Monday, April 12, 2010

This new picture at the top is a view of the compound taken in the East 20.  We were on the ATV with the dog running ahead of us.  He is heading for the gate at the left hand side.  That is near the front of the farm road and the gate opens into the east yard.

I said when I started this that I was going to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of farm life.  Well, today we had a taste of the very ugly.  We found a 10 day old calf dead by a predator, probably a coyote.  This is a first for us.  The throat and one front leg had been eaten  on.  DH is out checking it again to see if something drags it off.  Here is where I wish we had a trail camera!  I need to quit talking about it and just buy one.  If the baby had had a better mother it might have not been killed.  She isn't very maternal at all and had left it alone for hours on end and went off with the rest of the herd to graze.  Usually they will leave a cow guarding several calves or the mother will stay within sight of it.  Not this one.  I want to sell her.

Enough bad -

It is a perfect day here today, 70's and a slight breeze.  I milked and then finished cleaning out the garden fence border.
I had one rose left to do, Rosarium Eutersen.  She got RRD last year so I don't know how she will be this year.

I found the persicaria polymorpha has finally come up amidst all the leaves and henbit.  I have that cleaned up very nicely .....  for now.

Then I moved to the left and did the Annabelle (hydrangea) bed next to the old chicken house.  I was delighted to find  several new sprouts that I can dig up and put in other shady locations. When  in full bloom it is a sight to behold!  The rose in this bed, Aloha, looks to be dead or terribly diseased, RRD  as well.  I pruned all I could without damaging the clematis, The President, that grows up and behind.  I have a clump of cream colored iris I intend to move after this year's bloom and two clumps of a small, persimmon colored daylily that I can do anytime.

I plan to tackle the Dining Room Foundation Bed  out front a little later in the day.  It isn't too large so should go fairly quickly.
FlowerLady on her blog Flower Lady's Musings, did some long shots on her blog  and I really liked the perspective they give you.  I am going to try to remember to do that often too, then maybe a closeup of what is blooming in that photo at the time.
This picture is of the front shrub  border just down from the gate in the header picture.  The dead looking shrub is actually Burning Bush that is very late to leaf out.  The lilacs are the common and  a  Persian Lilac.

From Gardening 2010
The next is just moving down the road to the drive showing the half dogwood and a Golden Vicary.

From Gardening 2010

I am watering the garden today.  It is getting very dry here.

3 comments:

  1. It was the sad and the ugly that made me glad when we gave up cows, especially the Moomas that were not good Mamas. We had one that I swore had Post-partum hormonal crazies. She would try to kill her calf if it didn't mind.

    You have really been busy. I just go out and wander around, mostly. I'm trying to stave off watering as long as possible. The newly set plants get a dribble when I think of it.

    I like your header and the long views, especially where the dog is running ahead.

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  2. The dog is in almost every photo I take! or one of the 6 cats.

    We are worried now about the other newborns. It is the first time since 1976 that we have lost anything to a predator. I don't know what my husband would do without the cows.........He does not garden!

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  3. Sorry to learn about your calf. That is one bad momma! I feel bad enough when a plant dies. Don't think I could deal with livestock death.

    Your long views are great; they make me feel I'm right there on the walk with you. :-D

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