It Goes Bump in the Night

For those of us who have trail cameras out, you can probably site different occasions when you see things that you can't identify right off hand.

I keep having a few of those experiences.

You might assign this image with the title of "Bat" or "Bird"...Maybe it's a HUGE bug? In any event this was the only picture of the "unknown" captured in the series  when the camera was triggered.

There seems to a nebulous aura where I would assume a wing would be a flutter. 

This image is like none other I have seen since having the camera, getting close to a year now.

Could it be an out of focus deer face? Once again it was the only picture in a series. A fast mover!

Usually I can tell if it is a deer getting up close. You would see the glare of an eye or an ear hair or two, and most definitely a nose or tongue,but this is  a mystery.

 I like keeping the camera low to get interactions such as the one you are witnessing in these pictures.

Some days you have to wonder if they line up to take turns on getting a lick in?

Then there are the days when they look like they are posing for group pictures to keep for posterity's sake.Silly Deer! or is that Deerses?

Not only the good has been noted - some health issues have become evident within the herd as well.

Creature in a hurry! See those streaks in the flash?

I am beginning to wonder if the coyotes, or raccoons, are taking a minute in their nightly trips around the timber in search of food to check out that  blinking red eyed box.

Mysteries are fun, but not knowing makes me yearn to see more.

Until the next post, CDGardens here at Timber Life signing out. Have a Great day!!!

Pond Fishing on the 4th of July

The 4th of July holiday last week brought a family Barbeque here at Timber Life.

I wanted to get our new house(still under construction) used to having people and laughter filling the interior.

Sweeping and vacuuming the bare plywood floors gave me visions of the future when it will be covered by laminated wood flooring.

The day was hot, but the afternoon activity included a visit to the neighbor's pond to do a little fishing.

Hubby packed the interested individuals into the pickup to head into the pasture to get a little closer. They didn't really want to carry fishing tackle for a quarter mile with a 6 year old fisher person in tow.

I stayed back at the homestead to pick things up after the Barbecue. Then spend some time visiting with our eldest daughter , her sister-in-law and baby girl.

The entourage was gone for a couple hours.Our granddaughter Alexa who happened to be the 6 year old was quite patient for her age. She is not one to keep at one task for very long. Finally, when she tired of the event she let it be known that "everyone had 5 minutes", then it was time to go back to Grandma and Papa's.

Those who decided to fish were treated to some largemouth bass and bluegill , catch and release was the method used for the day. In all they had 10 hits. The summertime vegetation has become an issue with reeling in the fish. One lure that seemed to  float above the plants was a frog lure, which seemed to get the bluegill going.

Grandson Nick with his largemouth bass

Grandson Nick found some success with snagging fish on the pond.

His Uncle is teaching him what he needs to know to catch a fish in whatever circumstance. Uncle Joe is to be commended for being a mentor - doing his part to get  young ones started in enjoying what the outdoors has to offer.

The camera on Nick's phone helped to record  the event so Grandma could see it before the fish went back to swim again...

High Winds Awakens Central Iowa

3:52 A.M. RUSHING Winds of 60 MPH +,pelting rains,thunder and lightening awoke me from a twilight slumber.

The electricity gave indications that it wouldn't be a reliable power source for much longer after I climbed out of bed.

I did have a chance to catch some weather news before modern technology grew silent. The news only reinforced what I saw in the light of the lightening and the noise of the thunder I heard echoing all around.

7:05 A.M., well after sunrise - technology remains silent. Mother-Nature has calmed down, but once in a while a few more drops of rain can be seen dropping into the puddles filled by the earlier deluge.

Quiet has returned,except for the birds which found their voices...Certainly, a more pleasant way to welcome the day than the rude awakening of a few hours ago.

Another hour and a half passed until electrical service returned to stir into action the machines that make daily living here at Timber Life move smoothly.

Trees on houses, new construction in progress collapsed, just tasseled corn unevenly fallen at the whim of the down bursts skipping over the area .

Assessing the damage has swung into gear.

The deer keep vigil  over the field corn . Tassels were beginning to come out, silk and ears would have been developing soon.It looks like the harvest for man and deer will be limited this season.

Our forecast for the early morning hours tomorrow brings a repeat of what was experienced this morning. It is going to be very interesting to see if it reaches the same intensity as it did today .

Wind speeds were estimated to be 105 MPH at the little town 6 miles to the west of us. People throughout central Iowa felt the devastating power of the air masses mixing it up. What a fight they had! I don't want to forget to mention anyone who has been affected by the weather, but I am better informed about our little section of the State. Please stay safe during these drastically hot days.

The ongoing strong weather for the summer of 2011...Where will it hit next?

Decorah IA Eagle Cam Update

Live Video streaming by Ustream

Months have passed since the public started their vigil in wait for three little eaglets to hatch.

