Fox Haven Journal

Beau May 30th, 2008

This week has been a mix of work and play, especially with family visiting from out of town.  The young boy is excited almost all day long and knows he’s the center of attention this week.  It’s time for baseball to begin this weekend also, and he’s excited about playing again.  Of course in about a month he’ll be standing under the hot sun wondering how long the game will take.  That’s okay, it’s all part of the mix of summer fun.  And school is finally out for the year!  He’s finished first grade now, and I can hardly believe it.  Here’s a nice picture from a recent field trip… I have no idea what kind of butterfly this is, but it was amazing to see so many different species.

I’ve seen a few of our own butterflies lately too.  Monarchs and Swallowtails mostly, but they dart around too fast for me to get a good picture most of the time.  Oh,we might have seen the first fireflies of the year last night!  I always enjoy it when the fireflies come out in June.  Like old friends returning for a visit.

Since I’m posting pictures of unknown insects, here’s another one that the boy found the other day.  He really liked it and was fascinated that when he went to touch it, it made a hissing sound.  I didn’t know beetles could make defensive sounds, so that was interesting.  We’re not sure what it was, but let it go to find some other bug to eat probably. 

The insects are really coming out now in the warmer weather.  And the bees are so active now!  The hive is just buzzing with a flurry of activity and the coming and going of the little guys.  “Make honey!” I tell them, and hope they store a bunch for next winter.

But it’s not all bugs around here, although you might think so when working outside, or in the garden (something is eating our green bean leaves, and we haven’t found out what it is yet!).   But there’s also a lot of nice flowers blooming too, and the roses look wonderful.  Isn’t this one beautiful?  Bugs and roses… sounds like a rock music band!

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau May 29th, 2008

 It’s so nice to see the flowers on a cool spring morning.  As the sun comes up it highlights all the plants, and the light dew just makes everything glisten.  The birds are singing, the air is fresh and it gives one a sense of being alive.  It’s a great time to stay busy as well, and we’ve been mulching the flower beds to keep the moisture in as we head to summer.  This area serves another purpose of giving a little privacy to our house and patio area.  The fields beyond are the neighbors property, and there’s a lot of activity over there.  But it’s nice to have a stretch of flowers that sort of invite you to come closer and stay a while.

  So this is the weather we’ve been waiting for…  cool mornings and the day warms up comfortably to 75-85 degrees (22-25 C).  It sure makes working outside a pleasant experience doesn’t it?  I’m sort of a cool weather person anyway, and really enjoy spring and fall temperatures.  By the time July or August rolls around, the hot and humid days are just so oppressive, and everything slows down.

We have many newer plants to get in the ground still, and there’s always lots of grass to cut.  In a couple weeks it will be time to cut hay and the tractors will be heading up and down the fields.  We only have a few acres of hayfields ourselves, and a local dairy farm cuts and bales it.  We’re happy to let him have it, and it keeps the field cut for us. But for the smaller fields I just cut the grass once a week or so myself.  Some folks in our area try to keep the country fields looking like a suburban lawn, close cropped and manicured.  More and more I think that’s a waste of money, fuel and time.  The grass looks just fine when cut once a week or so, and kept trimmed, and with the price of fuel these days there are better places to put the money.  But I guess if that’s what’s important to someone, then fine.  We all have areas that are important to us.

I enjoy cutting the grass for the most part, and spend about 7-10 hours on various grass cutting machines each week during the growing season.  Lots of trimming with the weed eater too.  Sometimes it’s a slow process especially when using an older tractor to cut the fields.  But it has nice big tires that don’t cut into the grass when the soil is soft, especially on slopes.  With the price of diesel fuel though, maybe a little more speed would help!  Those little zero turn mowers look pretty quick.  Maybe I’ll have to check one out and see if it does okay?

 The other day it was pouring down rain but this little Fox squirrel didn’t seem to mind.  I thought it was just passing by, but yesterday it was foraging near the base of a tree when two little young Fox squirrels ran up beside another one.  They were pretty cute, chasing each other around the tree and staring at me.   When I was younger I used to go squirrel hunting in the forests of Missouri and Arkansas.  Ewww!  I know that may sound strange to some people, but for many people in the midwest and east it’s the same as fishing or even gardening. 

 Most folks don’t hunt the Fox squirrels as much; these prefer open tree areas and farm lands and are, well- a little tough to eat.  But the Gray squirrel lives in the Oak-Hickory forests and is a prize even today for many people.  They are quite wary in the forests, it’s not like hunting squirrels in the park.  I remember going with a friend to his grandmother’s house, and she cooked up a delicious batch of fried squirrel with biscuits and gravy and all kinds of other stuff.  It was amazing.  

• Rural Living , Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau May 27th, 2008

We’ve had so much rain lately that everything goes squish! I will say the grass has come in very nicely this year, especially the areas I’ve planted seed. But the garden plants are hoping for a little more sun and hot weather. More rain today, but after this we may have a good break for a while.

I need to head outside and plant a few more evergreens to grow as a windbreak near the beehives. The bees are doing well, but the windy and rainy weather has also cooped them up a little too. I’m feeding them sugar syrup still and checked on them this weekend. I found the queen in hive #2 looking strong and going up and down a frame of comb. I couldn’t find her in hive #1, but the bees in both hives had built out new comb on almost half the frames in the lower hive body already. On some frames they had even put up honey as well. It’s amazing how fast they work and build the wax comb.

The beehives sit on a southern slope near some oak trees. They get a lot of sun during the day, but also some afternoon shade. We’ll see how the location works out for these two. I’m not sure if it’s the best spot, but I really like them here.

Even though I didn’t see the queen in the #1 hive, it looked like everything was fine. The bees had built a little filled comb in wider space near the top, not quite on a frame. So I scraped it off and saved it for the boy and we had a taste of honey! I’ll check on their progress again next week and by then we will have much warmer weather each day. There are a lot of flowers blooming now, so the bees won’t lack for pollen or nectar.

Otherwise we’ve been clearing a lot of brush along the fencerows. The tree branches really grow and overhang too much if you let them. Every couple of years you have to cut them back as they grow taller, or cut them out altogether. A good chainsaw and a polesaw works wonders. The young boy really helped me out the past few days, and after cutting up the branches we made 4-5 trips with the tractor piled high. It doesn’t look like much but it took hours to finish.

Thank goodness for the tractor and the loader bucket; it’s not big, but it does the job very well. Kind of like having a really large hand to carry and move things around. After making a huge pile behind the barn I stood out in a rainstorm and made a big fire to burn up the brush. Between cutting grass, spreading mulch (and everyone pitching in to clean the house!) those were the big events this weekend as we prepared for a nice visit with family.

• Rural Living , Beekeeping
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Beau May 24th, 2008

We have a few thirsty hummingbirds that visit the feeders each day.  The only resident species here in Missouri is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  The female in this picture seems to take turns with the male at the feeder many times during the day.  In a few weeks there will be young hummingbirds flying all around, and then it’s like a festival at the feeders with little birds zooming everywhere.   

It’s hard to believe these little birds migrate all the way to Mexico and Central America.  It doesn’t seem possible for an animal that weights 1/8 of an ounce, but their tiny hearts beat faster than 4 times each second while resting and more than 20 times per second while flying and feeding.

• Birds
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Beau May 22nd, 2008

Isn’t it strange how fast everything grows?!  A little rain and warm weather and we find ourselves in a jungle.   Lots of activity these days, especially working hard to get the garden finished up.  This is the first year we’ve had plants in the ground by late April and early May.  The tomatoes were a little nipped by a late frost, but are coming back.  And this year we put up a green fence and posts for peas and beans to climb. Hopefully.  And corn!  I’ve always wanted corn but avoided growing it since it’s so big and kind of messy.  This year with grocery prices we figured what the heck, and planted a bunch all over.  

It doesn’t look like much, but this is about half of the garden.  It’s small as country gardens go, and the rows are only about 20-25 feet long.  But the rows are perpendicular to the sloping hillside that leads to the pond.  This way the water doesn’t race across and wash everything out.  I’ve planted a few surprises around the corners this year, so we’ll see what happens. Now I’m wondering, if we’re trying to keep the bunnies out, why do we have that cute little bunny sign?!

I think the raccoons are going to be regular visitors.  Otherwise let’s see… we’re trying to grow cucumbers, a dozen tomato plants, eggplant, zuchini, watermelon, peppers and beets.  I’ve wanted beets the past two years and they simply would not grow… or the tops were chewed off by something.  They’re supposed to be the easiest things to grow!  Oh, and we even cut a bunch of potatoes in half and stuck ‘em in the ground.  They’re already up and growing like weeds.  Now if we can keep it watered and relatively weed free, and the little bunny critters away, then maybe we’ll have a chance at a veggie harvest!

