This morning when we got up and looked out the bedroom window, we could see two ducks cruising in the pond. By the time we got to the kitchen to make coffee and start breakfast, the ducks had been joined by a group ... er, gaggle ... of geese, which you see in a nice formation of four on the right. Then, a few minutes later, a great blue heron dropped by to say hello. The heron is on the ground just to the right of the thick brush on the bank of the pond in the center of the photo. (I made the photo extra large, so click on it and you'll get a much bigger image.)
Alayne keeps binoculars and a copy of the "Pocket Naturalist Guide to New Hampshire Birds" on the window sill in the kitchen just for these kinds of sightings. I stepped out on the back deck to get these photos, at which point the geese broke formation and started honking the alarm at my presence up above. Photos in hand, I retreated inside, and the geese went back to quietly paddling about the pond. Before long, though -- while we were eating breakfast -- all the birds had flown off and the pond was quiet and still again.
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The current Shelter Challenge started on Monday, April 4th, and ends at midnight on Sunday, June 19th. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories ... please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
And remember, you can vote every day, so consider bookmarking the voting page to make it easy.
You can vote in the Shelter Challenge here.
Please note: Use Rolling Dog Ranch for our name and NH for the state and our listing will come up.
Because of your votes, we won $1,000 as a weekly winner in the Shelter Challenge that ended in March. Please help us win more money for the animals here by voting every day, and by encouraging your family, friends and colleagues to vote every day, too. Thank you!
Thanks Laura I appreciate that. Someday maybe we'll meet.
Posted by: Craig from Great Falls | April 09, 2011 at 03:59 PM
What a beautiful place you all have chosen to live. Great beginning to your day!
Posted by: Colleen_TX & Kitty Andre | April 08, 2011 at 10:23 AM
What a spot you have! Couldn't be more idyllic. It's snowing here..........in April..........
Posted by: Linda Murphy | April 07, 2011 at 03:51 PM
Over here in VT, we're glad that we're able to start seeing some grass now, as well!
What a nice way to start the day, though, seeing all the birds showing up at your pond. I'll bet that gets you ready for your day!
Good luck, and we're voting for you, too!
Posted by: Chris Ensey | April 07, 2011 at 08:05 AM
What a lovely picture. The scenery on your property is stunning!
Posted by: Ann | April 07, 2011 at 12:38 AM
What a glorious way to start the day! Beautiful photo! Bravo!
Warm hugs all around,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit
Posted by: ginger | April 06, 2011 at 06:17 PM
Oh, and I have been voting daily, for all 3 of the contests. Hope others are doing the same.
Posted by: Anne in FL | April 06, 2011 at 12:27 PM
It seems that no matter the species, animals of every type seem to flock to you. Very nice. I was surprised to see the great blue, I did not know they lived that far north! We have lots here in FL
Posted by: Anne in FL | April 06, 2011 at 12:25 PM
I was excited to start voting again but I don't know if there is a problem with the onfirm box. I hit it after voting and it will not take my vote. This didn't happen when it was the animal photos.
Posted by: Betsy | April 06, 2011 at 10:40 AM
How exciting to see that first thing in the morning! Craig..blind dogs do great on stairs..you should see Levi go up and down them. You would never know he was blind the way he races up and down them! It was my first question as well when I adopted him. So when I brought him home and showed him the stairs, I told him up, up for each step, then down, down for each step. It took him a couple of days to figure out the differnece between the inside stairs and the outside stairs as the outside stairs have more. I live in Helena, so if you ever want to meet Levi, we aren't that far away to arrange something. Steve can pass on my email address.
Posted by: Laura, Levi & Timmy | April 06, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Were you able to id the ducks? Could they be mergansers? It's hard to tell from the shot.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | April 06, 2011 at 08:29 AM
Wow. Wow wow wow. What a spectacular place you live now! New Hampshire certainly seems to suit you - and it is so beautiful!
Posted by: Heidi, Emmett the Beagle, and Moxie the kitty | April 05, 2011 at 11:25 PM
What a beautiful, serene picture. Couldn't think of a better way to start one's day.
Posted by: Cathy Silvestro | April 05, 2011 at 08:38 PM
Looking at the big picture here you guys did well with this move.
Good job!
BTW question..how do blind dogs do stairs?
Posted by: Craig from Great Falls | April 05, 2011 at 07:22 PM