“Come on, Uriah! Let’s just walk. I can’t see!” I reached out trying to grab the air. “Stop trying to trip me!”

Uriah sat down to watch me. I blinked and tried to clear my eyes. It didn’t work. I gave up and shielded my eyes with my hand, and slowly walked into a snow drift. Snow poured over the top of my boots. I dusted it away and kept walking.

 Just as I reached the path, Uriah raced off into the trees. First I heard the deep squawking, and then I watched that elusive Pheasant fly awkwardly between the trees.  No camera, again! Heavy Sigh!

Later that afternoon we headed out again, this time I remembered the camera. The clouds had cleared, and the sky was a Cornflower blue. Instead of going around to the back, I wanted to see the pond in front. I believe it was January we had a thaw that inundated the land with water. During the past few weeks the water has evaporated and left ice connected to tree trunks, similar to a picnic table on top and Stalactites forming underneath.

I carefully stepped into the deep snow surrounding the pond, and felt the ice give way under my boots. I eased as close as I could to the ponds edge, trying to judge where I thought that edge should be. Stupid? Yes I am!  I didn’t get that close. Besides I was wearing my normal walking garb, a bright orange coat, grey knit hat, while dragging around ski poles. Almost forgot to add, I didn’t have on my normal blue jeans.  So the people passing on the road, there weren’t a lot of cars, saw me wearing my flannel bright green PJs, with a design of coffee cups and candy pieces.

 I looked fabulous! Just like an escapee from psych ward.    

I didn’t slip onto the frozen pond, nor did I get stuck in the deep snow. Not for the lack of trying by Uriah. He kept trying to see around me, without walking around me.  Instead he pushed me closer to the pond. I won that game by sitting in the snow. Uriah gave up and chased a rabbit he found. That didn’t last very long, the rabbit took off to the south, and Uriah ran to the north…

The skies are grey and very dreary looking. I stood out in the yard next to the deck.  I really wanted to head back inside and drink my coffee hot today. Uriah ran up to me still holding his milk bone in his mouth, wagging his tail madly and looking towards the back path.

 I could hear him begging, “Come on! Let’s go! Let’s take a walk!” He sat down then stood up and turned in a circle.   

“Ok! Ok!” I grumbled and Uriah  happily turned and trotted away.

 I didn’t have my camera. I looked back at the house. Nope!  I’m not heading back inside. I could hear the Blue Jays screaming ahead of me, and the high pitch screech of a Hawk as he floated somewhere above me. No! That pheasant won’t be showing up today.

I carefully walked over the snow and broken ice, through the path and stopped. Facing the snow filled drainage area in front of me, I turned to the right and stepped over the muskrat holes.

Uriah had disappeared into the trees to the North.  Suddenly, he started barking. I could hear him crashing through the trees and  dry grass.

 Worried, I turned towards the sound. Just in time to watch the Pheasant fly upwards, out of the trees. It flew at least forty feet, complaining loudly and clumsy landed on a branch. From there, it perched unsteady and watched me, standing in the snow covered field.

I turned away and kept walking. Uriah ran past me, his hackles were up, and he looked very proud of himself.

I called after him and grumbled.  “You couldn’t have done that yesterday when I had my camera?”

He gave me a doggy grin and rolled in a patch of frozen snow.

*

Yesterday afternoon I trudged out back with my camera. The sun was shining brilliantly and I thought I may just capture a picture of that Pheasant.

The snow was still brightly white. Not like in town, or further out on the highway, where the snows have changed to a dirty grayish black.

I walked over the low, beginning section of the path and followed the slight incline to the back.

It never dawned on me that there was even a breeze, until I walked past an evergreen and was pushed backward by the wind.  Looking at the icy snow ahead of me, I cut across the field; following Uriah’s paw prints and connected to the path heading back home.

The ground tilted upward, so I was just under the line of wind, slightly. That wind wasn’t skimming across the ground it was higher up in the trees. I watched the tree tops move when the gust picked up.  The wind was bitter cold. I was glad to be shielded by the trees.

Oddly, when I wasn’t in the wind, the air felt like spring. I even found some green moss  shining through the snow.

I stopped and decided to search out the nest of mice, that were living  in the tops of the Bog Willows. I wrote about them in an earlier Blog:

http://gerardinebaugh.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/hickory-dickory-dock/

 I was happy! The nest was empty…

As I headed back home, I turned on the video, which I really need to learn how to edit..

I found the Pheasants tracks and ironically followed them back towards the house. I didn’t see the Pheasant. Little bugger was probably watching me from the trees…

But, Uriah needed to go for a walk.

I opened the door and told him to have fun, and sat back on the couch.

Uriah barked at the side door until I gave up and went outside.

Today was very clear and bright and extremely cold.  Whites and blues, of snow and sky, stayed separate from the beiges and dark browns of the tree bark.  Lines of color cut in and out of the blinding white snow. 

This morning, the weatherman had made a joke about today’s temperatures, being as close to a heat wave as we can get in January.   The past few days we had wind chills between -20 to -50 degrees.  Hitting the twenty’s would have been a heat wave. If it had really gotten that high, it didn’t.  And all this white is wonderful for my headache… Grumble, grumble… !

Uriah ran circles around me as soon as I stepped outside. Then he stared at my pockets. I reached in and pulled out a biscuit. At the same time, I accidentally dropped my stick of gum on the ground. I bent down to grab it.

 Did I tell you, Uriah loves spearmint…

He grabbed it first and raced away from me. I tired out quickly. Then stood back and watched him run circles around a Blue Spruce, with my gum still intact, sticking out of his mouth.

I swatted the air at him.  He plopped down in the snow and peeled off the paper. Then he chewed the gum a few times before he swallowed it. He looked longingly at the gum wrapper and promptly ate it…

Yesterday I didn’t walk out back. Within one day the line of footprints that I had made by dragging my feet through the deep snow, were gone. Completely  filled in by the wind.

With a heavy sigh, a cough, and a sneeze I slowly followed two sets of fresh prints. One was a coyote a lot bigger than Uriah; he had stepped in and out of the snow easily.  When Uriah walks, he wades through the snow dragging his chest along. Not the easy gait of a coyote.

The second set of prints, were from an even bigger deer.  I stepped in the snow next to his footprints and only sunk in half the distance.

 I followed the coyote’s trail, which moved in the same direction I was going. Except for when he ran around and underneath the old apple trees.  I cheated there and cut my own path and linked up with his prints. I saw where he had dug irregular holes, here and there in the snow. Until he laid down just before the back path, and left a complete body print in the snow.

 I saw a line of rabbit tracks that stretched out from the Bog Willows. Then move with even hops, towards the path.  A little farther away, the snow was scattered, where the coyote and the rabbit both headed off into the trees. I looked up and saw Uriah’s hind end disappearing into the same section of trees.

 I headed up the path going east. Just as I reached the section that broke off, with one side heading southeast, the other northeast. I stopped! My mind said, enough walking for today, tea time!

 I whistled for Uriah. He surprised me by running out of the trees. He circled around me and headed back into the trees.  He even jumped over branches with the agility of a puppy.

I told myself to enjoy the day like Uriah!

I looked upward into the taller trees.  That was when I saw a slight movement, about twenty-five feet up, way-out on the edge of a heavy branch.

I blinked a few times until I focused on a dark brown Pheasant.  He blended in completely with the branch and tree.  I moved a few steps to the west and I could make out his long tail, it pointed west, his head to the east. As I walked away the entire Pheasant blended in with the lines of the tree.  I saw no difference in the coloring of either bird or tree!  I stared hard at him; I couldn’t find his slick purplish- blue head, only dark browns.

I could see he was starting to fidget.

I didn’t want to make him anymore nervous than I already had. I walked a few feet along the path, then turned back and said out loud, “You really think I could climb up there?”

Just then Uriah Howled!

I assumed he found the deer and would soon tire himself out.  I trudged back to the house. Uriah beat me back.  He got his biscuit and I was able to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot tea and a box of Kleenex…

I noticed a hole, the size of a basket ball, directly under a Mulberry tree. A hodgepodge of animal tracks trailed over and around it.  I stepped off the path to investigate.

 My knit hat got caught up on the low hanging branches.  I took it off and stuffed it in my pocket.  The area under the tree was littered with rabbit tracks and leftovers from breakfast.  Three corn cobs void of kernels and a dusting of seed hulls from the some dried field grass.  

I leaned forward in an attempt to see how deep the hole was. “Must be a rabbit hole!” I muttered, and then I took a step back.  

Not quite trusting it to be a rabbit hole…   

From behind the trees a Ringneck Pheasant ran out. It hunkered down into the ground. With a little wiggle, it leaped upward and flew north. I was surprised he was able to become airborne so quickly.

Uriah had been walking head of me; he came running when the bird flew across the field. He had a happy doggy smile on his face. Then he looked at me questioningly. 

I shrugged!  He took that as a yes and ran off across the field to find the Pheasant.

I called out.  “Good luck!” And I pulled my hat back on and looked around for more rabbit holes. “Don’t worry about me! I can fight off insane rabbits!” I muttered as I poked my ski pole into the snow. I really didn’t want to step into a rabbit or muskrat hole.  

Uriah kept running and didn’t turn around. He was hot on that birds trail. Uriah was good at was following a scent. His eyes may be fading, but his sense of smell and his hearing is perfect. For years, Uriah had my neighbor duped into thinking he was nearly deaf.

Uriah has always been a teenager with selective hearing, especially if he doesn’t want to follow orders.

 I carefully sidestepped back into the deep snow, then into my own footprints.  I continued on with my walk.  

I knew Uriah wouldn’t be able to catch that Pheasant. He never caught one before!

The only dog I had that could catch a healthy Pheasant was Samson. His father was a huge Black Lab and his mother was a Chesapeake Bay retriever, hunting was in his blood. Samson would never hunt and kill for fun, he enjoyed his birds alive. 

Years ago in this very spot, Samson had pranced up to me with a Pheasant in his mouth. He was so proud of himself!  He had caught a bird for me!  He sat down in front of me, and gently placed the bird at my feet.

That bird hadn’t moved at all. I thought it may have died of a heart attack. I leaned forward to check on it, then it woke up and flew up into my face! 

I fell backwards, as I pushed the bird away from my face!

The Pheasant fell to the ground! I thought I hurt it. I didn’t!

Immediately it jumped up and raced around me!

Samson leaned down to sniff it as it circled around in front of him. It did an awkward leap of faith up into the air and squeaked away at a low clumsily angle. It barely avoided hitting the ground, and flew straight into the heavier wooded area along the south end.

Pheasants are very clumsy birds; they would rather run than fly.

In the meantime, Samson sat quietly, and watched. Sort of! He kept lifting up his front paws up one at a time, like he was marching in place. But he stayed seated.

“He was alive!”  When I spoke, Samson stood up and wagged his tail. “Well, that’s a good boy!” I grabbed his big velvety face in my hands and hugged him. He wiggled and danced around.

At that moment, Uriah and Zeus ran up behind us. They wanted in on the fun. As they barreled up, the Pheasant made an odd sound, somewhere between a squeak and a cat coughing up a hair ball. It echoed off and around the trees.  That sound caught the attention of all three dogs. With a backward glance at me, they ran off to find it… again!

Memories… I wonder how much of their fun is imprinted on this land.

Smiling, I called out to Uriah.  I waited and listened. This moment’s Pheasant made that odd sound somewhere in the trees.

I could hear Uriah, crunching branches as he moved towards the sound. “Uriah you won’t be able to find him!”

I waited again. Not a sound.

 “Alright, even if you do find him, you won’t be able to catch him!” Still silence. “I know you can hear me!”

My feet were freezing, and the cold had gone through my pant legs. Time to head home! I shuffled over the ice and came out in the yard, where I waded into the deeper snow piled along the southern line of trees.  

That was when Uriah came out of the trees.

Happy!  But empty handed…or empty paws!    His big eyes stared at my pocket, as he waited for his biscuit.

We both stopped when the Pheasant coughed in the trees…