New Addition

 Meet Violet, our new puppy.

She's a golden doodle like our other recent dogs.

It's been interesting having a little one in the house again.

But she's a joy in this crazy time that we're living thru.

Our 11 year old, Chloe, isn't so sure.

Violet desperately wants to play but Chloe's patience is pretty short.

Here's a couple short videos for your amusement.

Violet 1

Violet 2

Unexpected Downpour, 300 Yard Practice

 I still haven't gotten the hang of this latest blogger app update.  I have to select my photos in reverse order and I haven't quite mastered that yet.  So this post may tend to jump around a bit.  

This strip in the photo below is the turnips that I planted a couple weeks ago.  Seem to be doing fine.

In this shot, I'm looking across one of those soybean fields that I over-seeded with brassica (Wintergreens).

Here's the other field where I did that.  This one has both some wintergreens and some forage turnips.

A closer look at the wintergreens in the soybeans.  This should be popular stuff later in the year.

One last look at the pond stand field.

On my various walks, I ran into a lot of mushrooms.  It's a pretty good indication that it has been wet.

I thought that this one was a golf ball.

Ironweed - there's a lot of this around.  The butterflies are suddenly everywhere - not sure if the southern migration has started.  

Here's a few videos of the activity at one butterfly milkweed.

Butterfly Video 1

Butterfly Video 2

Butterfly Video 3

Partridge pea is showing up in the prairie plot.

I took a walk on both Saturday and Sunday.  This is my Sunday walk.  I walked the 3 miles nonstop at a brisk pace (for me).  It went up, down and cross hill.  Trying to be in a little bit of shape for Wyoming.

I was pretty proud of making it thru the uphills without a breather.  There's probably a few marathoners and triatheletes snickering about that right now.  But, as compared to what I'll be doing in a month from now, I had less ballast (no rifle, backpack, binos, or sidearm).  And I was between 969 and 1218 feet above sea level ( it will be between 8000 and 10,000 out there).  So I had better take it up a notch.

Sunrise Sunday morning.

Saturday evening dinner - lobster tails that I got for my birthday.  They were great.

Before cooking dinner, I dipped a line for 45 minutes or so.  I caught two bass and a dozen bluegills.

This is the target for my 300 yard shooting practice.  Those copper circles were my hits.  I was puttling my 1 MOA crosshair on the top of the disk and I was printing about 6" below that.  Makes sense - 300 yards = 3" per MOA.  Box said I should be 9" low at 300 yard if zeroed at 200 yards.  Should have just been aiming with 3 MOA crosshair.

Some perspective on where I was set up and where those plates were.  This would be a chip shot for most western hunters.

I tried both prone and sitting.  I should have mowed first - prone wasn't really clearing all the grass.  If you listen carefully, you might hear the plate ring.  Sorry, the phone fell on the one video.

Prone shots at 300

Seated off Sticks at 300

This is my Saturday walk where the downpour caught me.  Drenched.

This is what I looked like at the start of that walk.

I have been noticing a bunch of pumpkin flowers missing like this.  I think that somebody is eating them.  I see some like this every year inside the tape.

I don't see deer prints or other damage.  Could it be a bird or something?

The pumpkin patch is a solid mass of vines and weeds.  Impossible to get thru it without squishing something.

Here the pumpkin vines are taking advantage of the sunflowers being blown over.

The sunflowers were fun while they lasted.

I think that the white flowers are a gourd of some type.

Early maturing pumpkins.

I found a few of my squash plants and harvested these this week.

I've been spraying various clover fields for weeds.  I usually can't do that in August but it has been cool and wet enough to allow it.

A few turkeys are out and about.

This buck photo is a little out of order but there you go.

Twin fawns - usually a sign of a healthy herd.

Lots of coyotes.

The bucks are hanging out mostly in bachelor groups.

Getting a little aggressive early in the season.

These two ten pointers are definitely shooter quality.

And this one is the bigger one.  No sign of "Split" in the last couple weeks.

Pumpkin Patch Explosion, Hunt Prep Progressing

 

Another week with almost an inch of rain.  Normally we'd be burning up and desperate for water in mid August.  Not this year.

The pumpkin patch is going wild with the plentiful water and mild temperatures.  There is some evidence that somebody has been in the patch nibbling of buds.

The pumpkins are reaching out in all directions.

And there is no evidence of the rows that I had planted - it's solid pumpkins and weeds.

Here's a 360 degree video from standing in the middle of the patch.  Pumpkin Patch 360

There are already some pumpkins looking done.

But most of them are still developing.

Quite a variety of stages depending on different types and my planting was over 3 different weekends.

There are also a variety of squash and gourds.

Big and small white pumpkins this year.  Delicata squash.

Gourds of various types.

There are some Dills Atlantic and Prizewinner giant pumpkins.  None too giant yet.

This weeks zucchini harvest.  I am sure that there are more zucchini plants that I just haven't found in that jungle.

For the Wyoming elk hunt (horseback), I have to fit everything for 8 days of hunting into two duffels that can't weigh more than 20 pounds each.  This is my first attempt.  These two bags meet the specs but so far don't contain my handgun, my underwear, my toiletries, or my whiskey flask.

Here's a look at the stuff I was sorting thru.  The rifle and the sleeping bag are separate - they don't have to fit in these duffels.  But everything else does - pack, water bottle, rangefinder, sticks, ammo, emergency kit, plus clothes and outerwear.  Going to be some tough decisions.

Gaiters always show up on the outfitter's list.  I've owned them for years but never wear them.  I tried them out this weekend while carrying my pack full of ballast.

I had a pretty good work out but this is at 800 feet of elevation versus the 8000+ feet where we will be hunting.

This Blogger app now makes me select the photos in reverse order so this fawn shot just sort of ended up here.

This pretty flower showed up in the prairie plot.  It is apparently a swamp rose mallow.

The strip of turnips that I planted last week - just now germinating.  The deer already checking it out though

Brassica in the soybean fields seems to be working out.

I didn't get the seed spread everywhere, but where I did, it's looking good.

The clover is amazing for August - normally burned out and dormant.

I did some spraying this week and last week - wearing a dust mask.

The grass in the driveway plot died nicely.

Tough to keep up with the bush-hogging when things are growing this fast,

First bobcat sighting in months.

Turkeys like the clover too.

Lots of coyotes.  I haven't seen many fox lately.  Used to have red and gray fox.

The bucks continue to frolic.

Even the goofy little ones.