Fox Haven Journal

Beau July 25th, 2008

This year is so different from the last, especially in the amount of rainfall we’ve had.  Even with a cooler, wet spring we expected the summer to become very dry as in previous years.   And for a while it was, but now we’re actually going on for a third day of rain and cool temperatures in the last week of July. 

A Canna leaf is covered by drops of rain.

The cool is so refreshing and the ground is saturated once again in mid-summer.  And unlike years past, the pond is actually full!  In most years at this time the water is nearly five feet down.  I wonder if this will increase the populations of fish and other aquatic life?

In late afternoon the summer landscape is often painted in light and shadow.

 The plants and trees also benefit greatly from the moisture. We’ve probably lost 5-6 smaller oak trees in recent years from drought stress and insect damage.  Yet perhaps this year’s rainfall will help many of the rest.   And usually by this time of summer we don’t need to cut the grass nearly as much as it dries out and turns brown.  Now it’s still green and growing.  

With the moisture fostering grass and flower growth, I think the bees will find more pollen and nectar available throughout summer and early fall.   We haven’t seen such an abundance of wild blackberries before, due both to the bees as well as the rainfall this year.  They’re not very large as blackberries go, but “they make good eatin!”

• Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau July 8th, 2008

The month of July in Missouri is a lot of things.  Good things like tomatoes, barbeques, cooler mornings and maybe a few rainstorms if we’re lucky.  And then there’s the other things… the heat and humidity, weeds and trimming, and tons of insect critters that find their way into everything, usually leaving us itchy reminders to deal with.

I guess the bees fit that insect category, but they’re pretty neat to have around.   Unlike a few other critters such as ticks and chiggers.  Now I’m sure the peskier bugs serve some functional purpose for the web of life in our evironment.  But there’s times I wish they would serve that purpose somewhere else!  If you’re going to live in the country however, you have to take the good with the bad, and I’m learning that the good far outweighs the bad over the course of time.  

It’s not hard to appreciate our pollinators though.  Those amazing bees that go buzzing around and help us grow our fruits and vegetables.   Isn’t this a cool looking bumblebee?  This one is working a lavender plant, darting from flower to flower. 

And did you know that bumblebees are the primary pollinators of our tomato plants?  I’ve seen them all over our tomatoes, but I didn’t realize until recently that the way bumblebees pollinate tomato plants is through sonification.  The bumblebee pulls the tomato flower down to a vertical position, and vibrates their wing muscles at a certain frequency after which the tomato flower pollen falls out of pores in the anthers.  When the pollen falls down, it sticks to the bumblebees fuzzy body and, oh by the way, the bumble just happens to be rubbing that same fuzzy pollinated body against the tomato flower stigma, and because of his fuzzy little travels, voila! pollination from one flower to another occurs.   I think of bumblebees with appreciation every time I eat a tomato!

Here’s another important pollinator below, but it’s not a bumblebee.  Instead this is a Carpenter bee about to dive headfirst into a hydrangea flower head.  Carpenter bees are not thought of very highly because of the tunneling damage they can do to wooden beams, decking and the wood in houses and barns.  Yes, they actually bore holes and tunnels in wood!  We see them around here, but I’m not sure where they are nesting. Sometimes you see the male buzzing up and down in a certain area, seemingly harassing you if you try to walk by.  That’s just his way of protecting his territory or a nest nearby, but he’s actually harmless and can’t sting.  Not very fun to have a big buzzing critter zoom at you however.

But our other favorite pollinators are the honeybees of course.  Our two hives appear to be doing just fine, although one is a lot stronger than the other in terms of the number of bees around the hive.   And yesterday there were hundreds of bees clustered outside the hive.  Are they getting ready to swarm?  Fanning to cool the hive?  Just new bees getting outside for some fresh air!?  I don’t really know, but with lots of space in two relatively new hive body supers, I think they’re just staying cool.  They have quite a bit of shade under some oak trees, but it has been very hot and humid lately.

The other hive which is weaker didn’t have many bees hanging around outside however.  In both hives, the bees were coming and going just the same, and working flowers around the property.  It’s interesting to see the differences though, and I’ll be opening the hives up sometime the next week to see what else I can find out.

