OUTSIDE -- BE BACK LATERFall temperatures surround my homestead here on Bear Mountain today. I spend my day thinking and meandering outside. Lots of outside work needs to be done to wrap this place up for winter. My thoughts go out to all the small wild critters that are contemplating their outdoor winter quarters.
Not much in the way of bird song right now. Mostly jays jabbering about all the acorns that the white oaks are dropping down for the taking. A few finch and chickadees are finishing off the sunflower seeds from my sunflowers. I don't feed commercial seed to the birds as I don't really know where it originates. Rather I plant food for butterflies, bees, wasps, flies, birds, moths and other animals as well as encourage wild plants for sources. I feel that not only us humans have to know where our food comes from but so do we need to know the food sources that we feed animals.
I brush-hog the couple acres that once were animal pasture before I moved here. I wait until a hard frost before its done so as to, hopefully, make sure all the hibernators are safe in their lairs. The field gets brush-hogged twice a year. The summer cut is done around July. I am thinking of changing this next year's summer cut or not doing it at all. The man that brush-hogs does not like to do it when the plants are up high. But, I need to observe if there are any ground nesting birds still with young during this July time. Also, other critters can be at risk.
Kentucky winters are really mild compared to a place I once lived, Michigan. It was the coldest, snowiest state of all the many places I have lived.
Winter is coming. The seasons of the wheel roll on. I love winter here as I always feel the wistfulness of nature during this time.
Not much in the way of bird song right now. Mostly jays jabbering about all the acorns that the white oaks are dropping down for the taking. A few finch and chickadees are finishing off the sunflower seeds from my sunflowers. I don't feed commercial seed to the birds as I don't really know where it originates. Rather I plant food for butterflies, bees, wasps, flies, birds, moths and other animals as well as encourage wild plants for sources. I feel that not only us humans have to know where our food comes from but so do we need to know the food sources that we feed animals.
I brush-hog the couple acres that once were animal pasture before I moved here. I wait until a hard frost before its done so as to, hopefully, make sure all the hibernators are safe in their lairs. The field gets brush-hogged twice a year. The summer cut is done around July. I am thinking of changing this next year's summer cut or not doing it at all. The man that brush-hogs does not like to do it when the plants are up high. But, I need to observe if there are any ground nesting birds still with young during this July time. Also, other critters can be at risk.
Kentucky winters are really mild compared to a place I once lived, Michigan. It was the coldest, snowiest state of all the many places I have lived.
Winter is coming. The seasons of the wheel roll on. I love winter here as I always feel the wistfulness of nature during this time.
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