Sad News

I went last night before it was dark to check on the baby Bluebirds and I am sad to say that they all have died.
So we will try again.....I cleaned out the box and hopefully another pair of Bluebirds will nest in it.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE....

Dads-to-be
Dads
Grandfathers
Great Grandfathers
and if some are still around...the Great, Great Greatfathers

Happy Father's Day-
Barry, Dad F. and Dad J.

The Farm Life!

Since moving up here from the cities and enjoying the country/farm life...Well, I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

The Latest Happenings....

The Garden

Back in May we had tilled, raked, and put up the Greenhouse. Moved small rocks to put around the inside as a border. Then we planted.....Cilantro, Green Beans, Radishes, Onions, Carrots, Peas, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Peppers. Then Barry tilled an area on the other side of the fenced in garden and there we planted Squash and Watermelon. Then behind the barn he tilled up another area where we have planted Sweet Corn and Cucumbers. We watched as everything started to grow. Weren't sure how the soil was going to be for planting. So far the only thing we have down and tilled in is compost manure from the piles that we have. Did a test to see if we had to do anything more. We didn't, but will everything grow? It did! To date: I have just picked the Green onions and the Cherry Belle Radishes. Now I have 2 other types of radishes to plant which I will do shortly.

Baby Birds

Barry and I bought a couple Bluebird boxes because we noticed Bluebirds flying around. I looked online for information for the proper placement of the boxes. We hung them out towards the road on the fence posts that are there. Really the only good location. While Barry worked I watched and checked the boxes pretty much weekly. Thought maybe is wasn't a good location after all. One day I finally looked and a nest was in the process of being built in one box and an attempt in the other. Talk about excited....Bluebirds?! Well, I probably looked in the boxes, at least once a week or longer. I finally noticed small eggs in one box. But they were not Bluebird eggs, because I noticed what kind of birds were flying in and out of the box and they were not Blue. I looked in that trusty bird book and found that the birds nesting were Tree Swallows. Okay...I was a little disappointed but after awhile I got over it and thought of baby birds anyway. Then I noticed that there was a full nest in the other box. Tree Swallows again? Not this time! I started watching little blue eggs appear. Five total. Finally a Bluebird is using the box! An update....Today I went out there and we have Baby Tree Swallows and Baby Bluebirds. I am a little worried though because I noticed that there were all kinds of feathers all over the ground and it looks like something snatched a female Bluebird. If she was the one who laid the eggs, I just hope the father steps up to the plate and feeds them. This box I will keep an eye on. What took the female? Probably a hawk.

The other nest we have is a Robins nest. Dumb bird built the nest where the door opens to the pasture and barn. This is where we bring the horses in and out, to and from the stalls. There are now 3 Baby Robins. The news is when I was going to go out and take a picture of the nest full of the young ones, one of the Babies flew/jumped out. Oops! So Barry and I found it and we were going to put it back. Decided to let it sit on a branch in tree and close to the nest. Should have seen how mad the parents were!! They were dive bombing Barry as he was trying to help the baby bird out. We do have other nests....the Sparrows have all kinds of nest in the barn/garage. Have see some Barn Swallows but haven't see their nesting sights yet.

Flies

Oh how we hate the flies! Not so much us but the Horses. This year we decided to try those Fly Predators. So far it has helped but there are only certain flies these predators eat. So we still have to find a way to control some of the other biting insects. We bought some NASTY smelling liquid stuff (it smells like rotten fish), put in some of that and water in pop bottles with holes at the top and hung them in areas such as the run-in shed. You certainly do not want to touch that smelly stuff. It takes a while to get it off the skin. YUK! We may try to create our own attractant by going fishing and put the fish remains and heads in some water. I knew someone who did that. Seems to attract the flies faster than the way we do it.

Hopefully I will get around to posting some pictures of the Garden and Baby Birds.

Moth Identified!

The picture of the Moth that I posted on June 3rd has been identified as a Cecropia Silkmoth...Thanks to the Montana State University. I did a Google Search and found the site
Butterflies and Moths of North America and made that click. Very neat site if you are looking to identify any Moth or Butterfly that you happen to see.
And if you click on Image Gallery , find the Wild Silkmoth, click on the picture Cecropia Silkmoth and it will give you the scoop about it. Plus if you look at the map of the US, Cass County, MN just got added.
Thank You, Kelly at Montana State for your help.

WooHooo!

Happy Anniversary to Mike and Peg.....38 years

From your Flowergirl!

TOO COOL

The last Thursday which would have been the 31st of May, I had the outside lights on. I kept hearing June Bugs hitting the window and decided to get up and get something to drink. Then this thing kept fluttering near the lights. It was kind of hard to get a good look at it. At first I thought is was a bat because it was THAT big. And I did see some bats fly by but it sure wasn't a bat. It was a Moth, A BIG MOTH!

The next morning I was heading into Brainerd to pick Barry up and when I looked at the front of the house, there it was. When I wanted to get a closer look the Moth opened up its wings. With the wing span it had to have been as big as my open hand. I kid you not!

Now I am trying to identify it.