I’m beginning this column earlier than the eclipse occasion this afternoon, April 8, because the skies are partly cloudy right here and I hope it’s clearer this afternoon. I’m going to attempt to take a number of photographs when it’s complete. My fifteen chook feeders are extremely energetic, so I’ll see what occurs when the darkness comes. I’ll additionally see how the birds react when the solar comes again out in a couple of minutes. We’ll see in the event that they take a fast nap prefer it was nighttime or in the event that they get again to feeding when the solar comes again out like they do at daylight within the morning.
Karen went into city to get the mail and he or she stated it was almost just like the Fourth of July. Tom Payne of Payne’s Air Service has been flying almost all day as a lot of our new guests have by no means had a seaplane journey over the Adirondacks. I heard a helicopter flying over earlier this morning going someplace to the north of us.
I noticed that the climate all over the world goes loopy whereas I used to be checking on the eclipse information. Last Wednesday, April 3, a 7.2 earthquake occurred in Taiwan. There had been 13 useless, a number of lacking, 1,145 injured, and 600 folks stranded days after the quake. It prompted many buildings to lean at precarious angles, they usually needed to be torn down. Rain prompted rockfalls and landslides, that are the most important challenges to rescue efforts. Giant waves from Storm Kathleen hit the Isle of Man within the UK, washing over roadways alongside the coast. Straight line wind speeds of 80 to 100 mph hit the coast of New Zealand, taking roofs off buildings and taking down timber. Wind speeds within the western United States, some as much as 60-80 mph and 100 mph within the foothills is feasible as a storm system comes throughout the nation.
Here final week, the excessive winds blew all night time and put the facility out for practically twenty-four hours. There had been tree-cutting crew vehicles in every single place together with National Grid placing energy strains again up and restoring service to properties and businesses. The very subsequent day, there was an accident in Otter Lake. A bus took out a pole slightly after 1 pm, which put the facility out for practically twelve hours. No again up battery energy system and just one line feeds the entire North Country to Raquette Lake. Better put these strains underground. The line to my home is 950 toes and it has been within the floor for 25 years with no issues. If it had been on poles, it will have been down a number of occasions throughout that point. Trees appear to fall after they get old and the wind blows. Lately, the wind has blown throughout each rainstorm or snowstorm.
Strutting turkeys. Photo by Gary Lee.
The birds have been cleansing out the chook feeders each day, because the snow in the course of the week moved a number of birds that had been foraging on their very own again to the meals supply. Some mornings there have been properly over 100 birds across the feeders. Then the Turkey flock comes
by way of, and the small birds transfer as much as the treetops and wait till the turkeys get their fill and transfer on earlier than they arrive again down. The Turkeys (a minimum of the males) appear extra occupied with strutting than consuming. Sometimes there are eight to 10 fluffed up on the identical time. I would love them to return by way of in the course of the eclipse to see if they’d fly up into the timber to roost for the night time.
Well, it didn’t get as darkish as I assumed it will throughout eclipse totality. The birds did cease singing. A Robin within the yard sang proper up till it was complete, after which began singing once more because the solar reappeared. The little birds that had been everywhere in the feeders went silent when the solar was fully lined. Some of my crocuses that had been in bloom did shut for the nighttime, as I took earlier than and after photos. I did take a number of photographs when the solar was completely lined by the moon and simply reappearing. It was a brilliant taking place…and the world didn’t disintegrate within the course of.
I acquired reviews from among the household out Rochester means they usually had been within the clouds. That should be the stuff that moved in right here simply because the solar was coming again into view. The Turkeys should be breeding in personal right this moment, as I haven’t seen all of them day. With all of the breeding I’ve seen within the driveway, there are going to be child Turkeys operating after mother throughout Eight Acre Wood in a month or so.
Some Loons are again, higher get these floating platforms in, however that’s one other story. See ya.
Photo at high: Eclipse totality. Photo by Gary Lee.
