Around the Farm

One of the redbud trees in sunlit glory.

Some of the blossoms open right along the trunk or the branches as well as in the more familiar manner.

My darling old Eggnog has decided that the bow window is her favorite place. Its the only window with a sill wide enough to make a cat comfortable.  I cleaned the grime of years from the panes yesterday--inside and out while Eggie kept watch.

An old apple tree coming into bloom with the weathered barns in the background. Part of this tree's stump lies along the ground.

There were ancient apple trees on my Grampa's farm, remnents of the orchard which was a common feature of most well established farms.  I remember an apple tree whose trunk had developed a thick horizontal branch a few feet above the ground--a wonderful place to sit with a book or merely to survey my kingdom.

Winged pods on a maple.  J.M. who sold us the place, calls this a water maple.  J. thinks it is what we recognized in New England as a "soft maple" or "swamp maple."

I'm thinking this is an apple tree, but the blossoms are a deeper pink than I've ever seen.  They have the classic apple blossom scent.  The new leaves are so glossy and fresh.

A brisk wind ruffled the grass and sang through the newly leafed tree branches this morning as we sat on the porch with our coffee.

I was sad to see that most of the petals on the pear tree were drifting to the ground. I hope the bees have done their work and there will be pears in the fall.

I encountered this wooly bear near the garage and moved it carefully out of the way.

Moments later I watched a yellow swallowtail butterfly drift on the wind currents and disappear above the roof of the house.

The three redbuds at the foot of the long drive.

Power lines run overhead here, a distraction when taking photos. 

Some of the 40 pounds of seed potatoes which I cut yesterday. All but a few are now tucked in the ground.

J. spent Monday afternoon trundling back and forth to the seed and fertilizer plant nearby.  J.M. had soil samples taken last fall and J. took the resulting maps to the fertilizer man who blended the fertilizer for each plot.

Today we went back for seed. I was given the task of dipping out seed from each of several sacks and mixing it in the five gallon bucket.

J. borrowed an ingenious seeder from J.M. It hooks into the battery of the 4-wheeler, a lever is pulled and off one goes with the seed spraying out.  J. devised the "drag" to cover the seed from several boards and a fence panel.

With my contribution to the seeding finished I walked up to the edge of the woods which form the boundary, but didn't climb over the fence as it is festooned with what I believe to be poison oak. I think these wildlings are called May apple--I need to ressurect my book on eastern wildflowers.

Twice today I heard wild turkeys clucking and gobbling in the wood.

When we went after the seed a few minutes after first hearing them, I saw one toddling hastily up the next door pasture.