Several frogs in my pond had a nice solution to the warm summer day by floating in the water.
Just Floating
Picture of the Day for June 9, 2016
Yesterday I saw fields of hay being raked so it could be baled up. The rake had ten wheels to create windrows which is a lot different than the old dump rakes that were hard to make straight rows for a baler. The old dump rakes would drag and rake the hay and then the operator would ‘dump’ the clump of hay and then on the next pass, the goal was to drop the hay in the same line which wasn’t always easy to do.
An Old Dump Rake
Picture of the Day for June 8, 2016
When I approached my pond to take the picture of the Blueflag blooming, I scared up a bird that was near the flowers and although the bird floated like a duck, it wasn’t a duck as it doesn’t have webbed feet. Belonging to the rail family, the American Coot walks like a chicken but swims like a duck and is also called a mud hen. They have big feet with lobed toes and to take flight, the clumsy flier must patter across the water to get airborne which is probably why it didn’t fly off like the ducks do when I go near the pond.
American Coot
Picture of the Day for June 7, 2016
This North American native Iris is common is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along stream banks and shores, so the Blueflag probably liked the last few rainy days, but it was hard for me to get a picture during the rain before the fleeting blossom disappeared. And when the sun came out, the wind was blowing the flower around and made it hard to stay in the frame.
Blueflag Waving
Picture of the Day for June 6, 2016
The little calf was giving her mommy some face nuzzling while the mother was trying to eat grass.
Nuzzling Calf
Picture of the Day for June 5, 2016
In addition to the state free park weekend, it is also Wisconsin’s free fishing weekend so that those without a fishing license can try to hook a fish. There is also a free fishing weekend in January but the ideal of walking on ice, cutting a hole in the ice and trying to stay warm to catch a fish just isn’t appealing to me as going in the summer time when you just have deer flies, mosquitoes and some other summer things to deal with.
Trying to Catch One
Picture of the Day for June 4, 2016
This weekend, the state of Wisconsin is offering free entry to state parks and forests, so many maybe enjoying hiking and exploring the various parks like Pattison State Park.
Crossing the Manitou River
Picture of the Day for June 3, 2016
This week the irises have opened up, displaying a range of colors with blues, purples, yellow and even these maroon and yellow ones.
Irises Blooming
Picture of the Day for June 2, 2016
The bumblebees were busy collecting nectar as soon as the rain stopped. The flowers were drooping their heads even more after the rain, causing the bees to play “Hang on Harvey” in order to get the nectar. Even the bee in the lower left corner had the same pose. Bumblebees are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers but with their large round body size, compared to their wings, it is hard to believe they are capable of flight.
Busy Bumble Bee
Picture of the Day for June 1, 2016
The clouds last night, after the rain let up, looked more like smoke billowing from a fire than rain clouds. But the clouds did drop rain quickly in some areas, causing flash flood warnings and some thunderstorm warnings, so it was nice to see them moving away from the area.
Smokey Clouds
