Last morning at camp for 2010

There are bluejays, chickadees, woodpeckers, - hairy – all flittering about.  I put out piles of sunflower seeds earlier – on top of the altar, logs, stumps, and built a little cairn by the fireplace and loaded that with seeds.  I even put some on top of the mushroom that grows off the altar.  I couldn’t unscrew the top of the actual birdfeeder so it is empty as is most of the squirrel feeder that I am unable to reach.  There have been nuthatches also, as well as mostly gray squirrels with an occasional exception for a couple red squirrels.  A flock of 4 very large crows (or ravens?) have been swooping in and landing on the altar to feed, but then flying off again realizing it’s only seed.  I see some creature ate the little mouse that I found dead inside the camp.  Perhaps Cobby who was here early this morning.  

A big fat turkey just walked right through the front yard.  I’m surprised he’s all alone but I don’t see any others.  Damn!  Didn’t even get a photo.  First time I’ve seen a turkey here though we used to get visits from some fat white geese that live on the stream.  They were about the same size as this turkey and it was entertaining to watch them interact with Cobby.

Then there’s a still.  One or two birds flitter around the perimeter but all is pretty quiet.  The dracaena is still thriving and an sporadic blossom on a geranium.  But mostly there are colors of autumn – yellows, reds, oranges, browns, and a definite chill to the air.   It was nice waking up to the bright sunrise shining on the colorful trees across the stream this morning.  The water was very calm and reflected the reds and yellows beneath a thin layer of fog. 

The propane level is at 80%.  If we turn off the pilot light, we should be able to relight it in the spring and go for several nights before needing a refill. 

A gray squirrel found the seeds on the cairn and then moved onto the next stash on a stump just a few feet away. 

And then the activity begins again with the bluejays swooping in, the chickadess shortly behind them, the nuthatches, crows, a hairy.  Bird tv.  Gotta love it.

We got camp closed down for the winter.  I still need to go back out and pour some antifreeze down the shower drain because we ran out before we got that far.  Hopefully the mice that come and go won't decide to nest in the bed or anything.