north florida - wild florida
06:40, 66F, foggy, damp. breeze from E after sunrise. pileated woodpecker in sheep woodlot. swallow-tail and mississippi kites circling above the farm. new lamb born yesterday a.m. mom and lamb doing o.k. one of the larger ewe lambs showed up with an bloody injured ear. no puncture marks but abrasions.. washed it off and put iodine on it.
11:00, 70's wi. a slight east breeze at CK. high tide with herons. ospreys hassling each other. one of them dropped a fish under their pine..
still no internet connection at the farm.
north florida - wild florida
07:10, 58F, foggy. dixie brought a dessicated fawn skeleton to the back door this a.m. probably one of the twins. but since I did see tracks of one fawn 2 days ago I'm guessing one of them survived. life is rough out in the wild.
11:00, medium tide at CK, low 70's, calm and sunny.
having a hard time getting online on my home computer so this might be the last entry for awhile.
north florida - wild florida
07:10, 53F, calm and chilly. roosters crowing, songbirds subdued. yellow dogs at back door. deer and fawn in donkey woodlot.
last night when I was filling the sheep water, I watched several deer come out of the live oak woods to the south of the farm, jump the barb-wire fence and graze around in the south pasture where the cows were in the morning. when I went to feed the donkeys, there was a mashed area in the sand where the donkeys had rolled and right through that smooth sand was a set of tiny hoof prints.. a fawn.
11:00, warm, shed my sweater. trying to get to work but tree down on a fence. lucky me, it just missed the boundary fence. had to remove branches but not a tree. inner fences I can work on anytime but boundary fences are top priority, esp. with the guard dog gone. working on getting dixie to fill in. thinking I need a new maremma but there don't seem to be any pups in florida.
11:30, low 70's, WSW wind 5 knts. medium tide at CK.
spent most of the day in meetings about a new data sheet and procedure on describing sites in the field. never got to give the vegetation presentation. did get a trawl put together. the facilities manager was trimming trees by the boat yard so I got a small load of oak, cherry, and red bay branches for next years firewood.
16:20, high tide at #4 bridge. no ducks, just brown pelicans. heading to the cow town for supplies. mid-70's. had a terrible chicken burrito at hardees but the chocolate malt was good. got groceries, gas for the truck, and feed.
18:10, 74F, sunny. unloaded wood, feed and groceries. all I can get now is oat hay and I'm running out of coastal bermuda. will have to hit the hay guy again but the last hay I got from him was pretty dry.. anticipating a difficult month for forage for the stock. can't just feed them oat hay. there is some grass in the pasture but not much and if I don't supplement their feed they will eat the pasture down to nothing..
20:30, 66F, calm. waxing crescent moon above the oaks. venus below. dogs all barking. put frontline on everyone under 85 lbs. then walked them all in the moonlight. I was the only one who appreciated it.
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Updated: 2:21 AM GMT op 27 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:20, 49F, calm, clear and sunny. roosters crowing, song birds trying. took a walk down the lane with all the dogs and nothing's stirring. yellow dogs at back door. oatmeal for breakfast.
11:00, medium tide at CK. 70F, wind WSW, 5 knts. finished the slide show on shore plants. meetings today, meetings tomorrow. good I'm almost done with the nets.
16:30, high tide at #4 bridge. pelicans in the tide. herons and egrets on the banks.
18:10, 74F, chilly breeze at the farm. sunny. got 6 eggs. starting the chores..
20:40, 65F, calm. a mist starting out in the pastures. waxing crescent moon with venus a beautiful sight this evening. red mars overhead.
spaceweather.com has some dynamite pictures of the moon/jupiter conjunction on monday and probably some of the moon/venus conjunction these past 2 evenings. and an interesting write up on the meteor that exploded over the sierras last sunday.
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Updated: 1:06 AM GMT op 26 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:30, 45F, clear and calm. chilly out. roosters up. some birds tweeting. yellow dogs at back door. life goes on.
really enjoyed the fire last night. fell asleep in front of it with a book and the cat in my lap. was like old times.. glad it didn't get into the upper 30's as predicted. didn't even turn a heater on.
10:50, low tide at CK. low 60's, wind, NW, 10-15 knts., sunny. got the other bait seine washed, dried, mended and put away. began a slide show presentation on shore line vegetation. got the fresh/brackish water section done.
no ducks in the tide, just brown pelicans and egrets.
16:40, high tide with pelicans. slightly choppy at the sand spit. got up into the mid-60's. most of the locals are happy about the weather.
swallow-tailed kites along 345.
17:30, 60's at the farm with a chilly breeze from the NW. sunny. got 4 eggs. also got dixie to check through the sheep barn. it's a start.
20:20, 58F. clear and calm. waxing crescent moon and venus lovely in the western sky. have to go out into the pasture to view jupiter now. I have been tracking jupiter since last fall when it was very bright in the eastern sky at dusk. now it sets early in the west and is no longer brighter than any other of the heavenly bodies. those planets do wander around ..
bruiser sleeping at the back door.
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Updated: 1:13 AM GMT op 25 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:10, 51F, clear and calm. roosters up. yellow dogs at back door.
the yellow dogs are cross-bred. their mom was the guard dog, xena pearl, and their dad is reddog, a brick-red labrador. they are big dogs and have always been the yard dogs along with their dad but dixie was born and raised in the sheep yard and is familiar with the sheep. all the dogs, right now, are confused and still waiting for xena to appear and get on their case about something..
10:55, medium high tide at CK. low 60's, NW wind, 10-15 knts. wi. gusts up to 20 knts. a good day for washing and drying nets. 1 bait seine, 1 trawl cleaned and mended today. have the same to do tomorrow. ospreys quiet today. one was eating a mullet. high tide all day with white-caps. hardly any ducks or other birds apparent due to the strong winds. egrets were hunting through the marsh grass, though.
16:40, still high tide. no ducks, just egrets and one great blue. windy inland, too.
17:10, upper 60's at the farm, wind from the north. got 3 eggs. watered all my plants since it's supposed to get into the upper 30's tonight. my tomatos already have fruit so hoping they won't be damaged. brought some more firewood to the house.
20:10, 63F. venus bright. waxing crescent moon above the donkey woodlot briefly before disappearing. did not go out into the pasture this evening. mars bright straight above. used all my split lighter last month so had to use a lighter knot to get the fire going. smoky but it lit. smells good actually, esp. outside.. still have the living room door open. the fire is homey. the cat should appear momentarily. yellow dogs circling the house. when ever I go out to get a piece of wood for the fire, they bark at me. smelled a skunk earlier.
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Updated: 1:16 AM GMT op 24 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:10, 63F, overcast and dripping, calm. got 0.7" rain last night! both roosters crowing. quiet otherwise. yellow dogs under house.
09:05, medium-high tide at CK. low 70's, slight breeze. ducks still around, mostly scaups. actually found a sunday paper at the downtown jiffy store! not a lot of folks in town in the a.m. a flock of bluebirds appeared in a friends yard.
11:10, high tide leaving CK. turkey on the side of the road. and a fox squirrel. love those beautiful squirrels. they are rare. got 4 eggs.
17:40, 73F. slight breeze, sunny. supposed to get into the 40's tonight? hmmm.. is it possible that I might be able to build a fire in the fireplace and use up the last of the wood in front and not have to tote it back to the barn?? woot!
20:30, 63F, calm. chores done. went out to the sheep pasture and watched venus and, way below, near the horizon, the waxing very thin crescent moon with jupiter just below. watched them emerge from the WNW sky as the sky got darker. fine!
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Updated: 2:11 AM GMT op 23 april 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
08:50, 72F, partly cloudy. roosters and songbirds carrying on. trying to decide about a wash.. think I'll do one. have fences to mend and need to get the baling twine off the lawnmower but maybe I'll just let the sheep in the yard ...
13:00, 81F, overcast. calm. haven't done a damn thing but walk the dogs. haven't fed chickens or given out hay. big blob of rain off the gulf coast. not doing a wash today. need to go feed the rest of the critters. had computer problems. fixed for now but ... off to do what I should have done this a.m. yellow dogs snoozing under house.
hawk in a tizzy, don't know why.
