Caterpillar friend

It is the mid-summer weed cutting session. The never-ending effort to rid the acreage of noxious weeds such as the wild parsnip and other common weeds like lamb's quarter, horseweed, and thistles. We work to save as much of the milkweed as possible for any visiting monarchs, although it is nearly unavoidable when mowing on the tractor.

I have to cut the weeds on the slope of the pond dam with a weed cutter, one made by Stihl. I've used hand sickles in the past but operating something with a motor is much more productive and causes much less blisters.

On this day, while cutting the tall grasses near the pond, I found a bright green caterpillar with black and yellow spots arranged in rows. I placed it on a milkweed for safekeeping and looked up what it was. It appears to be a black swallowtail. 

Generally, caterpillars can cause a lot of damage to crops (if they would just eat the weeds and keep our beans alone, I would be happy). This one does eat mostly weeds.

I'll keep it around.

The next time I see it, I hope it has wings.

Wee Sprout waking up 2022

Cold winter, still it lingered well into April with its frequent rains, ice, and frosts. May warmed but the rains would not allow the ground to dry out long enough for planting of market crops. But the weeds grew. Thick grasses, thorns, and well-rooted wild parsnip (a plant that is best to avoid.)

The season seems to be running 4 to 6 weeks later than usual. Trees woke up late from winter’s hibernation cycle and in some cases, not at all which happens sometimes.

As Wee Sprout budded and dissuaded our worries, it’s grown to a “mighty” little seedling. The largest of the sugar maples planted three years ago, it’s nestled between a much taller walnut tree to the east and paired to another maple to the west. It has a way to go before it truly reaches the sky, being only about a foot tall.

Filtered sunlight leeches though a black cherry tree in the row to the south which protects Sprout from the harshest sun and heat that seemed to be most of our June as the season jumped forward. An abundance of overgrown soft maples blocks Sprout’s view to the southern hay field. I have been thinning these soft maples to use as mulch for the best and most important trees, protection from winter’s cold and summer weeds.

I cleaned up a bit around Wee Sprout this past week and noticed its little lean is growing away and becoming straighter. The pair of wrens that claimed a bluebird house this year chattered and scolded me the whole time. I’m used to them and they can squat again in any of the houses next year even if the bluebirds object.

As for today, the needed rain is falling, the weeds will wait another day, and I’ll have to wait to cultivate beans. If Wee Sprout had one desire (besides being the tallest sugar maple at the farm) it would want everyone to know how well it is growing.

Cheers to you all!

On May 5th

Exploding leaves on May 20th

 Linked to Poets and Storytellers United: Friday Writings #33: Daring to Dream

 

It can't rain forever, can it? 2022 style

I'm hoping that we don't get a repeat from a spring a few years ago but just when we get a day away from being able to get into the fields for some serious work, the sky opens up again. Although we could use the much needed rain to replenish the groundwater, the topsoil is saturated and flash flooding is a risk for the next day or two.

I've only been able to plant a very small test plot but my regular planting looks to be delayed for another week.

The big yellow splotch on the radar is headed our way.

Do daffodils bring sunshine?

Or does sunshine bring daffodils?

Cold has settled in for this mid-April day. It's too cold and too wet to turn the earth for planting but at least these daffodils brighten things up a bit.

An abundance of blooms next to the house.

Looking for a new home

We try to cooperate with nature as much as we can, so long as they don't invade the shed where equipment is stored as nature tolerates my tilling of the ground and other invasive activities.

We put up several bluebird boxes years ago with varying degrees of success. We enjoy the bluebirds as neighbors each year and they do help with the insect population but they are late this year as many other migratory birds to the area.

Yes, this birdhouse has seen better days but it has sheltered many a brood while stationed near a growing chestnut tree. I cleaned it out in February to await a new pair this year.

Sometimes nature fights against us:

Some wood devouring creature saw fit to expand the hole and then didn't bother to move in. 

With wood prices 4-5 times what it cost us to build the original birdhouse, I'll have to relook at our budget to see what we can do. 

It's a shame but nature does what it wants sometimes and we'll have to deal with it.

Tuesday Triumph - February visit in the snow

 She comes around when she feels like it. Triumph's first sighting of 2022:

Deer Run

Something surprised these deer as they ran through the bare walnut trees

Color for Winter Blues

Maximilian Sunflower

New England Aster

 

Fall flowers growing at the farm

Happy Christmas to 2021

 

Our little Black Hills Spruce all dressed up with nowhere to go.

We here at the Stranded Tree Farm, hope all of our visitors, friends, and neighbors have a Happy Christmas with Ho, Ho, Ho and mistletoe for all.

Friday is buck day: Stare down

I like how these two bucks are competing against each other for the does' attention. Staring at one another and sizing the opponent up. 

It's an hour before dawn on that day as the bucks make their stand: