Roving Cows

Tis the time of year for the weather to be a changin'! We have a herd of cows that spend time pasturing in fields behind our property from early Spring until the end of October. It never fails, in the Fall, groups of cows seem to always find a weak spot somewhere along the lines to escape the humdrum of short grass. They wander into the fields of maturing beans, and corn, to complete their diets, to get ready for harsher weather ahead; even though they are headed for a more sheltered location in a few weeks. Hubby has been seeing the marauders from the air when he takes flight, and buzzes them back in the direction they should go to get home. There have been two cows and three calves hanging out in the ravine close to his runway the last few days. This morning we saw two cows and two calves when they decided to walk the quarter mile up the drive to the house to see if there was any new vegetation to sample. Somewhere they had lost the third calf, even though I believe I heard it still in the general vicinity. Apparently, they didn't approve of the location of some 10'x10' deer food plots I am grooming for next year. 2"x2"x24" wooden stakes were pulled up from the corners to make room for better grazing. There are 10 foot grass seperations between each bed which didn't seem to be sufficient... Sadie, of course wanted in on some action. She is getting really bored these days. No Pheasants to chase don't 'cha know. ;) However, she remained inside so as not to stir the wrath of the "Big Bossy Cows." The Roving Cows stayed around just long enough to make things comfortable for the next visit???

Native Trees

"I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree ..." by Joyce Kilmer A few comments got me to thinking about the possibility of growing the "Mighty Oak" in another location other than the one I am most familiar with, here at Timber Life. Hearing from some readers out in Idaho sparked my interest and research has brought some answers. In my years of growing plants, I have learned that it is more productive to look for native species that are acclimated to your growing conditions; temperature fluctuations, soil composition and moisture needs. Even the seed produced by these plants seem to be better suited to reproduction in those conditions than those gained from outside sources. One information source of "why we should pick native plants" can be found here at the IDNR. My information quest took me to Idaho Plant Nurseries to checkout what they were growing. I was fortunate enough to find a list of Oaks that are available for planting, which you will find below. NATIVE IDAHO OAKS Swamp White Oak(Quercus bicolor) Deciduous 4A-8A Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade wet Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) Deciduous 4A-8A Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade medium Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) Deciduous 3A-8A Full Sun wet Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) Deciduous 4A-8A Full Sun wet Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Deciduous 3B-8A Full Sun medium Columnar English Oak (Quercus robur 'Fastigiata') Deciduous 4A sun medium English Oak (Quercus robur) Deciduous 4B-8A Full Sun medium Heritage Oak (Quercus x macdanielii 'Heritage') Deciduous 4A sun medium The thought of growing Black Walnuts came as well. I found a publication by the University of Idaho on the care of Black Walnuts in a plantation setting. That gives me a clue they are available there, but maybe not in all parts of the state due to growing conditions. Hope this will help those who are looking to use plant materials from other states,or planting zones. Not totally impossible with some adjustments. (Information for the Oaks was taken from an Idaho Nursery- Teton Trees, Rupert,ID.)

Sadie Says - GONE NUTS!!!!

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch.... YUMMY, or at least I think yummy??? The last couple of weeks I have been getting a taste of some commodities that are hitting the ground. I will use the phrase used by Chicken Little in the children's story,"The Sky is Falling!" Every time I walk outside these days I hear something thudding onto the ground or plunking down onto the pick-up sitting in the drive. Mom keeps telling me what's happening ,but I'm just a puppy ...reminders are always welcome. We have a friendly competition to see who can find those hidden morsels on the ground every time we are outside. I thought since Mom was so interested in them I would give them a try. Great CRUNCH factor! I will put a name to the tree and it's nuts. It is Hickory a member of the Walnut family. You've seen our Oak trees which have had a real good crop of acorns this season. The animals dependent on them for a food source should have a good supply, at least until the snow covers them over. Then there are Black Walnut trees galore. Some of the walnuts have already dropped from the trees leaving the rind to mature and begin the cycle of the squirrels constant drive to tuck them beneath the dirt until they are all hidden.(EVERYWHERE!) ;)

I Love Your Blog Award

I was up early checking out the Blogs I try to frequent everyday. Stopped by Marian's Hunting Stories etc.,etc., etc..., Simply Outdoors, onto The Hunter's Wife , just to name a few. OH MY Goodness!!! What am I reading here? After rubbing my eyes to get the sleep out , finding my glasses... I found my site among some other Bloggers that Jody tagged for a little fun info exchange. Looks very simple,just copy, paste, and personlize. I'm Game! Here it goes. ;) 1. Where is your cell phone? Counter top 2. Where is your significant other? Working on my car 3. Your hair color? Brown 4. Your mother? Recuperating from knee revision surgery 5. Your father? Deceased 6. Your favorite thing? Computer 7. Your dream last night? None - Do I sleep? ;) 8. Your dream/goal? To be able to travel whenever I feel like it 9. The room you’re in? Living room 10. Your hobby? One of my hobbies is raising plants 11. Your fear? Crossing huge bodies of water 12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Financially sound 13. Where were you last night? Home 14. What you’re not? A diva 15. One of your wish-list items? To get all the sports equipment I want 16. Where you grew up? Iowa /Arizona 17. The last thing you did? Got out of bed 18. What are you wearing? PJ's 19. Your TV? 8 year old zenith 20. Your pet? Sadie 21. Your computer? Acer Aspire 22. Your mood? Happy 23. Missing someone? Hubby when he has a lot to do. 24. Your car? Chevy Cavalier 25. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes 26. Favorite store? Outdoor supply stores 27. Your summer? Hot 28. Love someone? Hubby 29. Your favorite color? Blue 30. When is the last time you laughed? Today 31. Last time you cried? Tuesday while I was doing dishes I’m suppose to tag 7 others. I believe some of the ones I would tag have already been tagged, my pass along list will be shorter. Okay girls, here is your "I Love Your Blog Award." Marian's Hunting Stories etc., etc.,etc... Windyridge at On a Ridge Artemis at 12 Months of Winter