Your leaking thatched hut during the restoration of a pre-Enlightenment state.

 

Hello, my name is Judas Gutenberg and this is my blaag (pronounced as you would the vomit noise "hyroop-bleuach").

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June 2025
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   how a bear got our birdseed
Sunday, June 22 2025

location: 940 feet west of Woodworth Lake, Fulton County, NY

Today was cloudier than expected. But I already had enough electricity in the Bolt to make it back to Hurley, so it didn't much matter. I had a relaxing morning of coffee, Spelling Bee, a nicely-toasted bagel with all the fixings. Eventually I hiked down to the lake and went on another paddle in the kayak, mostly into the outflow bay. While I was down there, I saw the osprey again, suggesting that maybe she has a nest somewhere near the lake.
Yesterday I'd noticed that the bird feeder hanging in a small beech southeast of the cabin had been torn down out of the tree and emptied of its seeds. The composter had also been knocked over and a makeshift bird feeder containing bits of corn had also been pulled out of a tree and emptied. This had all the hallmarks of bear activity, and today I noticed large claw marks on the beech, suggesting the bear climbed that tree in order to knock down the feeder. The feeder wasn't destroyed, though its metal roof had been flattened and needed to be bent back into its proper gable angle. I refilled the feeder and hung it from a higher branch in that tree, this time far enough out from the trunk that a bear would have trouble reaching it. (This feeder is suspended on a pulley, which allows me to lower it to the ground when I need to refill it.)

I left the cabin at 3:36 and it took me about two hours and five minutes to drive back to Hurley, burning about 100 miles of range on the scenic route through Middleburgh. I was driving faster than usual and using up electricity more quickly than normal; normally that drive uses less range.

Meanwhile Gretchen was all socialed out after four days with Andrea and all she wanted to do was watch her teevee programs.


A four-leaf clover growing not far from the cabin's front door. Unusually, I didn't pluck it. Click to enlarge.


Bladder campion just west of the cabin. Click to enlarge.


Lots of daisies just west of the cabin. Click to enlarge.


Tickseed just west of the cabin. One of many flowers resulting from Hudson Valley Seed Company wildflower packs Gretchen broadcasted. Click to enlarge.


A tiny grasshopper on a sweet william, one of many flowers resulting from Hudson Valley Seed Company wildflower packs Gretchen broadcasted. Click to enlarge.


A delicate pink sweet william. Click to enlarge.


Along the bluestone walkway leading to the cabin's front door, lined here with sweet clover and sweet william. Click to enlarge.


Claw marks left by a bear in the small beech tree where I hung a bird feeder. Click to enlarge.


For linking purposes this article's URL is:
http://asecular.com/blog.php?250622

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