By the way, ever see one of these critters before in the picture below?  That little hanging down thingy on the cedar tree is a Bagworm moth cocoon.  The female bagworms crawls up a tree, preferably an evergreen of some kind, and picks apart the needles to make a nice little house.  Then they crawl to a nice cozy place to spend the winter and when spring comes they hang out waiting for the male bagworm moth, who actually flys around.  They two of them do their thing together and then all kinds of little bagworms crawl out over the whole dang tree.  Since the needles are green when the little bagworms make their cocoons they are hard to see at first. 

It would be kind of neat except they practically denude the whole thing!  They can really damage and even kill a tree or shrub, so they have to be controlled.  We didn’t pay close enough attention last year and had small spruce trees and juniper bushes that were covered in them.  We literally pulled several hundred bagworms off the plants filling up two milk jugs and then disposed of them. I don’t like spraying chemicals, but I had to treat the pine trees to make sure they survived.

If you notice the worms before they make the little bag cocoons you can just spray them directly.  This year I haven’t seen many yet, but when I do I tug the cocoon off the branch.  Oh, and if you just throw it on the ground, the little worm will poke its head out and crawl back up a tree!  Nature is pretty amazing sometimes, but I’m not very fond of these guys.  Once they’re in that tough little cocoon they’re like indestructable superbugs. 

This morning on the way to the bus the young one said “Daddy look! The clouds look like the ocean!”  That was a pretty good observation.   They looked like storm clouds at sea, ominous and rolling quickly through the sky as a front passes.  It rained briefly this morning, but not as much as you would think from the picture.  That was okay by me. But then it poured and poured. 

• Rural Living , Science , Gardening
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Beau May 20th, 2008

The wind was really blowing the past weekend, and the grassy fields looked like an ocean of waves.  We were up early spreading mulch around trees and shrubs.  I came upon a solitary daisy in the field.  It looks like a common variety of asters, but it makes me wonder how it ended up in the field.  Dandelions are supposed to be very good for the bees, especially in early spring.  But rather than thousands of the yellow little blossoms, I would much prefer some more of these!  But what do I know, apparently the bees don’t take as much pollen or nectar from asters compared to other flowers.

On the subject of the bees, I checked on them this past weekend.  The queens were out and about, and the bees were building new honeycomb for the queen to lay eggs.  So far so good, although until yesterday it was so windy I was concerned about how they were doing.  But nature seems to just do fine, and as the wind calmed and the day warmed up they were coming and going. 

We checked our apple trees and found apples growing!  The bad news is that on one tree all the blossoms dropped off, and on this one only four apples were developing.  I remember when they were in full bloom, I didn’t hardly see a bee or insect on the apple flowers.  It was also very cool and windy during the early spring bloom, so perhaps they were not pollinated successfully.  We also had a light frost that may have caused the drop, but maybe still we’ll have an apple or two by fall.

Lots to catch up with these days, but really are we ever “done” doing anything?  So much of life is just a journey from one project or phase of growth to another.  My nature likes to find completeness with things, often very quickly.  But my nature has little to do with Mother Nature, for which completeness is a varying transition from one state of being to another.  In our rush to and fro I sense the irony of it all in the grass and weeds that grow, and the trees that sway in the wind heavy with leaves that will begin falling before I can finish my little list of projects. 

We orient our lives around the rhythm of the seasons, trying to join a cadence that fits.  Eventually I find myself sighing deeply, throwing up my hands with a knowing smile, and joining the flow to embrace what simply is.  I watch the birds dart around the trees, and the dogs chasing each other.  I marvel at the energy of a boy testing himself and chasing imaginary creatures. I see the bluebirds catching insects and watch a fish rise to the surface of the pond.  I see flowers bloom and fade, sharing a few days or weeks for the year as they slowly grow. 

I look at trees that have fallen over in the wind seemingly too soon, because I was not yet ready for them to leave.  And I think of family and friends that have left in much the same way.  Sometimes acceptance is a difficult thing, but if we don’t embrace what is, then I think we hinder so much in our own lives.  For me life is about growth and managing change.  I’m constantly trying to manage the growth and change that occurs right around me from an external viewpoint.   Of course that’s not really what I mean.  Everything about that external context is part of my journey too, and it’s really about managing the growth and change within.

• Reflections , Gardening
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Beau May 17th, 2008

 I was walking along minding my own business when I was dive-bombed by a Bluebird.  They had been  rearing young in the nest boxes, and as I looked down I found this little guy sitting in the grass.  Another fledgling was in the garden a few feet away.  Very strange because they couldn’t even fly yet.  I left them alone and when about my business. 

Later that evening as the sun dipped below the horizon, I found another one near the door of the barn, all alone.  Not a Bluebird adult in sight and that one looked even more pitiful.  I usually leave wildlife alone knowing that nature knows much better about how to take care of itself than I do, but we were due for cold and heavy rain that night and I had a feeling the little guy wouldn’t make it.  So I plunked him back in the nest box near the garden.  He (she?) hopped right in and looked at me hungrily.  I said goodnight, and the next day checked the box again.  The bird was gone.  Maybe it’ll grow up around here with the others. 

There are quite a few Bluebirds flying about the grass now, eating crane flies and other morsels, with the little ones hopping and flying about.  I love how they eat so many bugs.  Of course I wasn’t too thrilled with the Phoebe’s the other day- they were perched above the beehives snacking on my new workers!

• Birds
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Beau May 14th, 2008

A nice day today, without rain.  Started cloudy and cool and then warmed up beautifully.  We walked to make the bus for school through the wet grass, with the yellow lab running around us.  As we waited, playing catch with a newspaper, the lab decided to find a comfortable spot in the tall grass and settle down.  He’s becoming more independent as well as comfortable with the world around him.  He was happy just to lay here in the grass and wait until the walk home.

In many ways the seven year old is the same.  I find myself looking for opportunities that our son can use to stretch his own independence.   The boy runs around finding interesting things to play with in nature, climbing trees, riding his bicycle, collecting rocks.  When he comes home from school he loves to watch one particular cartoon, and will sit in front of the tv if allowed.  But he loves being outside as well, and comes out pretty quickly to play and follow me around.  He watches and helps me with various projects when he can.  

After the windstorm the other day, we worked together staking nine little trees.  It’s not always my nature to think of ways to involve him, but I’m getting better.  I’m a “do-it-yourselfer” most of the time, and just move from one project to another trying to keep up with things that need done.  But as our son grows I want to share knowledge and find opportunities to involve him and help him learn.

I’ve been watching an interesting show tonight on PBS about kids growing up while living closer to nature versus in a suburban environment.  Did you see it?   Paraphrasing one of the themes:

“The kids growing up over the last twenty years see nature as an abstraction. Something “out there” apart from their own lives.  And that fosters a disconnection with the natural world.”

One of the reasons I love living in the country is to be able to maintain that connection with the natural world.  To live it, touch it and be part of the changing of the seasons.   We thought it important somehow that our son have the opportunity to experience this lifestyle, while balancing the modern world’s tools of technology and communication.

What young child isn’t fascinated with tadpoles?  He loves to play by the water, and always seems to find neat stuff.

But that’s also the challenge in many ways.  As a society we have evolved and are continuing to change very quickly. Kids today are challenged to adapt and are faced with countless choices involving what I call technological literacy.  Certainly basic reading and math literacy is critical as a foundation, but I also believe that technological literacy is something that can empower and leverage an individual’s life and choices in a myriad of constructive ways.   I think that tech literacy must reach a point where a child recognizes the benefits as well as learns the limits of the technology they will use in life, and that it’s really just another set of tools.

Personally I have run the gamut of being an early adopting tech addict years ago, to managing thousands of the most advanced computers and communications equipment in the world, and now back to being a simple user of technology in a way that expresses creativity and helps me keep up at home.  I feel like I’ve come full circle, and have heard the same from others.  I’m still tempted by new-fangled gadgets, but weigh the cost of owning and using them not only in dollars, but also in time.  Time seems to become more precious in many ways, and I am thankful to have time to do what is necessary each day.

But I always come back to nature, or what I see as “real” with the world around us.  Perhaps as a way to find a centered place within, and a foundation of being well grounded. I fear losing the connection with nature and what is real.  Somehow the spirit of the living and the energy that exists in nature are like healing waters that a metaphorical fountain brings forth.  When we work and take part in the natural world we touch our roots, and renew the bonds of life that exists between the human species and the living world.  

So where our son is concerned, a lot of it has to do with me. I have always sought a rural lifestyle, and a chance to learn and practice basic skills of living and self sufficiency.  I like that about living here.  But at times I wonder if the boy isn’t missing out with many of the various activities that a suburban lifestyle might offer.

We do try to involve him in typical activities such as baseball and scouting.  And he has the run of ten acres of land, joining more land in the area.  But driving to town takes a few gallons of gas round trip, so it’s not something we do routinely without a reason.  There are no nearby places to go and interact with others unless we get in the car and make the trip.  So he does miss different aspects of living in society such as a suburban area with parks full of other kids.  For all those who live in this area, it’s just the way it is.

