Notes From Around The Farm

Most of this year's apples never developed but two trees near the road seemed to be the exception until these quarter-sized apples began falling off one day. I collected about two thirds of a bucket of them and fed them to the cattle. Of course I drove out into the field on the tractor because I didn't want to be out there on foot with the bull:

And when I started to drive back to the barn, this is the lovely scene which was displayed before me. I am blessed to live with such beauty:

And the morning skies seldom disappoint, a combination of pink and baby blue:

As the sun begins to peek up over the horizon, a golden yellow starts to infuse the pink and blue morning sky:

A pair of pigeons is using one of the new nests I made out of cake pans. They seem to like it:

Ladys-Thumb Smartweed, a member of the Buckwheat family, is growing abundantly near the barn door and the dogs' ramp. It usually has a dark triangle on each leaf but these show only a slight darkening instead of the triangle:

Wood-Sorrel also grows by the dogs' ramp, but beneath the Rugosa roses, where it has lots of shade:


The baby fantail pigeon who was so badly attacked by the adult birds is alive and growing rapidly:

The top of its head still looks terrible, as if there is no skin left there at all. I hope it will heal, but will be happy as long as the bird can live a normal life. So far, things look hopeful:

The bantam hens have reduced their egg laying to about four eggs per day. That's not many, but they were laying more than we could use before, so this is better:

The giant Rose Mallows seem even more giant than usual this year, perhaps because we've had so much rain. I counted 15 stems, each topped with about 7 flower buds. If things continue as they are now, it will be a magnificent display. They are so tightly packed that I think it may be time to split them up in the spring and replant them in more compost:

My Tree Hydrangea lost a limb over the winter but seems to be doing well in spite of it: