north florida - wild florida
07:05, 62F, very foggy. all 2 roosters crowing. pileated woodpecker in donkey woodlot. cat bird on bird feeder. guard dog finished cat's food. another day! yay! that's what the roosters say.. I've had roosters since the 60's and their mindset seems to be, if they're alive then they won!
10:05, 71F, clearing, sun's coming out. got 2 eggs.
10:40, low tide at CK. 60's, light wind from SE.
took truck to andy's for oil change. worked on trawl. tide coming in. ospreys staying away from nest. saw 2 red-shouldered hawks inspecting it. that nest has more visitors! one of the guys saw a "big owl" by the nest several nights ago. it's a very large nest so no telling what's going on with it. a large brown anole was out inspecting the trawls while I was mending.
16:30, very high tide. not so many ducks as usual. hoping the warm weather will not compell them to fly north this early. wind SW, light.
17:00, 76F at the farm. mostly cloudy. pasture is actually showing some green. cut down on the sheep hay but not by much. all the ewes have lambs on them and need good nourishment but with these native sheep, if there's grass they will waste their hay if I give them too much. they prefer pasture. rye grass in yard looks great! thinking I will let them in the yard over the weekend.
19:00, 69F, clear. dusk, almost dark. 5 deer in cactus field along the fence line. cut the dog walk short so as not to disturb them. waxing half moon, jupiter, and venus bright in the sky.
18:05, 67F, mist. moon has a ring around it.
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Updated: 02:43 GMT le 01 Mars 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:35, 65F, foggy. both roosters knocking themselves out. songbirds vocal. clearing. the rain was much needed but since it was a light rain over several days, while it greatly helped the vegetation, I doubt that it raised our water table much at all.. overall, I only got 1.2", but the overcast skies were a boon. there wasn't alot of evaporation going on.. muggy now.
4 deer in the donkey woodlot while I was giving out hay. we ignored each other. got 1 egg.
10:20, low tide at CK. partly cloudy. hardly a breeze, the water fairly flat. the usual shorebirds poking through the mud. worked on the trawl. knotting the smaller rips together first. that gives the net more body for when I start on the big rips.
ospreys keeping it down. mockingbird silent. tide coming in. some sun. low 70's. strangely, the bugs aren't very bothersome.
15:40, high tide. ducks bobbing. heading for the cow town to get russell dog food, gasoline, feed and hay. starts clouding up by rocky hammock. a few cows lying down. looks like rain but the guys at the feed store said it looked the same all day with no rain. got no rain. back at the farm I unloaded feed and hay. 4 deer still in donkey woodlot.
18:40, 66F, clearing. got 2 eggs. can see moon. fog forming.
20:00, 63F, waxing horned moon in the high west. jupiter, venus, and orion visible. no wind. foggy.
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Updated: 02:04 GMT le 29 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:55, 60F, light rain. both roosters crowing. outside cat discouraged. dumb old cat. there's half dozen shelters for him to go to, plus under the house and he insists on hanging around the picnic table.. took boniva, waiting for breakfast. going to check the radar.
09:35, 64F, radar says a lot of rain out there.. heard thunder to the NW. walked dogs in rain lull. fed chickens. got 1 egg. everyone's waiting for hay, so ... will finish chores in rain.
10:40, low tide at CK. rain most of the way in. drizzle at the lab. love all the birds. tide coming in. mid-60's to low 70's. light winds that clocked from NE to NNW. water flat. continued mending the trawl, tricky. ospreys screeching. mocking bird going through his song track. sun eventually comes out, rain stops around 14:00. tide rushing in, lots of ducks bobbing.
16:20 high tide on way out. ducks! water was like a mirror and every spartina bank, mangrove island, or bird was reflected perfectly. started to drizzle in rosewood. damp at the farm but rain stopped. got 0.7" since yesterday. 73F. got 3 eggs. LR is still hanging at the coop. dixie won't quit.
17:40, 69F, mostly cloudy,gray sunset. put sheep hay in barn. waxing crescent moon showed but mostly hidden by clouds. saw venus, faintly once.
18:20, 67F, gets dark, begins to sprinkle. fed dogs quickly. heard whip-poor-will back by the bamboo.
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Updated: 01:37 GMT le 28 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:00, 53F, overcast, slight breeze. both roosters crowing. dark out. muffin for breakfast. ran out of oatmeal..
~07:00, begins to rain a steady drizzle. did chores, got 2 eggs.
08:35, low tide at CK. shore birds out. herons huntched. a cold wind. raining.
rain-pocked tide/ chocolate mud bank/ shadow green mangroves/ 3 pink spoonbills..
