danmccullough

danmccullough, 2 months ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 2 months ago to animals

One of Pippin’s best skills (which she’s been honing for over 16 years) is her uncanny ability to block me from entering a room… while never looking me in the eye.

#Caturday #CatsofMastodon #cats #SiberianForestCat

danmccullough, 2 months ago to Mushrooms

The intricate undersides of Trichaptum biforme on a fallen birch.

#FungiFriday #fungi #mushrooms #pilze #Mushtodon #nature

danmccullough, 2 months ago to random

In parts of the northern USA and lots of spots in Canada, this time of the year is Maple Sugar season filled with lots of hard work and hoping for ideal weather conditions. If you’d like a terrific short intro to the process along with some fabulous old photos, see @EllieK and @stevenkennard slideshow presentation!
#MapleSugar https://mstdn.ca/@EllieK/112196213564565193

EllieK, 2 months ago to ilaughed

'Tis the season for maple syrup making. For any who are curious about the history and process, I made a slideshow video about the process and you can watch it on Vimeo here:
https://vimeo.com/548606103
It's just under 6 minutes watch. My voiceover.

#EllieKPosts #MapleSyrup #spring #SignsOfSpring #vimeo #Video #slideshow

danmccullough, 2 months ago to random

My 2024 maple sugaring season has ended and we got 30 liters of sap. There were 2 additional liters that I tossed because it had soured and big, meaty moths had drowned in it. I harvested 36 liters in 2023.

I tapped the tree 2/1 and took the bucket down on 3/17. The height of the flow was 2/3 to 2/10.

After boiling we ended up with a little over 1.5 pints of syrup. Lots of work for not a lot of syrup which explains why this stuff is so expensive!

#MapleSyrup #MapleSugar

Top down view of a metal pot filled with light brown bubbles as it is boiling and slowly becoming syrup.
Top down view of the sap fully boiled down to 219 degrees and now syrup. It is amber-brown and is cooling.
A glass jar showing off the cooled maple syrup. For scale, I have set it next to an empty seltzer container that is 1 liter. Both are sitting on a countertop.

EllieK, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Edit: So reason has prevailed, and we will not be getting another.
Our ages (74 and 67), potential compatibility issues with current incumbents, and costs have all factored into the decision.
Thanks!
The mother of one of our cats (Zaz) is due to have another litter next week.This is what's going on in my mind.
We have 3 Cornish Rex Cats already:
Badger who is 9, we got as a retired breeder, then aged 6
Pangolin, also retired breeder is about 4
Zaz will be 2 next week.
#caturday #EllieKPosts

EllieK, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to animals

Technical Cat Question

Edit: I have decided, as we have no guests, to store it in the guestroom cupboard, which has 2 doors!
Zaz has become obsessed with chewing my exercise mat, even rolled up. She finds wherever I hide it, no matter where I put it. If I can reach it, so can she, only more easily. I don't have a cupboard with a door (if I did she would work out how to open it or scratch the door to pieces to try to get in).
Help!
#ZazTheCornishRex #caturday #EllieKPosts #CatsOfMastodon

danmccullough, 2 months ago to animals

A year ago today, our little floof of chaos suddenly passed away of cancer at age 10. Moonshine was a perfect name as she was a beam of light but also had a kick. She only weighed 9 pounds but carried herself like a Tonka truck. She’d jump off the upstairs bed and we’d hear her all over the house. Silence wasn’t safe with her around. This past year has been far too quiet. We miss her.
#CatsOfMastodon #Cats #RainbowBridge

danmccullough, 2 months ago to nature

My wife: “Bear sightings have started. We should bring in the bird feeder.”

Me: “I think we have another day or two.”

Bear: crash, crack, crunch

#nature #wildlife #BlackBear #NewEngland

danmccullough, 2 months ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 2 months ago to Cats

There’s “side-eye,” and then there’s whatever THIS look is.

She’s not budging to let me upstairs. Not when there’s sun to be in.

#Caturday #Cats #SiberianForestCat #CatsofMastodon

danmccullough, 2 months ago to nature

I posted the picture on the left in December. The one on the right was taken yesterday. This is the same fruiting of Turkey Tail. The decomposition is visually impressive. The fungi made its way through the outer layers before someone, or something, tore away the upper half, exposing the inner layer. Look how smooth it is. I couldn’t find the upper half nearby, so that was a bit weird.
#FungiFriday #nature #mushrooms #fungi

The same tree as described in the first picture except the mushrooms only cover the lower half of the tree as the top half has been torn off exposing a shiny, smooth interior layer of wood. The mushrooms have darkened and have crimped up a bit.

danmccullough, 2 months ago to nature

Need a lift on #ThickTrunkTuesday?
#nature #trees

danmccullough, 2 months ago to Birding

I’ve been enjoying everyone’s reports of their “first signs of spring.” This morning I heard the arrival of TWO birds of spring in my corner of the world : the raspy repetition of the Eastern Phoebe, and the melodious, carnival like call of the Louisiana Waterthrush. Welcome all!
#Spring #Birding #Birds #NewEngland

danmccullough, 2 months ago to nature

#Mosstodon #MossMonday #nature

danmccullough, 2 months ago to animals

#Caturday morning. I have my tea, she has my knee.

#CatsofMastodon #SiberianForestCat

danmccullough, 3 months ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 3 months ago to nature

A dapper Barometer Earthstar [Astraeus hygrometricus] found smack in the middle of an old lumbering road.

#FungiFriday #fungi #mushroom #pilz #nature #Mushtodon #hiking

danmccullough, 3 months ago to nature

When there’s no ice cream truck until June, there’s always a sapsicle.

#nature #hiking #NewEngland #sapsicle

danmccullough, 3 months ago to Mushrooms

A handsome blob of Witch’s Butter (Tremella mesenterica) for #FungiFriday
#fungi #mushrooms #nature #pilz

EllieK, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to photography

An Un-Anniversary Celebration
Memories – from 2014 – a fun throwback story if you want to read on… We are in Quebec city, having a great couple of days on our way home from a bit of a tour around friends and family in Ontario and Quebec. Last night we found a little restaurant, the Café de Paris, (read the tale here...
https://www.elliekennard.ca/un-anniversary-celebration/ )

#EllieKPosts #photography #Quebec #throwbackthursday