April is just a week away and if this winter continues it will be an April Fool’s joke for real. I had minus–15 degrees this morning (3/24)—which does not make for a good sap day in this area.
I was down in the Little Falls area on Saturday. The sap may have been running down that way as it was 42 degrees and raining.
It turned to freezing rain as I went north.
The temperature hit 32 at the blinking light in Woodgate and then it turned to snow. What else is new?
Someone said the snowmobile trails close on April 1, then they open for biking. Well, you will want one of those wide tires on your bike.
All of this snow is going to melt and let’s hope it doesn’t go very fast as those folks downstream will be underwater. I hope they have their flood insurance up to date.
Most rivers are frozen more than I’ve seen in long time and that water has got to go somewhere.
The West Canada Creek is open only because of the release of water from the Hinckley Reservoir.
When I was down that way on Saturday I saw flocks of geese in the river along with merganser, mallard and black ducks.
Some of these ducks have also made it up to Old Forge and are in the river by the Thendara Bridge.
The first day of spring passed by and I did see a robin that day down in Chip Sauer’s pit. It was in the spring run there searching for something to eat.
I also had four red-winged blackbirds and a grackle at the feeder that day so they had their calendar date right.
There was a golden eagle on my pond that day too. If I’m around I normally see one that stops by on its way north to grab a snack.
A red-tailed hawk was there a couple days earlier.
While down near Little Falls I checked for the snowy owls but didn’t see any. I had reports that they were still around but it wasn’t a very good day.
It was raining, the wind was blowing 30 miles an hour, and the snow banks were 12-feet high so you couldn’t see over them.
I saw one rough legged hawk and a kestrel. The owls were probably hunkered down somewhere out of the wind.
That normally doesn’t bother them as the wind blows up in the Arctic most of the time.
They are such good fliers that they can catch a snow bunting on the wing.
Some of the owls over in Vermont have left and started their trip back to the tundra.
This late deep snow and cold is going to take a toll on the fawn crop. Their skinny little hoofs don’t hold them up very well in this deep snow.
I once watched as one went across the backyard to check for apples dropping from my crab apple tree and it was having a tough time.
The blue jays have been picking the apples and eating them, so you know things are getting in short supply out in the wild.
I had never seen them do this before, but I have never had 20 show up at my feeder before either.
They knock some of the apples off into the snow and the deer search under the tree looking for these drops.
Inlet is trying to reclaim the Guinness Record for the largest number of canoes and kayaks in a single raft on Fourth Lake.
You can join in the fun on September 14, 2014 for One Square Mile of Hope.
Inlet’s record to break is 1,902 and the new Guinness Record is 2099 set on August 31, 2013 on Lake Michigan, Sutton Bay, MI.
Inlet has partnered in this event with the Kiwanis Club of the Central Adirondacks of Old Forge.
Proceeds from this event will be directed toward achieving the prevention of and a cure for breast cancer.
The primary beneficiary will be The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (bcrfcure.org).
Sponsors are trying to get over 500 registered before April 1st, which isn’t that far away. You can register online and pay by credit card or PayPal by going to OneSquareMileofHope.org.
Online registration closes on September 11 but you can register at Inlet Town Hall on Friday, September 12 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the day of the race at Arrowhead Park from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Raft formation begins at 11 a.m. At 11:45 a.m. all canoes and kayaks must be in the designated area, count down begins, drums start, paddles up, silence.
Official photos and videos are taken from an airplane overhead, and at noon we break the record.
After the record is broken, everyone goes back in Arrowhead Park where there is a fabulous lunch, festival in the park with music, drumming, wellness exhibits, silent auction, boat raffle, art, yoga and much more.
Registration fees (boat includes one paddler) by July 13 are $25 per boat, by September 12 the fee is $30 per boat, September 13 it’s $35 per boat. Additional paddlers are $10 each. Come join in the fun and fundraising event on a beautiful fall day in Inlet.
My crocus and daffodils aren’t blooming, but that’s another story. See ya.