I have not seen a lot of chipmunks this year. The population of hawks and owls is increasing. They both have it on their menu. One place I usually hike a lot in chipmunks are more rare to see this year. It has owls, and at least three different kinds of hawks claiming it as their hunting ground. I think the squirrel and chipmunk populations were decimated over the winter.
This one I saw this spring at a different hiking location. It had less hawks and owl per acre. Oddly this one was in an area near a great horned owl’s nest. It may have been far enough away to stay out of trouble, but hopefully he has been on the lookout. I had to put up a shorter post in between thunderstorms. Continue to your weekend!
What can you do with a large concrete wall? You can turn it into a mosaic or mural. This is exactly what they did in North Creek, N.Y.
This mosaic is on Main Street in North Creek. The mosaic depicts the animals and activities that make the Adirondacks what it is. It was artist Kate Hartley’s idea to turn this 180 foot concrete wall into a mosaic. She had the help of over 700 volunteers including students from the area and visitors, so this was a community project.
Overview
I could not get pictures of the whole wall. There were cars parked in front of it. Below are the sections I could get. The rest I took closer pictures of sections of the wall.
Activities
They did a great job picking out activities that one can do in summer in the area.
Hiking
There are a lot of mountains to climb in the Adirondacks.
White Water Rafting
There are white water rafting trips out of North Creek on the Hudson River.
Kayaking or White Water Kayaking
You can kayak calm waters of lakes or ponds or kayak white waters in the Adirondacks.
Tubing
There are places that bring you there and pick you up where you end.
Camping
There are many places to camp in the Adirondacks. Some you pay a fee, others that are more wilderness sights are free. Some can only be accessed by canoe, kayak or boat.
Canoeing
Like kayaking, there are calm waters to paddle on and not so calm.
Wildlife
Moose
Moose are seen the Adirondacks. I saw my first (NY) one last year crossing a road early in the morning. By the time I stopped my car and picked up my camera it was on the other side of the road into the woods. This was north of Tupper Lake.
Great Blue Heron
Common on many types of water. They move around and fish on lakes, ponds, streams, etc.
Black Bear
Black bears are frequently sighted in the Adirondacks.
Pileated Woodpecker
Loon
Common Loons are on almost every lake and pond large enough to take off on and have enough fish.
Again these pictures do not represent the entire mosaic. I love seeing artwork like murals and mosaics. It is always a bonus to find out it was a community project. I think this mosaic did a great job representing the local area. If you are skiing Gore in Winter or White Water rafting the Hudson River, stop by and check out the mosaic. It’s Purely Adirondack.
4-H is alive and well at the Dutchess County Fair in New York. This was taken in one of the dark barns at the fair where the animals and their owners were resting. The cow was nuzzling with the girl.
Some people go to the county fair to go on the rides. Some go for the food or vendors. I go mainly to see the animals. One event I do not want to miss is Dock Dogs.
This dog almost caught it before he landed in the water.
Just like humans have competitions at the fair in 4H raising animals, baking pies, and doing artwork, dogs have their events. One of the Dock Dog events at the fair is one in which the owners throw an object, the dogs run the length of a long dog to go after it, and they are judged by how far they jump off the dock before they land in the water.
I believe this was a senior dog.
Focused Brown Dog
This dog just seemed so focused on the task and serious. I had to include several images of him.
Running for the toy.Almost catching it before he landed in the water.
Frisbee Dog
This dog’s preferred toy was a frisbee. He was able to go quite a far distance in the pool. O love the expression on its face.
County Fairs have a lot to see. If you have not been to one in a while, make sure you visit one next year.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill
The colour of the water appears to change in minutes when out kayaking on a lake. A lot of things come into play such as cloud cover, sunlight, time of day, what is nearby on land will all affect how the colour of the water appears. If you wait around you just may get to see the water appear to be different hue.
This is a loon from Upper St. Regis in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In other pictures that day, the water appeared green and different shades of blue etc. Change sometimes is good.
from the song Stuck in the Middle With You written by Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty and performed by Stealer’s Wheel
These Adirondack loons were pausing for passing planes and eagles as well as motor boat and jet ski action on the lake. I am sure the mom was teaching the baby about safely crossing the lake. The baby should be well prepared for life. Other things I saw the mom do this trip were attempt some fish hand offs in the water instead of above water, and having the baby attempt to fish in the buoyed area of the lake that boaters avoid due to boulders near the water’s surface.
We have had a cooler than normal wet summer. It has rained a little to a good amount most days. Get out and dodge those storms. Enjoy what you can.
Stuck in the Middle With You performed by the Steeler’s Wheel
Another picture I got on the day I went to a friend’s house to watch hummingbirds. I went up to 1/3500 of a second an still did not stop wing action.
They are fast little buggers. Since they are mostly seen at her feeders in late afternoon it is hard to go up on the ISO too high. Then it become grainy. Get out and enjoy the critters. Just around the corner they will be leaving.
When I first saw this, I thought this hummingbird was spitting out water. Turns out it is sticking its tongue out. This is only a problem when they can not retract it. I took several pictures in a row and I believe this is the only one with its tongue out.
Thanks to a friend who has hummingbird plants and feeders and her very gracious invitation, I was able to photograph multiple birds visiting her plants and feeders. She finds this time of the year is the best time to see them. The best times to view is between 2-5 p.m. She usually sees them frequently in August after they babies fledge.
It is amazing what you can catch coming to a feeder! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
What college campus has several hiking trails and ponds open to the public? Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondack Mountains does. Black Pond is on an area of land controlled by Paul Smith’s College. The public is able to access the trails to hike and the ponds to kayak or canoe with no cost.
Black Pond’s parking lot can be accessed off Keese Mills Road in Paul Smiths, NY. It is a small lot that holds maybe 6 cars.
Close to the parking lot is the boat launch. It is more for canoes as the dock is higher off the water. It is a little tricky for kayaks. There is an area next to the dock you can step in the water with a depth of about 1 1/2 to 2 feet next to shore that is rocky on the bottom. When I say rocky some of the rocks are big, so be careful.
The area to paddle from the dock to the lean-to on the pond is narrow. I count this as a passageway and not the pond.
Above is the entrance to the larger portion of the pond. The lean- to will be on the left of the entrance.
This is at the end of the entrance to the pond.
Lean-to
There are two lean-tos along the trail/lake. This is the first one near the entrance. You have to reserve them. They provide the firewood and toilet paper. There is a nearby privy/ outhouse. I don’t think any other sites in the ADK along lakes provide toilet paper and firewood .
They leave firewood in the lean-to so it stays dry. Since it rains in a short thunderstorm almost daily, that is a good practice.As you can see you get a good view of the pond from the lean-to. There is a fire-pit in front of it and the water is shallow in that area and you are able to get out of your boat there.Contact information to reserve the lean-to.
Pond
The pond does get some wind, but I found it less windy than larger nearby ponds. This pond did not appear to have access to other bodies of water.
The water under this bridge appears to go to Little Black Pond. The bridge is too low to go under and too high to get on from a kayak. There was no access point on shore to the trail.Lone tree on an island.
Due to downed trees I did not see an access point on the north side of the pond to Long Pond. I don’t know if it was normally able to be accessed via kayak.
Wildlife
Wildlife is always a bonus for me. This pond had loons. There were ducks on the narrow part near the boat launch that were camera shy. They may have been black ducks. Adult loons may have one main pond, but will travel to other nearby ponds and lakes to socialise with other loons and fish. I believe I also saw a kingfisher.
This is a pond I would return to. I would bring a picnic lunch and bug spray. I got bit by mosquitos on land when hiking the trail, but not while kayaking. The lean-to was unoccupied and the area has a picnic table. It is also in close proximity to other larger bodies of water if you are trying to go to more than one body of water in the same day. If you are in the area and are looking for a shorter paddle, kayak or canoe Black Pond.
