French Broad Hollow Ramble

Here’s the end of May, the middle of June, and the beginning of July!

French Broad River

Where did June go? Well, I spent a few days visiting my mom and other family in the baking heat of Roswell, New Mexico, where the highs were above 100 degrees every day, and the “cool desert nights” passed us by. Then the heat followed me home, tying and breaking record highs here!

Once I got home, I had to catch up on chores, including the vegetable garden. Meanwhile, I’ve been on the lookout for fawns–you may remember the pregnant does from the last post. So far I’ve seen three or four fawns, including a set of twins. Several yearling does come with the mothers regularly, and a couple of yearling bucks show up occasionally.

Despite first, unseasonable heat and then the unseasonable cool (which felt great!), I continue to walk almost every day. Sometimes I see a few wildflowers, but the primary colors are the deep greens of the fauna and the browns and grays of the dusty gravel road (particularly after one of my neighbors goes speeding by in a cloud of dust!). Butterflies provide a bit of color, and often I am serenaded but birds along the way.

You should know by now that I love seeing Eastern Box Turtles!

It’s not a long post, but at last I managed something. And it’s thundering (keeping my fingers crossed for rain!). I hope to be back again before too long!

When I first began my almost-daily rambles, I felt almost guilty if I missed a day. I’ve let that guilt go now that I’m in my 70s, although I still walk most days. Today is one of the exceptions. After unseasonably hot weather last week, today it hasn’t been out of the 60s, and it’s been raining since last night. (We needed the rain.)

The spring flowers and shrubs have been blooming and the patches of Japanese honeysuckle and #$*!*% multiflora rose have often filled the air with their overly sweet scents. The locust trees, Blackhaw viburnum, plums and crabapples bloomed earlier; they were not so overpowering.

Some of the other flowers and shrubsdon’t have much scent but add color and/or interest in the Hollow.

And the butterflies!

I hope you don’t think I know the names of all these flowers and butterflies! I rely on iNaturalist, and sometimes the experts have a better identification. Sometimes I even remember to go back and correct the blog. 🙂

Spring brings babies, too! A hen turkey crossed the road when I was driving down one day last week, and I watched as seven or eight poults scurried behind her. I’m sure there will be more soon. And there will be fawns, too. You can see below how big some of the does are, and, judging from their smaller appearance this morning, I’m pretty sure a few fawns are already hidden somewhere in the woods. You can also see how skinny and shaggy some–especially the 2021 fawns–were a few weeks ago.

Well, I’ve been working on this for a few hours, and it’s time to close. It’s still raining, and I keep looking to see if any deer show up. Maybe next time I’ll be able to post baby pictures!

Wow! That was a long break from the blog! It was winter when I wrote the previous post, and now it’s spring and edging toward summer. Some of you have wondered when I would post again, and a few have even been concerned about me. I’m happy to report that I haven’t been ill—or even really lazy—but neither can I explain why it has taken me so long to get back to writing. (I did visit my sister for about 10 days and also prepared taxes.)

The deer continue to come, although lately their appearances are not as predictable. They’re losing their winter coats and look pretty shaggy. Friends fed them while I was gone, and one took this photo of me while she was watching.

While others were feeding my deer, cats, and birds, I was relaxing and enjoying being with family (and in warm weather). We spent a couple of nights in a “cottage” at the newly re-opened Cinnamon Bay Campground. (The old one was destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.) The beach was lovely, especially early in the morning. And there were deer there, too!

My brother Paul and I took an easy hike on the Cinnamon Bay Nature Trail , where we came across a line of baby Antilles pinktoe tarantulas (Caribena versicolor). On the way to the ferry home, we stopped by the Catherineberg Ruins and saw an Antillean crested hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus). (Meanwhile, a ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) visited the feeder I’d hung before I left.)

I’m not going to try to catch up one everything today; I simply want to get something posted. I don’t plan to wait so long before the next one!

I just came in from feeding the deer, and we had some visitors!

They were here this morning, too (above). I heard a commotion in the woods up the hill when I was slopping down the hill through the 40° rain and saw a couple of bucks chasing some of the other deer. I was able to get a few photos of them when they came into the meadow.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a buck recently. The little one I call Flopsy has been around and doesn’t seem too afraid. Usually, however, it’s only the does and the 2021 fawns. Sometimes there’s quite a crowd!

I see deer on my rambles, too. Someone bought the 50 acres next to our hollow and cleared part of it. I’ve been told that he puts out feed and hunts, which has all the neighbors distressed (especially those who border that property). I tell the deer to stay over on our side; it seems that I see more of them when I walk these days, so maybe they’re listening.

