Heat Dome Arrives

We had another 1.6" of rain in the gauge this week.  But starting on Sunday, we're experiencing a week of mid 90's with no rain in the forecast.  Welcome to summer.

This is what my one row of pumpkins looked like.  I spent Sunday morning (before the heat) fighting weeds and planting two more rows.  I think that's going to be it for this year.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to save my fragile new fruit trees with an electric fence.  As you can see, it doesn't seem to be working on the fawns.  Hopefully when they get a little taller they will get the message.

So I powered the fence down, opened the rope gate, and came over in the zero-turn to mow inside it.  I decided to go around the outside first (since the weeds were back since the last Roundup treatment) and I immediately got it stuck in a tractor rut/puddle.  I got the tractor and pulled it out.  Then I continued around the outside and accidentally ran over the rope for the gate.

It wound up the rope, ripped off the gate section and threw the conducting handle off into the field.

With the help of my handy leatherman, I got it cleaned up.  Then I searched the field and eventually found the gate handle.  It was a little bent but still functional.  I had torn the isolating T-post connector right off the post but I "Rube Goldberg'd" a solution with some wire ties.  Eventually I did get the orchard area mowed.

That whole experience caused Joan to say "you should really start a log of all your follies".  I told her that I have one - this blog.  All of which reminded me about Clarkson's Farm.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  I just watched season 4 on Amazon Prime.  I think it is hilarious and entertaining. Link to Clarkson's Farm

I also have been experiencing some adversity with my trail cameras. I think birds pecked out the sensor window on this one.  It doesn't work anymore.

I have two cameras that have become resort hotels for colonies of ants.  The photo doesn't do it justice - watch this short video clip.  Ant Invasion One of these ant-hotel camera's seems to still be working.  I suspect that the other one has an ant colony on its circuit board.

I finally sprung for some new treads on the Bobcat.  They are not cheap and I was avoiding it.  Hopefully this will provide enough traction to avoid sliding down hillsides while trying to do some work.

I thought that I had eradicated the invasive tree-of-heaven from my property.  Tree of Heaven - Ailanthus I recently discovered one 25' tall beside my driveway.  It was hiding among walnuts and sumacs.  So I looked around and found another one on the field edge not too far away.

I know from my previous efforts that the best approach is basal (bark) applied Garlon 4 in diesel oil. The active ingredient is triclopyr.  I got a generic equivalent, mixed up a batch in a small sprayer, and went back to war on T-O-H.  While I was at it, I hit some Autumn Olives that I failed to eliminate with Roundup.

The sunflower plots that I planted are pretty sparse and have a lot of weeds/grass coming up.

The soybean plot is doing a little bit better.

But I think all of these plots are going to end up as brassica or oats for the fall.

Butterfly bush (milkweed) is starting to bloom in the fields.

Since we have the new Polaris General, Joan likes to come on the camera tour with me.

She considers this "her" machine.

Some interesting shots this week.  How about an action shot of a hawk.

Or a young/small bobcat on the prowl.

The coyotes have been relatively sparse lately.

But we have fawns everywhere.  Here one gets introduced to a turkey.

I think doe control needs to be a priority this year.

There are a few bucks too.

And still lots of turkeys - notice the full strut on the right edge.

I hope the heat dome doesn't do in the pumpkins and fruit trees.  Time will tell.