It's Too Hot Here

It was 84 freaking degrees here when I arrived at 3 PM! What is this? I have no shorts, nothing cool to wear at all!

So I went outside because there were sunflowers. They are in an overgrown old garden but they are sunflowers.

I disturbed this little cat that was hunting birds in the yard. There are bird body parts strewn about. But they are all starlings. The starlings that have left the Northeast Kingdom because it is too freaking cold.

So this little cat was upset that I upset her hunting and stood way down near the river at the edge of the garden and watched me watching her.

One of the wild sunflowers in the broiling sweltering hot sun.

I won't tell you the real reason for coming down to Rutland until the Photo Hunt on Saturday. I'm excited about it and hope you come back to see what I've got.

Technorati tags: Rutland Vermont sunflowers

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Mead's Falls, Rutland

I made a short expedition to Mead's Falls, Rt. 4 on Otter Creek, today.

MEAD'S FALLS

James Mead, Rutland's first settler, arrived at these falls on the Otter Creek in 1769. The next year he and his family were given shelter by members of the Caughnawaga tribe while they finished their log cabin. Mead built saw and grist mills on the falls and ran a ferry on the Otter Creek. He was an ardent defender of the New Hampshire Grants and served as a colonel in the militia. Mead's Falls wa an important military site: the 1759 Crown Point Military Road ran by here, General Arthur St. Clair wrote his report after the Battle of Hubardton in 1777 at Mead's home on the West Proctor Road, and Forst Ranger was built in 1778 on the bluff northeast of the falls.

Vermont Division for Historic Preservation — 1999

I was dismayed by all of the trash around this historical site. There were tires and debris in Otter Creek, the electrical substation was discharging dirty water, and there was a general malaise about the beautiful area. But we had a wonderful time.

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Another Dandelion, Another Fly, and A Buggy Dandelion

My best so far!

A pretty, wet fly.

Small slugs or snails on old dandelions.
(Camera battery then died so this is the best I got.)

Killington, Vermont

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Killington Beaver Dam

These photos can't capture the fantasic experience of standing at the dam and seeing the water perfectly lap at the very top of the dam. The drowned trees and meadow behind can barely be seen. Camera batteries died after the second photo.

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Bugs in Rutland

Black, hairy jumping spider with 4 eyes and green fangs:

UPDATE: On June 26, 2007, Eric Eaton at bugguide.net identified this spider which I described as being 1/4 inch diameter:
"Phidippus sp.
Actually, 1/4 inch is pretty 'large' for a jumping spider. Most of the diversity in Salticidae seems to be in a much smaller size range. This is a male of some kind of Phidippus. They vary greatly in coloration and pattern among individuals, so I can't put a species name on this one. Not a dangerous species, and good to have it on pest control patrol:-)"

Ants on the peonies:





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Giselle

She is T's new dog: a golden retriever. She must be the sweetest dog in the world.
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The Goldfinch and The Fly

Female goldfinch.
Rutland, Vermont
May 20, 2007
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Blue Jay

Rutland, Vermont
May 20, 2007

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Tufted Titmouse

A very shy bird, so it was difficult to get a good shot.
Rutland, Vermont
May 19, 2007
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Black-capped Chickadee

Rutland, Vermont
May 19, 2007

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