Plans change...

       Working diligently, or perhaps more accurately, sporadically, to remove the cedars from the pasture fence, that was today's plan. Strung along this fence are seven nesting boxes. Most years they fill quickly with tree swallows, though not last year. Last year a wren filled most of them with twigs. No twigs this year but still several boxes are unoccupied. The last cedar cut from the fence was close to an unoccupied box. Today, returning to that site to remove another tree, I saw swallows by that box. Late arrivals? 

    Not wanting to disturb the nesters, the small area unfinished will wait until the birds have migrated and the cattle gone home. With the fence not available I repaired to a grassland to look for invasive cedars. There were a few to be found. That's good news because last year there were many in this area. With many acres of grass there's no lack of hunting ground for cedars.  

Takk for alt,

Al

There is much grass in which to search for cedars.

Better to try...

     Better to try and fail than to not try at all. With the news that there will be no goose fencing of my corn I made my own effort. Water borders the entire long side of the rectangle field. Last year the predatory geese used a single path to invade. Too lazy to attempt a long fence, I fenced off the path today. Tall stakes with bottles and cans on top to rattle and swing in the wind augment the fencing. If it will work remains to be seen. But, I tried...

Takk for alt,

Al

The grass is green in the field that was burned a month ago.

30 to 50

      What a day!   Even behind the tree rows the wind beat me up. After removing one large cedar that had sprouted immediately below the fence and had grown up intertwined with the wires, and a few small ones, I gave up. The soil trading farms from a 30mph wind gusting to 50, reminded me of mother's story. She said, "During the dust bowl years, during the worst dust storms, it would get so dark I'd have to light the lamps at noon."  The wind was blowing 30mph, today, with gusts to 50! The air was unsafe for sensitive groups.

      The wind is a danger to newly emerged crops, especially soybeans. The wind whipped soil and grit can damage the new plants. Corn has a growing point that doesn't emerge for a few days. If frost or wind damage the corn plant when the growing point is underground the plant will recover. Not so, with beans. If beans freeze, or are damaged by wind too severely, they die.

    Rain is in the forecast for the weekend.  Let's hope....

Takk for alt,

Al

Fondly remembering my 1954 Austin Healy 100. One on the internet is listed for $110,000. I didn't pay that much.

Evidence!

      Wandering that field a few days ago, the peninsula in Lake Joanne, looking for gophers and finding none, there were cedars. Today I went back to remove the cedars, twelve in all. It is a gorgeous day, windless after yesterday's hurricane, and finally warm enough to be out in shirtsleeves. 

    Finishing with the cedars I walked back to the truck on my neighbor's side of the property fence. What did I find? Pocket gophers heading for my land...actually within five feet. Gopher mounds are a clear indication of the direction they are moving and they were on a line to my property. This is clear evidence that they do invade from populations on the neighboring property. Never seen above ground they do their distance moving at night. Suddenly dirt mounds will appear long distances from established colonies, as  was true in this case.

Takk for alt,

Al

Today's random photo is the Church of the Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Retreat!

      Marine lingo is full of bravado: e.g. "We're surrounded, good, they can't get away from us now!" Or, "We never retreat, we just attack in the opposite direction." Today I retreated without shame.

    When there's a 25mph wind with gusts to 35 it was time to catch up on some chores. Busy for several days, things were hastily deposited in the garage. As a refuge from the wind it was perfect. Now it's all ship shape and tidy again until another spasm of activity disturbs it's order.

     A washer and dryer were included with the purchase of The Little House, nineteen years ago. Had they not been included I would have added them. With the organizing in the garage complete it was time to do laundry, another escape from the wind.

    Entering the butcher shop gave me opportunity to congratulate, Doug, the butcher. His wife, Heidi, gave birth to a baby boy last week. They now have four children, a girl and three boys. One of the boys is named Shadrack so perhaps this son should be Meshack...but not so. Not wanting to leave empty handed, I purchased three ribeye steaks for $78.43. Why three, you ask? Josh next door does them on his grill and his son, Drew, also gets one.

Takk for alt,

al

I love the sign above the door: GARAGE.  Built in 1907, long before .com, so why the dot?

Well, that didn't work!

     Today's plan was to walk some grassland surrounded on three sides by Lake Joanne. It's a peninsula that is seeded to native grasses, bordering a neighbor's grassland that is rife with pocket gophers. These pesky critters don't stay home. They frequently go looking for greener pastures and invade my property. Today's walk was to see if any have invaded. None had.

     With water so accessible I hoped to keep Kaia on dry land. Why? you ask. When we were burning that CRP ground recently Kaia hit the water and emerged a total ball of mud. Hoping to avoid a repeat of that, I struck on a strategy. Filling her water dish by the truck I though, perhaps not being thirsty she'd stay out of the water. What happened? She drank heartily from her dish and then ran right into the water! Actually, she was in the water at least three times. Fortunately she came out clean...no mud.

   On one venture into the water she chased a duck, which flew away. When she's gone after geese on the water they swim just out of her reach. They lead her far out in the water until she finally gives up and returns to land.

Takk for alt,

Al

Kaia, the wonder dog.

Gravity in play!

      

    Where oh where did my agility go?  It's certainly gone. Proof of the loss comes when attempting to cross a pasture fence. Seeing some cedars growing in the pasture, crossing the fence was mandatory if I was to reach those trees. The fence, at this point, was a on a sidehill slanting away. With the gift of gravity I easily rolled under the fence. With that accomplished, I made short work of the cedars, well, perhaps slowly cut them down. 

     When I was finished with a number of cedars it was time to return to the truck. Back at the fence gravity reminded me that it is more difficult to roll uphill. But roll uphill I did and didn't risk getting my feet tangled crossing the fence. "Where there's a will there's a way" someone said. It's sometimes true at least.

   That's about what passes for excitement in my life!

Takk for alt,   Opps forgot to hit Publish yesterday...so will count it for today...my bad!

Al

   The current book I'm reading is about lighthouses. It reminded me of this one near Melbourne, Australia, which Amy and I climbed.