Planting Is Done

I was in Pittsburgh for a meeting and I stopped by the farm on the way home.  I finished planting the last couple of rows in the pumpkin patch.  We're staying home this weekend so I snuck my farm time in on Friday.

I did check the cameras and there was a lot of coyote activity.

I assume that this may be due to fawning season.  I haven't seen any fawns yet but it has to be about time.

The foxes were out and about too.

I was also surprised to see bucks this big in June.  This one looks like it might be the Browbeast from previous years.  Two or more months of antler growing season still to go.

This buck also has a good start.  I noticed that he has an affliction that I've seen on other deer too.

This is the same picture blown up.  Look at the bumps on the back of his ears - I believe this is insect related.  These animals are pestered mercilessly thru the summer by flies and ticks.

In the pumpkin patch, I found a couple areas like this where the turkeys have been dusting themselves in the dirt.  The exclusion tape doesn't seem to have any effect on the turkeys.  It works by smell and the turkeys don't seem at all concerned by it.

I'm starting to fight the onslaught of weeds.  I have a new Stihl cultivator machine that helps to turn the dirt beside the rows.  We could use some rain but I don't see much in the forecast.

The wildflowers are at their peak out in the fields.  This is Indian Paintbrush.  It's actually much brighter than it looks in this picture.

Making the camera tour.

Spreading minerals.

Checking cameras.

There are others checking my cameras too.

Some bachelor groups forming.

Got an itch.

There aren't alot of does on camera - too busy giving birth?  This one is chasing a young buck away from a mineral lick.

Striking a nice pose.

Pumpkin Planting Deadline

It was Father's Day Weekend - the traditional deadline for getting the pumpkins planted.  Over the last month, I got a few rows of veggies and long season pumpkins planted but I still had the majority of the patch left to plant.

Of course on the weekend I picked to do it, the skies opened up.  Joan had 3 1/2" in her rain gauge at home.  This one had over 1 1/2" at the farm when we arrived.  And, it rained on me on Sunday morning as I was trying to get planted.

There is a row of beans, zucchini and squash hidden in those weeds.  I planted these several weeks ago.

After doing battle with the weeds, the row starts to emerge.  As you can see, I get a few "volunteer" pumpkins from previous years plantings.  They don't line up in the row but I can't bring myself to pull them.

These pumpkin rows are only about 2 weeks old - they are just starting to emerge.  I planted these pumpkins a little earlier than the rest because they take 120 days to mature.

So I prepared the soil and started planting new rows.

After hours of work, I had the field about 3/4 planted.  The rest will just have to wait.

I went to fill up my tractor with gas and found these squatters had moved in.

It was a nest full of recent hatchlings.  Then I reached for the gas nozzle and found...

...a toad hiding in there.  How does a toad get into a little nook like this 5' off the ground?  This is the same spot where I found a dead bat a couple of weeks ago.

The sunflowers right outside the dining room are looking really good.  So far, the deer haven't bothered them.

The field came in kind of wierd.  The end closest to the barn is in the previous picture.  This end of the field seems to be lagging in development by about 2 weeks.

This is the other sunflower plot that was planted later - it has germinated well.  The storm blew the deer exclusion tape over but it was too soon for them to be bothered.

One of my new plots planted in soybeans.  It has come up well.

Another soybean plot near the orchard - seems to be doing ok.

I've been trying to re-establish clover in the driveway plot and it's been a struggle.  The weeds have been terrible.

The clover came in really well but there are a few barespots. The driveway stand may be the hunting hotspot this year.

Clover below the hi-rise.  Looks great.

Barn stand clover has some weed issues.

The antlers are growing.  I think this might be the mutant buck.

Wonder what spooked him.

I moved this camera to a new spot and might have had a few aiming issues.

It should be corrected next week.

There were some pretty severe storms this week but I didn't see too much wind damage.

Peek-a-boo