Joanne's kind of day!

   It's 73 degrees, wind out of the north at 5 mph, humidity is 55%, with some puffy clouds. This was Joanne's ideal day. She did not like hot weather and, with Lisa's return from Cambodia, one trip to SE Asia was enough for her. Cold didn't bother her and we used to tease her about her "parka". It was a light wind breaker and she didn't wear the beautiful Norwegian knit cap that Lisa gave, no matter how cold. What is so rare as a day in June?
    Walking in my grassland today I missed stepping on a mallard sitting on her eggs by about 18 inches. It's a bit late so perhaps her first nesting attempt wasn't successful. Yesterday I saw a large brood of mallard ducklings, 12? 14? they were moving so quickly I couldn't be sure of the number. They were at least half grown. Not far from them was a large brood of blue wing teal ducklings which must have just hatched...they were tiny little fuzz balls.
     Much of the joy of walking in the grass comes from seeing the birds; bobolinks have been described as wearing a tuxedo backwards, as kids we called them "skunk birds" because of their black and white colors. A wren was an unusual sight in the field. Sloughs are filled with red winged and yellow headed blackbirds. With the rising water cormorants and white pelicans have become common, as are egrets. A mother mud hen's chicks are very cute. Pied billed grebes we called "hell drivers" because of their rapid dive and resurfacing a long distance away. Brown thrashers have a claimed a row of cedars. King birds play 'leapfrog' with the tractor sitting on a fence and then flying a bit further, repeating this process. Field sparrows are common. Canada geese have completely eaten all of the soybean plants on my nephews one hillside. Rooster pheasants show themselves but the hens are either nesting or concealed with their broods. Shoveler ducks, often called 'spoonbills,'  are 'tip ups' as they forage beneath the surface. Great blue herons stalk the shoreline looking for frogs and minnows. Bitterns, which we called 'slough pumps' becasue of their guttural call, stand in cattails with their long bills pointing up like a read. Meadow larks sing their cheerful song.
  COVID has changed my pattern. Prior to COVID I'd commute regularly between The Little House  and the Condo in MN. It's satisfying to stay here for longer periods. How long will I stay? Who knows but social distancing is simple here. There are projects to be done but no urgency in doing them.

Takk for alt,

Al