Other than the deer, things are about the same day-to-day on my rambles. The squirrels are busy noisily chasing each other, and I always see or hear chickadees, cardinals, tufted titmice, towhees, and other avian residents. I especially enjoy hearing the pileated woodpeckers calling and occasionally see one. One day I finally got close enough to get a photo!

And that’s about it for today. It’s almost time to feed the cats and start dinner. I’ll try to post again soon!

I’m so tempted to go out! The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and it’s hard to stay inside—until I look at my weather station. It’s early afternoon; the temperature has climbed to 23° with a wind chill of 15°. I’m staying indoors until the deer show up for dinner!

As you can see at the top, the deer were waiting for me this morning. I had hoped they would wait until later, but I guess they weren’t deterred by the inch or so of snow that fell overnight. The snow is melting pretty quickly today since the sun is shining; the last snow took several days. I think it will be gone in the meadow in a few hours.

As a rule, I don’t go down until I see deer in the meadow. Sometimes I see just a couple when I look out, but by the time I suit up and prepare the bucket of food, I may be greeted by five, eight, or 20+ when I step outside! I sing out “Gooood morning!” and “Buenos días!” and watch to see if more run down the road from one direction, up the road from another direction, or down the slope and out of the woods on either side of my little hollow. Morning feeding takes from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how cold it is, how many deer want apples from my hand, and whether another “shift” arrives (especially if the latecomers are some of my regulars). If it’s a stunning morning like the ones below, I’ll take time to stop and admire the moon and the beauty of nature.

I continue to walk almost daily, although I have missed a few days when it’s been too cold or wet. What I see from day to day remains about the same. Sometimes I see deer in the woods or in a neighbor’s field. They can be hard to spot!

The woods are still mostly gray and brown now, except for the pines and invasives like privet (Ligustrum sinense) and honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). I’m always happy to see the beds of green ferns and the slowly spreading patch of Puttyroot orchids (Aplectrum hyemal).

A little while ago I noticed that the deer were beginning to gather. (The turkeys have been around almost all day.) When I first stepped into the sun, I thought I might go ahead and walk down to get my mail and newspaper after feeding. Then the wind started blowing again (wind chill 20°), and I quickly changed my mind. I’ll go tomorrow.

The sun will go behind the trees soon, and it’s time to get ready for another cold night. No walk today, but here’s the field on the other side of the ridge. I wonder what it will look like in the next post…

I’m glad we didn’t get the 8 to 12 inches they had forecast! It measured about 4″ when I went out to feed at first light and was still snowing heavily. Since then it’s been a mix of snow and sleet but not much more accumulation. It was snowing again when I fed this afternoon, but it was slushy. Low 20s tonight mean it will be icy and slick tomorrow, when the forecast calls for a high of 30 and teens overnight.

I didn’t walk today 🙂 and am not planning to go tomorrow. I didn’t walk when it snowed earlier in the month, either. I thought maybe I was losing my drive to go, but I’ve noticed in recent Facebook “memory” posts that skipping a day or two is not that unusual for me, especially in January.

Lots of deer were waiting this morning, and I gave them extra corn. I usually throw apple pieces, but this morning the pieces sank into the snow, so I stomped the snow flat in a few places for the apples. It was easier this afternoon since the snow had melted a little.

Several does and 2021 fawns come regularly when I call; one of the fawns eats apples from my hand and follows me around as I fill the pans with corn. Sometimes one or two follow me up the hill when I’m finished; of course, I usually throw down a few more apple pieces. Two of the 2020 buck fawns, Flopsy and Fork, come around occasionally, but they don’t get close.

It’s getting dark and cold, and I want to post this in case the power goes out. Reading my old posts has also reminded me that sometimes I don’t have much to write about. That’s happening today. Maybe I’ll have more to report soon.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been so long since my last post. A lot has happened. The beautiful autumn leaves have fallen and now cover the ground with a brown carpet. The meadow got its annual big mow. Deer hunting season came and went. Thanksgiving, too (with no turkeys missing). We’ve had hard freezes with lows below 20 and record-high temperatures in the 70s. Daylight Saving Time ended, and the days are much shorter. Christmas Day has come, but the season will last a few a few more days. It’s almost 2022; I continue to ramble almost daily, and life goes on.

The colors in the trees persisted into early November, although many had turned brown by the middle of the month. Most of the trees have lost their foliage now, but the American Beech trees still cling to their golden leaves. The predominate browns and grays in the woods are peppered with the greens of pine trees, and a few hollies, hemlocks, and cedars (including this one that I moved from Alabama when it was two feet tall!).

