Warm winter continues

Trestle Hollow Camp

Top end of Trail at intersection of logging Rd.

Mom and 3 cubs on Painter Leetonia Rd.

Before we got to camp a good sized coyote ran across the front of the car. He looked very well fed and was in a hurry to get out of our way. Today it was 63 degrees on top the mountain at the end of Trestle Hollow Trail. Lee and I have been up to camp every weekend with the weather staying warm and very little ice and snow. We walked the about 2 miles of Trestle Hollow over to West Rim. The first part of the trail has obviously been cared for by someone cutting limbs and trees out of the way. The second part was not as well maintained as the first and needs some tender loving care. Along the trail we saw a lot of turkey tracks and a few deer tracks and pawing of the ground looking for food. We hiked in light shirts without jackets with the weather so warm. After the trail we headed up Painter-Leetonia and there to our surprise was a mom bear and her 3 cubs. They were taking advantage of the good weather and low snow cover to look for food as well. Mom and cubs looked on the small side even though the cubs were obviously born last year. So it was a good day in the woods. I didn't want to leave. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Rain and rising water

Apple tree in bloom

If you get this post by email you won't see the video go directly to Lost in Leetonia if you want to see it. We have gone quickly from snow white to brown to Spring green over the last couple weeks. The temperatures have swung as much as 40 degrees in a day. Our apple tree usually blooms on Mother's day and was a bit slow this year, but is making up for lost time.
It rained so hard last night it was deafening. I awoke to see the creeks along our house swollen and the new bridge getting a work out. Pine Creek made it to 9 feet but is now backing down if we don't get anymore rain. Wind came with the storm yesterday and took out our power for a few hours and of course there are a lot of people up at camps.
Summer is the time we lose the most power the most due to tree hitting the lines. The rain soaked ground makes the root bases easier to topple in a wind storm. I am getting my generator into top shape and ready for the weather.
I always forget how much work there is to do outside once the weather gets warmer. We have cut the grass once and it needs it again. It is also the time that I seem to find everything that is broken that needs repaired and the porcupines haven't helped. We saw a record 15 of them a couple weeks ago in about a 8 mile stretch. They chewed my gate and did a number on the wiring on my trailer to the point I had to rewire the entire trailer. Why can't they eat the trees and leave my stuff alone?
The bears are out more this last week. I have seen two close to the house and Lee saw three cubs coming up from Cedar Run yesterday. It is such a big change from Winter when it is quiet and cold. Now the birds are up chirping early in the morning and everything seems livelier. The trees seem to add an inch of new leaves a night and it is gradually becoming a dark summer forest again. This is the time of year to truly enjoy the woods and nature. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Kimberly Reese photographs Leetonia Wildlife

Indigo Bunting

Lee's Hummingbirds

Hummingbird and bubbles

Snaggle nose splashes in the pond

Cooling off Snaggle nose style

second year cub explores feeder

Mange attacks another bear

Over the weekend, Kimberly Reese came up to Hooke's cabin. Hooke bought the place from her grandfather, John Reese's estate. John Reese was the founder of Reese's Candy and the famous Buttercup, which he generously gave out to us kids during the summer. Kimberly has professional photography equipment, which explains why these pictures are so much better than anything I could take with my little web camera.
In only two days time she got pictures of three different bears including the "Famous Leetonia Snaggle Nose," whose deformed face and size is enough to frighten most city people. He showed up and night and took a little swim in the pond. So it isn't as easy to see him as the other bears. The other two were a bit shyer  and a lot smaller. I am guessing they weigh one to two hundred pounds compared to Snaggle Nose's five hundred pounds. As many of you regular readers will know Snaggle Nose lost part of his face in a fight with another bear about four years ago. This hasn't slowed him down and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other bears in the pictures are his prodigy.
If you click on the individual pictures they will get larger and you can see the detail Kim caught in the hummingbird's feathers. The picture of the Indigo Bunting looks like it could go on the cover of a bird magazine.
For any of you who love birds this is a great place to watch them in the summer months we have so many varieties of birds you don't see much in the city. Kim got quite a few good pictures during her only two days and I can't begin to show you all of them. But it is nice to see them as bright and detailed as I see them everyday, while I am Lost in Leetonia. Thanks again to Kim for letting me share these with you. Maybe she will come back next year and stay a bit longer.  Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Bear fun

My brother sent me this video. This is the reason no one around here leaves open dumpsters.This was posted on You Tube by Published on Jul 25, 2012 by AWESOMEOnaut
Three Baby bears got stuck in a dumpster over night. Mama bear sat by the dumpster all night listening to her cubs cry. Shirley and Tom Schenk, help three bear cubs escape from a dumpster in Ruidoso, N.M. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Snake days of Leetonia

When the weather gets hot the rattlesnakes are on the move crossing the road to get to the cooler streams. Between Lee and I we have seen 5 snakes in the last two weeks. Two yellow rattlers and 3 black rattlers.
There is a mini cub explosion going on in Leetonia. We have a mother with three cubs and one with four cubs. It is unusual to see either but both is unheard of since we have lived here.
You are probably wondering what this picture has to do with bears or snakes. Nothing! As you are going toward Leetonia on Leetonia Road two bridges past the Whippoorwill camp you will come to a long winding hill. This hill is a bit hard to get up in the winter when there is snow and ice not so much because of the grade but the turns and length can wear out a good run at it. Well I guess this hill has another name according to Bravo Button, 80, and lifelong resident of the area. They used to call it "Balk Hill", because the horses would stop and rest or balk as they pulled wagons up the hill. No amount of pleading would make them move until they were rested. I can't say I blame them. We are finishing up the second round of Census this week and hope to get back to a more normal summer schedule. Got a visit from Mark Amand and his wife over the weekend, always nice to see a reader and lover of Leetonia stop in person. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Say it isn't Snow!

Yesterday, the snow started covering everything with a beautiful blanket of interesting designs. I particularly liked the way the snow clung to the roll of fencing. By the end of the evening we were without power for the night. Spending time talking in the glow of kerosene latrines. Without bright light it is difficult to do much but talk and so bedtime came early with the hope of power in the morning.

At 5 am the power came back and I opened the door to 6 inches of snow outside. Working on a roof today will be a difficult job of shoveling. I am hoping my tarp held most of the snow back so we have a clean surface to start the day. This is the time of year being a carpenter is not looked at with envy by the outside world. Wish me luck it is off to work I go.

Mountain Girl, Paula, logging off.

Hunter Warning......Bear Season Starts Monday

There has been a rash of red wine theft from local taverns and State Stores. There has been much speculation as to who has been causing this increased theft a mere few days before bear season.

Mountain Girl, Paula, reporting from Leetonia

Tree Day and more

Well, a week has gone by already. I added a oak tree to the mix in the first picture, showing some budding out taking place.





The Apple tree has made a lot of progress this week greening up with the warm weather we have had.










The willows are blooming as well and people with tree allergies are starting to complain of itchy eyes and throats.







The Fire Cherry doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot and as you can see on the hill behind it no major changes in the mountain tree foliage this week.






Now on another note. The bear was busy last night making Jack and Leo bark and mudding up my van. Of course he has a reason to mess with the van since I store my bird seed in there. I know one of these days he is going to pop it open and have a feast and then the days of storing anything in the van will be over.

In other bear news there is a bear in Leetonia with a compound foot fracture. I called the Game Commission over the weekend

and they said they would get a hold of me. Instead, I came home today to find a Bear Trap by my front door, two miles from were the broken bear is. If they had called me first they might have got it in the right place. Now I have to keep Jack and Leo from eating the donuts inside the trap before the bears. I think the bear that muddied up my van is in for a big surprise tonight.

I will take a picture in the morning if it is in there. Thats all for today. Mountain Girl, Paula, Logging out!

Slate Run Bear Rescue

Thanks to Shar at Slate Run for sending me these pictures of the baby bear rescue taken by Steve Dawson. There are two cubs total one looks a little brown. As I reported the mother and two cubs took a tumble over a steep embankment. The mother got out but the cubs couldn't make the climb without help. Wise onlookers called the DNR guys to give them a lift out.



Even though they look cuddly the DNR guy has leather gloves on for a reason. Soon they will grow and weigh a couple hundred pounds and be picking on Tom's dumpster..