Construction Projects

This summer's projects included installing a couple of culverts to facilitate access across the road from the house to fields and forest.

This one near the hickory tree up the road from the house.

And this one below the house.

And even replaced the culvert for the path across the road from the house. They all could use some stone work to secure them and dress them up a bit.

Troy built a garage on Grandpa and Grandma's place this fall and says he plans to build a house next spring.

Jeff's Senior Picture

A Newell Post

Columbus Day weekend, Benny and Nancy (Jann's sister) Newell stopped by for a few days while on a leaf peeping tour to New England. The colors in Biscuit Hollow were a bit past their peak, but we enjoyed their company and the opportunity to show off the fall beauty of our area.
That of course included a necessary trip to the beautiful Finger Lakes Keuka and Seneca.

Labor Day 2009

Mom made a quick and too short visit to Biscuit Hollow this summer.

While here, we celebrated her 7th (multiple of) birthday. Jessica Lehman, her oldest great grandchild holds the cake.

She even enjoyed a 4-wheeler ride over to the pond.

Her deer and dear friends miss her visits.

tree carvings

Where Have All the Whitetails Gone

Where have all the whitetails gone?
Long time passing. (sing it with me)
Where have all the whitetails gone?
Long time ago.

The deer season lament.

I have been hunting a total of 12 days now this season. I have had only two shooting opportunities. Both at bucks. A very big 6 point buck that I hit and tracked but eventually lost, despite bringing in a tracking dog named Bow and four friends to search. It has since been seen and is doing well. And a spike horn that fed on acorns less than 20 yards away for 20 minutes the other day. I decided to let him grow up a bit. I did see the ridge runner, a magnificent 8 point buck that every hunter in the valley is dreaming about. But he was 30 yards away in some heavy brush and was more interested in his current girlfriend that unfortunately was leading him in the wrong direction. Girlfriends can do that.

It sure seems like we have less deer around. Then say, 20 or 30 years ago? Aren’t memories a wonderful thing? My brother Tim would brag about the days a decade or two ago when we would harvest 50 or 60 deer in the valley. All the hunters say, “It isn’t like it used to be in the old days”.

Let’s look at this rationally. First, I believe there were more deer. I remember one instance around 1970 when Lynn and I were hiking in late winter the next valley over in Pennsylvania and observed a herd of whitetails, counting well over 100. The wildlife management science was still in the mindset of building the herd, not maintaining it. They did not yet fully recognize the millions of dollars of crop damage and the cost of car/deer accidents. There are fewer hunters. Fewer hunters move fewer deer around. Hunting styles have changed. In the old days, families and friends would gather in large groups and drive every parcel of woods in the area (send half the group through the woods while the rest stand on watch). You were bound to see a lot of deer that way. They were running as fast as they could, scared to death, but you saw them. But I have some fond memories of the gatherings. Now, with so much land off limits, and fewer hunters, this generation practices a more refined, quiet, and usually lone approach versus the gangland style of old.

There are weather influences and annual crop differences. This fall has been warm. And deer, already with their winter coats on, are reluctant to move. There are few wild apples this year. And a good acorn crop keeps them in the deep woods. And then there is the ever dreaded, “They’ve gone nocturnal”!

Habitat has changed. As farming has declined in the area, crops and cropping patterns on which the deer relied have changed. Pastures and even fields have been abandoned and are growing up to brush and wood lot. There are less open areas in which deer can readily be seen. The State of Pennsylvania, upon which we border, has become more aggressive in their deer management harvests, especially does.

What happens in Pennsylvania plays a larger role than many realize. Bordering our property is 5,000 acres of roadless woods in Pennsylvania. As little as ten years ago, it was just that, woods. With little for the deer to eat except to browse on saplings and chomp on beechnuts and acorns, they came to our valley to feed in the fields. Today, three major landowners bordering us, Gaugler, Silknitters, and the Adams family actively manage their woodlots for whitetail deer. They participate in the Quality Deer Management program that emphasizes doe harvest to balance the buck/doe ratio and not harvesting young bucks. They have established many wildlife food plots within the woods. And the Adams family reportedly operates a whitetail deer outfitting guide service and cable TV hunting program. A plus is that we are seeing larger bucks than in the past. We used to joke that the deer knew where the Pennsylvania State line was. They would go to Pennsylvania to hide from us during the day since we only had NY licenses, and come back only at night. Of course, in reality, it was merely their travel route between bedding and feeding areas.

As you might suspect, the basic premise of deer hunting is to position yourself between the bedding and feeding areas of the deer and wait for them to come by. But as the habitat has changed, generally to the deer’s benefit, these areas have become less defined. In other words, this younger generation of deer are lazy slobs. They eat in their bedrooms and sleep in their kitchens. They have no respect.

The New York Department of Conservation believes that the population density for this area of Steuben County is 30 – 45 deer per square mile. Since our property consists of 120 acres, or 2/10ths of a square mile, that would suggest there are only 6 to 9 resident deer. And since during bow season, your typical shooting area is generally less than 15,000 square feet, and half of that may be blocked by trees or brush, that means by random act, you have considerably less than a 1% chance of a deer sighting.

I say all this because every time I get in from the woods I let Jann know, for safety sake. And my usual report is that I didn’t see anything. Or if I did, I didn’t get anything. She always says she is sorry. I’m not! A successful hunt when I bring a deer home is rare and special. But every hunt is successful. In some way. The wildlife sightings other than deer, up close, and in their natural habitat, is fantastic. Raccoon, opossum, grouse, rabbits, squirrels, even mice. Countless birds.

My tree stand this afternoon was tethered to this tall pine. Interestingly rocking me back and forth.

But I didn't fall asleep. Nope. The adjacent tree in this plantation planted by my father was a squeaker as a result of the rubbing branch. But through the filter of pines, I watched a beautiful sunset over our valley. I also watched a pileated woodpecker in all it’s beauty, size, and fierceness, tear into a tree 30 yards away, littering the ground with wood chips as it made its signature elongated softball size hole in a dead tree. The highlight so far this season was a mother bear and two cubs. Twice.



And! The ever elusive bobcat. I saw two yesterday! First I had seen all year.

Or maybe it was just enjoying the quiet, and beautiful surroundings.

Now, if these lazy slob whitetails of this generation would adhere to the known rules and only sleep and eat where they are supposed to, it sure would help.

Current book: John Steinbach, Grapes of Wrath

Why? Because I haven’t read it. Two, because Cornell sent a free copy to all its alumni. A thinly disguised fundraising ruse, I suspect. And three, I am trying to comprehend the current economic conditions, said to be the worst since the great depression. Where else do you go to understand today than to look back at history. Aunt Anna wanted me to write about my experiences growing up next to my grandparents. In part, because when she was growing up, she saw her parents like we most of us did as children, as common place, driven to frugality by economics. She understood better in later years that they weren’t so common place, rather, quite special. But for my grandparents who lived through the great depression, what was it like? For my parents who lived through WWII when the economy was said to be growing, but everything was rationed, what was it like? What were their life styles like? How would we measure their standard of living against that of today. Even for those who have been hit hardest by this recession.

Anyways, it is a fascinating read that also addresses the feelings of attachment to the earth, to the land, that I can also relate to. When I am done, I think I’ll read it again.

Buffet libre. Vous pouvez manger tous.

Archery season opens tomorrow, October 17. I have most of my tree stands ready. I planted my food plots this summer. Although I don’t anticipate that they’ll create a gold mine of shooting opportunities this year. My equipment is ready and clothes have been de-scented. Lure attractant is at the ready. It will be cold and snowy tomorrow. There is 4” of snow on the ground with another inch predicted over night. Fresh tracking snow! Perfect conditions. Now I just go to bed, think about what tree stand I will head to, and dream of the big buck and various shooting scenarios that I hope will present themselves.

There I was, I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful morning. As the dawn arrived, I began to see deer movement. First a fawn, then several doe. It’s still the first day. Wait for the buck. And without further delay, hot on the trail of these doe was the most magnificent buck. It would be a buck of a lifetime if all went well. Don’t look at the horns. Concentrate on shooting form. Check your yardage. Remember to issue a grunt to stop the deer before you shoot. Steady. Aim. Pick your spot. All of my pre-season preparation appeared to be falling in to place. And then the alarm clock went off!

Trudging through the 5 inches of snow, I went to the South Park tree stand location. Chosen because of the North winds. I would be upwind from the approach deer normally take to this stand in the morning. 25 Yards inside the woods, edged by a food plot of buckwheat, seemed like a good idea on the way. I had not scouted that area but historically, and traditionally, it had been an excellent choice for opening day. Mistake. The wet heavy snow, continuing to fall through the morning, weighed branches yet covered with leaves down and bent saplings to the ground. The shooting lanes carefully cleared in advance of branches, yea, the smallest twig that might deflect the most accurate arrow, were now practically nonexistent. It is the only stand I have that is set back in the woods so any other would have made a better choice. But there I was and was sure I would find some enjoyment.

I did. I didn’t see a single white tail deer. There were no recent tracks in the snow within shooting range of the tree stand. Perhaps the deer have changed their patterns somewhat. But what happened next was a really neat experience.

As the sun began to warm the air, I began to hear a crescendo of bird song in the valley below. Louder and louder it became to the point of wonder and amazement. Most of the local migratory birds had left some time ago. I hadn’t seen a robin in several weeks. But suddenly, here they were. Hundreds upon hundreds, flocks of many kind, migrating to warmer climes but stopping here for a day. All descended upon our valley to partake on the bountiful crop of berries on the Autumn Olive and Honey Suckle bushes.

I believe somewhere in the French-Canadian provinces, there must be an Avian Migratory AAA trip ticket book that reads, “Biscuit Hollow, New York. Buffet libre. Vous pouvez manger tous.” Free buffet. All you can eat. They all apparently had seen it. Raucous flocks of robins, starlings, blue jays, cedar waxwings, crows, catbirds and cardinals. Clowns with black caps hung bottom side up from tree branches near my head. Sparrows, wrens, finches, flycatchers picking at the bottom of leaves nearby. Foreign interlopers I did not recognize. And throw in some downy and hairy woodpeckers and some nuthatches for good measure. I wished I had my bird book with me.

Nary a deer. But a great time in the woods. I love deer season.

Book read: John Grisham, The Associate

Coyotes

The coyotes were howling at the moon so loudly it woke me up this morning about 2AM.

I decided to turn on the radio to drown out the racket. All I could find was country music.

I turned the radio off. Coyote's baying isn't such a bad sound after all.

Floyd Morehouse October 1920

Floyd and Clarice Morehouse

Wedding Picture

October 24, 1920

In the year of his 21st birthday, Floyd Morehouse (my grandfather) kept a written log of his daily activities. My intent is to post them here through the year.

For previous posts, see:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September

Interesting events from October 1920 include:

3rd - NFL (then American Pro Football Association) plays 1st games

That's it. I really couldn't find anything too exciting that happened in October of 1920.

Except, October 24, 1920, was Floyd, and Clarice's, wedding day. So, today would have been their 89th wedding anniversary.

Dayly doings
October 1920

1 Hung one barn door, made another
went to woodhull with Leon Quick
I charged him $2.00 for trip
2 Hung barn door, put on roffing on sides
of shed went to town, drew load sand
drew load apples.
3 went to woodhull. I went down to see
Clarice. Willies folks were over
Floyds folks were up.
4 put in drop finished cement floor
stirred out buckwheat, drew 3 load, pulled beans.
5 Dug 10 bu potatoes drew 5 loads
buckwheat.
6 Dug 39 bu. potatoes sewed light in backcurtain
of car, went down town and over to willies at
Evening. Leon Quick helped us dig potatoes 2 1/2 hrs.
7 Threashed 398 1/2 bu oats and 108 bu. buckwheat
8 pressed hay
9 Finished pressing hay
10 went down brought Clarice up here
we went chestnutting.
11 Drew 7 loads corn, helped Floyd Marlatte
threash.
12 Drew 5 load corn, plowed some
helped Clem press hay 4 hr's 40 min.
13 Finished helping Clem press hay
put binder and mowing machine in got
load of apples. Drew 4 load corn.
14 Changed stanchions over in cow shed.
15 Drew 13 load corn all of one piece.
16 Finished putting in stanchions in
forenoon went to knoxville in afternoon
got back found uncle Lorans folks here.
17 we all went to B. W. Holleys

That's it. That's all he wrote. His journal ended there. One week before he was married.

Sure leaves you wanting to know more!

I have come to the assumption that the new cow shed he was talking about building was the addition on the back of the dairy barn. Since he and Grandma lived on the farm with my grandfather's parents, I'm sure there was a need to increase the size of the dairy to support the additional family living on the farm.

There were just a couple of other notes in his journal.

We fixed telephone line about 3 hours work June 18, commenced getting service

on line Oct. 1, 1921.

Sept. 7, 1921 Put new cord michelin tires on car spedometer registered 3410 miles.

Floyd Morehouse September 1920

In the year of his 21st birthday, Floyd Morehouse (my grandfather) kept a written log of his daily activities. My intent is to post them here through the year.

For previous posts, see:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August

Interesting events from September 1920 include:


16th - Bomb explosion in Wall Street, kills 30

22nd - Chicago grand jury convenes to investigate charges that 8 White Sox players conspired to fix the 1919 World Series


Dayly doings
September 1920


1 went to the Hornell fair
2 went to Knoxville after roffing
helped Floyd Marlat threash. 4 hrs.
3 Leon Quick came over put in carbonator
adjustment on 10 days trial. Put on roffing
4 went to Knoxville got 4 rolls roofing.
helped will resue threash, 6 hr. apiece
5 Quicks people were over, went down to Clems
6 went to woodhull got piston rings for car
Quick went with us.
went over to Joe Champlins got 10 lb butter
unloaded oats worked at shed roof
7 helped will resue threash 2 hrs apiece
worked at car
8 put on and finished roffing shed.
Finished fixing car.
9 went to the westfield Fair.
10 went to knoxville, painted, cut weeds
picked up boards around barn.
11 Painted, drew load wheat, Finished shed
over head.
12 went down got Clarice we went over to
will resues in evening.
13 Drew 10 load stone, went over to Quicks
got Joes drop reaper
14 Cut buckwheat
15 cut buckwheat went to knoxville
16 Raked buckwheat
17 Raked buckwheat. Finished.
18 Drew 7 load stone one load wood
pounded up shell rocks
Swapped Ford for overland
19 went to woodhull in forenoon
quick came over in afternoon
we all went down to george Lattimours
in evening
20 worked at shed, borded up and put in
stancion posts
21 Drew 4 load stone. Load gravel
worked at shed.
22 cut one piece of corn, went to woodhull.
23 Drew 1 load gravel from Troups Creek
cut corn. Worked for Harrison Grist
four hours apiece.
24 worked for Harrison Grist 8 hr's apiece
cut some corn at home.
25 Finished cutting corn dug 9 bu
potatoes, Drew from knoxville 20 bags
cement, from Troups Creek 1 load gravel
26 Clarice and I went out riding over
to Aldons and up to uncle John's
27 put in some cement drew 3 load gravel.
28 Drew 3 load gravel
29 put in cement floor, Leon Quick
helped us 7 hrs. Delivered notices to Dict. No 13
30 Rainy day finished cement floor
boarded up south end fixed grainery.

Trail Camera Pics of the Summer

Senior Golf Tour

Corning Country Club

The look is always important!

Floyd Morehouse August 1920

In the year of his 21st birthday, Floyd Morehouse (my grandfather) kept a written log of his daily activities. My intent is to post them here through the year.

For previous posts, see:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July




Interesting events from August 1920 include:

20th - 1st US commercial radio station, 8MK (WWJ), Detroit began daily broadcasting
26th - 19th amendment passes-women's suffrage granted

Dayly doings
August 1920

1 we all went over to willies
uncle Lorans folks went home.
2 raked and mowed, drew 2 load hay
3 raked and mowed, drew 3 load hay
4 raked and mowed, drew 4 load hay
5 Finished haying mowed raked hay
drew 5 load hay.
6 cut and raked wheat brought binder
up home worked at fixing it.
7 Finished fixing binder.
8 went down, brought Clarice and Deforest up.
Floyd Marlats people were up
My folks Clarice and I went to Troupsburg
in the evening to george resues.
9 went to knoxville in morning
cut oats in garden and on hill.
10 Finished cutting oats on hill
worked on cow shed
11 Cradled around oats, worked on
shed drew load lumber from other place
went over to willies got Rachel Resue.
12 went to cowanesque after lumber
cut oats Father cradled oats, cut wood
went huckleberrying.
13 cut oats 2 pieces commenced orchard
14 cradled oats tinkered binder, went
to knoxville. george and aunt minnie came.
15 I went down to see Clarice, my folks went
over to resues.
16 partly fixed binder, put in window
cradled some oats drew 5 load manure
17 put in window, went to town.
18 worked on cow shed
19 Finished cutting orchard piece of oats.
20 reapt oats broke binder
21 mowed oats went to town drew load oats.
22 went down to see Clarice. She was
gone to geneva, my folks and I went
to Troupsburg to george resues.
23 cut oats opened oats
raked and bunched oats, I went over to
Joe's after butter.
24 Drew 5 loads of oats, willies folks
were over, got letter from Clarice.
25 Built scaffold painted, drew 5 loads of oats.
26 Painted drew 4 loads of oats.
27 Finished drawing oats, drew 2 loads.
Finished painting end of house.
28 went to addison to take rachel home.
Smith's and Barkley's people came
29 mith's and Barkleys people went
home, we went apiece with them, went
on to Tompkins after we got tire at
Elkland. Took Clarice home at night.
30 painted, worked at shed.
31 helped Joe Champlin thrash 4 hr.
worked at car. Went down to clems at night.

Fall Foliage 2009 #2

These pictures were taken October 4. Can only imagine how much prettier it might have been if it hadn't been dark and cloudy. It just gets better and better. Unless we get a heavy rain and wind, it should be perfect for this weekend's visit with the Newell's.

Floyd Morehouse July 1920

In the year of his 21st birthday, Floyd Morehouse (my grandfather) kept a written log of his daily activities. My intent is to post them here through the year.

For previous posts, see:

January
February
March
April
May
June

Interesting events from July 1920 include:

12th - Panama Canal opens

16th - Gen Amos Fries appointed 1st US army chemical warfare chief

16th - Ruth sets season home run record with 30 en route to 54




Dayly doings
July, 1920.
1 Commenced haying
2 Raked hay, drew one load went strawberring
3 helped Mother, father went over to willies
after mail and rake teeth.
4 we all went to Elmira
5 went to Canesteo to the 4th.
6 cut and raked hay, drew 1 load
Fixed bridge brought rope up.
7 raked and bunched hay worked at shed
wait and lena came over got 7 1/2 bu oats.
8 picked cherries, mowed, raked hay.
Margret came over.
9 picked cherries pitted cherries. Mowed
went over to willies with margret at night.
10 raked and bunched hay, drew 3 load
went to knoxville.
11 John Scots people were over george and
aunt minnie were up.
12 mowed one piece, set out turnip plants
drew 7 load hay.
13 drew 8 load hay, mowed
14 drew 3 " " , " , finished haying here.
picked pail cherries, hilled potatoes.
Commenced haying on other place, spliced rope.
15 went to town got colts shod
picked cherries, mowed and raked
bunched hay.
16 Drew 4 load hay mowed, raked and
bunched hay.
17 patched roof, put up rope, drew 6 load hay
went to knoxville.
18 I went down to see Clarice we went
riding. My folks picked cherries.
19 Mowed, papa picked cherrys odd jobs
20 mowed raked and bunched hay
willie got 2 bu oats.
21 Drew 11 load hay.
22 Mowed, raked scatterings, went to town.
23 went to addison after Rachel Resue,
raked and bunched hay, wait and
Lena were over after oats did not get any.
24 went over to Joes after butter over to
quicks after gun. Unload hay fixed rake.
25 Byrons folks were up, willies folks
were over, Joe brought mutton up
I went down to see Clarice at night
26 Stirred out hay, mowed drew 3 load
27 went to austinburg, mowed drew 7 load hay.
28 mowed, raked and bunched, drew
3 load hay.
29 mowed raked and bunched 2 batches
hay drew 4 load hay.
30 Drew 4 load, finished haying on side hill
mowed some on Alphus lot
uncle Lorans folks came at night.
31 went to town with uncle Loran and kay
visited.

Fall Foliage 2009

The fall colors are beginning to show and though the show happens every year, it is still beautiful to watch as the colors advance. And for those of you BH fans who can't be here and may be in States that are "boring" when it comes to the changing seasons, here's a sampling of what we are seeing this year.

The first three pictures were taken on September 21.

The last three pictures were taken on September 25.

Note the turkeys in the buckwheat.

Ready for the Fireside Chat

After the weekdays of desk jockeying, the weekend brings a real sense of productivity and accomplishment that the tired muscles can't deny. The promise of future evenings by the warm hearth soothes the welcomed soreness away.

Floyd Morehouse June 1920

In the year of his 21st birthday, Floyd Morehouse (my grandfather) kept a written log of his daily activities. My intent is to post them here through the year.

For previous posts, see:

January
February
March
April
May

The most interesting news event of June, 1920 was -


Sunday 13: The United States Postal Service rules that children may not be sent via parcel post.

Also in June 1920 - the Spanish flu pandemic ended, an estimated 20 to 100 million died world wide by the time it ended.



Dayly doings.
Jun-20

1 plowed buckwheat ground,
went over to willie's and got plow.
2 went to knoxville in forenoon.
Draw load hay, raked stones out of road
spread manure, set telephone pole, worked at shop
3 plowed buckwheat ground,
sent 4 cans of milk today for the first.
4 went to knoxville, plowed buckwheat ground
5 papered the bedroom down stair.
6 went down to Joes in afternoon
got butter
7 plowed buckwheat ground,
set out tomato plants.
8 Finished plowing buckwheat ground
cultivated some corn, went to knoxville and
to Cownesque after cabbage plants.
9 Cultivated corn, leveled buckwheat ground
willie came over at night. Got 4 1/2 bushel
of oats by measure.
10 Finished leveling buckwheat ground
drew 2 load manure, 2 load of timber.
11 went to knoxville, worked at shed.
12 worked at shed, fixed auto tire
13 went down to Tompkins to Byron Holleys
wait came over got 9 1/2 bu. oats.
quicks folks were over
14 worked at shed.
15 worked at shed, cultivated corn
16 worked at shed, drew up load hay.
went after check, went to knoxville.
17 Cleaned chamber, worked on shed
trimmed paper, hulled strawberries.
18 went to town after shingles & windows
worked on shed, built fence
19 Shingled house, willie resue helped 1/2 day.
20 I went down to see Clarice we went
wintergreen beeriying, my folks picked strawberries.
21 picked and hulled strawberries
cultivated corn and potatoes.
22 Dragged buckwheat ground
cultivated corn, picked strawberries
23 Dragged buckwheat ground, went to town
worked at shed, went over to Willies after mail.
24 picked and hulled strawberries put spring
in car, went to Troupsburg.
25 went over to Joe's got butter, worked at shed
wait came over got 7 bu. oats $1.30 per bu.
26 worked at shed, drew load hay
load lumber, put in garden, went to woodhull
27 Clarice and I went to Harrison Valley.
My people went over to Resues.
28 sowed and dragged in 7 bu. buckwheat
rolled some of the ground, Mama picked and
hulled strawberries. I worked some in garage.
29 Finished draging and rolling buckwheat.
george resue and birtie and their wives
were down. Clarice was up went strawberrying.
30 Fixed hay rigging. Drew load hay.
picked strawberries Clarice was up.
strawberring, went to knoxville and
to Church at night.

Senior Picture Proofs

Decision of which pose to use is due by Tuesday. Cast your ballot today! Every vote counts.

Pssst. Only 305 days before he leaves for college....