The rut, and hunting and breeding seasons have left changes in the herd and the individuals in it. Most of the little bucks from 2020 (Friendly, Flopsy, Muley, Fork et al.) quit showing up in mid-November; sometimes I would see them sparring before they left. (The photo is from the trail camera.) Curly stayed around for a while. One day he showed up with a broken antler; as I understand it, the loss will not hurt him since it’s after the velvet stage. I saw him again yesterday, so I know he’s ok so far. (This is an interesting article on antler growth.) I never saw the magnificent buck from last year, but a large buck did visit. Based on his behavior when I talked (and sang) to him, I believe it was V-Boy, one of the young bucks from a few years ago. He didn’t run off and seemed to look at me as though he recognized me. (I think I saw him yesterday afternoon, too.)

The does and 2021 fawns continue to visit daily, although I haven’t seen Fuzzy, one of my long-time favorites, for a while. (I’m still hoping she will show up.) When the deer hear me put out the birdfeeders in the morning, they amble down the path or run down the ridge across the road. A few of them often wait outside the basement door (sometimes impatiently!); they know I’ll give them apple pieces. 🙂 Often I will see one or two in the meadow in the afternoon; by the time I get the corn and apples in the bucket and go down, it seems that the meadow is full of deer! Sometimes after I put corn in the pans and toss apple pieces, a few of the young ones will follow me in hope of getting more. (And they usually do.)

The turkeys often come, too. I love watching them fly in from their roosts in the pine trees up the hill in the mornings but usually am not quick enough to catch them in a video.

The muchachos are enjoying the Christmas tree and have, for the most part, left the decorations alone (although I decided it was best not to tempt them by decorating the mantel). Cisco helped me wrap gifts, but Pancho decided he prefers hanging out under the tree. (I think he’ll miss it when it’s gone.)

We’ve had some beautiful dawns and dusks recently.

I’ve had many lovely and peaceful rambles this year; here’s hoping that 2022 brings us all peace, good health, and patience. See you next year!

Fall has arrived and painted the trees in the Hollow in stunning colors. The golden hickories almost glow; the scarlet sourwoods continue to stand out, and the maples—Oh, the maples!—surprise and delight me with their variety of colors. The oak leaves are mostly green and brown, but some have begun to show some red and yellow, too.

It’s a treat simply to step out of the house and look down the driveway!

You can see changes across the river, too. (It’s rained some since my last post, as you can see below.)

Most of the late summer blossoms have disappeared, but many asters and some goldenrods are still blooming. I’m still occasionally surprised to spot a summer flower, like an Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), a Common Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), or a Common Evening-Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

Lately I’ve been spotting deer on my walks (and they’ve been spotting me). They may be at the salt lick I put out across the creek, standing or resting in the woods, or eating forbs, grasses, and acorns near the road. I see Flopsy so often that I wonder if he follows me! 🙂 It can be a challenge to spot them in a still photo, but you’re welcome to try!

Meanwhile, the young bucks have become the bosses at feeding time, and the does usually run from them. Friendly often shares the pan with one of the fawns; I suspect they are related. Although Friendly is probably the largest, Muley and Curly, who have the largest antlers, seem to be the most aggressive (and the most afraid of me). I have seen one larger buck (not Mr. Majestic), but he ran when he saw me. The young bucks antler-wrestle already; they’ll probably be run off when the older bucks start hanging around. The meadow will soon be the scene of lots of action!

It’s been raining off-and-on for the last two days. Next weekend will bring the end of Daylight Saving Time and almost certainly the first freeze (maybe snow!); things may look different when I post again!

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It rained about two inches last night, on top of the inch that had fallen over the previous two days. As usual, a lot more fell upriver, and you can see how muddy the French Broad was this morning.

Even though the temperatures have been (and seemingly will continue to be) much above normal (whatever that is anymore), it’s obvious on my rambles that fall has arrived. Some of the trees, especially the Tulip (Yellow) Poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Black Walnuts have begun to drop their leaves; the Sourwoods (Oxydendrum arboreum) glow in red and crimson, the Dogwoods (Cornus florida) and Blackhaws (Viburnum prunifolium) are decked with berries and changing colors, while some of the maples, oaks, and hickories are showing hints of yellow and gold.

It looks like it’s going to be a mast year. The roads are full of acorns and hickory nuts. The Hollow is home to many, many Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) trees, and I’ve enjoyed picking up and throwing black walnuts for as long as I’ve lived here. They’re usually a little bigger than a golf ball and don’t pose much of a slip hazard. On the other hand, I have to watch for acorns and hickory nuts; it can be like walking on marbles!

Not so many trees produce soft mast, but I’ve collected a few crabapples each day from the one Crabapple tree (Malus angustifolia) that’s accessible (i.e., not off the road in the middle of a thicket of poison ivy [Toxicodendron radicans], multiflora rose [Rosa multiflora], and Japanese honeysuckle [Lonicera japonica]). The three persimmon trees (Diospyros virginiana) by the road seem to be having a mast year, too! Most of the persimmons fall into the brush and down the hill, but almost every day I find one or two on the ground and take them to give to a turtle (in the rare case that I see one) or to toss somewhere along the way in hope that one or two might eventually grow. The limbs on the persimmon trees are 12-15 feet above the ground, and I knock off another one or two persimmons using some very long sticks that I scavenged for this purpose. I bring the ones I knock off home to eat and save the seeds either to plant directly into the ground or to stratify before planting in a pot later. (I have three little trees from previous years in pots waiting to be planted right now.)

The sight of a short, gray-haired woman swinging a stick at a tree would be an odd thing to encounter, but you never know what you might see in the Hollow. If you’ve read this blog for long, you may remember that I’ve seen a bobcat and a bear while rambling. One day recently when I arrived at the gate where I take the photos you see at the end of each post, I was surprised to see a cow at the opening that was left after the gate fell off several months ago. All I could think was, “I really hope this isn’t Gary’s mean bull.” I was relieved when I realized that it wasn’t the bull but then another cow appeared from the field. I bravely (LOL) stood in the opening so the cows wouldn’t escape from Dark Hollow into our Hollow and phoned the neighbors who raise cattle. As I reported the problem, the two cows turned around and headed back down the path away from me. Unfortunately, I was too shocked by the whole experience to even take a photo!

I’ve enjoyed observing birds since long before I moved to the Hollow, but last week I saw a novel (to me) behavior. I have seen an Eastern Phoebe or two near the house every winter and always hoped these flycatchers would stick around. To my delight, several have been hanging out around my house lately. They perch on the gutters and fence and sing, then dart after some bug or another. (It drives the cats crazy!) One morning I saw a couple of deer walking down through the orchard behind my house when a Phoebe landed ON THE DEER’S BACK and hopped around; the deer didn’t seem to mind. It reminded me of the behavior of cattle egrets or some bird in an African documentary, but evidently it’s not rare. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352249617300149)

I know many of you like following the deer. Flopsy finally lost his velvet, and all fawns but one have lost their spots. The young bucks are big and often chase their mamas and other does away from the food.

No big bucks yet, but it won’t be long. Maybe it won’t be long before I post again, either!

The fall equinox is just a few days away, and I can feel it in the air (at least on those days when it stays in the low 80s or below). The nights are mostly cooler, and the days are shorter. The persimmons are ripening (I knocked a ripe one off a few days ago and ate it.), and some of the trees and vines, such as these dogwoods and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), are beginning to show color. The Goldenrod (Solidago), Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), and Crownbeard (Verbesina occidentalis) are painting the roadsides yellow, while Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) and other thistles, Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), and the occasional Heal-All (Prunella vulgaris) add lavenders and purples to the landscape. It’s a colorful time of year to ramble!

We’ve had rain since my last post, as you can see in the photo comparison below. You can also see how the foliage is beginning to change.

The bees are busy. The honeybees seem attracted to the wingstem, and all the local species of bumblebees love the thistle. I see them buried in it every time I walk! This White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) in the meadow like to hang out on the thistle, too, and it’s ready to grab a meal!

Butterflies and hummingbirds are migrating, and their numbers are dwindling in the Hollow. I especially like seeing the Monarchs, and I’m glad that milkweed grows in the Hollow to provide for their caterpillars. Other caterpillars eat the milkweed, too, including this Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle).

The little herd of deer I feed has five surviving fawns. Two of them are still small and spotted, another has hardly any spots left, and the spots on the other two are quickly fading. A couple of them have decided that they like apple pieces, and the smallest one gets closer each day.

The adult deer are changing, too. The little bucks are filling out and shedding their summer coats. Most of them have scraped the velvet off their antlers, although Flopsy still had his when I fed this afternoon. The shedding is a natural process, but it’s a bloody one. I am always a bit surprised to see how pointy the bare antlers are, and sometimes I have to look closely to recognize who’s sporting the “new” rack.

The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 40s later this week, so maybe there’ll be more colorful foliage in the next post. Meanwhile, look for the Ironweed in today’s photo of Dark Hollow.