Sites of Nature

Today is a day of just plain catching candid shots of nature on the go. This Monarch Caterpillar seemed to be hard at work. Needing to stoke up for the next stage in his life. Found a perfect place in my flowerbed on the "butterfly weed",Asclepias tuberosa, a member of the milkweed family. The Monarch is just one butterfly that seems to enjoy the wild milkweed.This little caterpillar probably won't have time to make it to Mexico with the others. We seem to be having our share of these black, bald scavengers called a Turkey Vulture.We often see groups of two or three. This time of year they are another group of birds that band together and migrate to warmer climes. I am very sure that everyone is seeing abundant populations in your neighborhood riding the thermals as well. Have you ever used the phrase "Busy as a bee" ? Well, truly the bees were busy today gathering some pollen from this "Autumn Joy" Sedum. They won't be caught unprepared for the upcoming winter! The weather has been very pleasant between rains as of late. It has been very enticing to be outside checking things out, just to amble on down the path. ;) Hope all of you are having a bit of time to get out and enjoy your surroundings...

Monarch Butterflies on the Move

I caught the Monarchs packed on the ends of the branches on the oak trees here. Time for them to be moving on down to the Mississippi Delta and over to Mexico. It appears they are on schedule for the yearly migration...As I moved closer to snap pictures, I disturbed the calm atmosphere. Sending a few butterflies to a different limb to perch in the warm rays of the sun.The number of winged wonders made the branches seem to have sprouted orange leaves as they stretched and fluttered during their brief stop to rest.

Iowa Pheasant News

News I have been waiting to hear sounds a bit bleak.The report from the largest Iowa newspaper, huntress Juli Probasco-Sowers, gives us some statistics that are not positive for those sportswomen and men who like to head out after the Ring Necked Pheasant. Iowa Pheasant season is slated for October 25th, 2008 and runs through January 10th, 2009. Last year I noticed a definite population decline in our neighborhood and this year, even though I have heard birds in the area, I only saw a total of three. Maybe not out at the same time they are. Weather has definitely been a stress factor in bird health. With expanding local populations of turkey, predatory animals like coyote and fox can also create a lower number for growth . Any birds that do survive the weather are faced with other challenges for survival. Even though Sadie, who will be six months old on the 18th of this month, won't be on the Pheasant trail this year. We are going to be waiting until next year when she will have some age behind her...and listen to commands a little better. Here's wishing success to all those hunters who are looking to get out after that smart Upland bird the Pheasant! ;)

Turkey Trot

These toms found it pleasing to stop by for a few bugs twice in 12 hours. Hubby caught them yesterday evening on his camera. Tried my amateur turkey calling skill to see what kind of reaction we would get from them. If you watch the video you will hear all kinds of activity going on in the house. It was surprising that all the noise didn't chase them back into the timber sooner than it did. We find each encounter entertaining from day to day...;)

Sadie Says "Meeting the family!"

It all started Friday night, a little before midnight. Somebody was walking into my house that I had not had the opportunity to meet yet. Woke my Mom up with my barking to make sure all was as it was supposed to be. My Dad had left earlier in the day to go to an antique airplane fly-in for the weekend...So, it wasn't him coming in. My youngest two legged sister was bringing my 2 canine nieces and nephew to visit. The humans had plans for a family picture on Sunday. This is the first time since leaving my mom and family in South Dakota that I have been in a doggy group. I really didn't know how to fit in for a bit. Getting nipped a couple of times by the two old ladies gave me a complex...Sorry it took me almost until the time they left to feel like I belonged to "The Pack." Cesar Milan, "The Dog Whisperer", would be proud of us! ;) Followed the group out for a play time in the puddles before they had to get back in the car for the long ride home on Monday morning. I was at a loss when they were gone. Kept checking the room where they stayed while they were here,and went outside to look around where we played. Had a lot of fun being apart of their group.

Guess I will have to get in the car one of these days with Mom and Dad to go visit...

Turkey Times

What a nice start to the Spring Turkey Hunt! This turkey family - Hen and 4 chicks have been constant citizens in the backyard. They travel just outside the line of tall foilage to scratch. The Hen is teaching her babies to forage for food. They all know how to fly for the tree tops as was shown one day after Sadie and I had stirred them out of hiding in the pasture. The first response was a gallop out of the high grass, lifting off to glide gracefully skyward ,only to stop at the tree tops.

Having a few more rounds to make in our walk, we had the opportunity to stop and watch the Hen gathering her chicks from the perches they had risen to a short time before. Barely visible due to the ground cover, she only vocalized at brief intervals, to call the kids back to her side.

This afternoon ,we found this little family, tucked not so silently by the back of the garden. Gliding out of range into the tangle of the timber as we startled them from their hiding place...

Buck Fever

Well folks it has begun! Buck fever is starting here at Timber Life. This guy has been hanging around in the close neighborhood. The same buck I believe I saw with the doe a week ago, in the west pasture. From my vantage point I saw eight points. Got this picture with my Hubby's camera. I had taken my camera with me in the car, and it didn't make it back into the house, because of plans for today. The attempt to go behind the house, to my car in the drive, at the side was almost successful. Freezing in my tracks didn't help this time . He swiftly exited once he got anxious. Checking back in the archives here, I wrote about "Sparring Whitetail Bucks", on October 16,2007 . Wonder if this buck happened to be apart of that bunch? Needless to say , once again that internal - primal awakening is raising the awareness of that rustling sound coming through the brush... ;)

Cloud Tales

The above picture of a curious cloud formation was seen hanging over our west pasture before sunset one evening.We had a night filled with some severe weather in central Iowa, on the evening of August 14th. Here at home we just had lots of clouds, some swift breezes,and eventually some rain. Hubby's Experimental Aircraft Association's monthly meeting was interrupted by a sighted tornado over the city of Marshalltown. It stayed parallel to the clouds,but was visibly rotating. This summer has brought some really pretty evening clouds...or maybe I have seen more of them,because of my increased encouragement to be outside. The clouds in the picture below changed constantly. As did the way the shadows developed as the sun passed from top to bottom as it finally dropped below the horizon. Created a sense of peace and beauty as it slipped silently out of view... ;)

Geese In The Mist

Before 9:00 A.M. today - Sadie and I were given a concert by at least 4 different V's of Canadian Geese flying around treetop looking for a place to set down. The August fog started building around 11:00 last night. The moon made the gradual development over the bean field to above the treetops rather ethereal. The first V came last week on August 6th, a group of approximately 20, flew low over the end of the drive a half mile to the west of the house. Beginning to make me wonder if they are getting started on their way south ,because winter is going to be early this year??? ;)