Eric Visit for Tune Up

About 6 weeks until Africa.  Eric made a quick visit to be sure his 308 was dialed in for the trip.  Ahead of his visit, I cleaned it and it shot a much better 5 shot group for me.

He got it shooting decent groups from 100 yards, 200 yards and off sticks.

We also shot the 375 H&H using both loads and scopes.

The previously disked plots had a nice blush of weeds.

I waited for things to dry to disk them again.

But I didn't quite wait long enough (clogged disk).  Anyway, I eventually got them turned.

Joan made us a strawberry rhubarb pie.

Our almost-dead cherry tree is producing fruit early this year.

The apple trees are in sad shape.  They never really recovered from a pretty severe pruning job.

I sprayed this frost-seeded plot.  There's clover out there but also a lot of weeds.

In my previously sprayed clover plots, the thistle is stunted but not dead.

I encountered a couple of box turtles out in the fields this week.

I keep meaning to roundup the poison ivy that keeps showing up on a couple of my camera trees.  Maybe next time.

We've been getting a variety at the bird feeders including this hen turkey.

I also found this evidence of other visitors.

Our guard dogs are on alert.

The wineberries are still weeks away from ripe.

Here's a look at a few obviously pregnant does.

And a buck starting on new antlers.

A pileated woodpecker visit.

A hard to see bobcat.

Coyotes.

And a fox.

The Tom turkeys are still looking for love.

On the prowl.

Northern Lights, Chicago, Catch-up on Chores

We were in Chicago for a family event so it's been a couple of weeks since we've been to the farm.  

Meanwhile, ideal conditions existed for viewing the Northern Lights due to a solar storm.  Friday night was prime time and we were home in Mason.  We didn't see anything but others did in our general area.

So Saturday night, Joan and I were prepared for the show.  We watched together after sunset.  Joan went out again at midnight (I was sleeping).  I went out again at 5:00am (Joan was sleeping).

And we saw clear starry skies. The internet is full of amazing pictures from everywhere around us.  But we saw nada.

I've been doing a lot of bush-hogging.  If you don't fight back, the trees will take your fields over.

The aerator that I installed more than a year ago does a tremendous job but it evaporates so much water that the pond ran low all last year.  I have installed a timer so that it doesn't run during the heat of the day.  We'll see if that has any effect on pond level this year.

I got the fan and beard mounted from my gobbler.

And I added the spurs to my barn wall.

Eric is going to be hunting in Africa with this 308 Win.  It's a Bergara B-14 and the suppressor is new.

I took the can out for its maiden voyage.

I ran a 5 shot group with the muzzle brake and also one with the can.  Neither was too spectacular.  We'll need to do a little more work with this.

I also shot the 375 H&H.  Bubba is starting to show some erosion.

I did some practice packing of the rifles for the trip.  It's a lot tighter than I expected.

While we were in Chicago, we visited the Museum of Science and Industry.

But the main event was Elliott's First Communion.

These boys scrub up pretty well.

But boys will be boys.

While I was in town, Eric enlisted my help to hang his Thorofare bull elk in a new location.

Meanwhile, some of the clover is doing well at the farm.

This is the field that I "frost seeded".  It's starting to come in but is still patchy.

We're starting to see the nubs of antlers on the bucks,

So I'm giving them some minerals to help with that.

Many of the does are pregnant.  Here's one that isn't.  Check the tummy line.

Now look at the tummy on these does.

We should have fawns over the next month or so.

Lots of strutting still going on.

There's a hawk in the upper left of this shot.  It has white on its butt.  I'm guessing a harrier?

A lean (and probably young) bobcat.

And the coyotes.

Joan and I touring a couple weeks ago.

And some new/different neighborhood dogs.