Spiders

I had been clearing brush at the cabin property and had just started the truck to head home when I noticed some movement on my shirt sleeve and found this very large spider heading for my shoulder. The main (round) part of the body was over 5/8 inch across and at least 2 inches from one leg tip to another.



A close up view

Cute and Cuddly (No)

While spraying some apple trees behind our barn I noticed what looked like a very fat, hairy woodchuck in some weeds.



The "fat woodchuck" turned out to be a young porcupine.



After several minutes of attempting to pose the porcupine for a photograph I let it proceed from the field to the woods where it climbed the first small tree it found.



A photo of some quills in my boot after attempting to pose the porcupine for a photograph.

The Sting

Earlier this week I noticed a hornet's nest had been built in the corner of garage door. We were busy working on another project and didn't have time to remove the nest but I did point out the nest location to Mary, since this is where she stores her lawn mower.



The nest was built by bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata) which are known to aggressively attack with little provocation, a fact that Mary learned a few days later.

King of the Hill (Bale)

How many turkeys can fit on a hay bale?

At least 10.



I was watching about 2 dozen turkeys feeding in Jason's field as one of them jumped on top of a hay bale. This soon became a game of "King of the hill" as more turkeys jumped on the bale.

Curious Buck

For the past week or so I have been installing drainage pipe around the cabin as another phase of this year's cabin project. Several times while digging the ditches for the drain lines with my backhoe I would notice a small buck near the pond watching me. Unlike most deer, this buck didn't run away but stayed near the pond, bedded down and continued to watch me work.



After several days of us watching each other, I was able to walk within several feet of the buck as he hid in the tall grass around the pond.



The following photo was taken within 15 feet of the buck while he was hiding in his "nest".



Whenever I find the buck in his "nest", he will watch me take pictures then jump from his "nest", run for about 20 yards and then stop and watch me for a minute or two before heading to a clump of bushes. Within 20 to 30 minutes the buck will return to one of his "nests" near the pond.