Monday, November 29, 2010

Mount Manatee: 22-28 November 2010

Mammal Sightings: red fox, pine squirrel, least chipmunk, Abert's squirrel, mule deer.  Saw a buck rubbing antlers on small trees and bushes.  Antler shedding may be approaching.

Bird Sightings: hairy woodpecker, mountain chickadee, pygmy nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, evening grosbeak, Cassin's finch, dark-eyed junco, red-tailed hawk, North American crow, black-billed magpie, Steller's jay.

Snow Report: about two inches by early Monday morning. Sunday night - 3-4 inches of snow

Photography Report: fox and deer tracks; birdies liked the new perch affixed to the deck railing.  Motion-triggered wildlife camera received and undergoing testing.

Thanksgiving Report: Lots of food with the fam down in the Springs.  Yummy!

Whiskey Report: nothing new

Beer Report:  still have a supply of various Odell's brews.

Wine Report: oops! almost out of wine.

Hiking Report:  The 1.4 mile mailbox loop with a shortcut off the path and up the side of the hill.

Basement Renovation Report: Starts Monday.

Fishing Report: nada.  Time to clean the poles and store until spring.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Mount Manatee: 15-21 November 2010

Mammal Sightings: pine squirrel, least chipmunk, mule deer (bucks following does), red fox.

Bird Sightings: possible 3-toed woodpecker; hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, dark-eyed junco, Cassin's finch, North American crow, Steller's jay, black-billed magpie, pygmy nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, mountain chickadee.

Photography: set up a longer perch attached to the deck railing near the deck bird feeder; hope that a birdy will land with good lighting; don't expect much until the ground is covered with snow;  awaiting delivery of a motion triggered wildlife camera that will be mounted to a trail in the nearby woods; can't wait to see 'who' comes by;  expect fox, deer, squirrels, the occasional human with dog on a leash and who knows what else lurks nearby?

Project FeederWatch log started: first two days were pretty uneventful; Fairly warm, bare ground.

Snow Report: thunder snow on the 16th at 5PM; this really messed up 'rush hour' traffic on route 24 in both directions; traffic slowed to a crawl; quite a few spinouts; flashing red and blue lights everywhere; couldn't tell if there was black ice or not; 4WD is a good thing as is plenty of following distance.  Advice from the locals is to add some weight in the truck bed to handle those situations (extra traction) in between dry road and 4WD time.  And avoid thinking that because you have 4WD that you are invincible on the road.

Beer Report: Odell's Isolation Ale and Odell's IPA (http://odellbrewing.com).

Wine Report: the box is almost empty.

Whiskey Report: Awaiting a sampler from Master of Malt; in the meantime we have Stranahan's Colorado whiskey (http://www.stranahans.com)

Birthday Report: thundersnow!; but made it to the restaurant almost exactly on time; no worries, lots of seats.

Hiking Report: A couple of trips down the hill to the mailbox and up the back way through the woods; about a 2 mile trip.

Fishing Report: ah, a hole in the ice near shore due to wind and/or slightly 'warmer' water; filled with brook trout; caught one by dragging a white, rubber grub along the bottom; released the fish.

Sunday morning coffee: Costello Street Coffee House (http://www.costellostreetcoffeehouse.com) in Florissant; biscuit with sausage gravy (yummy).

Basement Renovation: plans drawn, permit issued; seems that work done under the original permit for basement renovation was never inspected - permit expired - that cost us a few more bucks; works should begin soon (we hope).  Of course, no work = no payments. Moved all of the 'stuff' into the garage and, hopefully, out of the way.

Reading Report: Finished 'Pirate Latitudes' by Crichton; working on 'Manatee Insanity' buy Pittman and 'S is for Silence' by Grafton;  Color Nook E-book reader arrived and is being tested by the author in residence (and me too).

Monday, November 15, 2010

Divide, Colorado: 8-14 November 2010

Mammal Sightings: mule deer, pine squirrels, least chipmunks, red fox, mountain lion tracks(?)

Bird Sightings: mountain chickadee, evening grosbeak, Canada goose, hairy woodpecker, pygmy nuthatch, Steller's jay, North American crow, downy woodpecker, Cassin's finch, white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch. (loggerhead?) shrike, dark-eyed junco.

Fishing Report: - ice, no fishing

Hiking Report: round trip to the mailbox.

Snow Report: light dusting that melted; lots of animal tracks in the snow - future photo mission.

Beer Report: Bier Werks, Woodland Park, CO

Whiskey Report: nothing new

Wine Report: wine tasting with the neighbors at an Italian restaurant in Woodland Park.

Birthday report: Jason's No. 39 and dinner with the family at Famous Dave's BBQ.

REI Report: spent lots of bucks on some winter gear.

Cookie Report: Joey made cookies in the shape of a foot.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Divide Report: 1-7 November 2010

Bird Sightings: American crow, magpie, Steller's jay, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, pygmy nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, mountain chickadee, flicker, Cassin's finch, dark-eyed junco, evening grosbeak,

Mammal Sightings: red fox, least chipmunk, pine squirrel, mule deer,

Snow Report: yes, but it all melted. The weather has been unusually nice for November - or so I'm told.
One snow mobile in for service and I managed to get the other one started.


Whiskey Report: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey
http://www.stranahans.com/

Beer report:  Odell's Brewery, what else!
http://odellbrewing.com/home

Book Reading: R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Fishing Report: - Woo Hoo! Fly fishing for brook trout was excellent.  The 'secret' was dragging a small nymph along the bottom.

Hiking Report - Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument - 4 miles on the 'wildlife loop'.  Just wildlife poop and signs where the badgers had been digging out ground squirrels.