There was 1.5" in the rain gauge on arrival and another 0.25" fell while we were there. The weeds are having a blast in the pumpkin patch. But we had some nice rainbows. This one at the farm.
And this one at home.
The geese had taken up residence. They were in the clover again and stayed there until close to sundown. They took off and flew south (to the river?) but were back in the morning.
When I went by on the atv, they took off and haven't been back since. I don't think that I want a resident goose flock.
Meanwhile, the pumpkin patch is a soggy mess with grass and weeds everywhere.
Some places the crop seems to be competing ok. I am starting to see some yellow leaves. Fungus? I used to spray every once in awhile.
But good flowers are being set and I can see the start of some fruit.
By Sunday morning, it was dry enough that I wandered in to try to do some weed control with a weed-whacker. I didn't get much farther than the first row.
This is the way that I like to get my vegetables. Zucchini bread. Yum.
While having dinner one evening, Joan noticed this buck browsing by.
Since it was too wet to till, and more rain was in the forecast, I thought that I would try to plant my fall plots.
I've been watching "no plow" videos. I've seen some erosion in these plots that I've been tilling for years. So I thought I'd try direct seeding into plots after a "burn down" application of roundup and clethodim. I've hit the fields twice (a week apart) and there is still some green in them.
There is also a ton of fallen over thatch making it impossible to get to bare soil. I chose to proceed anyway - it's an experiment. I just broadcast into the standing or fallen over dead grasses and weeds.
The big main field, I just went with clover.
Winter Greens (brassica mix) in the upper pond field.
And then a mix of two mixes in the small main field. One was peas and winter rye. The other was oats and brassicas. These were the biggest seeds and the ones that I was most concerned about getting down to the ground.
Once the seed was spread, I went ahead and bush-hogged it. My theory is that will help to knock seed to the ground and make a thatch on top of it.
I tried culti-packing it but it was such a muddy mess that I didn't finish all the fields. I definitely got across the ones with the bigger seeds.
So that's a complete and total experiment. We'll see if anything comes up thru that mess. Might have been the last outing for this trail wheel on the bush-hog.
Some interesting stuff showing up in the prairie plot and other fields. Swamp Rose Mallow.
I noticed this little tree - looks unusual. My seek app says it a Persian Silk Tree. Invasive I assume.
Tons of swallowtails but only a few monarchs so far.
Rosepink.
Dense Blazing Star.
The roundup ready soybeans have been kept browsed down by deer. This left bare ground that I broadcast brassica into.
It's spotty but where it came up, it looks good.
For weed control, this is a nice no till option.
The fawns are growing.
The geese have been daily visitors.
The turkeys don't seem pleased.
The crows are eating some of the pears.
And so are the coyotes.
Lots of possums.
Turkeys,
Strange species.
And a few bucks.
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