At my present viewing I hear the parents from a distance calling to their two fledglings perched on the tree limbs around the nest.

One has now taken flight to a different position out of camera view.Now,the second fledgling has left. How swiftly they grow from chicks to semi-independent individuals.

The camera area is now empty of raptors...but the sounds of morning are filling the air.

Here's wishing you all a pleasant summer day in July!

Crayfish or Crawdad?

Parked on a city street in a suburb of Des Moines, IA , yesterday. I discovered a little crustacean with a  purpose making its way along the warm concrete.

I can't say I have ever seen one of these creatures in the great outdoors up until this point. 

So, I got camera lens to antenna for a close-up. Of course it took that to be an aggressive action so it raised its pinchers and  proceeded , determined to get wherever the natural instinct was drawing him/her.

Time wasn't being wasted in going from side to side...A straight line was the fastest way to achieve the objective. Get off the pavement before he/she got cooked.The day was heating up with the sun high in the sky -  it was close to noon.

    

I am left to wonder if this multi-legged ,two clawed, speedster had made a trip around the block, because it thought there was something better on the other side?

I have a feeling this is where the crawdad was going to make his/her walk-a-bout come to an end. Back in the safety of the urban pond bank...

Berry Picking Season Approaches

The Wild Raspberries are coloring up and should be ready for picking this week.  They are about a week behind in their maturing this year according to my recent past experiences.

I really like being out in the timber gathering both Wild Raspberries and Gooseberries in the company of all the other timber residents.The birds singing, deer and squirrels scampering, a refreshing solitude while I am out and about on my own.

Ever wonder what the the difference between Wild Raspberries vs Wild Blackberries happen to be?

I found a video done by Wild Edibles at Youtube, video quality is a little jumpy at times, but the information puts the fruits and plants side by side to give a greater insight how to identify our seasonal sweets. It isn't uncommon for them to exist in close proximity.

The Mulberries have been falling for about a week now here at Timber Life...

Changing the trail camera location I have found three species of ground bound animals enjoying the delectable treats , not to mention our feathered friends that are counted among the feast attendees.

Some people see the mulberries only as animal food,but if you have ever tasted them at the mature stage, you would find them full of sweet juice. Picking them with uncovered hands leaves a stain that takes a couple days  to wash away. Messy!

Another method for collection to avoid handling the berries is to put a catch cloth under the tree and shake or tap the fruit off like our  friend Casey is doing over at Fungal Threads.


                                                        Trail Camera Pictures

A Doe often seen around the homestead

Double the vision..

Some young Raccoons getting a feel for life in the timber.

Here's wishing you good luck on harvesting some of Nature's sweet treats while they are in season ...

Happy Father's Day

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Hubby a  Happy Father's Day.

At this writing he is sitting at an airfield in
Chillicothe,MO waiting for favorable conditions to return to our grass strip here in Central Iowa.

Early Thursday morning we pulled the Voisin 3/5ths out for a long hop down to Gardner,KS, home base of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol. They have a yearly Fly-In on the Friday afternoon and Saturday before Father's Day.

Hubby trailered his plane to the event when it was in the building stages way back when. He has watched the weather every year to see if the flight windows would be open long enough for him to get from one airfield to another before making him sit the thunderstorms out.

When we pulled the Voisin 3/5ths out of the hangar for the this "first "  but much planned for Gardner excursion via the airways, we were aware of  forecast of thunderstorms in the target area. The clouds and rain made their returns known on the radar out in Nebraska stretching southward at the hour of our search.

The air was perfect for departure here at Timber Life, so that he did...

The first leg of his journey took him to Corydon, IA where he met up with his ground crew and another pilot from his local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter. Things were good until reaching the second stop at Chillicothe on his way down. They sat until 5:00 PM, letting the thunderstorms pass before starting once again on their westward objective. I have been told that they made some in flight decisions as to where they would stop for the night. Hubby's plane is a daylight plane. He doesn't have any landing lights and he found himself landing at 9:00PM, in the dark because of cloud cover at an airport at Lawrence, KS.

Friday morning had them waiting for the short hop back north, again due to strong rain. Afternoon brought them good flight weather and the pilots were able to join the other WWI,WWII and current planes that came to share in the event.

During the very early morning hours Saturday, a popup camper shaking thunderstorm with 70mph winds came through. Prior to sunrise Hubby went out to see if his plane survived the hour long deluge. His heart sank when he didn't find his aircraft tied down where he put it to bed the night before. The Voisin was the only plane to take flight without its pilot in tow. Damage to important parts left the plane not air worthy until  fixed. It was good to have a place to get things patched up even though it took him away from sharing in the festivities of the day.

We expect to have him touch down on home turf come this afternoon. Then we can celebrate his safe return and  another year of being a Dad.

Before I end my post today I would like to wish all the Dad's a relaxing Happy Father's Day with their family and friends...