Fox Haven Journal

Beau July 27th, 2008

We’re on the way to mid-summer and after all the rain it’s so nice and green!  And hot! And humid!  Ah, but with all the growing things we have lots of butterflies around.  Sometimes I don’t see them and wonder where they are, and then I’ll start noticing them everywhere.   That intentional thought thing perhaps. 

Have you ever been interested in a particular kind of car, and then for the next 3-4 days you see them everywhere?! 

And I saw a fox yesterday for the first time this year.  They’re always around, but we don’t see them often.  I didn’t have the camera, but the fox was running along the dam toward the woods.  I thought, “What’s Kuma doing down at the dam?  Wait… that’s not Kuma, that’s a fox!”  It quickly disappeared into the woods.   If you like dogs, you can read about our indefatigable Kuma here.  He really does look like a fox!

Speaking of foxes, our cat Princess has always been wary, but even more so it seems since Sparky left us last month.   We’re not sure, but he may have encountered a fox or coyote one night.  He still made it home amazingly enough, but something bit into his hind quarters.  He spent almost a week with a veterinarian, but in the end he couldn’t be helped.   There are lots of predators about, which indicates a healthy biodiversity in the area.  But sometimes it’s a little too close to home.  And yes, we let cats run around outside most of the time.  It’s a rural lifestyle, and the cats love to be outside. They also help keep mice and moles away. 

Of course the only predators I see chasing butteflies is the yellow lab.  Sometimes he’ll see one on the ground, stalk it slowly and then lunge at it.  He doesn’t catch them, but has a goofy look on his face that seems to imply it’s just for fun. 

One of our more common butterflies is the Giant Swallowtail.  These guys are fast but don’t seem to mind letting you get a good look at them.  

Now I’m not trying to make this ”the insect blog” or anything, it’s just that there are so many around right now!  It’s not too difficult to get a picture of a butterfly on the ground, but to catch one in flight was another story. 

This guy was more like a “flutterby” as he danced around quickly in circles.  I probably took 30 pictures to get this one in focus.  I wonder if there are any aerodynamic lessons to learn from butterflies? 

I know that throughout the world butterfly “souvenirs” can be found in many cities.  Which is not necessarily a good thing, especially if some of the species are threatened due to habitat loss or overcollection.  But some of the collections for sale are amazing in the diversity of species and colors.  Collecting insects is generally a fine hobby and quite educational.  I remember taking an entomology class years ago and amassed quite the collection of creepy crawlies.  Not sure what happened to it, but that’s probably a good thing!

And if you’ve read this far, it’s well past time to say thank you for visiting.  I appreciate if you have time for a comment, but if you’re just passing by, that’s okay too.   Sometimes blogging can be discouraging when it seems like one is “writing into the wind” so to speak.  But as Ron has found, there are many wonderful “lurkers” out there… good people that stop by for reasons we may never know or understand.  I’m glad Ron’s back at it…   I don’t know how long I’ll continue to write or share pictures, but hopefully we’ll continue the journey for a good while.

We’re off on a traveling adventure this week and I may or may not get a chance to post.  There are so many other wonderful blogs out there and I’m really amazed and humbled with the stories and relationships that blogging fosters.   And yes!  Next week we’ll be posting the Festival of the Trees.  See you soon.

• Reflections , Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Science
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Beau July 18th, 2008

This must really be “bug week” because I find myself taking pictures of all sorts of insect critters.  Maybe they’re too easy and I’m not being creative enough. But the Japanese beetles are still filling up plastic bags and we’re trying to keep the pests out of the garden.  And the moles!  I haven’t found a good deterent for them, although the cat sometimes ends up with one.  

I actually watched some lettuce plants wobbling back and forth as a mole tunneled underneath the other day.  They love to eat worms and grubs, but maybe tender roots as well?  All I know is their tunnels leave the roots without soil and water, and the plant will die if you don’t reseat them in the soil.  Some wiser folks have said that castor bean oil is a good deterrent so we may try that.  The metal mole traps are simply too cumbersome and unreliable for me to work very well.

I haven’t seen any Monarch caterpillars on our milkweed plants, but maybe that’s because these Tussock Moth Caterpillars keep devouring the milkweed.  I saw one of the plants chewed to the ground and then found these guys working on the next one.  Looks like a hungry football team lined up at the buffet!

