Kaia qualifies!

 

A farmer went out to sow...mow...

         Well that was funny! Checking on my corn on Monday I saw the four acre pollinator plot next to the corn had canada thistles blooming. Today was the day to mow those thistles, so I lubed the mower and set forth. Imagine my surprise arriving at the field and discovering the purple flowers I saw were not thistles but Wild Bergamot. (See the picture below, which doesn't capture the full effect.)

     It's been about ten years since that pollinator plot was planted. The first year thistles abounded and were mowed, no spraying allowed because it would kill the forbs like Bergamot. Thistles returned the second year and were mowed. Fewer thistle returned the third year and again were mowed. Lo and behold, the fourth year; no thistles.

    Each year there have been some Bergamot appearing until this year's profusion. Why so many this year is a happy mystery. There are quite a few Black Eyed Susan and a smattering of other flowers too. Even dandelions qualify as pollinators

Takk for alt, 

al

This is just one cross section of the field.

Attracting Pollinators: The plant’s nectar-rich, tubular lavender flowers are a magnet for native long-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbirds.

The funnies again...

 

Annoying Thistles!

      That title, Annoying Thistles, is intended as double entendre. Thistles proliferating where they are not wanted is annoying. There are places in that field of grass pictured yesterday where there are bunches of annoying thistles. The fire burned untold numbers of thistle seeds above ground. But these perennial thistles already rooted survived the fire and burst forth. Very annoying!

    Today's task was mowing those thistles to keep them from going to seed. Thistle seed, like that of dandelions, is attached to fuzz that blows in the wind, spreading near and far. Such mowing doesn't typically kill the the thistle, though in some cases it does. Because the thistle plant usually survives the mowing, it seems what the mowing does is annoy them.  At least they will not produce seed this year. Now thistles are ubiquitous.

   When I was a boy thistles were just becoming established. Few enough so we'd stop the tractor, take a plier, they have spiny stems, and pull them. Now I know that, this too, was just annoying them, because they quickly regrow from roots left in the ground.

Takk for alt,

Al

Canada Thistles have at least one redeeming  feature, pollinators like them.

Field Reports!

       There's a tale of two fields. Field number 1, didn't need fertilizing. It's fully tasseled and the corn looks healthy. Some late water hemp weeds are growing in it but there's nothing to be done about that now. The geese did not graze on it this year.

    Field number 2, badly needed fertilizing. The corn is growing but far from tasseling. Inexplicably it's almost weed free. It has much volunteer corn growing in it from last years crop. The section nearest the trees is sparse from pheasant predation. When corn germinates, and the shoot breaks the surface, pheasants pull up the plant to eat the seed from which it sprouted. So far there's no success at teaching wildlife the concept of 'delayed gratification.'

    Big bluestem grass has responded as hoped for in the field that was burned below. Waves of the grass are over six feet tall. (See pictures below.) There are some thistle patches in the grass, so mowing them is tomorrows task.

Takk for alt,

Al

PS Wildlife seen today: half grown coyote and three broods of pheasants, also had a brown thrasher scolding me for being too close to her nest.

The first plant to emerge after fire is milkweed, see toward the bottom of the picture. Imagine the sea of grass experienced by the Native Americans.

The truck's roof is over six feet high, thus illustrating the grass's height. 

The Little House!

       It was a total of 800 miles of driving to Aurora and back for the funeral. We slept in Dekalb Friday night, due to  a bed shortage in Aurora. Dekalb is just a half hour away. After the service we returned home. 

    The funeral was well done. It was clear that Alvin (Al) was held in very high regard. It's uncommon that a funeral for a 93 year old person draws such a large crowd. He was a retired pastor who used his wisdom and energy to be a positive presence in the congregation.

     The schedule was: Visitation was from 9:00-11:00, funeral at 11:00 followed by a full meal. At the meal there were many testimonies from family and friends to the significance of Alvin in their lives. I'm very grateful I could attend. Alvin was a boyhood hero to me and that hero status never wavered even into his nineties.  

    Being absent from Sinai for two and half weeks in mid-summer is unusual. Tomorrow I'll head to the fields to see what's transpired since I left.

Takk for alt,

Al 

Hiatus!

      We're leaving this afternoon for Alvin's funeral in Aurora, Illinois. Because I'm leaving my computer behind the timing of the next blog post is iffy. Plans are to return to the OFH tomorrow after the funeral but that's a six hour drive. So, wait for it!😀

   In the meantime stay healthy and upright!

Takk for alt,

Al