SD Week 8 - Going Back to the Hot Zone

 We've been lucky to have our daughter and two of our grandkids with us for the majority of this "shelter in place" period.

 They're headed home and anxious to see Daddy.  So we had this last weekend before they head back to the DC area - currently one of the hot zones for the virus.

 We had last chance group grooming before they went.  Pipa the dog was first.

 I had a lot of help selecting the photos for the blog.

One last game of "Floppy Ears".

 We had about 1.25" of rain in the gauge when we arrived on Saturday.

The weather was great so we had a nature walk.

 The tadpoles seem to be developing nicely - no sign of legs yet in this group.  Here's a video of the tadpoles that gives you a little better perspective.  Tadpoles Swimming

 Our little nature scientists weren't always as enthralled as we were.  When bored with nature study, swing sticks.  Swing Sticks

 Amy is the best observer of "the smalls".

 We spent some time just exploring in the woods.

 And we were still finding morels - not like a couple weeks ago though.

 Nothing captures kid attention like a good skull.

 Second one that they found - this one was a doe.

The weather was so nice that we couldn't resist dipping a line.

 Much like the morels, we had some success but not like a couple weeks ago.

 No that isn't bait - that's actually one that we caught.

 Lucy got the biggest of the day.

We also checked out the frog pond.  They were a little harder to find this week.

And, another round of s'mores.

This was last weekend - I didn't get a chance to try this week.

Of course the cameras were showing them strutting this week.

And, I heard some gobbles when I took the dog out to pee on Sunday morning.

 We had about an inch of rain overnight but we decided to do the camera tour on foot during a pause in the showers.

 On foot, we can cut thru the trees to make a more direct line to each camera.  On the Camera Tour

 It was rumbling and flashing but we kept on.

 It's about a 2.5 mile walk to reach all of the cameras.

 When we were out there a ways, it started to rain.

 And the thunder was kind of scary.

Well, it was really raining and really scary. This little creek-bed is usually dry.  Creek Running

 So Grandpa went and got a couple of the cameras by himself while...

 ...some people took shelter in one of the hunting blinds.

Anyway, we eventually made it back to the barn safely and only a little bit wet (ok, maybe a lot wet).

By Monday morning, we had another 1.75" of rain in the gauge.

 Lots of visitors to the bird feeders.  The usual doves, cowbirds, woodpeckers, cardinals,  We had blue grosbeak and these rose breasted grosbeaks.

 An I believe these were Baltimore Orioles.

 Amy did her fine job of collaging her observations.

 A buck

 If you look closely you will see a bunny in the foreground, another set of bunny eyes further back, and a coyote pouncing.

 Did he get it?

Turning his attention on the other one?

 More gobblers running around.

A bunny and a deer.  Same spot where the coyote pounced.

 A couple of bucks.

 Coyote - where's that bunny?

 Coyote.

 I think that this is a coopers hawk.  Am I right? If you click on any photo they will enlarge.

 Groundhog?

 Coyote.

A pair of them.

Gobbler.

 The house sure seems quiet as I'm writing this.

 Does this look like a little boy that has to poop?  It is.

I'll miss my nature buddies.