Trumpeter Swans Update

Three to four times per week I check on the Trumpeter Swans, invariably to find they are ALWAYS on the far side of the lake!  Very frustrating for this amateur photog!  On Wednesday, however, they were out and about and I managed to get a couple of passable snaps which at least show that the four cygnets are all flourishing. The babes look great:  happy and healthy!  Soon it will be time for us to send them to our wonderful friend Jim Lawrence in Monticello for safe-keeping over the winter months. 

Since young newly-mated trumpeter pairs often select a nesting spot where the pen (female) was born, I am hopeful the St. Croix River Valley will soon be home to a thriving flock of these wondrous white birds!

TGIF!

And, most importantly, it’s raining!  Soft, intermittent showers is a more accurate description, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!  Last night’s moisture (ten minutes of teeny, tiny, well-spaced  drops) was the first in well over a month.   Fingers and toes crossed that autumn will see the Midwest move into a wetter pattern.

Enjoy Your Thursday!

Summer Memories

Goodbye summer 2012!  The weather was terrible—way too hot and way too dry—but all in all, it was a wonderful season that saw much progress around Bon Bon Pond toward our ultimate goal of making the place a perfect wildlife paradise. Summer accomplishments included: the addition of over 300 hostas; the arbor and other improvements to the Enchanted Garden;  a darned good start toward the removal of all old fencing; and the first phase of the biggest project of all, mowing of the former pasture in preparation for natural, native landscaping.

But most importantly, the summer brought so many joyous wildlife encounters. We enjoyed time spent with old friends, like Peanut the red-breasted nuthatch, and made wonderful new pals, like Petunia the skunk and Sunny the woodchuck.

So, with a catch in my throat and tug from my heart, I say . . .

Happy Labor Day!

 

Labor Day, sadly, signals the official end of summer in the US.  Wherever you are, we hope you can get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.  

Around Bon Bon Pond, we always make time to celebrate this holiday with a very special movie.  Released in 1955, Picnic is a tale that transpires on Labor Day. Originally written as a play by William Inge, it enjoyed great success on Broadway before it was made into a terrific motion picture starring the incredibly handsome William Holden and the sultry Kim Novak. 
  

The dance sequence, set to the gorgeous Moonglow remains one of Hollywood’s sexiest scenes ever and stands as a testament to the concept that romance on film does not require nudity or vulgarity.  Skilled actors, like Holden and Novak, can create sensuality and steam up the silver screen with just a glance and a touch.  Here’s a taste . . .

Holiday Sunday

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

If you're on the road this weekend, drive safely 

and please watch out for the critters!