We are not settling into our normal farm sleep cycle, going to bed at dark and getting up at light. I'm blaming the cat, which continues to be in a much deeper nocturnal cycle here than at home. The heat probably has something to do with it at well. We are often working until after sunset. I've dug a few holes via lights on our Kubota UTV. Sunset is around 9pm this time of year, so we are finding ourselves eating dinner at 10, and maybe getting the kids in bed by 11. Read for an hour and somehow getting up at 5:30am isn't happening.
Nastya is holding the fort down at the city house. Her friend Bailey is with her. We have an open rental and she is doing a great job showing it for us, allowing us to be here instead.
They predict rain for today (40%) and tomorrow (70%). They got it right... I was out in the far field checking if the 2-4-D had any impact from yesterday's spraying and it started. Can't quite tell if the 2-4-D took, but I think so. The damage in the one weed patch looks more severe than what I managed to do with Roundup earlier in the week. Was actually surprised to see some Roundup activity after only a couple of days - normally it takes a week or so. Guess its the heat - speeds everything up chemically. If so, I missed a bunch, going to have to try again later. Rain is only suppose to last 2-3 days.
So now its noon, and wet. Evia just came in, she is in charge of weed whacking, and we have a weeks worth to do. She did find a nest with (4) blue eggs up in one patch of grass and left it undisturbed. Hopefully the robins will return. Speaking of birds, lots of them out. We have a red-winged blackbird that considers the top of our antenna home. Its perched there almost daily and is quite vocal whenever we get near the pole. I've saw a pair of yellow finches yesterday, and some type of blue bird this morning. VERY blue, didn't spot any red in its chest, but only had a few seconds to view it before it was gone. Of course, the swallows have been around for weeks now - had the normal flock chasing around the tractor when I was brush-hogging a couple of weeks ago. Plenty of what I think of as field sparrows as well. Actually, the Audubon came out and did a 2nd annual survey a month or so ago. We should hear back on that in a couple of months. Last year they were quite excited by the population of Henslow's Sparrows on the property. Of course, we have lots of red-headed woodpeckers as well.
Well, my shirt is almost dry, I'll pause for now. Time to do some inside chores...
Alas, by the time I was done with the post above, it stopped raining. Temperature is down, but humidity is very high - do anything outside and your soaking in sweat. Frank and I decided to go drive around and take plant photos on the iPad for use in the new Plant blog on this website.
Evia and I took the evening off, both tired from the stupid cat. We kicked it outside around 8pm and haven't heard from it. Hopefully it will spend the night hunting and let us sleep for a change.
Had a bit of wine, cheese, and some left over pork loin for dinner. Sliced apples for desert.
Nastya is holding the fort down at the city house. Her friend Bailey is with her. We have an open rental and she is doing a great job showing it for us, allowing us to be here instead.
They predict rain for today (40%) and tomorrow (70%). They got it right... I was out in the far field checking if the 2-4-D had any impact from yesterday's spraying and it started. Can't quite tell if the 2-4-D took, but I think so. The damage in the one weed patch looks more severe than what I managed to do with Roundup earlier in the week. Was actually surprised to see some Roundup activity after only a couple of days - normally it takes a week or so. Guess its the heat - speeds everything up chemically. If so, I missed a bunch, going to have to try again later. Rain is only suppose to last 2-3 days.
So now its noon, and wet. Evia just came in, she is in charge of weed whacking, and we have a weeks worth to do. She did find a nest with (4) blue eggs up in one patch of grass and left it undisturbed. Hopefully the robins will return. Speaking of birds, lots of them out. We have a red-winged blackbird that considers the top of our antenna home. Its perched there almost daily and is quite vocal whenever we get near the pole. I've saw a pair of yellow finches yesterday, and some type of blue bird this morning. VERY blue, didn't spot any red in its chest, but only had a few seconds to view it before it was gone. Of course, the swallows have been around for weeks now - had the normal flock chasing around the tractor when I was brush-hogging a couple of weeks ago. Plenty of what I think of as field sparrows as well. Actually, the Audubon came out and did a 2nd annual survey a month or so ago. We should hear back on that in a couple of months. Last year they were quite excited by the population of Henslow's Sparrows on the property. Of course, we have lots of red-headed woodpeckers as well.
Well, my shirt is almost dry, I'll pause for now. Time to do some inside chores...
Alas, by the time I was done with the post above, it stopped raining. Temperature is down, but humidity is very high - do anything outside and your soaking in sweat. Frank and I decided to go drive around and take plant photos on the iPad for use in the new Plant blog on this website.
Evia and I took the evening off, both tired from the stupid cat. We kicked it outside around 8pm and haven't heard from it. Hopefully it will spend the night hunting and let us sleep for a change.
Had a bit of wine, cheese, and some left over pork loin for dinner. Sliced apples for desert.
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