10:00, sandspit showing sand bars, little chop.
very low tide going out of town. crabs traps dry. ducks in puddles..
11:25, 55F in the CK scrub, drizzling.
14:07, 55F at the farm, raining. got 3 eggs. dixie stalked the little rooster (LR)and almost caught him.. she's in the pen and LR is back at the chicken coop. damp.
fire going. we need this rain.
17:40, 58F, rained all afternoon. slowed down by chore time.. let dixie out. roosters quiet. then started to drizzle again when I went to feed the dogs. 4o'clocks sprouting out. got 0.4" rain in dribbles. rye grass is coming around.
19:00, 57F. no chance of seeing moon, etc. tonight. disappointing. was looking forward to a repeat of last night. fire simmering. started a new series by cornwell on the holy grail..
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Updated: 00:58 GMT le 27 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
07:35, 56F, wind from the north with strong gusts, chilly. pale sunrise. mostly cloudy. roosters up. guard dog by back door. oatmeal and muffin for breakfast.
11:20, 64F, sunny, brisk wind from NW. went to get hay for donkeys. fresh dead armadillo being pulled off the road by a buzzard. nice chat with the hay guy about the price of hay.. planting peas (field peas, march - april), and loosing chickens. eagle, holding off buzzards, by dead armadillo on way back. shortcut on grade road passed a dog who shyed away from the truck, then a coyote ran across the road behind the dog, dodged through a barb wire fence. as coyote went thru the fence, b'rer rabbit bolted out of the brush and crossed to the other side of the road.. adventures getting hay!
15:15, 70F, sunny, wind dying down, mare's tails up above. got 4 eggs. since I couldn't find a hen for the banty rooster, I left his cage door open and after several hours, he jumped out and made a bee-line for the back coop with the big red rooster and the little red hen. he's there now, screaming insults through the coop door while big red is working on having a stroke. how long will little rooster survive outside, with hawks and dogs and skunks and coons? it was his choice. they're both out there crowing at each other right now.
19:50, 55F, slight breeze, partly cloudy. little rooster roosting on top of the chicken coop. waxing crescent moon and venus and jupiter just magnificent above the lane and the sheep barn.. what a spectacular sight. wow!!
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Updated: 01:18 GMT le 26 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:20, 68F, foggy, brisk breeze from SW. roosters carrying on. buzzards circling the farm. worried me so I went to the sheep barn.. guard dog sleeping by sheep water. lazy lamb crying for her mom who was out gleaning oak leaves with most of the flock. lamb was in barn with some good, quiet lambs and a few old ewes chewing their cud. everyone came in when they saw me. disappointed them when I left without giving them anything. buzzards moved off to the north.
09:30, 72F, made everyone happy with some hay. got
2 eggs.
11:00, medium tide at CK. very windy, SW, 10-15 knts. with gusts to 20, whitecaps. mostly cloudy. mid 60's. got the cod end of the trawl repaired and started in on the body. did some proofing of data. very high tide in the afternoon and ducks all over. ospreys off somewhere.
16:30, tide creeping up to the road in some places.
some of the spartina islands almost covered. lots of folks coming in to CK in the late afternoon.
17:00, 75F at the farm and overcast. strong SW winds. leaves all over. oaks are shedding like crazy. mulberry and fig getting little pale green leaves. 4 deer in the cactus field. got 3 more eggs. started drizzling around 18:30, just when I was going to put frontline on the dogs.. grrr.. had looked at the radar and the line of showers looked like they were going north of us but nooooo.. well, we need the rain. the dogs will get frontline tomorrow night.
20:30, 72F, dark and dripping and more rain to come. smelled a skunk. they're around. passed a dead one on the road yesterday on my way to cow town. no stars, no moon. had to put new batteries in my head lamp. sheep all sleeping in the barn with the dog. glad it's friday.
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Updated: 02:28 GMT le 25 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:35, 70F, foggy. songbirds singing. roosters up. wet out. very glad for the rain. got another 0.2" last night.
09:05, 72F, foggy and overcast, humid. got 2 eggs.
09:40, low tide at CK, tide coming in. stilts, ibis, willets, etc. poking around on the flooding mud banks. ducks in channel. 60's, very foggy. pretty! mended bait seine. worked on trawl. ospreys screeching again from the pine tree. mockingbird singing in the oaks. breezes from the SE, I think.. had to leave early to go to dentist.
15:00, tide very high. got to cow town and it was gray and gloomy and looked like it was going to rain. windy. found out I have an abcessed tooth. have to have it pulled. got antibiotics and feed.
