Food Plots, Pumpkin Patch, and General Stuff

 Over this weekend and last, I sprayed a few of the plots for both grasses and broadleaf.

I also planted two plots.  It's a tad early but I thought that I saw rain coming.

I hope that the summer annual weeds don't just take over.

I did a great job on seed bed preparation with the rototiller.

Meanwhile, I was out mid-week to fight weeds in the pumpkin patch.

I made some progress... 

But some rows are already in the "survival of the fittest" mode.

We are regularly getting zucchini now.

Progress photos on some of the rows.

The prairie plot is in bloom.

Starting to see monarchs in addition to the swallowtails.

Random wildflowers too,

Wineberries are mostly done - I got a few.  Black raspberries are at peak. I don't enjoy them as much. This is the first time that we have seen this visitor at the bird feeders.

We also had another visitor.  Here's a short video.  Hen at birdfeeders

I brought my assistant on the walk for the camera tour.

I'm pretty sure that this in an owl hunting.

The usual predators.

Family group.

Lots of turkeys but not many poults.

And a nice selection of buck activity.

Joan did hours on the zero-turn and then upgraded to the brush-hog.

We took delivery of a new couch to replace the fake leather one that is delaminating.

Birthday Bonanza, Weed Extravaganza

I was the lucky recipient of an entire crossbow hunting kit - Ravin R10 package, bolts, target, case and other accessories.  It's my birthday - we're in denial on the age.  I am the beneficiary of my son Eric's shopping for himself which turned into a recommendation for me.  Thanks to Joan, Amy, and Eric for the kit - now the pressure is on to bring home the venison.

Meanwhile, Eric's elk mount has arrived from our Thorofare elk hunt.  There seems to be some sort of dilemma about just exactly the right spot for this beast.  It does take up some real estate.

We had another wet week with over 3" of rain.

This is the main field which had just been tilled to bare dirt a week or so ago.

The pumpkin patch was too wet to enter, the vines are starting to run, and the weeds are going wild.

Even if it was dry, I probably can't rototill much anymore.

We are approaching the time where I go into "survival of the fittest" mode and give up trying to control the weeds.

This weed has started to take over a couple of clover plots.  The Seek app tells me that it is low smartweed.  I'm out of Butyrac but will get some more and see if it helps.

My summer annual plot doesn't look too bad.  Buckwheat, milo, and soybeans visible along with the usual weeds. No sign of the sunflowers.

The wild berries are ripening.  I don't usually spend much time on the black raspberries - they can be quite sour.

But the wineberries can be really good.

My favorite way is with vanilla ice cream but this was pretty good too.

I waded into the mud and parted the weeds to find a few zucchinis.  First harvest.

The old fruit trees are looking pretty good.  Red and green apples.

An pears.  The new orchard is questionable - some trees showing no leaves.  The middle age orchard is in rough shape.  I had a dozen peaches last week but they were gone this week.

My planted sunflowers got hit hard by the deer but these volunteers by the bird feeders are doing just fine.

There's been lots of turkey activity.  The three amigos.

I've been seeing them in person too.

This hen seems to only have one poult left.  Wonder who got the rest of them.

Still a few fawn sightings.

And, of course the bucks.

I'm guessing that this is the buck that I called "Split" last year.  Seems to have two forks this year.