• Seasons , Science , Beekeeping
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Beau May 8th, 2008

Watching spring unfold is engaging in a subtle yet exciting way. Each day there are new plants, colors and scents that we forgot about from the year before, or stare in wonder at how fast they are growing. I was amazed to see how fast the oak tree leaves grew last week, and really appreciate the bright green colors. A couple of weeks ago there was so much sky and sun reaching the ground, and now we have shade everywhere.

Here’s another plant with new grown leaves. The leaves are are pretty and the plant will soon have little white berries. But it’s not my favorite by a long shot. Can you guess what this is?

It’s still raining out after two days, but my little boulders of rocks everywhere seem to be working well. Instead of flowing muddy water, the runoff from the rain cascades gently over the rocks almost like a stream, pooling at the bottom and draining steadily out.

It’s not finished yet, but is slowly taking shape.  I’ll be so glad not to worry about the heavy rain as much as before.  The pond has quite a bit of accumulated mud and silt, and maybe I can shovel some of that out this summer.  But the fish and other critters seem to like it just fine the way it is…

• Rural Living , Seasons
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Beau May 4th, 2008

So much to do but thankfully the weather has been very nice lately.  It feels like we could use a little more rain already, but the soil moisture was apparently just right as the local farmers began planting corn and soybeans this weekend.  Several spring flowers are already fading as we transition to warmer weather.   I love the days when you start out the morning in a jacket, and end up working in a t-shirt. 

The redbud trees have been beautiful this year, especially with a few weeks of cooler weather.  But the vibrant pink color of the flowers has begun giving way to new leaves.  So one last redbud picture for the season, and a friendly bee with pollen.  We hope to have lots of bees this year for the garden.

Everything is turning so green, and the grass and weeds are growing almost too fast to keep with. Well I can keep up with the grass, but the weeds usually get the best of me.  After a long day, you just have to take a deep breath and enjoy the last of the day for what it is.

• Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau May 1st, 2008

A break in the wet weather these last few days has really helped with getting some work finished. And we actually had a frost a couple days ago- I was concerned about the flowers and trees. But we lucked out and the only damage was to our tomato plants in the garden. And they were covered?! They’ll still grow from the bottom, but the tops were frostbitten in just a few hours.

The flowers and leaves coming out on the trees are amazing, so Happy May Day! The oak trees are almost finished blooming… not something we think about often perhaps, but the flowers, or catkins of this Red Oak tree hang downward shedding a great deal of pollen. The trees sort of shine or sparkle with reds and yellows as the new leaves emerge. This should be a strong year for acorns, and next year as well. And all the critters should have a strong year too as population cycles swing up and down based on the forage available.

Speaking of trees- the Festival of the Trees will be up today and hosted by 10,000 Birds. What a wonderful site, thanks for hosting the festival! Birds have been a passion of mine since youth. I’m waiting to see if the beautiful Summer Tanagers that came by last year will return. I’m not sure where they nest, but they didn’t remain here long. Like the Orioles they seem to pass by on their way to somewhere else. But we have too many wasps around, and the Tanagers can help with that. Now after I get my bees I may feel a little differently… ;)

The wildflowers continue to bloom too, and it seems this year there are more flowers than ever. Maybe from all the rain? Or maybe just my excitement for the season.

I like the colorful blues that Wild Phlox and Birdsfoot Violet provide to the understory. They come and go so quickly it seems, and next week the Bloodroot and May Apples should be flowering.

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I still haven’t found any morels, but maybe it’s just an off year. One of the cub scout families took a class with a “morel expert” and they walked the landscape for an entire day not finding a single one! He said that in very wet years, the morels will grow underground more. Of course we were hiking last weekend and the guy in front of me found a nice white morel on the side of the trail…

• Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau April 20th, 2008

I walk sleepily around early in the morning thinking of the many things I would like to get accomplished.  Knowing full well I’ll come up a little short on my mental list at the end of the day.  There’s something strange about appreciating nature… it tends to foster daydreaming and staring into the forest, the trees, the sky, the water. 