And the little guy below was too cute to pass up.  My unscientific name is “Brown Fuzzy Caterpillar.”  What it really is I have  no idea, but isn’t it funny how the “cute” ones seem acceptable, but the “ugly” ones we get rid of?  I’ve pulled some big green hornworms off the tomato plants and the yellow lab likes to play with them.  I think he actually eats them… uh, yuck?! (there’s a close up of the Tussock Moth Caterpillar from last year at that link too).

But this ”BFC” wasn’t eating leaves or doing anything it seemed.  Maybe he was looking for a place to make a chrysalis?

After today I’ve got to find some new material that doesn’t involve bugs.  Unless they’re really neat looking or something.  Or involve bees.  Or, well… let’s just see what happens. 

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Gardening
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Beau July 14th, 2008

Beautiful weather this week with cool mornings and warm days.  So different from previous year’s drought that many plants and flowers are still blooming.  Hard to believe we’re in the middle of July already.  But I’ve heard the first cicadas for the year already.  It surprised me yesterday while was walking the property.

Lots of other insects out now too.  Here’s a neat looking Katydid of some type on the young boy’s hands.  Doesn’t its wings look just like a leaf?  He found it and wanted to pick it up.  First he asked, “Does it bite?”  “Ah, no it’s like a grasshopper,” I reply.  “Does it sting?” he wants to know next.  “No, it can’t sting,” I say.   “Okay then,”  he says, and picks it up for a picture. 

Of course other bugs are not so pretty.  Here’s a Great Black Wasp I think, sitting on a milkweed leaf.  This one was about an inch and a half long! According to Ted of Beetles in the Bush, this is actually called a mydas fly, probably Mydas clavatus. He posts a little more about it below.  Isn’t it great that other bloggers will stop by and help clarify confusion!  Nature’s rhythm is in full swing with many insect species out now.

And our honey bees are still at work on a host of different flowers.  I found another reason to let the grass grow a little longer. Seems that the clover blooms a lot more if I let it, and the bees go right for it.   Maybe we’ll have a little honey this year after all.

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau July 12th, 2008

Busy doings outside these days, with so much just growing and growing.  We’ve been lucky to have rain almost every week, especially for the garden and the bees.  I’ve heard this is one of the best years many beekeepers can remember in our area and that the “honeyflow” is nice and long from the rain and cooler weather. 
We found a funny “double cucumber” in the garden the other day. Now how do you suppose it grew like this? It’s still in the fridge while I wonder what I can do with it. Maybe I could put it on ebay :)

And the blackberries have really started ripening, so we picked a couple quarts already.  I’m just amazed- we haven’t had any berries the past couple of years, but with the bees this year there’s a bunch of wild berries in places I’d never seen before.  Maybe it’s also the rain this year.  But we need to pick some more soon! And anybody have a good blackberry pie recipe?

The green beans have done so well this year we’ve been putting up a bunch in the freezer. Time to pick more cucumbers now too, and maybe pickles soon? The garden is great but next year it needs to be bigger!  I say that now, and we hardly keep up with it.  I’m always amazed at how much room the plants can use though. 

 We dug up some potatoes for the first time and they were delicious.  Never grew potatoes before, but it was pretty easy, and they didn’t take up too much room.  I was surprised how fast the little guys grew. 

Also had our first ear of home-grown corn yesterday. It wasn’t too big, but some critters had started munching the top so it was time to pick. It sure was tasty though!

Here’s our corn-growing Basset Hound. Oh wait! I’m told this is our CORN DOG! He’s really our garden dog, and likes to follow us around and hang out wherever we are. He’s the good ‘ole man of the place, going on 11 years now.
Of course it’s kind of hard to grow corn on top of the dog. But he likes the attention, especially getting watered on hot days.

We may have to find somewhere else to grow it next year though. There’s just not enough space!

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Gardening
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Beau July 2nd, 2008

I’ve got beetle mania this week.  After seeing hundreds and hundreds of japanese beetles decimating our grapes and other plants, we decided it was time to get a trap.  They’re simple, not too expensive, and work like a charm.  Within minutes of hanging up the trap yesterday, beetles were flying toward it and dropping into the bag.

This thing works very well. There’s at least four flying beetles and a dozen more over the yellow vanes above the bag, and more on the way!

After a few hours the bag was full of hundreds of beetles. Yuck!   We put up another trap and left them up all day.  This morning I threw out what seemed like two pounds of bugs, and hung up a couple of more bags. 

I considered cutting open the bag and throwing the beetles in the pond after reading about someone who fed them to his catfish, but I didn’t want to chance releasing a ton of beetles that we already caught.  This morning the grapes already look better, and there are many fewer japanese beetles on the other plants.

I’m under no illusion that this will solve our nuisance problem with the beetles.  But it may just help the grapes continue to mature, and lessen the number of beetles we have next year.  Chalk one up to technology, but I hope some enterprising bird can figure out how to eat these little suckers!

On the subject of yucky bugs, does anyone know what this big brown catepillar is?   It’s sitting upside down next to a 4×4 post!  I’ll try to find out… maybe we’ll call it a “Big Brown Four Inch Catepillar” for now.  Not very creative, I know.  Any better ideas?

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Science
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Beau June 29th, 2008

The change of seasons is welcome, and with the beginning of summer we find ourselves looking at the garden and landscape a little differently.  The plants are maturing and bring new flowers while the weeds try to march through everything.  The grapes are growing nicely on the arbor, and I think of using them for jellies or even wine someday. 

But the insects are also now out in full force.  We’ve been chasing fireflies and avoiding mosquitoes, and we just deal with bugs as a matter of course. But some of them are strange and pesky critters such as the Japanese Beetle.  I’m told these little beetles were not around this area until just a few years ago.  They apparently were introduced to the U.S. around 1916 on the east coast, and have spread a few miles every year.  Last year was the first we had seen of so many around our area, and they decimated the grape leaves.  The fruit just shriveled up as they sucked the juice from the leaves (see the little brown spots?) and the whole plant just withered.

I’ve noticed them over many different plants this week, but they don’t have any natural predators apparently.  Does anybody know any good control techniques?  I’ve heard you can get a trap, but some people think that just attracts more of them.  I’ve also heard someone’s rooster liked to eat them, and someone else collects them by hand.  Ours are in so many places, and high and low, that I couldn’t begin to collect them all.  I did try spraying some tea tree oil soap on them… didn’t seem to bother them in the least.   I’m not inclined to use harsh insecticides around the house, so I’ll keep trying different things.

I suppose like many things we’re just going to have to get used to them.  Or maybe we’ll get those chickens next year after all!

• Reflections , Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Science
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Beau June 26th, 2008

We found you in a pile of unwanted kittens,
And brought two of you to our home.

You brought us love and joy,
And a bundle of cat energy that
Wanted as much to explore as
To be cuddled in a lap.

You were spirited and fun,
With a personality so full of life.
Sometimes you seemed more like a dog.

And you didn’t hunt very well,
But you jumped at birds in a half-hearted manner,
Flicking your tail,
As if to show that, Indeed! You were a Cat.

Yet to a boy you brought so much more;
A big fuzzy kitty that he could
Drape over his shoulders,
To carry and hug and play with.

And you didn’t mind.
He loved you most of all. 

Farewell Sparky.

• Reflections , Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau June 1st, 2008

It was a bright and wet morning after heavy rain yesterday.  The dew was everwhere over the grass and shrubs, and the morning sun glowed off a spider web among the shadows of the flowers.  I don’t know much about spiders, but their handiwork is beautiful.

The rain of the night before was some of the strongest we have had in spring.  It washed out the driveway where the gravel was not thick enough, and even washed log debris across the rural road as the creeks rose too fast to handle the water.   Some time on the tractor helped to repair the damage and the driveway is as good as, well, as a gravel driveway should be I guess.

But this morning the pond was quiet and you might never know how much rain we received the night before.  I really appreciate being outdoors as the sun rises, and watching the light slowly change among the landscape.  It’s so peaceful before the noise of the world around us begins to stir.  How do you explain it?  All I know is that it’s nearly like meditation, or a sense of time stopping for a while.  I find myself standing there sometimes, staring out among the trees.  Then I sort of remember where I am and feel silly, but smile and take a deep breath of appreciation for the sounds and smells of the morning, and embrace the coming day.

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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!

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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.  

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