18:00, 72F and overcast. bald eagle swooped down on the shoulder of the road right where I turn off to the farm. it touched down, then turned and swooped off in front of the truck. white tail, white head, large - probably a female. unloaded 450 lbs. of feed and hay. dark by the time I got the sheep and donkeys fed. mostly cloudy. venus and jupiter appeared but the waxing crescent moon was just a pale smudge in the west covered by a cloud bank.
19:00, 70F, and enough breeze from SW to make the wind chimes clunk. tired, jaw hurts.
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Updated: 02:44 GMT le 24 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida - ash wednesday
07:05, 50F, cloudy, mist on pasture. song birds singing. roosters crowing. fed the dude. should do a wash but it's supposed to rain. hahahaha...
10:00, med low tide at CK. herons out hunting in the back creeks. overcast. shifty wind. washed the bait seine and left it to dry. finished mending the cod end of the trawl and began mending the body of the trawl. it began raining around 14:30. bait seine got rinsed again. thrilled about the rain as it looked like it would stick around for awhile. 60's. ducks all over.
15:50, high tide going out. rained all the way back to the farm. got wet going through the gates.
68F, and puddles at the back door. got 2 eggs.
finished the chores and walked dogs during a lull in the rain. rain guage = 0.7". put the sheep hay in the barn. donkeys had to eat theirs in a drizzle. totally overcast. SW breeze.
17:30, 64F. another lull and I fed the dogs. had dry wood in front so built a small fire in the fire place since the house was chilly and damp. soup and toast for supper.
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Updated: 02:14 GMT le 23 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:20, 49F, wolf light. calm, clear, a few of the brighter stars showing. all two roosters singing. songbirds waking up. guard dog eating the dude's food. oatmeal for breakfast. fat tuesday.
6 deer in the donkey field, browsing on low branches and oak saplings while I pitched hay to the donkeys from the last of last summer's hay roll. ran out of $$ for donkey hay so they have to finish this roll, which is o.k. but just a little dry. they finished their ration by afternoon.
09:30, low tide coming in at CK. upper 50's climbing into the low 60's as the day progressed. high tide by noon. light winds clocking from the NW to the SW through the day. washed 2 trawls and began mending the tore up trawl when it was almost dry. started on the cod end which is heavy twine and difficult to knot. should finish that part by tomorrow. the rips in the body will be easier since the twine is lighter and easier to knot.
still high tide, but going out when I left CK at 16:00. lots of ducks floating in the back waters.
the ospreys spent most of the day squabbling.
18:40, 62F at the farm. cloudy. not a breath of wind. spanish moss not even stirring. no stars or planets. deep dusk, could barely see when I took the russell for her walk. heard the first whip-poor-will!! sounded like it was on the fence line in the cactus field where the deer like to hang out. think it was in the bamboo thicket that overhangs the fence. kinda early but he was singing loud and clear. trying to let that field go wild and restore it to a state where it attracts the wild critters.. hoping for quail, and even a turkey or two.. well, maybe not turkey. they like trees and it will be several years before I have trees out there. watered my pines and cypress. the cypress are putting out shoots! hope it lasts.
20:10, 59F, clearing. stars and planets out. finished feeding the dogs. new moon tonight. maybe tomorrow I can see a crescent if it's clear in the west.
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Updated: 02:00 GMT le 22 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
06:40, 48F, calm, clear except for a big black cloud bank in the east which is heading this way.
stars fading. all 2 roosters yellin'. guard dog harassed the jack russell for about 5 seconds. russell alright. guard dog on chain in sheep yard.
no moon in sight. fed the dude, the ouside cat. dixie ate his breakfast as soon as my back was turned. now she's locked up. reddog, who has arthritis and is senile wandered off and got stuck in the wisteria behind the chicken coop.. must be the cold making them act like fools ... 5 deer in donkey woodlot. all does.
09:50, 57F, mackerel skies, some sun, chill north wind. waiting for the gas guy to come check my water heater. washed kitchen floor. fed everyone. got 1 egg. temps climbed into the upper 60's and wind clocked to the NE.
15:15. gas guy finally showed up and fixed my water heater, I hope. soot had clogged things up. it is 30 yrs. old so ... hoping for a hot shower tonight! got 3 eggs. guard dog sulking with sheep.
18:45, 56F, cold wind from the east. clear. jupiter and venus slowly converging. got a fire going in the fireplace. supposed to get into the low 40's. had house open all day but it never got warm. finishing up b. cornwell's saxon series.
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Updated: 01:16 GMT le 21 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
05:35, 69F, breezy from the SW with gusts. overcast. donkeys and dogs carrying on. roosters asleep. went out to check. think wind's making the animals nervous. woke roosters up. oatmeal for breakfast. foggy out. checked CK weather beacon, very windy there.
08:30, high tide at CK, very foggy. overcast. SW wind, 10-15 knts. whitecaps. drove by the sandspit after church. tide still high with waves and whitecaps. gusts must be close to 20 knts. shorebirds sheltering from the wind in protected areas. ducks don't mind, though.
12:20, very high storm tide with the wind drivng the water into the back creeks. herons up to their knees, fishing in the spartina. ducks all over, mostly scaups.
12:50, 74F at the farm, overcast. windy, palmetto fans crashing down. sheep gleaning the fallen leaves, etc. limbs falling out of the oaks. 4 deer in the cactus field along the west fence line where the oaks, grapevines, and cedars overhang the fence.
dogs under the house.
19:30, 62F, clearing. venus and jupiter lining up closer to each other every night. deer bedded down under the oaks in the cactus field. stars out. misty out in the pasture.
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Updated: 01:40 GMT le 20 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
07:30, 65F, very foggy. both roosters carrying on. songbirds singing in the fog. yellow dogs in the back yard brush. guard dog eating the cat food...
went to do a load of clothes and found a mouse in the wash machine.
14:00, 76F, very overcast. showers to the north. have wash on the line but hoping it will get dry enough to hang in the house and finish drying. fed all the birds and gave them fresh water. got 3 eggs. took a walk with the dogs. saw 5 deer in the cactus field. dixie wanted to run them but I called her and she came to me. gave her 2 dog treats. one of the does hung back so I was wondering if she had a little one in the bushes.
19:30, 68F, clear. orange sunset. it started clearing around 16:00 with clouds moving from the SW. actually got a little sun. got all the clothes dry but 2 heavier shirts. got 4 more eggs. jack russell feeling puny again. not eating. took her for a long walk and she ate some rye grass. fried some chicken up for supper.
patchy areas of stars out. jupiter and venus high in the west. cloudy to the south and SW. the longer days are really apparent now. I'm starting chores later. 17:30 instead of the deep winter time of 16:00. dread daylight saving time starting in.... boo-hiss.
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Updated: 01:17 GMT le 19 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock - cedar key
06:35, 66F, overcast, drizzling. fog. roosters crowing, crows calling. my hot water heater died last night. expletive!!!
drizzled on and off all morning. dark and damp with fog on the pasture. visited with an author friend on the farm. bacon, eggs and grits for brunch.
13:00 high tide at CK. mid-to low 60's, slight breezes from the WSW. very foggy and beautiful. worked on the big net.
ospreys can't settle down. a colleague told me that an eagle came and made a meal of their nestlings. the ospreys tried to drive the eagle away but it ignored them. ("you shoulda see it!") maybe they'll try again for a 2nd clutch. this is the same fellow who saw an anteater in the woods of gulf hammock ("no lie.. I didn't even have a beer" and I believe him. the amount and kinds of exotic animals folks let loose in the wilds of florida is shocking..)
mocking bird serenading me while I knitted the net together.
17:00 tide going out. lots of ducks. stilts wading out on the mudflats along with willets and flocks of small sandpipers. ibis out there too.
went by a friend's house and took a shower. gas folks can't come to look at the water heater until monday. stuck in a catch-22.. lots of variables but one thing's for sure - cold water ahead for several days.
19:20, 67F, misting, foggy, overcast. tomorrow is another day, said scarlet ...
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Updated: 13:28 GMT le 18 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:30, 60F, calm, partly cloudy, waning crescent moon in the SE. fog forming out in the pastures. the dawn bird chorus in full throat with rooster back-up and a descant by a hunting hawk. rain out in the gulf. another lovely morning in no.fl..
09:40, high tide at CK. low 60's all day, partly cloudy. winds shifty, SE, E, SSE, SW, 3-5 knts. ducks along the causeways and bridges. white pelicans circling the mainland, and resting on oyster bars. crab quiche at kona joe's. interesting poetry workshop in early the afternoon.
a brief shower in town. very good presentation at CK library in the evening by the author, sudye cauthen, on storytelling.
ospreys by lab very busy. alot of fish eating while perched in the pine branches. they have no heart and just tear into the fish while it's still wriggling.. 18:20, tide ebbing and dusk coming on when I left the island. big dead wild hog on the side of the road.
19:30, 68F, clear, slight breeze, damp like a shower passed over. did chores by my headlamp accompanied by the guard dog. got 1 egg.
20:20, 66F. stars bright, mist on the pastures. a busy, good day.
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Updated: 03:16 GMT le 17 février 2012
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marsh hen
a wary, elusive bird, (the clapper rail, railius longirostris,) that lives in salt marshes and laughs at folks who get stuck in the mud and loose their way in the back creeks.
a very high moon tide in the fall is called a marsh hen tide as it brings them out of the reeds..
north florida - suwannee river
05:40, 63F, cloudy, waning crescent moon over the house. little rooster crowing. 0.2" rain from last night. sprinkling. clouds moving from WSW. dogs barking. oatmeal. going out on the river.
09:00, raining. overcast. nice flock of turkeys on the road to the town of suwannee. just enough westerly breeze to keep the no-see-ums off of us.
pairs and small flocks of ducks scattered on the suwannee. saw some redheads and mergansers. air temp, 60's. water temp, 18C, 64F. big, 10 ft., alligator sunning himself on the mud banks of dan-may creek. a big chunky gator who was not afraid of the boat until it approached him and then he slid into the creek and disappeared in a swirl of water.
did 10 sets, catches were low, mostly young-of-the-year (YOY) baitfish and blue crabs. rain petered out around noon when we were finishing up our trawls. totally trashed the trawl net on the oysters at east pass. had to change it out for the spare trawl. another net to mend.
got feed and hay on the way home, unloaded it, fed the herbivores and left for CK to have dinner with friends. another 0.2" rain.
17:30, overcast and cool at CK. no sunset.
21:00, 62F, misty and overcast. stars here and there. got 3 eggs. fed dogs and cats. scurrying possum in the lane.
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Updated: 11:56 GMT le 16 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:55, 41F, calm on ground, clouds moving in from the south. waning almost half-moon over the cabbage palms. both roosters making sure everyone's up. bacon and oatmeal for breakfast. feels almost as cold as yesterday. house is cold. lots of birds tweeting out there. pileated woodpecker hammering in the pines in the lane.
10:00, medium low tide at CK. a neap tide.. 50's, SE winds 4-8 knts. cloudy and chilly unless the sun is out which isn't often. worked on the big net. spent most of the time looking through the bag which is 10' by 10' by 10' and made out of heavy twine and difficult to move and peruse for rips and tears. it was wet so I hung it over the box and let it dry while I had lunch at annie's - fried oysters.
lots of ducks, mostly scaups, floating around in small flocks. herons and ibis poking around the oyster bars. the ospreys across the street in the big pine were very busy. they always seem to have a fish. otherwise they fly back and forth all day.
16:00, high tide with more ducks. an immature eagle flew over the road when I was going to the p.o.
16:45, 71F at the farm. I suspect the sun had been shining on that thermometer altho it was overcast when I got back. breezy from the SW. began drizzling around 17:30. got 5 eggs. watched 4 deer cut through the donkey woodlot when I was loading hay into the wheelbarrow.
19:15, 53F. very dark out. overcast and no light showing. misting. no fire tonight. the cat will be disappointed.
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Updated: 02:34 GMT le 15 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:50, 23F, clear, waning gibbous moon to SW. wolf light. both roosters crowing along with the crows.
making rice for the dogs. oatmeal for me. fireplace is out. used up all the wood last night. guard dog barking out in the pasture. bet we have some frost. bird bath frozen along with all the buckets of water underneath the drip line of the roof and the dog water. some spigots froze but water working in the house! praise the Lord! the sheep water troughs were frozen over the but donkey's water was free from ice due to the dripping hose and at least 30 robins were drinking from the trough when I went out to cut the water off. temps up to 32F when I left for work.
going out fishing today when the tide comes back in!
09:30, very low tide at CK. 40's gradually warming to low 50's by mid-afternoon. wind clocked from the NE to the SW, 5-8 knts., during the day. tide slowly came in and we went out in the early afternoon to fish some sites that we missed when the engine siezed up in our little boat. low catches, mostly blue crabs, small flounder, and sting rays. water temps fell to 12C, 53.5F. lots of birds - oystercatchers, gulls, cormorants, white and brown pelicans, and various ducks.. sunny occasionally but the water was cold.
high tide when I left the island around 16:30.
54F at the farm. stew for dinner. little rooster crowing. coyotes howling after dusk with all dogs vigorously answering back. clear. stars and planets brilliant.
20:20, 45F. fire in the fireplace. cat in lap.
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Updated: 02:14 GMT le 14 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
05:50, 28F, clear, calm. temps dropped 32 degrees from 50F at 23:00 last night. waning gibbous moon above the farm. little rooster crowing. got the fire going again. oatmeal.
3 deer by the donkey water when I went to shut it off. when I left to go to church the temps were still below 30, but no frost and just a skim of ice in the dog water.
08:55, low blow-out tide at CK. a lot of crab traps exposed. shore birds checking the puddles. 30's with a north wind, 8-10 knts. sunny but cold. still low tide at noon. herons hunting.
12:05, 40's at the farm, sunny, cold north wind.
rebuilt the fire. made a stew. read the paper. robins mobbing the cabbage palms by the horse barn. brought in more firewood. 43F at 17:00. got 3 eggs.
37F at 19:00. dripped spigots again. sky clear, stars bright. expecting a cold night.
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Updated: 00:57 GMT le 13 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
07:30, 48F, clear. sun's up and so am I.. roosters crowing. guard dog eating cat's food. cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
drizzled past midnight. 0.4" of rain. better than no rain and it was slow so it sunk in.. ground nice and moist. trees got washed and got a boost. it's just been too dry. gathered kindling before the rain and put it under shelter. ready for tonight's cold. but haven't put the tender plants in yet.
09:40, 53F, mostly cloudy, a little sun here and there. chill north breeze. got one egg. letting the sheep clean up their damp hay. donkeys are chafing. need to get a small fire going to keep the house from cooling down too much. living in an old house with 10 ft. high ceilings, drafty windows, no a.c. or heat, keeps you busy..
poke weed's poking up out of the ground/ cedar tree's sporting a jasmine crown...
14:30, 61F, north wind, sun and clouds. did wash, got it hanging out. should dry. moved little rooster to the old finch aviary. after thinking it through, decided that the hawks would pick him off if I let him free-range. so now I need to find him a few banty hens..
got a fire going and re-reading b. cornwell's saxon series about alfred the great. good battle scenes and interesting descriptions of 9th century english life.
20:30, 50F, cold wind from the north. clear, stars very bright, esp.the planets jupiter and venus.
forecast calls for temps in the mid-20's so I spent some time dripping all 10 spigots outside. the pump will run all night. covered my camellias and my young olives. hoping that all that effort was not in vain, but can't take a chance with the pipes freezing. I'm not a good plumber. everyone got fed and watered. fire's going. found another cedar log! cat's on the chair and I'm heading there.. good night.
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Updated: 01:37 GMT le 12 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
07:05, 54F, cloudy, slight cold breeze. dueling roosters - a squeaky banty crow, and a big deep red rooster crow - love it! bacon, egg over easy, cuban toast and coffee for breakfast. it's good to be back on the farm! guard dog sleeping by back door. crows carrying on.
09:30, 65F, watered trees in cactus field. discovered that the goldfish in the goat trough is no longer in existence - suspect a coon since herons are scarce around the farm - no standing water. put a few mosquito fish (gam. holbrooki) in the trough to take care of the larvae. got 1 egg.
11:00, medium high tide in CK. still, overcast. mended the sleeve of the trawl and finished mending the bait seine. ospreys very vocal in their nest across the street.
15:20, high tide with ducks.
16:00, 74F at the farm. overcast and dreary. house feels damp. got 2 more eggs.
19:15, 65F and drizzling! hoping it drizzles all night. overcast and dark. guard dog in sheep barn.
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Updated: 01:23 GMT le 11 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
04:20, 50F, cloudy, waning full moon over palmettos in SW. dogs up and barking. oatmeal..
06:00, 53F, cloudy. left for st. pete to attend a fisheries meeting.
09:00, 60's in st. pete. chilly north wind. cloudy. attended a series of presentations on florida coastal fisheries. fell asleep during the tumors in the redfinned needlefish (str. notada) report.
just tired. most reports were interesting.
attended a fish i.d. workshop.. prefer field work over fish i.d. odors are fresher..
16:00, partially sunny, 60's, noticed sandhill cranes and wild turkeys in pastureland in sections of the veterns expressway. turkeys were large, esp. one big tom who was practically tripping over his beard.
17:30, 63F, overcast. glad to be back at the farm.
little rooster crowing. dogs glad to see me but barking at the lab vehicle. got 1 egg.
18:40, 59F, overcast with chilly breeze. built a fire in the fireplace. no moon tonight. a little reading by the fire in my favorite chair. cat is elsewhere.
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Updated: 03:06 GMT le 10 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:30, 51F, calm, some clouds. full moon setting through the oaks in the donkey woodlot, fog. 4 deer jumping the fence.
09:30. small herd, 10-12, of cows on the CR 345. called 911 to report it. dispatcher asked, "rocky hammock?" yup.. "deputy on the way.." cows on the road are dangerous. when I returned at 14:00 there were only cow patties on the road ...
low tide going into CK. lots of ducks in the channel. finished mending the big rip in the bait seine. slight breeze, no-see-ums were around. ospreys quarreling over the nest. one flew up with a mullet in its talons.
stowed all the gear away for next week.
got my new banty rooster! he was at the lab in a cage, crowing. that must have thrown the neighbors.
14:30 high tide when rooster and I went back to the farm. 77F. put him in a cage in the horse barn to get him used to the farm. I want him to hang in the donkey field. fed and watered him. he tucked into the food and started crowing after he ate. big red rooster was silent. got 4 eggs.
I was inside eating supper when I heard new rooster crow and then heard a loud crash. ran outside. a tall dead laurel oak had fallen right behind the horse barn. the new rooster was silent the rest of the evening. stories, there's always stories.. loaded up with firewood in front but decided not to build a fire.
huge blood orange moon rising on the distant tree line! wow!
20:10, 60F, fog starting, stars misty, moon very bright through the oaks and pines. some clouds.
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Updated: 01:59 GMT le 09 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:40, 60F, cloudy, chill breeze from north. rooster crowing, crows calling. guard dog at back door. oatmeal.
09:50, low moon tide, 60's. wind ENE, 12 knts. gradually diminishing to 4 knts. and clocking to the SE.. partly cloudy. osprey in pine outside lab very busy with nest. horned grebes in marina. seagulls and other shore birds wading around on the mud flats. tide coming in. lunch at annie's - fried oysters!
15:40, high tide with ducks. heading for cow town for feed, groceries, and gas.
got back to farm before sundown. 73F at 17:30, partly cloudy. unloaded truck. ham and egg for supper. cloud bank to the east obscured the moon rise. rats! son called from destin.
19:55, 63F, full moon above the clouds, shining through the pines to the east .. very beautiful.
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Updated: 01:57 GMT le 08 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
05:40, 58F, clear, stars bright, mars(?)red above the oaks to the west but fog in pasture. rooster quiet. oatmeal. going out trawling today with the rescued boat..
08:25, low tide going into CK. 60's, breeze from NE which veered during the day into the SE, 5-8 knts. in the afternoon it climbed into the 70's with some sun. cloud bank to the west. could see rain over the mainland but it never touched the farm. water temps, 17C (63F) offshore, 19C (66F) inshore. very low catches, even in the trawls. lots of duck and several loons offshore. love watching the ducks take off! amazing how fast they can fly, they pass the boat easily. lots of white pelicans, mostly crowded on exposed bars.
water silty inshore but very clear and green offshore. at one set the secci disk was visible at 4+ meters.. dolphins visited the boat during one trawl. a lovely day..
high tide at 15:30. 70's back at the farm. had hopes that the rain reached the farm. 3 miles south there were puddles on the road but nothing at the farm.. rats! got 2 eggs.
20:12, 68F, calm. waxing almost full moon. lovely!
stars dim from the moon light, but jupiter, venus, and a few other heavenly bodies shining brightly.
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Updated: 02:02 GMT le 07 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:05, 69F, calm, misty. woke rooster up. raisin muffin for breakfast. guard dog barking.
08:35, low tide at CK, low 60's, calm. on the way in - eagle flying over SR 24 again, heading for the scrub with a twig in its mouth. deer running down the side of the road looking for a way to get over a fence. glad she didn't veer into the road. hawthorn blooming.
11:40, high tide coming in, lots of ducks, slight variable winds from SE-S. tourists on the side of the bridge snapping pictures. loons in the channel between CK and atsena otie.
high 70's back at the farm, misty with a film of clouds. partly sunny. chili for lunch, read paper. sat out in my favorite chair and watched squirrels and cardinals eat the new buds and seeds
from a beech-like tree that grows tall on the east side of the house. the squirrels were doing acrobatics on the thin branches. the cardinals added color.
21:30, fog rising out of the pastures, 63F, waxing gibbous, almost full, moon has a ring around it again. venus brilliant.
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Updated: 03:57 GMT le 06 février 2012
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north florida - rocky hammock
06:40, 60F, misty, gray dawn. rooster up. the last of the mullet roe and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
watered the cypress, and the sand pines. 3 pines are brown.. but 3 are green. hung up wash, took all the dogs but the guardian for a walk. slight breeze from east.
10:23, 74F, crows mobbing something invisible. red-shouldered hawk showed up screeching, squirrels all hid. crows flew off, hawk flew off. another hawk calling from east of the cactus field. thought maybe it was a snake, warm enough for snakes to show, but didn't see anything that might alarm those crows.
cleaned out florida room. washed kitchen floor.