Thankfully he has a full school day and a district that believes strongly in physical activity.  They usually have three recess periods to work off excess energy (or catch up on work not quite finished).   By the time he gets home he needs a break, but is then ready to head outside and play again.

I know as he grows up he will have the opportunity to experience far more than we see here at home anyway. In that regard I’m not worried about what he may miss for a few years.  To see him run and play, discovering new critters, finding cool rocks or snail shells to collect, shouting and screaming at imaginary creatures, all are things that I believe help create a balance and ability to find a centered place within himself which he will carry for the rest of his life.

I don’t know if that makes any sense, but it’s where I am.  I have this sense that he needs this in his life, and that many years from now he will reflect on it and find satisfaction and strength in his experience.  Certainly all parents must make choices that they believe best for their children.  There are times in our lives that we are fortunate to have the ability to make certain choices, where others may not.  For however long we are here, I am thankful for our experience. 

• Rural Living , Education , Labrador Retriever , Family and School
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Beau May 13th, 2008

It’s official, this is the wettest spring on record in our area.  At least for the 100+ years that they’ve been keeping records.  I find that amazing, considering the drought we’ve had the past few years during the summer.  Hopefully this summer won’t be quite as dry.  Tonight we’re due for a heavy rainstorm, but hopefully the warmer weather will set in this week. 

I’ve been busy recently preparing for our new arrivals to Fox Haven… we’ve got bees!  Yesterday I received the packaged bees in the mail (yes, via the post office!) and helped them into their new homes with new queens.  I’m a little late in the season putting the bees in hives, but with as cool and wet as the weather has been, it may work out just right.  Depending upon how they do this year, I hope to have another hive or two next year.   It was pretty fun to do, and was a beautiful 75 degree day for the bees to move into their new homes.

Some more experienced beekeepers do this without protective gear on, but I’m a newbie beekeeper and prefer not to deal with welts on my face or hands right away.   The bees were not really upset at all, but I’m a little clumsy and squished a few by accident.  They weren’t very happy about that, but in each package there’s more than 9,000 bees. I was pleased that very few had died in transit in the packages.

But while installing one of the packages, the bees were a little more agitated for whatever reason, and I worked in a cloud of buzzing bees.  Heck I would be buzzing around too if somebody dumped me unceremoniously in a box!   But this package was much quieter, and the bees settled down fairly quickly.  After getting both hives together with some sugar syrup to feed them, they were pretty quiet and settled in for the evening.

Here’s a picture of the wooden queen cage with the queen and some workers inside.  Hard to get a picture of just the queen, but she was in there running around.  The white stuff to the right is a gooey candy material that provides some food for the queen, and a block to prevent the other bees from getting in and hurting her.  There’s actually a cork too that must be removed. 

When they ship the bees, they are from different hives than the queen, so they must all get to know each other.  Over the course of a few days they will become familiar with her scent and eventually chew through the candy material and let her out, hopefully accepting her into the hive.

It’s neat to watch them, and in a few days I’ll check and see how they are doing with the new queens.  I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they turn into productive hives.  We probably won’t take honey from them this year to make sure they have enough to get through next winter.  But I may not be able to resist a frame or two in late summer if all goes well.  So begins the journey of keeping bees! 

• Rural Living , Beekeeping
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Beau May 11th, 2008

The wind is really blowing today, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have sustained loss and damage during the storms since yesterday.  The electricity flickered on and off here as the wind blew and blew.  Sometime during the night we lost one of our oak trees by the pond.  I liked this tree because it leaned out a little over the water, providing some shade off a southern slope.  But the base of the tree had a small cavity and I always wondered how long it would last.  It was still growing nicely, but with the saturated soil the wind just plowed it over, along with a few smaller landscape trees I had planted.

I guess I’m thankful this one didn’t fall straight in the water, and I can cut most of it up for firewood now.  But it’s going to be here a while since my list of things to do is growing longer rather than shorter. Maybe we’ll plant a new small oak between the two cedars just above the waterline?

One of our Dogwood trees has flowers tinged with pink this year.  They are really pretty, but it’s strange because they’ve just been a little different shade of white in the past.  Is this a different variety or the effect of different soil conditions?  I don’t know, but I like them this way.

I also really like Iris flowers in spring.  They grow and bloom almost anywhere, and in a few years you have masses of them growing together.  It seems like once started, they’re actually hard to get rid of.  They grow in the gravel driveway, in ditches and even in the yard at times.  And the tuberous roots help stabilize the soil once they’re established.  But it’s a beautiful flower to carry the spirit of spring through the season.

• Rural Living , Landscapes
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