My Mushroom Mascot

The death of my beloved Sierra left a hollow space in my heart. For me, life without a canine companion is empty. Fortunately, my landlord's dog, Sheamus, was more than pleased to fill the void with his delightful company. Every time I took him along for a ride through the state forest, I would spot some good edible mushrooms from the road. For blessing me with "mushroom luck", Seamus became my "Mushroom Mascot".


Sniff...sniff.. This one will do nicely in an omelet.



Sheamus meets wild turkeys.
An intense moment... stand-off between dog and bird. The energy of this meeting was electric! Always the perfect little gentledog, Sheamus checked his instinct to chase. The turkeys, too, kept their distance, but interest was high on both sides. As Sheamus inched closer, the turkeys grew wary, strutting off into the woods.



Heading home... with a basket full of honeys and bluets.



Honey Mushrooms
I picked pounds of honeys nearly every day for weeks. No need to walk through the woods to spot these. They were so prolific, you couldn't miss them from the road running through the state forest. I've never seen (or gathered) so many honeys in this area before.



A small hen-of-the-woods...
One day's growth fit nicely in the palm of my hand. I could have left this another few days to grow larger, but it was so perfectly fresh, I decided to cut it while it was still undiscovered by insects.


The last and largest of 2009.
The season's last hen weighed in at 8 lbs... not very large compared to those many foragers find in other areas, but it was in perfect condition and 8 lbs. is a lot of mushroom to clean, and enough to make mushroom lasagna, mushroom pizza, mushroom strata, all shared with the Forest Rangers at Shawme-Crowell who are my favorite "taste testers" and always willing to sample my mushroom concoctions.



Mushroom eye candy.
Top: Pink Fruiting Lichen -Bottom: Turkey Tails & Lichen growing on a stump.

House Mouse - Our Daily Routine

Mouse Freedom from Lucille on Vimeo.

The same mouse has been in this trap 3 times in the past week. I know it's him, because he has a white mark on his head :-)

This mouse thinks the trap is his feeding station :-) In a way, I suppose it is. The same mouse (I recognize him by a white marking on his head) has been in this trap at least 3 times in the past week. Last night I found him in there before I had a chance to bait it with peanut butter. We go through the same drill each time. I get to take a close look at him (he's adorable!) and he gets to eat his peanut butter and find his way back into my apartment.

Surprise visit

She landed...

The birds which regularly visit my feeders are mostly small birds, with blue jays and mourning doves weighing in on the large side to finches and hummingbirds at the small end of the scale.

Occasionally, a crow or two will make an appearance, but not very often. Imagine my surprise when this turkey landed to check out what was on offer for dinner! Unfortunately, she found nothing to her liking. Cracked corn is now on my shopping list. Hopefully, she will honor me with another visit.

She investigated...

She flew off into the sunset.

Opossum for Breakfast

Morning Possum from Lucille on Vimeo.

Look at those marvelous ears! Her pink feet!

A magnificent creature, the opossum!

Winter Solstice

Snow Song

Snow Song from Lucille on Vimeo.

My friend Mary Anne, sent me a lovely floral basket for Christmas. It was full of fresh flowers and beautiful evergreens. It graced my apartment for weeks, and when the flowers died, the evergreens were still fresh, but starting to drop some leaves from being indoors.

I put the basket on my deck where my feathered friends congregate each day to dine. The birds love this basket, as this little wren seems to be singing in appreciation!

Finch Rescue - December 2005

Finch Rescue - Dec. 19, 2005 - Sandwich, Massachusetts from Lucille on Vimeo.

Finch Rescue - Dec. 19, 2005 - Sandwich, Massachusetts

The Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder

The Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder from Lucille on Vimeo.

There's a feisty squirrel in every yard! This one managed to coax a few seeds out of this feeder, but it did prevent his feasting on its entire contents in a single day, as he did with the feeder below, which he treated as his own private feeding station.

I still use this feeder, but it is now filled with safflower seeds, which the birds like, but squirrels do not.

My Nocturnal Visitor

The little deck just just outside my kitchen door has been a favorite dining spot of local fauna since I have lived in this flat and began
feeding the birds. Birds flit in and out from dawn to dusk. Squirrels and chipmunks come right up to the door, demanding more seeds, more peanuts.. all day long. Wild turkeys have come to feed in the yard below for the first time this year.

Occasionally, a stray or neighbors' pet cats will stealthily climb the stairs, attracted by the busy avian traffic. The felines, though rarely make a return visit, as my dog has "cat radar" and barks nonstop at the hint of a meow. My visitors have become so accustomed to my presence that they no longer scamper or fly away when I cross the threshold from my space to theirs. There is something wondrous about wild creatures accepting you as a natural part of their existence.. They bestow a benediction and bless my life with beauty, grace and joyful antics.

After nightfall, the raccoons wreak havoc out there...clumsily tipping over flower pots and rooting around in the plants for leftovers the daytime diners have overlooked. For a while, I replenished the seeds and peanuts just after dark especially for these hungry critters until they became overly rambunctious, drawing attention from neighbors who take a different view of my visitors than I, considering them "pests". Sadly, they prefer television to the real life drama put on by Mother Nature just outside their window.

Recently, a new nocturnal visitor came upon the scene. Late one night my dog began pacing back and forth by the door, beckoning me to take a look. I turned on the dim outdoor light and there was an opossum! He froze as still as a statue the moment he found himself in the spotlight. I had rudely interrupted his sunflower seed snack. I stepped outside and expected him to scurry away. Instead, he remained completely still. Even his eyes were fixed as if hypnotized. As I inched closer and closer, he remained in place.

Finally, when I stood about 2 feet away with the camera held bit closer, he moved his head slightly as his eyes darted from side to side as if contemplating flight. He remained still long enough for me to get a good look at him, and he was a lovely creature! His face was beautiful.. especially his eyes. Feeling guilty about disturbing his meal, I took my pictures and retreated back into my flat, turning off the light. After a minute, he resumed his munching. I will never forget the sight of those dark and beautiful eyes, his delicately featured face, his little pink nose and feet..his white-tipped ears... and his tail! I waited for his return the following evening, but he has not been back..not that I am aware. Who knows how many enchanting creatures visit unobserved?

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

I am grateful, though, that this opossum found something worth his venture up my stairs for a midnight snack!

Visitors' Return

Lucille Iacovelli

With the warm weather my wild visitors return. Right now, the furry variety seems to have overpowered my feathered friends. In an attempt to divert the squirrels from devouring seed intended for the birds, I thought I would entice them away from the bird feeder with tiny crackers spread with peanut butter. I offered this in addition to their usual ration of cracked corn.

My plan backfired. Now they have increased in both number and appetite with a newly acquired taste for peanut butter...and so spoiled as to leave the cracker behind after licking off every molecule of peanut from its surface. I will allow them their peanut butter feast until the jar is empty. After that, they will have to eat the corn or find another human willing to indulge their extravagant taste!

My Special Visitor - Part II

August 15, 2007

Gray Squirrel, and his girlfriend, Redhead, turn up every day. As they methodically munch their way through morsels of peanut butter laced corn meal, meticulously lick their nimble little paws clean, and end this repast with a long drink of water, I sit sipping tea, a few feet away, taking in the spectacle.
More often than not, I find myself confined to home, with ever more time to become better acquainted with my animal friends. This piece of glass which allows me the privilege of watching these charming creatures has become monumentally important in my life.

I have learned some of the ways in which physical limitations raise one's tolerance for the inevitable dust and detritus of life and from necessity, have let go of my former compulsion to keep my apartment as scrupulously clean as I would like. It is still clean, but not obsessively so. I was bothered by the fact that I could not keep the glass door crystal clear, as extending my neck for the job of cleaning is nearly impossible. Yet my longing for a perfect view of my visitors' antics impelled me to action. So, dragging a chair out to the deck, and teetering atop it's seat, I polished my window onto wonderland until it sparkled. .

Continued...

My Special Visitor

~August 11, 2007~
The light rain brought a flurry of activity to the tiny deck just outside my kitchen door. I had just replenished the nectar in a glass hummingbird feeder, scattered a few hands full of seed along the railing and floor, then filled a clay dish with a mixture of corn meal and peanut butter that sends the squirrels and chipmunks into paroxysms of delight. My friends were all waiting..perched in the oak branches forming a graceful, protective canopy over their miniature sanctuary. They began to alight even before I closed the screen behind me. Calling their friends to breakfast, they chirped and chattered, filling the morning with sparkling bird song. Blue jays, chickadees, goldfinch, sparrows, Mr. & Mrs Cardinal.. even the cranky crow made an appearance, but found the offered fare not to his liking..a relief to his smaller avian relations.

The squirrels arrived in flying leaps from tree trunk to deck, noisily announcing their presence with a commotion before settling down to feast. Reliable as clock work, Redhead and her boyfriend, Gray are bold and incorrigible, wreaking havoc with my potted plants when made to wait for their breakfast.

Then, as sudden as a flash, there she was..my special visitor. Her tiny body flitting from flower to feeder.. Her iridescent feathers luminous as jewels in the rain-gray morning. Yes, it was she.. hovering before me, looking me straight in the eye, I swear. She knows me. Does she remember?

Continued.. part II

My Special Visitor

2007

My Special Visitor - Part II

~August 14, 2007~ My flat is small, but just right for me and my canine companion, a 13 yr old cocker spaniel I call Girlie. We live on the second floor of my landlord's garage, set far back from the main house. A wide glass door opens from my kitchen onto my private little "wildlife sanctuary" where bird feeders and a casual array of fragrant herbs and blossoms reside. Enchanting creatures of feather and fur are drawn out of their woodland habitat to this tiny space. Lucille Iacovelli class="statcounter">http://www.statcounter.com/free_invisible_web_tracker.html" target="_blank">http://c44.statcounter.com/3631817/0/37827719/1/" alt="website tracking" > To be continued... My Special Visitor 2007

My Special Visitor - Part III

August, 2007

Exhausted from the simple task of window washing, I went inside for a brief rest. As my labored breathing became more regular, my eyes closed on pleasant thoughts of sitting at my sparkling clean window with a nice cup of tea and enjoying the view. Just as this lovely image brought me to the edge of sleep, I heard a tiny thud on the glass.

My heart flew to my throat as I hurried to the door. The precious hummingbird lay motionless on the straw mat. She was on her back, eyes closed. Kneeling before the mat, I gently, reverently, placed her in my hands. I was overwhelmed by the intensity of an indescribable emotion as I held this nearly weightless, beautiful creature; her heart beating so fast as my own raced with it. My mind flew in a thousand directions at once. I heard my own voice cry "Please, God, do not let her die!" while simultaneously admonishing myself for cleaning the glass to invisibility.

I stood helpless, holding the helpless bird, my heart and soul filled to bursting with my pitiful prayer for her life. As tears streamed down my face, I vaguely recalled reading something about reviving stunned hummingbirds. With her tiny head held gently, ever so gently, between my thumb and two fingers, I dipped the end of her long, slender beak into the cone of the nectar bottle. Suddenly, her eyes opened as her unimaginably long tongue extended and reached for the nectar.

continued....

My Special Visitor 2007

My Special Visitor - Part lV

(Photo: Visitor of a different feather..from the Finch family. I found this sweet bird on my deck during a brutal snow storm last winter, motionless and nearly frozen. I placed her inside my jacket, next to my heart, and left her there while I lined a box with an old tea towel, as my canine companion eyed me suspiciously. I then settled her into the box, covered it with a screen, then frantically searched for the number of the nearest wildlife sanctuary, thinking she would need professional help. After one hour, she was able to move, but only a bit. I fetched the camera while she nestled in my hand and captured this shot. From the moment the bird entered the flat, my dog excitedly paced back and forth in the tiny 2 rooms, giving me jealous glances, then sneaking an occasional jump, curious to see the creature that had stolen my attention. Finally, the little finch energetically fluttered her wings and appeared completely restored, I brought the box outside, removed the screen, and watched with relief, as she flew away as good as new.) Lucille Iacovelli Holding one of God's perfect creatures in one's hand is a blessing profound as life itself. As the hummingbird revived, I watched in awe while its tongue continued dipping into the nectar. I was overcome by an intensity of awareness at the wonder of this moment.. this blessing bestowed upon me and this breathtakingly exquisite little bird. She allowed me the opportunity to see, up close, every magnificent detail of her body.. her tiny feet! ... her oh, so lovely and perfectly feathered little body!.. and her eyes, trusting and looking straight into mine with an awareness we, as human beings, will never know in our present bodies. The tiny bird blessed me with its trust and filled me with humility. My Special Visitor 2007

My Special Visitor - Part V

	~September 3, 2007~ Each day, the call is conveyed in chirping and bird-song, amongst the woodland creatures: "Hurry! The lady with the wild gray hair is serving breakfast! " Lucille Iacovelli 2007