North Country Wild ~by Jennifer Daniels

Now that all the holidays are over and we are in the start of a new year, I hope this finds you all healthy, safe, and well. 

#North Country Wild is a saying my son came up with for his YouTube and TikTok account. As many of you know I live in Upstate, NY and I am proud of where I come from and I’m immensely proud of my son. I’m going to share with you some of the pictures he has taken this January. 

Two days ago, my husband, son and I were enjoying the afternoon when my son looked out our window and there was a fox in the yard. It happily stood at the edge of the property so my son went out onto the porch to take pictures. When he opened the window, the little fellow decided to chirp at him. It was the cutest thing. It is not unusual for us to have animals roaming around the yard or going up and down the road. Just one of the perks of country life.

He also took several pictures out in the woods after the snow had fallen. And down by the beaver damn. I hope you enjoy our North Country Wild.

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The Critter Days of Summer ~ by Jennifer Daniels

Well another summer is in the books and it was a beautiful one here
in Upstate, NY. I spent a good chunk of it on the lake at my parents' house. It was an interesting summer here as I am sure it was for many. We had many visitors of the critter kind. My son went crazy this year with feeding the chipmunks, to the point they were eating out of our hands. If we did not get out soon enough for meal times they would squeak until we fed them.

Our little friends all were named. First came Jimmy, he was always the first one to arrive. He bounced higher than the others. Then there was Pip, that was my son's favorite one. She had a shorter tail than the rest of them. Shortly after she came Tiny showed up. She was the littlest of the bunch, hence the name. You could tell the females from the males because they typically walked more and the males hop. Last but not least is Nux. He was named after a character in Mad Max. He had what we thought was a tumor under the skin, but I think a fly laid an egg in him and he came back one day and it was gone. He also was the darkest of the four.

We all were able to have them eat out of our hands. They would hop right up and sit there while they feasted. My husband got such a kick out of the little guys that he made them their own perch to sit on so they were closer to the porch window. We could reach out and pet them. They are cute little critters to watch.

Then came Bonnie and Clyde, the racoons. They became our nightly pastime, watching them climb up the bird feeder pole then slide down it like they were off to a fire. It was hysterical. They, too, liked the perch that was originally made for the chippies.

They are little bandits! No wonder they wear masks. They stole one of my bird feeders. I have no idea where it is. We have looked everywhere, and to boot, they stole my favorite feeder. They look so funny and cute, but make no mistake about it, they are nasty little buggers.

I hope you all had a wonderful summer, continue to stay safe and protected.

Summertime Fun ~ by Jennifer Daniels

When you live in Upstate NY you don’t have to go far to see some awesome sights and have some fun. I went on an overnight visit to Albany, NY this month for my great nephew's First Birthday party. On my way, I took a few pictures. I would have taken more, but I got caught up in my crocheting.

These pictures were taken between High Falls Gorge in Wilmington, NY and Albany. If you're into Hiking, whitewater rafting, or sightseeing, this is one of the extraordinary places you can come and visit to take in the sites. The mountain views are incredible to see, everything looks so green and fresh. But, if you want to see an even better sight, come during the fall when the leaves are changing into incredible reds, oranges, and yellows. The smell of the air is so crisp during the fall season.

My next day trip was an Uncle Sam’s Boat Dinner Cruise in Alexandria Bay, NY. It was such a nice day to go, the weather was beautiful for an evening ride. My husband and I wanted a date night so we chose this to do. And we made the perfect choice. There are a variety of choices you can make when you go on these cruises. They even have a cruise that will bring you to see Singer Castle or Bolt Castle. The photos are of Bolt Castle during the daylight and one at dark. It’s an amazing site to see and the castle is fun to tour. On the Fourth of July they always have fireworks. Everyone goes and parks their individual boats out in the shallows to watch the show. We once stayed the night on our boat to watch the display and the next morning we enjoyed our coffee with the incredible sight of the castle and the clock tower.

But we also got to see a ship and enjoy the gorgeous views of the St. Lawrence River.

Now I bring you back to Star Lake, NY... where I spent most of my summer days as a kid growing up. This was an evening raft ride my family went on and we saw some of our local wildlife. The Crane, or Mud Hen as many others call it, was sunning itself and enjoying the peace and quiet until I had to go snapping pictures of it. I tried to get a good picture of it in flight. Then we came upon a Loon. I love to listen to them. Their calls always sound so calming in the early mornings, and in the evening after the lake has quieted down after a busy day.

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer. It always seems to fly by so fast, one minute you're swimming, and overnight the weather changes and now it’s time for my son to go back to school. I’m not ready and neither is he… Until next time. I hope you all enjoy and have a safe Labor Day!