14:19, 81F, overcast. mending the fence out in the sheep pasture and it began to thunder. dark clouds to the SW, W wind brought cool air. finished up. more to do, though. sheep coming in. got 1 egg.
15:00, 72F, raining gently! thunder passed to the south. planted zinnias and some day lilies. wind chimes clunking.
19:40, 69F, drizzling. got 2 eggs. had a break in the drizzle and fed herbivores. dinner with scott.
bruiser under the house. dixie came with me to feed donkeys who are addicted to oat hay.
20:50, 67F, drizzle-mist. calm. very dark outside. good night, world..
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Updated: 3:35 AM GMT op 22 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:20, 63F, fog on pastures, calm. probably a new moon. big rooster crowing. those hens have shut that lil' rooster up. song birds singing. bruiser at back door. skinned my knee yesterday and it's pretty stiff.. (don't ask..) glad it's friday. got fences to mend this week-end. literally. and some zinnias to plant. marigolds are coming up.
11:20, mid 70's at CK, SW wind >5 knts., high tide coming in. still a small flock of ducks by #4 bridge and another small flock east of the causeway. finished mending the old 600 ft. seine! ospreys carrying on this afternoon.
16:20, still high tide. slight ruffle to the waters around the sand spit. pretty calm.
17:00, sunny at back porch door, 88F. turned on the ceiling fan in the kitchen. sauteed some chicken and mushrooms. got 4 eggs. lil' rooster crowed this afternoon. must be settling into the hen house. hens still wary.
19:50, almost dark. was filling up the sheep water when I felt a disturbance in the air. looked up to see a large flock of egrets flying over me from the SW to the NE. never heard a thing. just felt their wingbeats. wow.
20:40, 73F, muggy. probably some fog forming. overcast. calm.
this is a quiet farm.
no t.v., no radio except as an alarm in the a.m.. no music except birds and frogs and the universe ...
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Updated: 2:09 AM GMT op 21 april 2012
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north florida - suwannee delta
06:05, 66F, drizzling. big rooster up. barred owl calling from sheep woodlot. yellow dogs at the back door. going out sampling north of the river today.
06:20, just looked at radar. might have to do the chores in the rain. we need it. not complaining.
07:30, drizzled all through chores. I got damp but it was still dry under the cabbage palms and the oaks. song birds singing. overcast.
09:30, low 70's, SW breeze, 5 knts. medium tide coming in at the mouth of the Suwannee river. just enough breeze to keep most of the no-see-ums away.
set the bait seine to the north of the river. set it at coon island that is so eroded that I barely recognized it at high tide - just a spartina bank now where once it had trees and a dune covered in sandspurs. got mostly young of the year (YOY) baitfish and anchovies in the bait seine sets.
got a surprise in one set though - 2 big female blunt-nose rays (almost a meter across) (Dasyatis say) and they were mad, just whipping their tails around. the spines on their tails were several inches long. we only did one set with the 600 ft. seine and got mostly pinfish, silver perch, and spots with a few whiting (Menticirrus americus), and several ladyfish.
a few buffle-head ducks and 1 merganser flew off in front of the boat back in double-barrel creek. a family of marsh hens laughed at us during the lone boat set. otherwise the usual birds and not many of them. high tide.. did pass 2 manatees on the way back from coon island.
temps rose to mid-70's by noon. waders leaking.
water temps, 24C, 76F. warmer back in the creeks.
15:00, upper 70's in cow town and it had just rained. bought groceries, feed, and some chicken lo-mein at the local noodle house.
16:10, sunny at the back door, upper 80's. ate most of the lo-mein and a spring roll and took a 20 minute nap. unloaded feed, etc. got 3 eggs. yellow dogs under house.
19:05, 77F, very slight breeze. ground all dry. did not get much rain at all. yellow dogs appeared when I fed the sheep. shared my cheese-its from lunch with them. heard hawks crying but never saw them. no one in the nest in the donkey woodlot so thinking they were pillaging it rather than creating a habitat.
20:20, 73F. stars coming out. venus the brightest of all. they say you can see it during the day if you know where to look but I haven't tried. mars orange and the 2nd planet to show at dusk. sat out with the yellow dogs and finished the cheese-its.
