In our world, methods and technology is constantly changing. Now there are self driving combines to harvest grain fields, but last century there were huge steam engines using belts to power threshing machines to separate the grain, like oats, from the stalks. Bundles of grain on a wagon were unloaded at one end and if all the belts and gears are working, the grain kernels are bagged and the straw is blown into a pile.
Old Grain Thresher
At the Pope Farm Conservancy, outside Middleton, Wisconsin, thousands of visitors are flocking to view a half-million sunflower blooms reaching peak display which covers nine acres. I won’t see that many sunflowers as I only get a few that get “planted” by my birds throwing seeds out of the feeder.
Sunflower Blooming
The cloudy and rainy day hid the sun this Sunday evening but at least sunsets has appeared on other August evenings.
August Sunset
It seems that a majority of the wildflowers found around my area in the late summer are yellow in color, including the invasive species Yellow Toadflax introduced from Europe, also known as Butter and Eggs.
Butter and Eggs
Although not as big or flashy as the swallowtail butterflies, the smaller Common Buckeye is a treat to spot since it is not an abundant butterfly in Wisconsin.
Common Buckeye
The sweet corn is ripening as August days roll on into the late summertime, which bring out the raccoons and deer to feast on it and sometimes they don’t leave much to harvest. And even the field corn that is harvested will have critters going after it, like squirrels and even birds, like this blackbird stealing kernels of corn.
Kernel Thief
Vines and plants growing on the fence wire and the fence posts might look picturesque, except when it comes to fixing the fence.
Covered Fence
I noticed more butterflies, especially the Monarchs, while I was mowing today. But before the beautiful butterflies can appear, they first were eggs, which hatch into tiny caterpillars. The caterpillars eat milkweeds for about two week to grow full size, when then they transform into a chrysalis which undergoes a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis. The end result is a beautiful butterfly, all from a caterpillar.
Monarch Caterpillar
The nice summer day had the butterflies out in full force again today, like this Tiger Swallowtail feeding on a milkweed blossom.
Milkweed and Tiger Swallowtail
My lone wild orchid did return this year again, just several weeks later than the prior years, but I was glad to see it blooming again. The blossoms open at the bottom of the stem first and work they way up to the top. The individual blossoms of the Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid, which look like dancing angels, are about three quarters of an inch long.
Return of the Orchid
