More Rain, More Weeds

 After spending the 4th in the Chicago area, I watched the weather for the first predicted dry day.  That was supposed to be Wednesday so I headed to the farm with intentions to work in the fields.  On the drive out, I encountered a major thunderstorm and there was 1.4" in the rain gauge on my arrival.

The first row of pumpkins (early plant) were well into running vines.  The next two rows were up and needed weed control but the field was slop.

So I checked the food plots and found a jungle of weeds.  This plot was planted in sunflowers but none were visible.

On close examination I could see why.

Virtually every sunflower plant was mowed leafless by the deer.

In the main field, I had planted roundup ready soybeans.  In previous years I thought that I might have sprayed too early which allowed the deer to strip the soybeans before they got established.  So I delayed this year.

There was evidence of soybeans in there but the weeds were taking over.  I decided to spray the field.

I'm not sure how effective the spraying was because; 1.) the weeds were so tall and 2.) an hour after I sprayed, another thunderstorm rolled thru and dumped another 1" of rain.

I wanted to spray 5 fields and only got 2 done.  Not only did I have the rain, I also had a leaking tire that wouldn't hold pressure long enough to do one field.

It appears that my two new cherry trees are dead.

I spent the night and conditions were no better the next morning.  I cleaned the barn and then headed home.

During this visit I also found some more tree of heaven (invasive).

The wineberries were pickable but I never got to it.

The rain was also helping all the native plants like this butterfly milkweed.

And these prairie flowers.

In between storms I had visitors in the fields.

Making the camera tour in new machines.

On the last visit, I did some mowing.

And encountered some obstacles.

This doe with bald areas of fur has been showing up regularly on camera.

I'm not sure what causes this but it seems like we have some every year.

The fawns are everywhere.

Always pestering Mom to nurse.

Baby turkeys too (poults).

It seems late to me for turkeys to still be strutting.

The bucks are pretty well framed out by know but they have about 6 weeks more in velvet.

Owl hunting (again)?

Is it time for doves to build nests?  Looks like it.

Frolicking.

Looking for youngsters.

I've developed what I think is sciatica - not sure how much I can get done in the near term.