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Updated: 2:44 AM GMT op 20 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
08:20, 66F, mostly cloudy, calm. slept late. lil' rooster hasn't made a sound since I put him in with the big laying hens. had to check and make sure he was still alive. he is - just kinda stunned. rain out in the gulf. sure hoping we get some of it! we are so dry!
my little article on stingrays just came out in the march issue of natural history magazine. they are often late in publication due to financial problems but it's a good magazine. I use it to plot my way across the night skies..
11:30, high tide at CK. 70's, breeze from SW. worked on the 600 ft. seine. found a bunch of new holes and a torn lead line. serenaded by collared doves. tide was really high. wind was driving it in. probably a neap tide but didn't check it. you can see a lot more birds at low tide when the bars are all exposed.
17:00, tide still high at #4 bridge. sporatic ducks. wonder if they got left behind.. were they not paying attention when everyone else took off?
17:40, 76F at the farm, overcast, and lightly drizzling!! b'rer rabbit at the front gate. got 3 eggs. lil' rooster still not crowing but no violence is evident.. yard dogs all under the house. crows eating cat's food. took jack russell for a walk to water the cypress who are pretty with little green needles. yard dogs all appeared.
20:20, 71F and actually raining! checked radar and it doesn't seem extensive but I can hope!
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Updated: 12:43 AM GMT op 19 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida - cedar keys
05:40, 63F, calm. waning crescent moon low in the ESE. woke up rooster and a cardinal. rice for breakfast.
08:05, medium high tide coming in at CK. SE wind, 12 knts. water temps, 23.5C, 74F.. low 70's, air temp. sunny.
lots of bird around. first set at derrick key which we fondly call guano isle in the summer - long-billed dowitchers, willets, laughing gulls, skimmers, white and brown pelicans, and sanderlings on the sand bar as we pulled up to set the bait seine. a few pairs of ducks still hanging around the backwaters. catches low in bait seine. catches with the 600 ft. seine were varied. generally atlantic and blunt-nosed stingrays (Das. sabina and D.say), cownose rays (Rhi. bonansis) are coming in, some bonnet-head sharks (Sph. tiburo), lady fish (Elo. saurus), and a lot of baitfish, esp. spots (Lei. xanthurus,) menhaden (Brevoortia sp.,) some nice big mullet (Mug. cephalus,) and a few shad that we brought back to definitively identify. we netted a triple-tail (Lob. suranamensis) in one set which is a rarity. we also pulled in 2 very large black drum. the pulls were not terrible except for a snag on a submerged tree. on the last set with the 600, the net snagged my boot-hook and tripped me so I soaked my waders again. glad it wasn't cold.
16:20, tide still high but turning. ducks getting sparse by #4 bridge. a lovely day.
17:00, upper 70's, partly cloudy. little rooster wouldn't shut up when I got home so I netted him and put him in with the laying hens. haven't heard a peep out of him since. got 2 eggs.
20:30, 69F, clear. stars and planets very bright, esp. venus. dogs barking. miss the guard dog's distinctive bark ...
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Updated: 2:33 AM GMT op 18 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:20, 59F, clear. waning sliver of a crescent moon showing in the SE. roosters hollaring. a friend came over and we buried the guard dog out in the sheep pasture at sunrise. one deer in the donkey woodlot.
10:10 73F, sunny. rooster still crowing. songbirds tunefull. got 2 eggs. yellow dog at back door.
11:30, low 70's, slight SW wind, ducks in back waters. worked on big seine. early dinner in an historic house on 2nd street where a kind friend fed me royally.
18:30, low tide going back to farm. immature eagle flying over 24. 2 deer running across the south field at dusk. got 2 more eggs.
20:10, 70F. stars out. mist forming over pasture. going out on the water tomorrow. need it.
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Updated: 2:41 AM GMT op 17 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:05, 61F, calm. waning crescent moon in the SE, mars setting in the SW. roosters up. song birds tuning up. yard dogs settling into their new roles as guard dogs. guard dog awake and alert in the corral. life goes on no matter how tiring or confusing it all is..
08:50. quail crossing road on way to church. turkey pacing a fence. high tide at CK. good sermon today - low 70's, wind SE 12 knts. white caps at the sand spit.
10:40, still high tide. small flocks of ducks in the backwaters. 2 great blue herons fishing.
low 80's at the farm. south breeze. sunny. did a wash and forgot to hang it out. finished taxes. crows eating cat food. guard dog takes a turn for the worst. moved her to mud porch to keep bugs from annoying her.
19:00, upper 70's, calm. went out into the sheep pasture and dug a big hole. hit rock around 3 ft. deep. damn. rocky hammock is aptly named. remembered wash and hung it out at dusk.
20:30, 71F, calm. stars and planets all out. owl calling from woodlot. a sad day.
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Updated: 2:28 AM GMT op 16 april 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
05:95, 62F, calm. waning crescent moon just over the sheep woodlot in the SE. guard dog sitting up. little rooster crowing.
10:55, 79F, sunny, a few clouds, slight SE breeze. doves in back yard. guard dog ate some scrambled egg and drank some water. hoping this presages a change for the better.
16:30, 80F, 95 in the sun. partly cloudy, slight breeze from east. got 1 egg. finished taxes but need another form. cardinals using the new bird feeder, finally. guard dog ate some egg with rice.
she's moving around abit. bob white calling.
21;45, 70F, clear. stars and planets out. got 2 more eggs.
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Updated: 2:48 AM GMT op 15 april 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
03:10, 56F, clear. barred owl woke me up. think the guard dog had a heart attack. she wouldn't let me touch anywhere near her chest. she finally got up and walked to where the other dogs were and lay down again. dissolved an aspirin and syringed it into her mouth. stayed with her until 5. waning half moon peering through clouds in the east. mostly cloudy. several owls carrying on. calling back and forth to each other. one was in the sheep woodlot, another back in the woods. eerie.
07:40, 62F, mostly cloudy. cleared dogs out of corral and put guard dog in. she likes it better than the pen. otherwise she'd crawl under the corn crib. she drank some water. she's 11 years old and my right hand on the farm. hoping she'll rally. she's a tough dog.
rooster been crowing since 5. song birds making us smile.
17:30, 78F, partly cloudy, partly sunny, calm. got 3 eggs. guard dog's about the same. working on getting my taxes together. hate it..
20:10, dark cloud blew up from the east. a brief shower at dusk. nice breeze.
21:50, 70F, cloudy and breezy. owls calling back and forth across the south pasture. sat with guard dog for a bit. no stars. got just enough rain to wet the ground in the open.
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Updated: 2:05 AM GMT op 14 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:20, 53F, foggy with rank, choking smoke from the fires in central florida. roosters up. doing a wash although it will probably be smokey hanging out on the line. oh well.. I need clean socks, etc.
briefly, heavy smoke at the farm and CK for most of the day. it cleared in the late afternoon when the wind switched to the NW.
21:40, 68F, calm, stars out.
the guard dog is very ill.
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Updated: 1:46 AM GMT op 13 april 2012
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north florida - suwannee river
05:25, 55F, smokey-hazy, calm. waning gibbous moon over the house. woke up one song-bird. roosters quiet. oatmeal for breakfast. country radio says there's fires all over florida. bone-dry here. we need rain bad.
09:20, tide's high in the river and still coming in. hardly any breeze so no-see-ums are bad in the marsh. manatees playing around the mouth of the river. even spotted one with a transmitter on it.
no ducks, no alligators. pickerel weed in full bloom. river temps, 23.6C (74F) on the surface, 22C (71.5F) on the bottom. hot after a full day in the sun. only a 3 man/woman crew. did 10 sets with the trawl and the bait seine. had one trawl at mcgriff channel that was full of stingrays, catfish and bluecrabs. tricky to work up. a marsh hen cackled at us from a thick stand of juncus. caught several young mangrove snappers in a 3 sets. they were measured and returned to the water which is very dark, like strong tea. hardly any visibility below a foot.
17:15, 78F at the farm. the prickly pear are blooming. came home and took a nap. chili for supper. got 3 eggs. guard dog's leg much better.
20:40, 67F, clear, stars and planets out and sparkly along with the fireflies. dogs barking..
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Updated: 2:46 AM GMT op 12 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:50, 58f, a smokey mist. roosters hollaring. guard dog has a bad leg - all swollen up. hoping she's not snake bit. got her to eat a little egg and milk. I had singed biscuits for breakfast.
10:40, 79F, slight breeze, hazy. noticed a shadow swinging when I was putting hay into the wheelbarrow, looked up and there was a 5 ft. snake shed in the rafters swaying in the breeze.. couldn't see a pattern on it.
11:50, tide coming in at CK. light wind, sunny. worked on the 600 ft. seine. it was pleasant in the boat yard, a breeze, and found a shady spot. ospreys flying back and forth. mockingbird singing. west wind pushing in the tide.
ruby-throated hummingbird in a friend's yard.
17:10, very high tide with a few ducks. smokey haze over the mainland.
18:30. guard dog feeling a little better. took her for a walk. leg is still swollen but can't find a wound. got 3 eggs. thinking of putting the little rooster in with the hens. maybe. spotted a little ring-neck snake in the lane while walking the guard dog. pretty little thing.
21:10, 68F, misty but stars and planets bright. barred owl hooting off to the north-west. dogs barking. going out on the river tomorrow!
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Updated: 1:56 AM GMT op 11 april 2012
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north florida - suwannee sound
05:50, 54F, foggy. roosters up. waning full moon high in the SW.
08:10, tide coming in at CK. a.m. - upper 60's, wind E, 4 knts. low 70's in the p.m. with wind clocking to W. water temps, 23.6C, 74F. water temps dropped from last week.
low catches except for 2 sets when we sampled the sea grass and got a lot of YOY pin and pig fish. saw a loon offshore when we were trawling and later a gannet. 8-10 dolphin investigated the boat, then swam off blowing and diving. water clear down past 2 meters offshore, temp one degree higher than inshore. swells from the NW.
15:00, high tide at #4 bridge. small pods of ducks in the marsh. over the big sand dune on sr 24, a pile of discarded tires on the shoulder was drawing the scrutiny of several buzzards. a bald eagle flew through them but did not stop.
going to cowtown for feed and groceries and gas. got 6 bales of oat hay.
17:10 unloaded same. br'er rabbit was at the front gate. 67F. made a chili. got 3 eggs.
20:20, 63F. haze. stars and planets very bright. fireflies out in underbrush. jasmine smells divine.
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Updated: 2:35 AM GMT op 10 april 2012
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north florida - shell mound - Easter
05:30, 52F at west door, 49F east thermometer..
calm. probably a haze or fog. moon riding right above the treeline to the SW. woke up roosters and a cardinal. oatmeal..
08:50, medium tide at CK. low 70's. 1 spoonbill poking around in the mud at #4 bridge. church was great. had brunch at the island room - shrimp hash.
that was good also.
12:00, tide coming in. small flocks of ducks in the backwaters. at shell mound, the archaeologists were finishing final mapping and measuring. I hung around as a spectator. one of the units showed signs of post holes and a pit.
left early and went back to the farm to take a nap. high tide.
19:30, 70F, calm, hazey. orange sun setting behind donkey woodlot. got 5 eggs. watered cypress, etc.
21:00, 63F, foggy, cool and damp.. no moon, but venus very bright! a great weekend!!
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Updated: 2:29 AM GMT op 09 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida - shell mound
06:55, 56F, clear, calm. dawn chorus with percussion by pileated woodpecker and back-up by roosters. traipsed around the yard but couldn't see the moon for the trees. fried fish for breakfast. feeling righteous.
11:10, shell mound, low 70's, stiff breeze from north, sunny. medium tide. folks fishing off the little bridge before the mound.
a third unit was opened in the "plaza" . found the usual shells, mostly oysters, fish bones, and plain pottery sherds. more visitors than yesterday. coral bean near unit 3 attracted a male ruby-throated hummingbird now and then..
15:30, high tide. breezy. heading back to the farm. same folks fishing off the little bridge.
18:00, 75F at farm, wind, NE. got one egg. walked a lot of dogs for far distances.. hay for all.
21:15, 66F, clear moon rising. venus brilliant.
hazy on ground. moon - a big white globe rising out of the treeline to the ESE. fireflies.
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Updated: 10:22 AM GMT op 08 april 2012
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north florida - shell mound - good friday
06:50, 65F, calm, misty. partly cloudy. dead possum by back door. yellow dogs looking alternately proud and sheepish.. roosters carrying on. young wrens flitting about. crows cawing. wrens better hide ...
70:50, 65F. 5 minutes of rain. that was it. worked up a sweat doing the morning chores. pileated woodpecker in the donkey woodlot, working on the dead cherry again. 4 deer in the cactus field. buzzards worrying something where I saw that fawn. didn't go look. brunch with a no. fl. author - sausage, eggs and grits..
12:50. low 70's at the shell mound where an excavation is going on. wind WNW, 10-12 knts but we were working on the SW side so only got a breeze.
we were ~ 12-15 ft. up the mound sifting shell, etc. from a trench put in just below us. found some pottery, plain.. lots of fish bones and some otoliths from catfish and trout. mostly oyster shell but some clams, crown conch, and lightning whelks. a few conch hammers. will return tomorrow.
16:00, breezy. high tide! lovely views across the marsh from the shell mound which in some spots is 25 ft. high. this is a crescent mound where parts have been "mined" for fill, but it still encompasses 5 acres. tomorrow we might dig in the plaza that the mound folds around. left to do chores before church.
16:30, mid 70's at the farm, breeze from north. got 6 eggs. fed herbivores early.
19:00, mid-tide at CK going out. NW wind 10-15 knts. choppy at the sand spit with a lot of beach exposed. at 20:00 a small crowd of folks gathered to watch the deep pink sunset.. did not see any ducks on the way home over #4 bridge.
22:10, orange full moon over the lane. misty but venus very bright. love that big orange moon!
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Updated: 2:26 AM GMT op 07 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida - cedar keys
05:20, 68F, partly cloudy. faint smudge of light to the west from moon.. ground's wet. had a shower last night, early a.m. foggy.
06:30, 67F, partly cloudy, roosters and songbirds singing. dogs quiet.. going out on the water.
08:00, low tide coming in at CK. low 70's, slight breeze from east. wore my waders. glad to be out on the water and in the salt air. white pelicans crowding the exposed oyster bars. a large flock of ducks winging toward the north. water temperature, 24.6C, 77F.
low catches except for one pull with the 600 ft. seine where we caught redfish, mackerel, a snook, and sheepshead, plus stingrays and the usual baitfish. another pull with the 600 netted several big black drum. tripped on some oysters on the last pull and soaked my waders again - only my socks remained dry. wind picked up to 12 knts. from west after noon.
14:30, high tide. leaving early to shower and change for the poetry reading at 17:00.
15:00, windy at the farm. upper 70's. did chores, took shower and got dressed fancy.
17:00, windy at CK. mid 70's. well attended poetry reading. dinner afterwards at the island room. great crabcake and asperagus bisque!
21:10, 68F at the farm. fed and walked dogs. waxing moon almost full. quiet on ground but scattered clouds racing across from SW. stars and planets out. fog forming..
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Updated: 11:27 AM GMT op 06 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:40, 65F, clear and calm. we're all up.. magnolia and pear tree blooming! so fragrant! reddog crooning a little song.
did a wash and hung it out. got 3 eggs. oat hay's a big hit so far..
11:05, high tide at CK. mid 70's, west wind at 5 knts. there's still a few ducks (scaups) hanging around in the backwaters. finished and packed up the mended trawl. all 4 are ready to go now. washed down boat and gear from today.
16:10, still high tide. wind switched to SW. rain out in the Gulf. slight chop by sand spit.
17:20, 82F at the farm. partly cloudy, sunny. slight breeze. clothes dry. got 2 more eggs. one of the crew has a young german short-hair pointer. he got bit on his back foot by a ground rattler yesterday. he got anti-venom and is o.k. but limping and might loose a toe. I've been careful. there's a lot of places where me and the dogs go that are good snake spots. lucky for me, the dogs are fairly aware of reptiles.. esp. the guard dog who's still in heat and locked up. a lot of barking and howling going on. this always happens. so far dixie is doing a good job of keeping an eye on the sheep yard and being alert.
21:00, 70F, hazy with clouds. waxing gibbous moon has a ring around it. only the brightest stars are showing tonight. heard owl in the distance. fireflies still around.
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Updated: 3:05 AM GMT op 05 april 2012
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north florida - suwannee delta
06:30, 62F, foggy. wolf light. birds starting in. roosters up. moved dogs around and they quit their howling. going out on the delta!
while walking one of the dogs at sunrise, a fawn stood up in the cactus field and froze. no mom (or sibling)in sight. I turned around. not long afterwards, on the 2nd dog walk, the fawn was gone, vanished. I'm hoping mom retrieved her child.
09:00, 71F. farmers on the way to cow town busy cutting, drying, and baling their green oats.
10:20, very high tide on the suwannee river. swift current. good breeze from east. water temps, 26C, 78F. no gators in sight. no ducks. herons and ospreys though. wind switched to the west at 10 knots in the afternoon. arrowhead blooming. got some juvenile trout, mackerel, and redfish. one set had 6 big black drum easily weighing over 25 lbs. apiece and a large gar over 1.5 meters long, plus the usual baitfish and some small mullet. slid off a peat bank and soaked my waders but the water was warm.
a great day! sunny and breezy with no bugs. it was my birthday and a friend sent a lemon cake along. we ate it between sets! couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday.
hit the feedstore on my way home and got 2 bales of oat hay at the regular hay price to see if the flock would like it. also got bird seed for my new squirrel buster bird feeder that my sister sent me!
17:05, sun at the back door, 88F. got 2 eggs. sheep and donkeys love the oat hay. fed them half coastal and half oat hay. might put some weight on them after this winter of flukey hay.. mulberries turning red. set up bird feeder.
20:10, 68F, started out partly cloudy with a bright waxing gibbous moon and planets, etc. then clouds started moving in from the west and moon ended up with a rainbow ring around it. fireflies in the brush.
23:05, 71F. overcast. no moon. fireflies spreading through the yard. dogs all barking. heard the barred owl off in the pines to the north. what a great sound! super day!!
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Updated: 3:20 AM GMT op 04 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:10, 63F, foggy! birds singing, roosters crowing and all's right with the world. yellow dog chased a skunk but backed off. her mama didn't raise no dumb dog ...
10:40, med. tide at CK. ducks still around. mid-70's, W wind, 10 knts. I pretty much finished the trawl!!! proofed data in the late afternoon. great egret still around and oyspreys were squabbling..
16:40, low tide to east of causeway, medium tide to the west. shorebirds - willets, pipers, stilts ...- poking around on the oyster bars.
17:15, 78F at the farm. SW breeze, sunny. got 4 eggs.
20:00, 70F, clear. venus blazing. waxing gibbous moon casting shadows. barred owl hoo-hooing from the north. dogs barking at owl. reddog howling for the guard dog. fireflies all over front yard!
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Updated: 2:38 AM GMT op 03 april 2012
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north florida - wild florida
05:50, 59F, clear skies with lovely stars. big dipper has revolved 180 degrees. betting there's fog in the pasture. it was forming last night at dusk. grass growing!! woke up roosters. dogs on guard. oatmeal.
08:40, low 70's, north zephyr. medium tide. dead king snake on the causeway. good palm sunday service. high-ish tide leaving at 10:40. ducks. heading for st. petersburg to visit my children in their new house and see the new grand-pup, a lab.
a pleasant afternoon, sunny but not hot. spotted several sandhill cranes along vetern's expressway and 2 wild turkeys on the edge of a scrub oak forest. returned to farm at dusk. 76F, calm, waxing gibbous moon lighting the pasture and casting eerie shadows down by the sheep barn. all stars and planets out and bright. fog forming out in the fields. planted the paper-white bulbs (a gift) by the light of the moon.
19:30, 68F, calm and bright out. fed and walked all the dogs. reddog serenading the guard dog. eggs can wait until tomorrow a.m. a long, happy day.
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Updated: 3:21 AM GMT op 02 april 2012
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