September On The Farm

It has been a busy month for the fantail pigeons. The birds who haven't been able to hatch eggs or raise babies for a long time suddenly began doing both. I'd like to credit my new cake pan nests, but I suspect there were other factors as well. Anyway, here are two babies at one day old. Mama needed to be nudged aside:

 Day two:

 Day four:

 Day seven, when the parent was actively feeding the two babies:

 I discovered another nest with a baby in an advanced stage which I hadn't previously noticed. There were several other nests in progress as well. Sadly, not all the babies lived - but most of them did:

 My little bantam hens have had less excitement, though you'd think otherwise if you heard them all clucking and squawking at once. I used to think that meant someone had just laid an egg, but when I checked, there was no new egg. Heaven only knows what they squawk about:

 Their coop has a clean floor and they get their food and water topped off each evening. Their life may be unexciting, but it's safe and comfortable:

 Blue, Remy and Rosella lined up for a photograph when I walked out into the south field. With the bull gone, it is safe for me to walk out there whenever I feel so inclined:

 Lady-Thumb Smartweed is the plant which produces the pink and white flowers. I was perplexed at the tiny, daisy-like flowers but decided that they were Galinsoga parviflora, sometimes called Gallant Soldier. I furthermore decided that the flowers I previously identified as Galinsoga quadriratiata were too big and must remain unidentified, at least until next year:

 My Rose Mallows put on a big show this year, and the Tree Hydrangea did also. They made quite a handsome display:

 I tried hard to kill all the thistles in my pastures, but this one got missed. I decided that it was Bull Thistle even though it was smaller than usual:

 Autumn is harvest time, and when I stopped at these wild grapes I smiled, remembering how mouth puckeringly bitter they were in years past. But I tried them anyway and discovered that these were not bad at all, perhaps because they were riper than what I'd previously tasted:

Around The Farm

The two little horses got to spend a week in the north field, where the grass was almost as tall as they were:

 The horses and cows were happy there, with plenty of grass to eat - but no grain. They are all on a diet:

 Remy always came trotting over for attention when I entered the field. Blue would follow him for most of the way, but he's always leery of being taken by the halter:

 The winds were whipping Remy's tail around while he took a drink of water:

 The little garden I planted is pushing up so many plants now that I have to be careful about weeding it. I planted many new, unusual plants which I might think are weeds. I also think I planted too many things - it's getting crowded in there. The Magnolia, which I thought had died over the winter, is now growing so fast that I realize it's going to have to be moved:

 And I have a warty little friend living in the rocks around the garden:

 What's this? These used to be the flowers of the Bridal Veil Spirea. I can't say they are attractive, but they are interesting:

 Wildflowers abound. Here by a fence post were Northern Bedstraw, Buttercups, Red Clover, Bladder Campion, and - what's that new, small, daisy-like flower?

 I got a close-up and searched in my field guide without success. Then I went to the internet and found that it was in the genus Galinsoga. Then I had to figure out which species, which was difficult but I'm quite sure I finally figured it out. It's Galinsoga quadriratiata, commonly known as Shaggy Soldier:

 The cherry tree was so laden with fruit that I couldn't wait any longer to start eating them:

 I picked a rather large bowlful of the lowest, reddest cherries and ate them fresh, then mixed the remainder with my cereal in the morning. Life is good: