Took some family on a ride on some streets in another county that were said to have good displays. One house stood out for me. It was the house that was made to look like Grinch. (I took the photo with my phone).
This Grinch House light display came complete with his dog. The windows are his eyes. The attic window is his hat. The door appears to be his nose. They are making him smile. Have you seen any unique decorations on your travels this year?
Would the American Coot still be here on Christmas? Yes, it was. Before heading out Christmas morning I stopped by the river to feed some ducks and the lone American Coot was still there.
This time it fuly came out of the water to where the corn was. He was actually one of the first to come up on land. I actually got a better view of the coot’s legs than during the summer. They are still greenish and very lizard looking.
He has come close to shore many times, but this is the first time I have seen him go after the corn I leave out. I am guessing this means there is less for it to eat in the water. I am surprised this bird is hanging around.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a healthy New Year!
Planning some Elf on the Shelf Ideas for the future? Here are two more.
Having the Yeti/ Abominable Snowman along with Rudolph can make the set up more interesting. For this one I made pirate patches for their eyes and covered the elves head with cloth to make it look like a pirate. The treasure chest I believe I got at Hobby Lobby and the gold coins (Chocolate) are sold at many places before the holidays.
I had this larger tub already to hold washcloths in my bathroom. It was a good size for an elf. This one is larger than soap size. These bathtubs are popular in soap size, so even a good size for some smaller elves or other characters. Merry Christmas!
This duck was drinking out of the Hudson River. Not the best lighting conditions, but I will take it. Bad weather is predicted for here tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I do not have the lens for this, but I thought I would try anyways. I made a quick trip up to Ontario, Canada during the Thanksgiving holiday. This is one little town I like to stop in. It is on the lake and has a river that goes downhill emptying into it.
In the late summer or early fall there is a salmon run going up the river. Fishermen line the river hoping to snag one. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Here’s hoping the coming one is too!
This bird seems to be a big deal in my area. Some have acted like it was a major tick on your bird watching list. We do not seem to be in its breeding or non breeding range, however, there are maps that show in huge swathes of areas that are breeding and non-breeding areas. I am told this is a loggerhead shrike, although it was far away and I could not get a clear picture.
I did see the tell tale signs along the trail. I saw low bushes with pointy branches with impaled insects on them. Oddly this reminds me of the shish kebab I ate last night.
I do not think I would have spotted this bird on my own. I have issues spotting the smaller birds at long distances. Luckily a few others spotted it in the general vicinity of the bushes I found, although not close, and closer to another taller bush with an insect impaled on it. It was quite a distance and I’m not sure my lens is working so great in the past coupl of months.
Regardless of the poor quality of the image I was happy to get the chance to see this bird. Is this bird really that rare to find? I’m sure other bird watchers have seen it.
I have seen art displayed outside via murals on sides of building in NYC. I have seen poetry on mailboxes. I was surprised to find artwork on the sidewalk. This street art is by Goat. As their website says they are the first street artist to blend AI with street art.
This piece is called Gym Rat.
Goat or Go4tart’s Instagram is at the link below:
https://www.instagram.com/go4tart/
You can see other work by this artist at their shop by going to the link below:
https://www.shop4goat.com/we-love-nyc
I hope I can find more of their work in the future. Sometimes you find interesting things by looking down instead of up.
Always take the scenic route, you never know what adventures you will find.
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Deciding to travel on some more rural roads on a trip I came across a cool little farm stand in a trailer. I decided to stop and check it out.
Hardeman Orchards is located west of the Village of Red Hook in New York on Route 199.
They had different varieties of apples for sale including my favourite: JonaMac. JonaMac is a cross between a Jonathan and a Macintosh. They also had pumpkins, other vegetables, apple cider and donuts.
This was the highlight of my stop. I believe the farm stand worker said it was apple cider mixed with vanilla ice cream. It was surprisingly light for a milkshake. It did not taste very sweet either, which is a plus in my book.
If you are in the Red Hook area check out the Hardeman Farm Stand on Route 199. Eat the donuts, get a milkshake or buy some fresh picked apples. The village also has some quaint little shops and restaurants that are worth checking out.
Some signs of autumn include the changing colours of the leaves, cooler temperatures, and birds flying south for the winter. In Saugerties, N.Y. another sign of autumn includes the Rimington’s new Minions Hay Bale display presented during the start of the Garlic Festival.
This year I finally got to meet the couple behind this display. This is my fourth year documenting it. The Rimingtons told me this is their sixth year putting it up. This year’s theme is hip hop music. This year they incorporated some artwork in the form of banners as well as a few skeletons. RIMS Driving School is their business.
As I was talking to the Rimingtons, people were showing their appreciation by yelling thank you for the display from their passing cars.
This display is across from Dunkin Donuts as you are heading into the village from the Thruway exit. It is on 127 Ulster Avenue. I recommend pulling into the shopping area across the street and parking. You can view it from that side of the street or cross over. Ulster Avenue in Saugerties is a very busy road and there is no parking street side in that area.
If you are leaf peeping in the Catskills and in the area of Saugerties head into town. Besides this display there are a variety of businesses in the village to stop for a bite, go antiquing, or walk to the Lighthouse from the parking area on Lighthouse Drive.
What a fun way to celebrate the start of autumn and Halloween. Thank you to the Rimington Family!
Just another loon picture from earlier in the summer. I am really busy at work, but hope to get somewhere on an upcoming holiday if it works out time-wise and health-wise.
Enjoy these last days of summer. Fall is closing in.
Lessons from a Loon
Spend time at the lake.
Go for a long swim.
Surround yourself with beauty.
Don’t be afraid to dive deep.
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