Snowmobile Paradise

Wood dogs buried

White Out

"Speck get out of your bed, I know I can fit."

We got a good sixteen inches of snow Wednesday and it took three hours using the neighbor's four-wheeler to plow out. The four-wheeler plow really doesn't like anymore than a foot of snow and the only way to clear the snow off was in layers, starting on top and working my way down. Since we had some freezing rain/sleet under the snow it causes the four-wheeler to get stuck more than once. But after much pushing, pulling and one snapped cable we got it done at 8:30 PM. Four-wheelers don't cushion the blow of hitting a big pile of snow so after three hours I ached all over. Thank goodness this snow was light or I don't think I could have moved it at all.

The next day the temperatures plunged again below zero to -18. It did warm up to the 20's during the day and has stayed about the same temperatures for the last couple days. Today it again started snowing and the 1 inch we were supposed to have has already turned to 2 and likely to be 3 before it stops. So it looks like more plowing tonight.

The good news is for the snowmobilers, skiers and lovers of snow. It is perfect for all to play. The snowmobliers have been running like buzzing bees all over the mountain. I would have to say this is the best it has been for snowmobiles the entire season. It doesn't look like anything will change during the next week as temperatures will stay from slightly below zero to mid-twenties all week. The deer are having a rough time moving through the deep snow and will be more prone to winter death from starving and other animals attacking them. They have been herding up as usual for this time of year to aid in clearing snow. They get on the road and don't like to jump off into deep snow, so try not to run them with vehicles anymore than necessary.

I haven't been down the road towards Cedar Run since this last snow and am not sure it is passable. There could have been some slides with all the snow being light and coming so fast. My suggestion is snowmobile only except in plowed areas.

Leo has been trying to take over Speck's bed the last few weeks. For some reason he thinks he should fit in this tiny bed. I don't think Speck appreciates the invasion. We are all looking forward to a little warmer weather soon as cabin fever has affected many in the area. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Have a Beary Merry Christmas!

Leo is tired of posing for Christmas Pictures

Even the bears are in the Christmas mood in Leetonia. The Christmas cards are done and Leo is once again disgusted with the whole process especially the part where Felix the cat tortures him during one of our shots. The dogs are always glad when the picture taking is over.

There was still snow on the ground this morning but it is melting fast in warm temperatures and rain. The quick melt sent Pine Creek up to 5.3 feet very quickly overnight. We awoke to the sound of our small creek ripping down the valley this morning. We are hoping the snow/ice melts off the road enough going South to Cedar Run so we can make it down to Cedar Run Inn for New Year's Eve, but that is still a week a way and much can happen to the weather in that amount of time.

Lee and I will be spending a quite and maybe not white Christmas alone at home this year. I don't see any snow in the forecast and the recent melt pretty much killed it for the snowmobilers. Hope you all have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Mountain Girls of Leetonia.

Firewood split and stacked.

I have finally finished splitting and stacking firewood.  The wood that we will use this winter is under the porches and the wood stacked outside is for next winter.  Now I just have to clean up the bark mess and winterize the tractor.  What a relief to have that done before we get snow that piles up.

Speck got 5 teeth pulled on Monday but he is doing great and seems to be recovered.  We will be keeping him on a soft food diet for a few days and giving him anti-biotics for 7 days.  He doesn't seem to mind at this point.  Actually he prefers a soft diet.

Today there were 7 robins in our front yard.  It made me think it's going to be Spring instead of Winter.  I know you snow mobilers are anxious for good snow but I would be happy for it to hold off for a little while.

My sister Diane requested that I post when Paula is busy working so I will give it a try when I can think of something to write.  This is Lee signing off until next time.

Large Trap Small Dog

I don't want to look

It was a nice day Friday and I was home early so the dogs and I decided to take a walk. They were usual excited bouncing around, Speck let out one loud uncontrolable bark announcing his joy and we started up the road. I try to keep the dogs pretty close to me when I walk in case cars or other animals show up and they are usually pretty good about keeping within fifty or less feet.

I decided it would be nice to cut through the pine forest and up a trail I use often that comes out at the top of my property. I love looking over the top of the mountains and the last part of the walk is all down hill to home. So Leo, Speck and I cut in and started climbing up the trail. Leo was in the lead and Speck was about twenty feet in front of me. I noticed Speck was sniffing the ground then suddenly, he is screaming, twisting, turning and snaping at a trap now attached to him. I quickly raced to him and to see Speck violently thrashing, while I am try to see what damage has been inflicted on my dog and how to get this thing off of him. I reached in and immediately got my hand chewed up while attempting to grab the trap. Poor Speck didn't have a clue what was happening to him and  bite at anything to get it to stop. Now Leo arrived to investigate the screaming and I had to push him out of the way as well. I worried the longer Speck thrashed the more damage would be done to his small leg stuck in a trap made for a lot larger animal. Blood from my bite and Speck's mouth started to cover him, I finally got the trap in a position I could step on the spring lock and open it while he pulled his leg out.

Speck stood a few steps away dangling his back leg and I feared the worst, a broken leg. I picked him up and carried him back home. I cleaned him up and didn't notice any obvious broken leg. The trap had hit him in the hock just below the joint. He still would not put weight on it, but it seemed more from straining his knee joint during his twisting than the actual injured area. I noticed he was licking his lips funny and looked in his mouth to see two of his front upper teeth now hanging at an unnatural angle. In his attempts to free himself from the trap he had broken at least a couple teeth. 

Amazingly enough in a couple hours he was walking on his back leg and will only have to go to the Vet monday to have his teeth pulled the rest of the way out. As you can see by the size of the trap compared to him, he was very lucky. It could have been so much worse. This is the biggest reason I am not a fan of trapping. I have seen so many dogs loose feet or legs to trapping. 

After talking to the game commission, I found out there is nothing I can do since it wasn't on my property. So I guess it is walker beware out there. However I would like to make this plea. If you are a trapper, PLEASE don't trap near roads and pathways unless you mark the trap visably so someone walking themselves or their animals can see it. If my dog hadn't tripped this trap I might have just as easily stepped in it on a path I regularly walk. It is nice when everyone can enjoy the woods without feeling like they have to stay in during trapping and hunting season, which is half the year here. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Mountain Laurel time

Speck near some Mountain Laurel

Mountain Laurel Festival Wellsboro

The Mountain Laurel is a bit disappointing this year. It is seems slow to blossom and a lot scarcer than last year. I got Speck to pose a bit unwillingly next to some blossoms this morning which are just opening. Last year at this time everything was blooming a week earlier. I think the late cold weather combined with the on and off hot spells must have had some effect on the blooms.

I noticed the oak trees are being attacked by caterpillars and many half eaten leaves were littering my morning walk. The oak trees also took a hit with the late hard frost and now as they try to recover are being chewed up. I guess life for a plant isn't always easy.

Wellsboro had its annual Mountain Laurel Festival and it seemed to have a good turnout. People put their chairs out along the road for the parade up to 3 days ahead. I have to admit I have never seen the parade, but it must be popular to risk losing a lawn chair over. Lee and I tend to stay away from events that draw crowds and traffic. Guess living in the woods has lowered our resistance to noise and crowding.

We have had a lot of rain pushing Pine Creek up near 3 feet a few days ago and keeping it at a nice kayak and tubing level of 2.5 today. Once the creek drops below 2 feet you have to carry a canoe through some spots and lift your rear to keep from being bumped by rocks when tubing.  Low water gives a new meaning to having your "Hiney in the Piney". 

I have a couple requests from readers who come up: If you have seen "Snaggle Nose," this year let me know. If you have a current picture of him I will post it. Also our feral cat got neutered and shots this week. He doesn't stay with us for more than half the week and we are curious about where he goes. If you see him at your camp let us know. He has gotten quite friendly with us and is letting us pet him, hence why he got shots. I didn't want to risk him getting rabies or anything that would spread to us or our dogs. He didn't seem too upset about the operation and was coming up to us shortly after looking for food and attention. Since it takes about a month for his hormone levels to drop I am not expecting it to stop his wandering for a while. Hopefully, nothing will eat him now that we made a small investment in his health. I put links to pictures of both animals and the Pine Creek levels for your information. Enjoy your week where ever you are. We will continue our journey, lost in Leetonia. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Hiking Chihuahua Style 11.38 miles Cedar Mt loop

"Really, I have to carry my own water?"

Yes he did walk the whole way with me, but I carried the water. It was a bit warm walking up Leetonia Rd to Wilson to Ridge to Cedar Mountain and back up Leetonia Rd to home. The lack of leaves on the trees gave us little shade for our walk around the block. The bugs are out but not too bad as the wind blew most of them off us. I only saw a few cars one being Jeremy Bechtel one of the local Forest Rangers. He did mention I had been the only one he ever saw walking on the road that wasn't hunting. We caught up on the weather particularly the long winter, animals spotted recently; noticing near us a stop sign metal partially eaten by a porcupine. He hadn't seen many bears yet, but the warm weather had brought quite a few people out to keep tabs on. Jeremy was looking for the four-wheelers who are coming up the pipeline and other areas. So for you that don't know you will get a ticket for driving one anywhere in the State Forest. He verified the trees I saw cut along the pipeline are part of a pipeline widening project.

After he left I continued on my way on a beautiful blue day not a cloud in the sky. The walk periodically was accompanied by birds singing and woodpeckers pecking. I saw an area where turkey's had been searching through the leaves for food. It was quite a long area on the edge of the road towards the end of it I looked up to see a turkey scurry off into the woods. Since my walk started at 10 am and went through the middle of the day the animals I saw where kept to a minimum as most like early morning or dusk hours. 

This loop is about a mile longer than my Cushman direction loop and my feet started wishing it was a mile less. The bridge on Cedar Mt road is done except for any railing they might put up so I am not sure why they are waiting so long to take the road closed signs down. Speck and I enjoyed sitting on their straw-stuffed tubes along the creek for a bit, while I ate an apple and listened to the sound of the creek flowing. I sat there long enough for another person to wonder why I was in the middle of no where...really....I am beginning to think no one takes walks anymore, which is very sad. This person was not a local camp owner or he would have known better than to ask me if I was lost. Just walking around the block for a mountain girl. 

Leo felt a bit left out but he can't make it that far. Speck didn't seem to have a bit of trouble, although he appears to be resting quite well now. 

You can play the flyover to see where we walked or go to this link for a map. Oh before I forget we saw our first hummingbird today! Mountain girl,Paula, logging off and resting the toes.

The Firewood pile is cut

Speck on top wood pile

Side of wood piles

Front of wood piles

It has been a great week of weather staying dry enough that I finished cutting all the logs up into pieces. The next chore is running them all through the splitter and stacking them in the sun to dry. The couple rows in front are the large logs where the pile sat. They were very large in diameter my 16" saw couldn't cut through them from just one side. This made them extremely difficult to lift even the cut pieces and this is why they aren't stacked very high. This will be 2013-14's wood. It is a big job cutting two years worth of wood at once, but on the bright side I get to skip a year.

Seems like a lot of bear hunters stomping through the woods but I haven't heard much of anyone close getting anything. The nice weather has been kind to the hunters as it has been getting close to 50 during the day. I been trying to do some last minute cleanup and straightening of things before we get snow. It is harder to find stuff when snow is pilled up on it.

Lee is in Arizona visiting some friends so it is just me and the dogs for Thanksgiving. We had an early nice dinner when some hunters gave us three Grouse. I cooked them up and shared a few bits with the dogs. I have to admit the Grouse are one of the few animals I enjoy the taste of. For such small birds they have quite a bit of meat. They are worth breaking my mostly vegetarian diet to indulge in.

Straightening up the garage is my next project and I have to admit one I have been putting off. I look at it and just shake my head wondering where to put everything. The strategy hasn't made it clean itself so far. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Fairy Tale in the woods

Once upon a time in a big forest a crazy girl came to visit. She didn't know much about the big woods ...but was anxious to learn everything.

"What is this black thing? What is this green thing? What is this? What is that?"

Her questions never stopped.
One day she went for a walk in the big woods. She walked along an old logging trail. Everywhere she walked she looked at bugs, animals, trees and things. She thought they would make a good painting, but she would change all the colors of the trees and roads and plants to suit her.
So she kept walking and thinking and talking to herself and soon she was deep in the woods and lost. She sat down on a log and wondered how she would get back to her grandma's house.

Meanwhile her grandma noticed she was gone and got out the best search and rescue dog in the State, his name was, "Speck" and even though he was a tiny Chihuahua he had a excellent nose. So Grandma gave Speck one of Reilly's socks to smell. It was so strong he had to clear his nose before he started to track her. But now he was on the trail, head down and jumping over the grass and logs to find her.

We all followed Speck for miles and eventually found her at Gaswell's Johns on the other side of the mountain. She gave Speck a big hug and we all went home to eat Smores. THE END.

Dog days of winter

When the nights get cold and the days a bit brisk the dogs move a bit closer to the fire. Speck the littlest one gets a bit too close sometimes and has to make a quick retreat when he starts to smolder.

Thor prefers a softer and safer location from the heat and constant loading of firewood. All the dogs get much quieter when the stove is stoked and the room is almost uncomfortably warm.

It got down to 22 last night and didn't warm up much above freezing today. I will say I have to agree with the dogs that there is nothing like a warm fire on a cold day. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Snow finally comes

Well, we finally got some snow last night and today. I would guess a total of 6-8 inches. This is nothing compared to the high numbers of 20+ inches to the South and East of us. It will be enough to make the snowmobilers happy this weekend.
After the plow went by I got my neighbors 4-wheeler and plowed his driveway and mine. I am sure glad he is letting us use it sure saves on the back. As you can see from the second picture, Speck, watched me as I plowed outside.
I took the dogs for a walk up the road after I finished plowing and on the way back, I fell four times. I
guess the plow took enough snow off the road to reveal ice underneath. Had I known it was that slippery I would have worn my ice spikes. Each time I fell I got licked to death by the dogs. It didn't help me get up.

It is still snowing fairly good and the wind is blowing along with it so I expect to have to plow again before it is over. The weather people say we are through with the most of what this storm has to offer so I don't expect more than an inch or two more.
It was so windy last night, it sounded like a truck going down the road. Snow blew up under the porches and into the window sills. Made for a chilly feeling night. I guess we can count ourselves lucky though we still have power, heat and not too much snow.
Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.