16:05, 77F, cumulus clouds slowly moving from the SE. hazy, thin clouds. robins stripped the cabbage palms by the house of berries and moved to the palms by the corn crib and the sheep barn. lots of twittering. clothes dry. got 5 eggs.
19:50, 65F, flourescent orange sunset earlier. waxing gibbous moon climbing the eastern sky - bright in the lane for the last dog walk. jupiter and venus sparkling. hazy clouds. ring around the moon. if this weather keeps up, we will need to close the borders to north florida.
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Updated: 01:31 GMT le 05 février 2012
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north florida - suwannee back creeks
05:40, 60F. misty, stars faint. woke up the rooster. going out on the water again today to try to rescue our boat off that oyster bar ...
which we did. we harnessed the boats together and and at peak high tide, 11:58, the smaller boat pulled forward, we pushed from behind, and it came off the bar.
60's temps., air and water. W wind, 10-15, choppy.
also did some sets with the haul seine and got a lot of stingrays, cownose and atlantic, and baitfish. immature eagele by deer. marsh hawk by little trout.
then the little boat broke down - oil problems. the big boat towed the smaller boat back into port. medium to high tide most of the day. 2 dolphins rode our bow and stern waves for several miles. lots of seabirds and ducks sheltering in the lee of islands and bars.
had 2 boats to wash down when we got back to the lab. sold doz. eggs.
18:15, 70F at the farm. got no eggs. overcast, calm. 3 deer in the donkey woodlot.
20:23, 68F, overcast. waxing gibbous moon covered and uncovered. no stars.
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Updated: 02:29 GMT le 04 février 2012
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north florida - cedar keys
05:40, 58F, calm, overcast. no stars showing. damp. thinking there's fog in the pasture, but can't see. rooster up. oatmeal.
no fog, but a mist on the pasture. a wild turkey flew over my truck on the way to CK.
08:05, medium low tide coming in. no wind. the no-see-ums are terrible. plagued us while we put our waders on, left us on our offshore sets, plagued us while we pulled the 600 ft. seine at deer island.. all we got were stingrays and some juvenile flounder. water temp. 17C, 63F, but felt chilly through the waders. birds all over the islands - brown and white pelicans, cormorants, sea gulls, and lots of ducks flying from the boat.
then we went up a back creek south of east pass to do a boat set and ran aground on a fierce oyster bar at full high tide. couldn't budge the boat. stripped the boat of everything - nets, gear, ice chests, everything but the batteries and the engine - and still couldn't budge it. an osprey flew over us with a mullet in its talons. the tide turned and oysters began to poke out of the water. we were stuck for good. called the lab which sent our other boat to take everything off the boat and ferry us back to the marina. tomorrow we will float the boat since the next high tide today will be at 21:00, after dark, and it's too tricky to navigate through the reefs after dark.
since it is a neap tide, it was still looking high when I left the island. lots of scaups by the causeway.
16:10, 72F at the farm.. soup for supper. got 3 eggs, put new hay in nest boxes.
19:20, 66F, clear. waxing gibbous moon, jupiter, orion, and venus bright in the night sky. donkey upset about something. will let the guard dog sort it out.
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Updated: 01:00 GMT le 03 février 2012
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north florida - wild florida
06:25, 56F, overcast, calm. rooster up. biscuits in the oven. almost out of gas in the truck. will have to take a detour on the way to work, thinking crossroads..
09:20. once I got to the crossroads and saw all the cows predicting rain (lying down.. cows lying down means a change in weather, usually rain.) I decided to go on to cowtown and get hay as well as fuel.
overcast all the way. didn't get back to the farm until after 11:00, unloaded 500 lbs. of feed and hay and headed to work in CK. still overcast.
medium tide in CK. lots of ducks. hardly a breeze, mid. to upper 60's. finished mending the trawl!!
16:20, high tide going out. water temps from today's crew - 16C, 61F.
almost ran off the causeway watching an egret fly just above the water with its mirror image reflected in the water. ducks taking off by #4 bridge. ducks dabbling in the backwaters.
17:00, low 70's, overcast, looked like rain but it didn't. made some soup.. (a carton of chicken broth, a can of stewed tomatos, a bag of spinach, and a bag of cheese ravioli - good.) put sheep's hay in the barn just in case. (the cows on the way back from CK were lying down too..)
19:15, 63F, calm but clouds moving slowly from SW.
waxing gibbous moon with ring. moon and jupiter often hidden by clouds. feels damp. at least the house isn't cold. field trip tomorrow!!
might get another rooster, too. a banty.
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Updated: 01:37 GMT le 02 février 2012
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