Some NYS Wildlife

This spring and the start of our summer here in New York State has given Theresa and I the chance to observe more wildlife! For starters, our complex is home to zero rabbits, but quite a large population of chipmunks. They patrol their territories and engage in frantic chases when they discover each other intruding, hop around with their little tails twitching away, and provide us with all sorts of good entertainment. There's one right in line with our balcony that we watch regularly (every morning during coffee than later during tea). We haven't progressed to naming them, although we do refer to one just far enough way he's difficult to see as "Jack Faar" (we've been watching episodes of "What's My Line? from the 1960s).

We've also learned about the noises they make. We accidentally shifted our sleep schedule so we go to bed between 9 and 9:30 then wake up about 5:30, so we often wake up to this rapid, incessant chirping--it's very loud. It also turns out to be one of the sounds chipmunks make. 

Bird watching in the apartment complex is much like bird watching at home: sparrows and chickadees are common, and house finches have begun to show up. Robins and blue jays are just becoming frequent visitors, and we only get small flocks of starlings. House finches like our porch:

Then last night we discovered some tiny birds seem to have a nest in the spruce tree just off our balcony. Turns out they're "chipping sparrows" and very handsome! They're perhaps the size of a nuthatch if not smaller.

Near bodies of water, bald eagles are common in this area, and I've seen them both near a reservoir and at the Mohawk River:

Ospreys are also common and I've seen them near the other river (the Hudson).

Theresa and I also like to visit Luther Forest (just off of 100 Acre Wood Way. Seriously), which preserves a large stand of white pines. They have these soft 4 inch needles and emit this great smell that reminds me of noon in the mountains during the summer: both piney and dry at the same time. We're attempting to make an oil from them because we enjoy the smell so much. Sadly they're too short to weave into anything. We did record this bumblebee on the path: those things that look like flashes in the animation are actually dirt and needles getting pushed around because its wings move so much air.

The apartment complex has lots of spruces, which smell more like a stereotypical Christmas tree. Cotton is a common site, and cottonwoods are surprisingly common in the area but we haven't seen any close to us.

We've also gotten to know wood thanks to our spoons: we've now worked with exotic hardwoods like padouk and zebrawood, as well as cherry, maple, walnut, and sugar pine. Cherry always makes good results, but Theresa's favorite so far is walnut (makes this really nice dark product) and I like the maple because the heartwood at the core of the tree is a different color than the sapwood that was still growing when the tree was cut. The heartwood is a light gray and the sapwood is very light. Sugar pine was interesting, it's much harder than expected, very light, and has these long gray "rays" streaking through it. Unfortunately it looks yellow when finished with mineral oil :/

Sugar pine before oiling

Dike

Pictures of the dike with the new rock down.  It is very compressed and rather fine rock. 

Going up the dike to the cabins.

Going back towards the mower shed.  

Rutherford Epicenter

Hello family!
Living in NYC during this time has been quite the roller coaster. NYC is considered the epicenter of our country and unique to our country with it's 24/7 public transportation, population and tourist density. So, it caught everything and moved fastest...but let's back track for a moment.

2020 was off to a very promising start! Kurtis had been working many load in/load out gigs at various theatres downtown as well as a bit of work at The Shed. Mary had begun her very first show being the Wardrobe Supervisor on Broadway, Girl from the North Country with a small crew of 10 people to oversee, 26 cast members with swings and a 2.5hr show that had just gotten rave reviews from it's opening night. Aurora was enjoying her second year in 'Too Cool for Preschool' as the oldest in her class and enjoying time with various sitters, including Amy who has been with our family for 3 years.

On March 12, the governor of New York announced that gatherings would be limited by number and Broadway shut down for a month. Both of us became immediately unemployed. Mary worked an additional day to cover the costumes for moth protection. Then, in a thought that this was not so serious currently, we took off to do a quick visit with family in the middle of the country. (This allowed for a delightful dinner with Andrew, Katie and Theo in Chicago.) Each day that we were out visiting, the situation became rapidly more dire. By the time we reached KC, 4 days in to our travels, we were down to 50% of the people that we would have liked to see; a few days later we called it and turned around to come home.

On the flight home, a man sitting just a couple of rows in front of us had an anxiety attack mid-air, prompting oxygen to be brought to him and looking very much like Covid-19. By the time we touched down at home, our reality was brand new. We were the epicenter of the United States.

It still felt very surreal, but the sirens from ambulances, blared through the streets for the first couple of weeks at an alarming rate of every 20 minutes or so. Friends became sick with Covid-19, some friends of friends died. The streets outside the hospitals were lined with refrigerated trucks to act as morgues as the hospitals became overwhelmed and help flew in from around the country. Masks became the new normal each time that we step outside our door and a once crowded subway system became so empty that you could ride a car alone.

Every night at 7p, we lean out our window at our fire escape and cheer for those still working. From postal workers to emergency workers to grocery store clerks and beyond. The refrigerated trucks still exist, people are still getting sick and being admitted to the hospital. Our extension came first until June 7 and again until September 6 - it will be longer that we will be without the work that we love. We'll see how long we can survive without work in general.

Aurora has been surprisingly resilient through it all. Mostly, I think she is having a wonderful time being a little kid with both of her parents around to play with her. We have a schedule that we follow most weekdays and have been able to connect her with Amy for some sanity breaks. But, there are times where it's sad. Where Aurora cries out from her quiet time for the people that she is missing, where she needs an extra hug or twenty at bedtime to get through, where she wants to go outside without putting a mask on and where we just have to shed some tears together.

Nowhere was this more obvious than the beginning of April when we all desperately wanted to be with family for Grandpa's passing. I spoke with him on the phone a few days before and asked him the question "Are you ready for what's next?". He paused thoughtfully and said, "Yes, I really think that I am."  That question and answer was something that I played through my head many times in the past weeks. It's important to ask the big questions.

As much as we love our home, we realize that the summer will be unsustainable for us here. Many of our friends have already left. We have ventured outside once a day with Aurora when it has not been rainy, but it's not the same as having a backyard to run freely around in. And, the sunshine makes a huge difference for all of us.

So, at some point, when the numbers feel right, we'll venture outward and find our new normal in various spots across the country to visit, hug, find the sun and feel whole again. Until then, keep being the intelligent human beings that you all are - protect yourselves, those you love and protect all of those you come in contact with. The world needs intelligent kindness and love right now.

Time at home together!

Aurora finished her last day of 'Too Cool for Preschool' early due to the coronavirus.

Kurtis built a giant fort in the living room. It stayed up for about two weeks and made a big difference in those rainy weeks.

New normal.

We all wear our masks every time that we walk out of our door.

Amy and Aurora - they are best buds!

Aurora has a spirit that is full of compassion, intelligence and strength.
Many days are a challenge and they are all worth it.

A few pictures

They have begun work for the pipeline and we had the opportunity to be out at the pasture on Friday, May 8. We spent the night into Saturday.  These pictures were taken near sunset on Friday. It’s been nice to be able to escape and get a change of scenery during the COVID-19 restrictions.