A Walk In The North Field - Part 2

The dogs and I had walked across the north field to the fence line, then crossed it and began exploring (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

I noticed a steep but otherwise easy path downhill into the woods, so down we went. There was still some snow lingering down there in the shade:

But there was also some greenery which had kept its color beneath the snow all winter. This, I believe, was Christmas Fern:

Seamus, Clover and Daphne led the way:

We skirted the snow patches, headed east toward an old farm lane:

Most everything was still brown, but it made for easier walking:

And then I found another green fern. This one, I believe, was Broad Beech Fern:

More greenery - a lush clump of moss:

We returned uphill to the field and crossed back through the fence. Jack had by then wandered off but came running full speed when I called for him:

And we began returning home, with the barn and farm house ahead of us as our goal:

Happy dogs, making their way back across the field (Jack is that tiny orange thing in the upper right hand corner):

When we got to the gravel town road, the mailman was just driving by, so I stopped the dogs long enough to let him get past us. Then we crossed the road and returned home:

A Walk In The North Field - Part 1

Nothing much was green yet, but we had a pleasant afternoon, so I took the dogs for a romp in the north field:

They ran and played, pooped and peed:

And we set off across the field, headed for the fence line on the north border of the field:

But there was a lot of exploring and playing along the way. The dogs were definitely not into moving in a straight line:

The two Poodly Boys, Seamus and Fergus, were hanging out together:

And then we'd all come together again - except for Jack, who always has his own agenda:

Just ahead was the fence line. Clover got there first, then ran back and forth along the fence:

I own the brushy woodland on the other side of the fence, but we seldom go there because Seamus can't get through the fence wires:

So we walked along the pasture side of the fence line:

First we walked west, then we turned back toward the east, always keeping near the fence:

I eventually decided to help Seamus through the fence so we could explore. As you can see, that made him very happy:

The dogs played around the big rocks, but there was still a lot more exploring to do. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Happy Dogs In The North Field

It was a cold day, though the temperature had risen to above freezing and things were mostly thawed by afternoon. Most of the beautifully colored autumn leaves had fallen, yet it was still so lovely that I decided to take the dogs for a romp in the north field. They were excited:

Jack ran in big circles while the other dogs explored:

Jack continued to run and the other dogs stayed close enough for me to relax and take in the autumn scenery:

Fergus began leaping across the grass while Daphne pooped. Actually, there was a whole lot of pooping going on:

And peeing too. Fergus couldn't find a tree nearby so he lifted his leg on blades of grass:

We were walking toward the north and the sun was to our backs, ideal for picture taking. The dogs began to explore farther and faster:

Jack and Seamus ran all the way to the northwest corner of the field, looking mighty handsome beneath a red leafed tree:

And then we began following along the northern fence line, heading to the east:

This is a fun stretch of field for the dogs and usually they run under the fence to play on the other side. This time, though, they stayed on the pasture side of the fence:

I was happy to see old Seamus running freely. I like knowing he's having fun and getting exercise in his old age:

Clover and Daphne finally slipped under the fence to go exploring. Fergus knew I wouldn't like that and looked back guiltily:

I did indeed call them back and we continued on our way along the fence line. But it was time to return to the house and Clover led the way at a full run. It was a short walk, but invigorating and with beautiful scenery:

Flowers Galore, Flowers Everywhere!

Just when I thought the flower season was about over, the pink Rose Mallows burst into full, gigantic bloom:

And then, about five days later, the red Rose Mallows began to bloom also:

They are planted up on a rise and next to the county road, where they draw a lot of attention by passersby:

And right next to the Rose Mallows are the two new Morden Roses. This one is Morden Sunrise:

And this one is Morden Blush:

Wildflowers bloomed too, including these Common Mallows at the south end of the barn:

And Lady's-Thumb Smartweed, also at the south end of the barn:

All other Day Lilies seem to have quit blooming, but these wild type are mixed in with my Peonies and are blooming with astoundingly vivid colors:

Not all flowers, however, are welcome. In spite of having been cut down twice, Many Canada Thistles are flowering in the pasture and along the fence line:

I was working on the electric fence and kept seeing these odd wildflowers. They were minuscule flowers with long "fingers" at the top of the plant:

I got a closeup of the flowers and buds to help me identify them when I got back to the house. At first I gave up, finding nothing like them, but then changed my mind and restored them from my Trash file to an active photo file. I finally identified them as Willow-Herb:


Unfortunately, I could tell which species - until I realized the obvious by looking at the bottom leaves. These were Purple-Leaved Willow Herb, a plant I'd never noticed before:

Around The Farm, The All Botanical Version

The fence line is a jumble of wild plants and, in some places, quite beautiful. At this spot, the Wild Cucumber vines were in full bloom and Goldenrod added color to the jumble of wildflowers. The gravel road and north field were in the background:

A few of the Tall Garden Phlox, which I thought had all died, have sprung up and bloomed after all:

The wild Day Lilies bloomed:

And so did the new red Hydrangea:

The Mandarin Honeysuckle I planted last year died, so I planted another one this spring. It has taken off and is growing happily, the secret being to keep it well watered:

Though apples aren't abundant this year, there are still more than I know what to do with. I occasionally pick up a windfall and bite into it:

But I have learned never to do so after first eating the super-sweet plums. The apples are not sweet enough to follow the plums:

The Tree Hydrangea is putting on quite a show this year:

And so it the brand new Morden Sunrise rose bush:

The pink Rose Mallows began to bloom in late summer and were just getting started when I took this picture. You can see the abundance of buds:

The pink variety blooms earlier and has bigger flowers than the red variety:

I have a problem with English Sparrows in my hay loft. They are breeding in there and causing quite a disturbance. They were also gobbling up all the Elderberries, so I quickly snapped a photo before there were none left at all: