The Christmas Story told by Kids

In the words of Charles Dickens, Tiny Tim ,"God Bless us, everyone...."

Twas the Day before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas and all through North Dakota the pick-ups, bobcats, road-graders and Snowplows were all busy moving the new fallen snow....

Jolly ol' Hubby, and  Merry Me, had come north early to escape the travel woes forecast for the holidays. Our little red sleigh filled with happiness and cheer sped lively to here...there.... and here...for we were headed to share the Joy of the season with family not often seen.

Our time will be  spent with family, food and friends. What could be a better combination for celebration than that?

My speedy Santa helper would like to deliver some Seasons greetings to all.



Timber  Life and friends wish you a very Merry Christmas ...

Forensic Find

Warning :To my readers who are squeamish about skeletal remains,this post isn't for you.
                               

This past week I was meandering across the soybean field that was harvested almost a month ago. I like to watch the crops grow in the Spring,and Summer, but appreciate when the fields open up again for exploration, and hunting in the Fall and Winter.

I am a student of my immediate environment, in hopes of observing patterns from year to year.

On this day, our dog Sadie was off getting her sniff quotient satisfied,as I was taking my time moving from one place to another. My eyes to the ground, I kept scanning the crop debris for interesting rocks that have worked their way to the soil surface, or something out of the ordinary.

I came across an exposed rock, one among thousands in the field. However, this one caught my attention with what first looked like broken egg shells laying beside it. I tried to rationalize that some animal may have carried them away from a turkey nest earlier in the season and they were just now being exposed.

Using the tip of my shoe I tried to turn the egg shell over. It soon became apparent that what I was seeing was most certainly not egg shells, but the top part of a skull. I bent over to get a closer look. Scooping away bean chaff I saw something else that reminded me of a canine molar. Again, after closer examination, I found that it was a bone that would make up part of a spine. Eventually, the total picture of what I had found began to take shape.

The whole find could be contained within my closed hands. Holding the skull bones ever so gently so they wouldn't collapse.

Now, what did I find? The jawbone reminds me of a miniature deer. There are remnants of hair on a couple of pieces of the bone, not enough to be used for identification though.

Inside the jawbone are teeth that had not yet erupted to become useful. I did not find any evidence of sharp,ripping type teeth, that would indicate an omnivore.

The condition of the bones lead me to believe that these remains are from the Spring,because they don't show extreme yellowing,or drying.

It is apparent I am missing  pieces to my puzzle that might more clearly give me the answers I seek. For now it is intriguing to consider the possibilities... ;)

What would you venture to say once owned these bones?

Happy Thanksgiving

Uh Hum! Lovely day...

Tippy toe,tippy toe....

Ignoring the camera,ignoring the camera...

You who? Girls are you over there?!?

Now I hear you. Comin' Tom!

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday All!

Barred Owl Trail Camera Moment

I last posted about my new Bushnell Trophy Cam. At that time I was changing its location every day or two. I have so many places and animals to watch...

When I picked up my memory card on the morning of November 3rd, it took me a minute to decipher the first image, not what I had expected. It wasn't a deer!

It looks like a Barred Owl was doing a little night time hunting in range of the camera.

I have found a website that offers recorded vocalizations of male, and female, separately and an interaction between the two. Maybe you too have been treated to their raucous exchanges on your visits outside? Their range covers half the United States and extends into Canada.

Commonly here at Timber Life about 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon the calls start echoing - letting the timber know they are awake, and soon will be leaving their nests to begin the hunt.

There were some extremely early morning hours this past Summer, when I wasn't aware of how close they were until one of their unusual owl calls came slicing through the pitch black darkness to stir my half awake brain cells. If I wasn't awake before, I certainly was after.

I am glad to share the same space and get a chance to see what the outdoor life offers when the Trail Camera brings them into view...;)


Note of Recognition: I would like to thank  Mr. Bob Pearson for granting me permission to link to the Barred Owl vocalizations on his website. I appreciate the work he has done to provide them for public education.

New Trail Camera Part 1

Moultrie Game Spy D40 Trail Cameras

Three years ago I was blessed to receive some wonderful additions to my Outdoor activity supplies.

Hubby saw to it that I was catching a picture of our wildlife even when I couldn't be on the lookout...A 24/7 job.

My two Moultrie Game Spy D40 cameras provided lots of fun, candid shots. Then they started taking pictures of nothing but the landscape. Missing whatever may have triggered them to snap a picture. I must say they withstood some pretty severe winter temperatures before I pulled them back inside the January of 2008. Then I put them back out when things warmed up in March and April. One memorable digital capture was some eye to ear action...

Last month my curiosity to watch deer movement coming into the rut grew to the point I went into serious research

mode for a replacement camera.

My information gathering brought me to the compact Bushnell Trophy Cam. I respect the Bushnell brand name for it's products in the field optics sector.

Next stop eBay. I am all for looking up deals on new merchandise. Yes, I also went to Amazon, and it's seller's page. Then off to Bushnell's website to see what might be of interest there.I ended back up at eBay. 

Qualities Needed for a Camera
1. IR trigger for the nighttime

2. Compact size - not clunky to transport

3. Picture size options

This model seems to be very user friendly. Having some previous knowledge of push button settings it didn't take long for me to work my way through the menu. They do offer a default mode suggested by the manufacturer if you decide not to customize.

I started with some manufacturer suggested settings and then a few days later did some customizing ,only to return to a few of the suggestions put forward in the owner's manual.

A setting I gravitated towards was the High sensitivity trigger for catching pictures. I soon found with the wind blowing the vegetation it was going off too often and filling up my 2MB memory card way to fast. The camera was only good for about four hours at that rate.

Some definite pluses for this camera is the ability for it to hold a 16 MB memory card, three different pixel settings(3,5,8), three sensitivity settings(low, normal,high) , a wide variety of timer options and last but not least the choice of camera or video modes.

I cannot speak for video quality yet, because I haven't tried it. I need to get a larger memory card so I won't miss anything when it starts to record.


Click here for a review by another blogger on the Trophy Cam.

Pictures will be forthcoming. Until then enjoy the outdoors! ;)

Important Update - I was looking over the memory card storage facts and it needs to be Giga-bytes(GB) not Mega-bytes(MB). Thanks! ;)

Winner of China's Got Talent Lui Wei

A few weeks ago I was introduced through the Internet to a very talented young Chinese man who had lost his arms in an electrocution accident.

The dream of becoming a concert pianist remained in spite of his physical challenge. There were individuals along his path that didn't believe he would be able to reach his goal and discouraged Lui Wei from reaching for his star.

I am so happy that Lui Wei wouldn't take the naysayers seriously, that he continued to believe in himself, working hard to move forward. He has become an inspiration to many.

Following is the video of Mr. Wei's final performance in winning the overall competition for China's Got Talent...

Reptile and Amphibians at Timber Life

Blue Speckled Salamander

The past season  provided some good weather for our reptile and amphibian populations at Timber Life.

While working outside Sunday, our dog Sadie alerted us to a presence in the pit surrounding our soon to be earth bermed home. The soil has been slow to dry after the huge amounts of rain received throughout the summer.

This little fellow was one of two sightings these past couple weeks that don't happen on a regular basis. I heard that our oldest Granddaughter did happen to find one in their small town yard six miles to the west of us yesterday as well. I can only think that the recent temperature cool down has them looking for spaces to get prepared for hibernation. Our sandy soiled location here in the country is a great place for burrowing.

It appears these salamanders are at the southwestern edge of their normal range here in central Iowa. Some concern about their future has been expressed due to enviromental issues.

Western Painted Turtle

Two teeth like projections

Brightly colored carapace characteristic of  Western Painted Turtles

A reptile species that is common in a wide range throughout the United States stopped to visit; moving from one moisture laden vicinity to another. It too found it's way into the shaded pit surrounding our construction...When I first saw it, it was between our current home, and the corner of the drop off. I came back to find it to snap some pictures of the underside, to verify which species of Painted Turtle I had crawling through the yard. The turtle had made good progress, making it to the mud before I found it again .

Cope's Gray Tree Frog

The  Cope's Gray Tree Frog seems to enjoy adhering to house surfaces from dusk into the night looking for an evening meal. There are two color variations for the frog, true gray and green over gray.

Hubby even found one clinging to the  roofing felt as we were preparing to apply our metal roofing one morning.

The frog not wanting to share the space leaped to the ground. Being on the ground I placed it into the tall
 grass for it to catch it's breath and move to a better situation.

American Toad

At the moment the interior of our wood foundation home is perfect for toad habitation with river rock and damp conditions where the ground hasn't been totally covered.

Throughout the summer we have  gathered up various sized American toads and placed them outside to find another natural setting to become home .

We saw an increase in little green snakes and the Leopard Frogs. The frogs seemed to be wherever you would walk in the yard, in the garden, or puddles in the drive. I was almost afraid to step anywhere in case I might accidentally squash an innocent in hiding.

I am confident there were other reptiles and amphibians at TimberLife,
but these are the ones that crossed our path this year.The snakes,frogs and toads were hard to avoid becoming noticeable by their numbers.

The weather has become dryer and Fall has arrived - time to bid our summertime visitors farewell, and look forward to their return next Spring...

Happy Magic Marker Art

Artist - 6 year old Granddaughter Alexa

What a sweet way to make a Grandma smile when she goes to get the mail today and finds a colorful piece of artwork.

Thank you Alexa...I love it! ;)

Losing Their Spots

The twins are becoming "Spotless"
We have been blessed by another visit , it is fun to see  what has been lurking just off the beaten path. There have been brief moments of exposure when the  babies became anxious due to thunderstorms or home invasion by the humankind. They would come sprinting pell-mell out from cover only to dart back to hide again. So, when the twins came meandering out in front of their mother it was time to take notice and digitally record the event for future reference.

The far fawn appears to have some antler buds and his color brings back memories of previous generations. Forefront fawn was on the move having a nibble of grass-the camera caught a candid moment with it's tongue sticking out.

Mom is getting her Fall color

Little fawn went to nudge his mother; mom moved so what appeared to be an attempt to nurse didn't happen.

I am truly impressed at the physical rebound the deer have made with the plentiful Summer grazing. Our winters have been brutal and nutritionally challenging the last couple of years. I will have to keep my eyes open for  smaller fawns too.  In the last couple years that there has been at least one extremely little fawn seen going into Fall and Winter. Certainly a wonder that it would be able to survive ,but I have watched them toddle along with the group, and found their hoof prints while out prowling around myself.

Sadie Sioux wasn't being hospitable, not wanting to share her space so she put that deer family on alert from her window post inside the house. It didn't take long for them to get the hint even though they weren't threatened directly.

In the evening I took my faithful shotgun rider to do some scouting and found a mature doe enjoying the bean field smorgasbord along a fence/treeline. You might be able to vaguely see the whitetail on alert headed in the opposite direction. ;)

My four pawed friend gets really excited when she sees Mom grabbing the camera - heading out the door in a hurry.She charges out in front alerting everything in our path.I can see right now that I will need to sneak off on my own to get any discreet deer sleuthing accomplished and teach Sadie to lower her voice in the presence of wildlife.

Good luck to all on your pre-season deer scouting...

Deer Food Plots

Last Summer I planted some sample Deer Plot seeds from the Whitetail Institute of North America.

I prepared my little 10'x10' plots by tilling, adding fertilizer and some quick acting lime since I had already waited one season to get the work done. Talk about anxious to see what they would bring...

The rain had been sparse so the weed populations I wanted to eliminate didn't sprout before planting.They waited until this year 2010, after all the snow and almost non-stop rain to make their appearance. I will have some work to do getting things back in shape, but even with everything not being pristine I have seen the aftermath of grazing. Daytime activity has been limited to mature Does and their fawns; the cover of nighttime allows for a buck or two to visit. The only evidence I've seen of the buck activity is the hoof /dew claw imprints left in the mud.

The pictures posted here were taken September 24th,2009, unless otherwise noted - plants were two months old. A healthy growth after getting some moisture.

 Imperial"Double Cross"

Imperial"Chickory Plus"

Imperial"Clover"  August 31,2009 a month old

Imperial "Chic Magnet"

During the planting stage I placed a 5' tomato cage with 6" openings in the center of my plots monitoring growth compared to feeding activity. In the late Fall the cage in the Chic Magnet plot ended up pulled out and smashed. I can only imagine that it caught a buck's antlers who was after the tender growth in the middle. It didn't really dawn on me until I was taking a walk into the timber via the food plots last winter and saw it laying on the ground covered by snow.

Imperial "Extreme"

Imperial"Alpha Rack Plus"

Imperial "Winter Greens"

Imperial"No Plow"

The No Plow wasn't planted until September 24th, 2009, it didn't have a chance to sprout. I didn't pursue another planting, instead I am grooming the space for a mineral lick using The Original Deer Cane Liquid Ready-To-Use. It has been down for at least a month and no evidence of use has been seen. It has received a lot of rain. Timing may certainly be a consideration in the need for supplementation according to information I located at the Quality Deer Management Association. I am going to wait until next Spring to add anymore supplements, but with the traffic patterns changing due to the  the seasons, they might find it and come back in the future.


I must apologize to Ben G., one year since his comment postings. I was having some pretty long days at the time , my cognitive reasoning was impaired and I removed them from my post. In an attempt to make things right I have kept his second comment to re-post with my update.

Ben G. has left a new comment on your post "My Deer Food Plots are Growing":

This sounds like quite the experiment. I would be curious to see how a plain old alfalfa plot would compare to one of your packets. Any way I look forward to the results.
I'm trying to convince a buddy of mine to do a food plot on his land.

Maybe your results will sway him to plant a plot or two.

So, Ben, were you able to get your buddy to put a food plot on his land?

In summary I would like to increase the areas for food plots. At this point I can see the advantages of having all these that I have planted. However, when I groom my first larger area I believe I will be going with Alpha Rack Plus not far from the mineral lick location...

This is a consumer review of the Whitetail Institute and Deer Cane Products. I will not be receiving any monetary reward for expressing my opinions.

Iowa Waterfowl Seasons Approaching

The stirrings of waterfowl on the move came last week for me; Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to be exact.Tuesday evening a flock of ducks barely above tree top level over our timber were winging their way back North about a mile to the local marsh and Wednesday I sighted a V of geese headed South at the end of our half mile drive.

I have been waiting and watching ...some how having the feeling it wouldn't be long until I would be catching a glimpse of the start of the Fall migration. Sadie and I had gone out for an evening stroll as the sun was sinking in the western sky. The picture doesn't do the occasion justice. Always better to catch it first hand...

When the birds start on the move it brings to mind the months ahead. Does their activity mean we are going to see a drop in temperatures soon? At any rate it is only three weeks until the seasons begin.

The first Iowa Waterfowl Season opens on September18th and goes to the 22nd in both the North and South zones.This season allows for the hunting of Ducks, Mergansers and Coots. Here you will find the information about all the  Iowa Migratory Bird hunts - dates for species , licensing and regulations.

I haven't  visited the Marsh for waterfowl hunting purposes , but it certainly does look prime with all the rain we have been getting. Ready for the birds to stop over and maybe for the hunter to get a chance to put a few in his bag.

Hendrickson Marsh  August 26,2010

When I hear the guns going off I begin to daydream about the hunting successes and think of the dinners nature has been so gracious to provide.

Happy Waterfowl Hunting! Where ever you might be ... ;)