Re: OT: Nature

Well, Steve, I'm reminded of weatherman Willard Scott, who once said that folks might as well believe the groundhog, because he gets it right about as often as the professional weathercasters. -- Griff
----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Szabo" <steve@familyszabo.com> 
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:32 PM
Subject: RE: [iris] OT: Nature



So, I take it that the Weather Service does not read, or believe, the
Old Farmer's Almanac, which, I am given to understand, has predicted a
colder than normal winter.

\\Steve//
No. Virginia, Zone 6/7

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of J.
Griffin Crump
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:36 PM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: [iris] OT: Nature

The Weather Service's long-range forecast for November, given about the
end of
October, seems, in retrospect, about as rosy as the forecast for the
housing
market before the bubble burst.  The mercury has followed the stock
market.
The birds have headed south, too, except for the bold wren.  The river
is
beginning to host rafts of bluebills, who usually aren't here until
December,
if they get here at all.  That, I'm afraid, is a more reliable forecast.

With the departure of so many birds, the Cooper's hawks are finding the
pickings slimmer.  This morning, a female alighted low in the fringe
tree at
the end of the drive and took up her post.  Had I not seen her when she
flew
in, I would not have noticed her snugged up against one of the tree's
slender
trunks.  Neither did the grey squirrel which came loping across the
street.
When it was about 15 feet distant, she launched herself, low to the
ground,
made a sharp, climbing cartwheel, and hovered a couple of feet above the
squirrel, which was caught flat-footed.  It was the squirrel's lucky
day,
however, as the hawk apparently decided that the bushytail was a little
larger
menu item than it wanted to tackle.  When the attack didn't come, the
squirrel
raced to the tree the hawk had just vacated and sought shelter in the
branches.  The hawk flew off, apparently in search of more suitable
fare.  A
little later, there was a lot of squirrel chatter in the back yard.  A
male
Cooper's was sitting on the fence, with squirrels at either end barking
at it.
The fence is a main highway of local squirreldom, and traffic was
blocked.
From the fence, the Cooper's could keep an eye out for chipmunks, which
were
just the right size for a snack.  In the end, however, he tired of the
harassment and departed.

Meantime, I've cut and brought in the few bloomstalks that are showing
color,
hoping they may bloom despite the couple of recent freezing nights.  The
rest
I have little hope for.  Even so, it's been an unusually good rebloom
year
here, and for that we can be grateful.  --  Griff

Zone 7 along the tidal Potomac near Mount Vernon, in Virginia

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