{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week
A simple, special extraordinary moment.
A moment to pause, savor and remember.
Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Friday's Fences

The young bluebirds line up on the fence posts every morning, as fall draws near.  They chatter and flutter enjoying the morning sunshine.  Soon they will make the decision whether to migrate or stay in the area hoping for a mild winter.

 

joining Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences.

 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week
A simple, special extraordinary moment.
A moment to pause, savor and remember.
Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Friday's Fences

Looking back a couple of weeks, at the intersection of permanent and temporary fencing, the sheep come to water, salt and minerals.  They love to watch the wild turkeys pecking and scratching on the other side.

 

 

joining Life According to Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences

 

Weekly Top Shot

All winter long, the shepherdess/s have been attempting to catch some photos of the cardinals at the feeders.  Many times there have been wonderful opportunities, but no camera within reach.  This fella sat, waiting patiently, in a tree right outside the kitchen window, a watchful eye on the feeder full of sunflower seeds.  He waited until the shepherdess tired of her perch on the step ladder and moved on to her chores, then he quickly flew down and sat happily munching away. 

Score: Cardinals - 15 // Shepherdess/s - 0

joining Madge at The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

A Murder of Crows

After waking up to yesterday's gothic-like weather of constant rain and fog, it was no surprise to hear a very loud flock of birds causing quite a ruckus.  It sounded like they were down in the hollow, but on the way to the old barn to get a load of hay, here they were.

Hundreds of crows literally covered the hayfield.  Many of them were visiting the puddles in the barn lane for a quick drink.

Holding my breath like Melanie Daniels in 'The Birds' (wink), I tried to slowly drive down the lane.  The crows stayed ahead of the ranger, constantly taking off and landing, all the while filling the air with their loud, racous cawing.   Some took to the trees, covering the tops like leaves.

As I got closer to the old barn, the crows flew faster and farther, heading down in the woods towards Wolf Creek.  By the time I backed up to the old barn doors to load hay, only a few remained in the tops of the trees... still scolding me loudly for disturbing their great gathering of crows.

If you haven't had a chance to see Nature's 'A Murder of Crows', please do so.  It is fascinating.  You will observe crows in a whole new manner.  You can watch it on-line here.

Turkey Crossing

Samson has been quite entertained by the wild turkey family coming and going through the pastures.  We must admit it's a lot of fun watching them puzzle things out... back and forth... over, under and through the fences. 

Early Morning Visitors

Weekly Top Shot



 All this week we've been watching two sweet fawns and their mamas almost every morning

Joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot 

Remnants of Isaac

As if in answer to prayer, the remnants of Isaac arrived late Saturday afternoon and settled in with a steady rainfall that began to re-fill the cistern at the barn which had run dry.

Then just as the rain began to clear late Sunday afternoon, we were treated to the sight of two flocks in the graveyard field... our lamb flock and a large flock of wild turkeys.  The turkeys have spent a lot of time in the pastures this year.  It's nice to see so many of the little ones have escaped the fox.   It is a joy to watch them, and we're thinking that they might help with parasite load. 

We're heading to the barn early today.  We're scoring the lambs and then separating the ram lambs from the ewe lambs.  The 'kids' are growing up.

Weekly Top Shot

~ sunrise ~

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Weekly Top Shot

This little fledgling (tree sparrow?) baby bluebird somehow flew to the pickup tailgate during morning chores.  Then miraculously made it to a nearby tree. 

Joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

Weekly Top Shot

This young robin was busy turning leaves over looking for bugs and (I think) water... before pausing to give me the eye. 

joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

Bird Watching

Although a very busy weekend, it was almost impossible to ignore all the wild bird activity... 

a Purple Finch and its mate visiting the platform feeder outside the dishwashing window... 

a pair of Bluebirds guarding their territory in the late evening light...

some Barn Swallows took turns standing guard...

while others were waiting to be fed...

and not one... but two Pileated Woodpeckers treating us to a yard side visit.

While we were enjoying the glimpses of wild bird life between chores, Barncat Davita found it a challenge to get anywhere, moving at a very slow pace, crawling on her belly a few steps at a time while she was being dive-bombed alternately by Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows.  Apparently she has a very bad reputation in the bird world.  And then it was nearly impossible to ignore Barncat Spot's bizarre behavior, as she spent her entire Sunday afternoon on this rafter, obsessively watching one corner of the barn roof; a corner where, try as we might, we could find nothing to warrant all this attention.

You know... honestly... it's never dull around here.

Weekly Top Shot

linking with Madge at The View From Right Here for the Weekly Top Shot and A Rural Journal for Your Sunday Best

please don't forget to comment on Wednesday's post before 8 p.m. today- it's a give-away!

Almost Summer

After weeks of seeing relatively few deer, mostly bucks and yearlings, they are back out in full force and new life seems to be everywhere. During the last week, our family has come upon a fawn hidden between fence rows, ran over one with the hay mower which miraculously was unhurt except for a very small cut on its leg, carried a very shaky newborn out of the road and up a bank and almost hit one while brush-hogging. When a mama deer tells her fawn to stay put... it stays put! We are so glad all these encounters had happy endings.

In other news, our haymaking season has begun.  Saturday was a beautiful day to get the first 215 bales in the barn.  The two frosts and snow we had in April really set the broad-leaved plants back and our yield was significantly lower than last year.  We're hoping for some good grass-growing summer weather and a thick second cutting.  We are so thankful for family that helped... from the mowing, tedding, raking, baling, stacking, unloading and more stacking...all the way down to the littles who cut up tomatoes and mushrooms for the meal that Mom and Lena had ready when the field work was finished.  We are blessed.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Closer to Spring

Slowly but surely we are inching closer to spring ~ the maple tree buds are swelling and  so are the daffodils.  The roadside wildflower coltsfoot are popping out and beginning to bloom.  The cardinals' springtime dance has begun ~ with first a glimpse... a glance... a flit... and a flutter.

In just one short week, it will be official... it will be spring!