Fall Plot Planting

I had arranged for some fertilizer to be spread on my food plots and Ed gave me a call to tell me he thought he could get it done soon.  I had four plots that were ready for planting and three in clover.  And there was a little rain in the forecast so it looked like things were coming together.  I made it out and mowed some weedy clover plots and trimmed some branches so the fertilizer truck could get by.

I also got a first disking done on a couple of plots.

Ed came out with a spreader truck and a delivery truck.

He hit my disked fields.

And also top dressed my clover plots.

I got another pass with the disk before I started planting.  The plots were not ideally prepared.

These are my seeds for planting.  On a couple of plots, I spread some oats after disking, then rolled the plots and overseeded with brassica.

I usually roll with a cultipacker hauled behind my atv.

Van is in the process of replacing two driveshafts due to CV joint failure.  Worn bushings were also discovered.

So I improvised and used the Ranger.  The hitch connection was not optimal - it didn't like turning right but did fine turning left.  I made it work.

In the main field, I had this "blush" of soybeans so I just overseeded with brassica without tillage or rolling. We'll see how that turns out.

The predicted rain didn't happen but a different thunderstorm came thru at a most inconvenient time.  I got it done and now we wait for real rain.

My two rows of zucchini and pumpkins are struggling versus the weeds.  I am getting some production though.

Visitors passing by.

I found another mature tree of heaven in plain sight below the pond stand.  I gave it the treatment.

This is an action shot of me clipping one of the electric fence posts with the bushhog.

A couple of trailcam photos from my Mom's farm visit last week.

How many 98 year olds do you know that go trail riding?

The fawn activity is always fun.

Check the elevation on this leap.

Turkey and deer seem comfortable together.

What is this bird?

Some bucks around.

I heard a bunch of gobbling this weekend.  I thought that usually ended with the breeding season.

Mom Visits the Farm!

 I got a special visitor for my birthday this year.  

Not everyone gets a visit from their Mom for their 71st birthday.

98 years old and still frisky enough for cross country travel and farm explorations.

We checked out some of the wild flowers - this is rose pink.

Butterfly milkweed.

I think this is coneflower.

Swallowtail butterfly.

We have continued to have rain and the weeds are prospering in the pumpkin patch.

Zucchinis are competing with the weeds pretty well.

This regal moth showed up in the barn.

And we had some rather large creatures at the bird feeder.

Her fawn stayed down in the weeds.

I think that there is a fungus (or something) affecting some of the white oaks on the property.

I found this bird carcass in the middle of the driveway - I think that it is a crow.

Who would eat a crow?  Owl? Bobcat?

One of my chores was to wax up a new pair of hunting boots.  I'm going back to Kennetreks.

I've been using Schnee's Timberland (?).  They are a little lighter and less rigid.  I may be back to this lightweight one.

Can you believe that there are still survivors in this wasp nest on the gazebo?  I've attacked it twice before.

After spraying the main field, the soybeans did emerge from the weeds.

Some touring photos.

We got about 1/2 the tour done before the thunder and rain chased us in.

After we got back from the farm, we had dinner at Montgomery Inn with Dave and family.

I think Mom isn't minding our dogs too much.

Last week spraying a weedy food plot right before a rain storm.

This week hitting it again to get the spots that I missed.

I think that the electric fence is working pretty well for the orchard so far.

They are curious about it though.

It's confirmed - we do have at least one group of triplets.

Deer vs skunk.

Coyote.

Not a great photo but there is a coyote in the field with the deer here.

And the usual deer activity.

A fox.

And the turkeys.

My sciatica is improved but still there.  MRI showed a ruptured disk at L4/5.  I'm functional - it mostly just affects my sleep. I may end up getting a steroid injection - Ugh.