Gorgeous Weekend

We decided to harvest this prizewinner pumpkin since we won't be back for a few weeks.  We didn't want to risk it being nibbled (like happened last year). I think it was just about done growing anyway.

We also picked some regular pumpkins.  They were mostly the smaller pie pumpkins.  Hopefully we'll have some big jack-o-lanterns when we come back.

The ornamental gourds were ready too.  I think that there are more out there but I won't find them until a freeze kills some of the leaves.

I have been told that this gourd looks like a duck...that's exactly what I thought too.

Pumpkins loaded for the trip home.

On the way in, we noticed this sign about a mile down the road.  There's a log cabin with 30 acres available for $309k.

Dave came out Saturday to help with chores.  First we checked cameras.  Then we moved a ladder stand.  Then he helped with pumpkin harvest.  Then he cleaned stands while I worked on the driveway plot.

Here's Dave checking out the view from the relocated ladder stand.

Dave did a great job clearing mice, wasps and pigeon poop out of both the driveway and barn stands.  This is not a fun job and Dave has done it for me two years in a row.  Much appreciated.

I got the driveway stand field ready for planting clover.  I sprayed it with a germination inhibitor - keeps the weeds from sprouting but not the clover.  Then I smoothed it with a chain drag.  I spread the seed Sunday morning.  Pray for rain.

This is the sunflower plot that has been replanted.  There is lots of brassica up but it needs rain badly.

The soybeans in the orchard field are getting hammered but they are holding up to it pretty well.

Dave noticed a number of new rubs.  The bucks are out of velvet.

Nice sunset Saturday evening.

The fawns are losing their spots.

The other big news this week is that this year's elk hunt is falling apart.  It appears that our outfitter is either insolvent, a fraud, or a flake.  We've put him on notice to return our deposits (fat chance).

On Sunday morning I finished up the recovery of the hi-rise stand from the pigeons.  I used bleach and went over the whole inside.

Many of the big pumpkins are still green.  We're going to be out of town for a couple weeks so hopefully they'll be ok when we get back.

My bride decided that it was so nice, we should go home and play golf.  So we did and it was really nice.

There won't be many 70 degree Sunday evenings left this year.  Neither one of us got our money's worth on the golf course this year.