Maybe that’s as it should be, or maybe it’s my addiction. In some ways I’m appreciating the last of the open sky through the trees, the sounds of birds, and the changes sure to come.  Next week and through late October, the leaves will once again wrap the landscape in a blanket of green. It’s a hopeful time, beckoning of warmth and summer. I’m ready for that too.

• Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau April 7th, 2008

Somehow we are reassured with constancy, or at least routine.  Not that I prefer routine mind you, but I appreciate predictability.  It helps frame our experience, or maybe serves as a foundation for other aspects of our lives.  But then again, I’ve always thrived with chaos and change.

The Barn Swallows represent a constant in my life, and predictability as well as strength.  They returned last night.  Funny… at dinner I was musing about when the Barn Swallow’s would return because last year it was on the 7th of April… today.  Or at least that’s when I noticed them last year.

But then after dinner I went out to clean up a few things and as I sat gazing at the sky, our feathered friend swooshed overhead!  I thought I was seeing things, but then the other swallow of the pair flew by and I smiled, yelling “Welcome back!” to these fleet birds intent on their mission.  I marveled at their speed and hurried pace.  The day had been warm and insects were emerging everywhere.  So the swallows were having their supper.

How do they fly to South America in late summer and back here 6-7 months later to arrive on about the same day?   This morning I took the young boy to meet the bus, and we watched the swallows flying low over the fields.  Returning to the house, I saw one perched above the roof, preening and enjoying the morning sun after a long journey.  It looked at me briefly and then away.

I wondered what was different along the journey that the barn swallow may have encountered, and what might be different here.  We are different perhaps, and then we are also the same.

I love the chaos and change that seasons represent, and yet too their predictability.  We’ve had our share of dynamic weather, and yet the seasons, the birds, the morning sunshine -  all are new, and all flows as one.

• Reflections , Birds , Seasons
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Beau April 5th, 2008

While walking through the backyard and garden the other day I heard a loud humming, droning noise.  It was a contant, steady noise and I realized it must be insects, but where…   and then I felt silly after looking at the large Pussy Willow tree.  It was blooming earlier than any other tree or plant, and covered in yellow white flower heads.  Thousands of bees, flies and other insects were all over the tree, but mostly the bees.  I keep thinking about getting a beehive…  The day was one of the first warm days of spring, and the insects had emerged with the sun.   I’m looking forward to a few more warm days ahead!

• Passing Thoughts , Seasons
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Beau March 23rd, 2008

A welcome day as the flood waters are receeding in towns across the region, and for Easter of course. This is the earliest time of year that I can ever remember celebrating Easter. The young one awoke with excitement in his eyes to find out what the Easter Bunny may have brought. Finding (and now hiding) Easter eggs is something I remember fondly too. My father used to enjoy hiding eggs around the house, and many family members may have found an egg or two in the old piano. This is now the young boy’s favorite hiding place as well. Another early memory of mine is when our mother baked little Easter cakes for all the boys. I must have been 10 or 11 years old. It was exciting to find your own special cake on Easter!

We colored our eggs yesterday, and the boy was very proud of this one- it turned out blue from mixing other dyes together. Now why the Easter Bunny takes our colored eggs out of the refrigerator and hides them is a question we just haven’t answered yet.. :)

We awoke to light snow this morning, but it quickly melted. You can just see a little on the top of the stump which was under water a few days ago. This is the normal “full” level for the pond, until summer sets in with less rainfall. A couple of male Wood Ducks are enjoying time to forage in the shallows nearby.

• Birds , Seasons , Family and School
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Beau March 21st, 2008

Spring is finally here as we eagerly await the warmer days.  Yet so much rain has fallen in the region this week that many areas are still expecting flooding today and tomorrow.  By next week all is forecast to return to normal, but it’s always amazing how fast nature can change our lives.  The animals and birds just “are” and each day is one of gathering, building… living.   We are not so different.

Today this Tufted Titmouse has been working at the last of the suet I put out for the woodpeckers.

A Rufous-sided Towhee stopped by for a visit the other morning.  They must head south in the fall because this is the first one I’ve seen or heard in quite a while.

We enjoyed the first sunset of spring yesterday.  I never tire of watching the sun fade behind the trees, or over the horizon at sea.

• Birds , Seasons
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