Discovering the world around me.
Jesse Reeves purchased the land that includes Owl Acres from the Government in 1854 for $1.25 per acre. He may have bought the land to establish a homestead on it. Or he may have bought the land as an investment. Little factual information is known about his intentions. We do know, however, that he sold […]
Continue reading Pluck and Perseverance: Lewis Woodruff
Earlier in this blog, I identified the first person to buy the land containing Owl Acres. Further research confirmed the name but discovered that it was a completely different person. That put a different spin on his life. So, meet Jesse Reeves—again. Jesse Reeves and his wife Sybil were the first settlers to own the […]
Continue reading Redux: Jesse Reeves
On a windy day in early April, we took a walk-about in the yard on Owl Acres to see what was happening. The weather had been erratic, getting warm, then cold, then warm again. It rained, snowed, and blew a gale for several days. For the most part, winter was hanging on, with last year’s […]
Continue reading Medicine for Moms: Motherwort
Last fall we identified several types of berries along the edges of Owl Acres. One type of those berries was the white, pea-sized berries of the rough-leaf dogwoods which were growing in the yard and along the railroad tracks. I was familiar with some of the legends surrounding the dogwood, and was perhaps a bit […]
Continue reading Native Host: Rough-Leaf Dogwood
A couple of years ago, in early spring, I heard a cock pheasant crowing as he walked across the driveway on Owl Acres. He was probably on his way to find some mates. His call was a harsh squawk which the ladies apparently find attractive. If he was lucky, he put together an entire harem […]
Continue reading Asian Beauties: Ring-Neck Pheasants
Several species of woodpeckers live on Owl Acres. In the winter, we see the downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers at the bird feeder. Once in a while a red-bellied woodpecker visits the feeder as well. Northern flickers live in the woods, and a red-headed woodpecker was seen climbing a tree outside the dining room window […]
Continue reading Flashy Feathers: Red-Headed Woodpecker
It’s hard to get an exact set of syllables that mimic or illustrate a bird song. We attach words like the robin’s “cheerily cheerily cheer up cheer up” or the white-throated sparrow’s “O Canada Canada,” but it’s not exact. We keep trying to get it just right. One of the most familiar and recognizable birdsongs […]
Continue reading Conkeree: Red-Wing Blackbird
Several fairly aggressive little songbirds tend to dominate the bird feeder, giving the house sparrows a run for their money. Like the sparrows, these little birds are not native to Owl Acres but have moved in to stay. Their story is similar to that of their rivals the house sparrows, but took place nearly a […]
Continue reading Charming Invasives: House Finches
Yesterday, as Dave and Clancy and I took our daily stroll, the world was quiet. The cawing of a distant crow gave the soundscape some depth, and the cheeping of a bird flying across our path reminded me that we were not alone. A slight breeze out of the south carried the rustle of dry […]
Continue reading My Compass: Interstate 80
On a cold and windy January day, Bryan and I and my Seeing Eye dog put on our boots and trudge through the snow in the field across the road. The snow is knee-deep, and the crust that had formed on it can’t hold our weight. Each step punches through the crust to land knee-deep […]
Continue reading The Newton and Northwestern Railroad