along the trail.

an owl update.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Besides the occasional calls back and forth along the creek we haven't seen much of our little neighbors for a few weeks. These pictures were taken in June just after a rain.

These little ones are such characters...we caught them on video hissing and carrying on at us though we were on the other side of the creek from them.

All 5 babies, (yes there are still 5!!!), were very interested and curious of us but on guard at all times.

We also caught daddy fishing. This is the "wet and wild" looking father himself. We are not completely positive that he has a second leg. We watched for a while as he would gather up yummies from the creek and pile them on the bank. Then we watched as the little ones flew over, acting very juvenile by hissing and pecking and then he fed 2 of them.

Me went over to the bank after they flew up into the trees and spotted a couple of crayfish claws left over from dinner. ;)

Oh, and our (human) neighbors spotted a barred owl fly into a try in their yard a few weeks ago. We've been hearing a barred owl now off and on at night too! Very exciting!

xo Stephanie

thursday smursday.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:48:00 +0000

In regards to Memorial weekend..."move em in, move em out.", as M would say. We had M's parents up from Thursday through Sunday. Little sister and her honey from Friday through Sunday. Two friends from back home from late night Saturday through Sunday afternoon. S's mom and honey from Sunday through Monday. And we had a our annual cookout on Saturday with the neighbors, local family and most of our weekend-campers. Shew. Monday morning we were both looking at each other with sleepy eyes and sunburns, begging for another hour of sleep and an evening of relaxation. I just finally got the camper vacuumed and mopped yesterday afternoon and emptied out all of the leftovers in the fridge. Back to normal for a bit.

Our owl friends have moved up into the trees on the creekside and besides this morning we haven't heard them even calling. But they're still there, I'm sure of it.

We do however think we heard the mythical Sasquatch (Wild man, Yeti, Meh-Teh, Kikomba); Big Foot. M was woken at around 4am Wednesday morning to a strange kak-kak-kak sound coming from near the bridge at the corner of the property...I even woke up after hearing a loud WooOP WooOP. This repeated many times very loudly, much like someone standing in the yard with a megaphone. The only way we can think to describe the WooOP sound is like the obnoxious Jakovasaurus from South Park. Strange but true. Wonder what kind of wild animal it actually was....? Even stranger was that the little forest creatures such as crickets and other night-musicians were silenced during these calls. Were they hiding?

until next time,
xo
Stephanie

well hello there.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:46:00 +0000

It's so hot here today. Actually just now the sky broke and let large bits of hail fall from the sky. It was so loud and there was so much of it that I yelled as loud as I could but couldn't even hear myself!! Maybe the brief storm will cool it down a little.

It was 81 degrees in this camper earlier...so hot. I have been trying my hardest to get chores and the likes done but have to take breaks in between so I don't over-heat! I decided to take a walk through the creek and wandered up on this little fawn resting in a patch of grass and rocks. I actually climbed back up the hillside through the weeds to get my camera.

I wondered if she were hurt. I got all the way up to where I was almost able to reach out and touch her until she jumped up and ran off as fast as her little uncoordinated legs would allow.

A magic moment indeed.

As for our little owl friends...there just so happens to be 5 babies and they have all learned to fly. They seem to have taken over the hillside along the creek now. They have become the illusive beings that they are...we have only seen the momma hunting since Tuesday night.

until later.

xo Stephanie

baby owl pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:04:00 +0000

3 little owlets were all spotted yesterday, 2 on a branch and 1 in the hole. This morning M said he saw all 3 out when he drove by on the way to work. I was able to photograph only 2 yesterday, the other was up too high in the tree.

Here we have juvenile 1 morphing when we first met. It remained like this for quite some time until I came back around later for more pictures...that's when I was able to capture it as below. So cute and fluffy all covered in down.

Below is juvenile 2, so curious and ready to meet the world. I hope I am able to catch all 3 of them today.

We went down in the evening when M got home from work so that I could show him the babies. We again spotted the grey male-adult sized screech. We also witnessed juvenile 1 trying to take it's first flight and blue jays trying to move it. We watched in terror as 1. the little owlet struggled to keep itself on the little limb it ended up on, and 2. both momma and the male grey-adult hooted and chased off the blue jays. There is nothing we would ever do to disrupt the natural process of nature so we pray that the blue jays do not come back to attempt the take over again anytime soon. p.s. The male adult has got the be the daddy...wonder where the other red male went that was there just last week...

Here's another shot of momma. She is so fat!!

Amazing. ♥ ♥

an owl update.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Yesterday we went down to watch the female and spotted a juvenile peeking it's head out from their hole. It was very curious, still flully and grey. Then yesterday evening we were there again to see momma, baby in it's hole and yet another male-sized grey phase screech hanging out just a few limbs from momma. We just saw the red phase male the other day so it's a mystery!!

Yesterday we planted a Big Boy tomato plant, some summer squash, cucumber and strawberries. We are trying out the hanging planters (Topsy Turvy) until we decide on a permanent garden location. M also built a 4x4 raised garden bed that we are going to fill this week. This weekend was spent working hard to finish our chores early so we could relax in the afternoon. This place has really came alive with sounds and lush greenery over the last 2 weeks! Our hammock will be worn out by the end of summer!

p.s. We have also recently spotted a Spotted Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and heard the loudest Whippoorwill ever, many nights.

xo Stephanie

We have new neighbors!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Last week we began hearing a Screech Owl by the creek just a few yards from the camper. I wandered down there one evening with binoculars to see if I could spot it. There she sat in the laurel watching me, comfortably, purring her little song. So close the binocs were not even necessary. Ever since then all of our neighbors have also welcomed her to the area. She had a big surprise for us yesterday...there are two...a pair!! We spotted them both on a branch together and they are living in a tree just a few feet from there.

Expect more pictures...and hopefully I'll be able to catch both together and some little ones in the future!!

♥ ♥

specimen: Narcissus pseudonarcissus

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Wild Daffodil

(Narcissus pseudonarcissus)

We've been wandering around in the woods alot lately...hunting for morels. We have so many pictures to share with you! First off, as I already mentioned in the last post, we had daffodils everywhere here. They have finished for the season, as is the Coltsfoot, but we were fortunate enough to have them along the edge of the road during their season. It ended up that we had two different kinds...

a trumpet.

and a double.

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Non-native. Blooms in Spring. Found here in woods and grassland. Also know as Lent Lily.

Some yards we pass on the way into town were lucky enough to be filled during the early Spring. And while wandering through the woods you could also find patches here and there...usually near old foundations. Daffodils are not even from the states. It really makes you wonder how long ago these were planted and by whom.

specimen: Tussilago farfara

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Coltsfoot

(Tussilago farfara)

ugh...invasive species. Patches of Coltsfoot accompany the Daffodil as the first blooms of Spring here. After a little research I found that the pappus (silky hairs) of the seed head are often used by goldfinches to line their nests. We spotted a female goldfinch at the bird feeder this past week. =)

Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae), Composite Family (Compositae)

Similar species:
• Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus) - Has white flowers, different leaves.
• Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - Leaves are different.

Non-native, invasive species. Blooms in Spring. Found here along the road, in gravely areas. Used in Europe for medicinal purposes.

image source: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/coltsf88.html

spring.2011

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:44:00 +0000

I can officially say that Spring has arrived here in "the holler"...even as I sit here staring out at a bleak, rainy, 42 degree day. Hey, it's Spring! The weather is excused from being a little iffy from day to day. I just wonder how that differs from our snowglobe winter here?? Definitely over that.

The ramps are up. The grass is growing. The birds are singing. There are daffodils everywhere here...in everyone's yard, along the road...every...where! I have never seen such a sight.

There are also baby animals everywhere! Our closest neighbors have had 6 goats, with more on the way. They also have cows ready. Our other neighbors have lambs...of which I am kicking myself for not going down to visit yet!

This is a little female kid that has been being nursed. Her momma would not take to her so they have been bottle feeding her. I have been helping when I can during the day and have to admit that I have a little soft spot for this sweetie. I call her "Puppy". If you know me...you know I'm silly like that. ;)

She likes to have her head scratched, climb onto my lap and tiptoe quickly after me in the yard. We have high-hopes that she will continue to grow strong and healthy to pull through.

We have even had a few warm nights with rain and in return lots of fog. Lick Run has been rolling right along and sounds wonderfully relaxing.

I have been hoping to hang my hammock from the pavilion soon. I think it might be taken over by M for afternoon snoozes during the weekend though.

In regards to identifying species here, I have a few to share soon after a mushroom hunt we went on last weekend. No morels yet.

Hope everyone is enjoying lovely weather like us.

xo
Stephanie

We're still here!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:31:00 +0000

promise. We haven't fallen off the face of the earth, been eaten by a bear or froze to death. We can tell you that the new jeep that we bought broke down and had to have the transmission repaired. We can tell you that we have both been sick, S is currently in the worst of it...hopefully. We can tell you we are still working at the same places...though S is now in floral, M is still chugging along with the crew at the university, learning new skills all the time. We can tell you that we are unsure of the permanence of all of these things...hopefully the new jeep will continue to run smoothly now that it has been repaired...that we will overcome our illnesses now that the seasons are changing...and that we will continue working. We are unsure of everything except that we made it through our first winter here and the weather just keeps getting better!! {exclamation point}We are very excited about this. The kitties are also very excited about the chance of open windows and the sound of chirpping birds. Winter makes them lazy and restless.

M started pulling the hay out from under the camper and spreading it onto our mudd yard. With the seed that he spread in the fall and the hay hopefully we'll have some grass soon. We have had some chilly, cloudy days lately but the nice ones outweigh those more and more each week.

We took 2 hikes around the property last week. Thank goodness for Spring. We are ready to start enjoying the magic of this place.

Hope everyone is well and you did not get eaten by a bear or freeze to death. ;)

xo

tired of snow pictures yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:07:00 +0000

too bad. it's still snowing here!! Here's some pics M took on Wednesday.

Our neighbor's driveway...

Our driveway...also know as our sledding hill. Trees were down everywhere because of all of this snow!!

Another picture of our neighbor's driveway with M's tire tracks before plowing.

The road in front of our place. Again, trees everywhere!

Snowing cats and dogs!

There is a house when you first turn onto our road that has a huge patch of bamboo. When we came home Wednesday the snow was so heavy that the bamboo was bending down over the road. It was terrifying driving through it blindly but hilarious all the same.

Hope you're keeping warm!!

xo Stephanie

cakes and such.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Some pictures of cakes that I took on my phone. Poor quality but you can see some of my favorites!

I love to airbrush cakes! This 1/2 sheet cake is airbrushed and then I used the rose tip to make both the bottom and larger top border.

This was a 3 layer, fresh strawberry filled cake for an order. The airbrushing made it look super tall!

This was for a coworker to surprise her mom. It was done in whipped icing. That stuff is sooo much better to work with than buttercream. It's not lopsided...just the way I was holding the camera...promise. =)

And this cupcake cake is my all time favorite! It's 24 cupcakes. =)

M started his new job today! I got a new jeep today too! Pics soon.

xo Stephanie

excursion 12.00.10

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Just up the road from us is Valley Falls State Park. I've personally only been there one time before when we were visiting here. Since it's so close, a few weeks before Christmas we had a nice winter day without snow and decided to take a little hike through the woods. There were 2 kayakers there going down some of the larger drops! Crazy...it was SO cold!

Mostly the woods we barren but we did see 2 deer that walked up very close to us. Then not too further up the trail we watched in awe as a coyote ran across the trail in front of us in complete silence. The first time I have seen one in the wild and only the 3rd M has seen...the other 2 being on our property.

We did spot a few patches of fern and moss along the Rhododendron trail. And I'm looking forward to visiting again in the spring and this time I'll make sure to remember my tripod for some shots of the falls.

xo Stephanie

catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:09:00 +0000

I know. It's been a while. But we have been busy!

we had some snow...

then we had lots more snow!

we went fourwheeling...

our jeep went for a ride on it's own...

i made lots of cakes...

and a pile-o-mini cupcakes...

had a root canal and M gots a new job that he starts in a few weeks! Shew. That's alot in the few weeks that we've blogged last. OH and you can see that the camper is skirted now...but I think M did that sometime in December.

until next time
xo Stephanie

happy day!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

We are both looking forward to seeing family and having a mini break. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday too! ♥ ♥

how many bales of hay does it take?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:22:00 +0000

It took 16 to create a barracade from the freezing weather to protect our water tanks and pipes. M also wrapped the pipes with foam insulation tape and lined leftover roofing material around the outside of the little room for added protection. Here he is in the act.

He of course gives it the thumbs up of approval but with temps predicted to be in the teens this coming week it'll get put to the true test.

Keep warm!

warmest wishes.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:55:00 +0000

For 3 days we have been in a winter wonderland. We already have 5-6 inches and there might be another storm this weekend. It 22 degrees outside right now but a cozy 70 in the camper. burr!

I braved the cold today to take some pictures. My toes are still numb.

I had the day off so the day was spent doing chores and a little holiday decorating. Marcus will even be lighting up one of the pines by the road this week!

We hope you are keeping warm!

xo Stephanie

p.s. Pictures from our day at Valley Falls coming soon.

excursion 11.14.10

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:02:00 +0000

First of all, Happy late Thanksgiving everyone! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday and that you were able to spend time with friends and family. We had dinner here in Fairmont with grandma Doris, uncle Larry and my friend Tasha from VA who came up to visit for a few days.

On 11.14.10 my mom came up to visit and we took a day trip to the former West Virginia Penitentiary for a tour. This place is smack dab in the middle of the town of Moundsville. There are many paranormal stories about this place that we couldn't help but to question both our guide and the lady at the front...who btw was on one of the ghost hunter shows and an ex-guard. They told us of many experiences that they have had during their time there.

We did have 3...first off Marcus' video camera's battery drained almost dead within the first few minutes. It went back up to full charge in the car on the way home. 2nd, mom was taking pictures when we entered the cell area and she felt something hit her hand and her camera turned off. 3rd, we were in the yard with the tour guide and I happened to wander around the side of a little storage building and heard a deep breath over my shoulder. Crazy right?

Although we didn't catch any hard evidence, here are a few pictures that I took. Unfortunately I forgot my digital camera but they had one disposable film camera left for sale...I figured why not, film is fun and has a neat look.

The pen from the top of the mound.

Artwork to the side of the visiting area. I really liked the 70s look to it. There was alot of artwork there by inmates...some better than others. There seemed to be a couple of fans of the Ninja Turtles. haha

The paint was peeling everywhere. It made me wonder how much lead was there.

And Marcus walking up the stairs of the mound. Beautiful view from up there.

It was great to get out and do something. Lately it seems that I am always working and Marcus is always busy fixing something or hunting! Oh and I'm not sure that I shared but I am working at the bakery in Kroger now decorating and such! It's the largest Kroger in WV and one of the busiest in the area and surrounding states. I have been learning SO much since I started only a few weeks ago.

Another post to come soon. promise. xo Stephanie

Family photo day!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 01:27:00 +0000

We had our friend Matt come over and take some pictures of the Swaim family before we moved from VA. While he was there we had him take a couple of us and the kitties in our new home. We just got them and wanted to share.

M and S with the girls; from left to right: Ozzie, Linx and Elsie. ♥

We had to keep rounding up the kitties to get them in the picture. It was really funny!

xo Stephanie

p.s. We had snow last week! Not enough to stick but it snowed all day long. crazy.

And....we're under!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 19:28:00 +0000

This morning we strapped everything down, brought the slide-outs in and Stephanie took a wild ride 30 or so feet to the RVs permanent spot. I have to say it was a little terrifying riding inside with them kitties while the misters moved us under the pavilion. Sounded much like an old train or the Titanic sinking! But here we are, finally sheltered. Next step? Finishing up the blocking, insulating and skirting. Then we'll be ready for this fast coming winter ahead of us.

I'm off to get those tupperware containers back to what little organized they were.

Stephanie

the pavilion

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 05:46:00 +0000

hello friends and family, im sorry for the delay with my posts, but i have been trying to get as much done as possible outside while the weather is good. before long the weather will be cold and i will have more time to do indoor activities, but lately the weather can be explained best as "almost heaven".

the pavilion has been a hefty project, but im proud to say it is 98 percent finished. it has been a great learning experience. we thank all the people who helped make this project possible. our family and friends have been a huge help and we couldn't have done it without them. of course it helps to have an excellent carpenter to lead the project as i had with mike. lets just say when it comes to carpentry, mike has some skills.

here are some pictures from along the way.

as of yesterday the electricity has been ran, the gravel has been spread and we plan on moving the rv under this coming week. we are really looking forward to it.

marcus

Creepy Crawlies

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Our friends Melinda and Michael's little boy Mikey turned 8 this past week. They had a party for him down at our neighbors place with games, food and hayrides! The best part? I got to make the cake and cupcakes!

I went with a Creepy Crawlie theme because 1. what little boy doesn't like monsters and worms? and 2. they were going with halloween decorations and games, including slime! Plus I got to be super creative and have fun with it! ;)

Along with the kids, we also had a really good time. We got to meet some other neighbors and made new friends. =) You can view a close-up and details on the cupcakes at my personal blog HERE!

xo Stephanie

Raptors!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Today we had an awesome experience! One of my new coworkers from the hotel volunteers at the WV Raptor Rehabilition Center and he offered to take us to see the birds they are currently caring for. We jumped at the chance, of course! Right now they have several including red-tailed hawks, a turkey vulture and a few different species of owls; including horned and screech.

This is Annie, the red-tailed hawk. She helps them with educational programs and events. She was truly breathtaking.

She opens her wings on command!

Much has been done since my last blog. We have almost completed the pavilion, I got a job at a hotel in Morgantown working banquets, had a 2nd interview at the hospital for a full-time position, and we have been scouting out plants in the area to photograph (those to come). Marcus has photos and blogging to share about the pavilion, once he actually takes a break! He's outside from dawn til dusk always working on something. You'll hear from him soon.

Hope everyone is enjoying this crisp fall weather!

xo Stephanie

p.s. At the camp or on the way a racoon, groundhog and red-tailed hawk have all been seen. Those are so common that it almost seems silly to share but oh well.

4 years ago today...

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:51:00 +0000

we was marrieds. Yah! To celebrate we went out to the little ice cream place up the road. We had sandwiches and split a funnel cake. Mmmm fried dough. We'll be wrapping the night up with Season 1 Disc 2 of the Sopranos.

Progress on the pavilion has been slow...well really not at all. It's been wet and rainy off and on all week. The weather will be back to dry this weekend so work will start again.

I'm heading back to Winchester for the weekend for my last naturalist workshop, then I'll be graduating Sunday. I'll be an official West Virginia Master Naturalist!

Oh and we observed a possum just outside the camper the other night...rooting around under the bird feeders. We have lots of little gold finch and cardinals feeding right now too!

until next time. xo Stephanie

p.s Hi grandma Bonnie! =)

Thursday at the Bunner Hole

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:17:00 +0000

Thursday we got up and took a short walk through the woods...very short. It was so hot and muggy out that we decided the day would be better off spent at the Bunner Hole. For those of you not in "the know" the Bunner Hole is just around the corner from us, a hole deep enough for jumping in, spotting a few fish and the perfect place to cool off on a hot day.

I of course laid in a chair and relaxed...the view, the soft sounds of nature, zzzzzzz...

Marcus was more productive and tried to catch a few fish.

Today the weather has cooled down about 15 degrees. It's supposed to be really cool this weekend. Hopefully this will be the final leap into fall. Since we last blogged 2 looong black snacks, 3 doe, a fox and 2 more wild turkeys have been spotted!

We have a little (slow) internets now so we'll be able to blog more regularly. They started on the pavilion today so we should have some photos of the progress soon.

laters! xo Stephanie