Traveling only a few feet, you can see large tractors working the fields for spring planting and on next farm the Amish are planting as my grandfather did before getting his first tractor.
Planting with “Horsepower”
Picture of the Day for April 27, 2015
The calving season has officially started on my family’s farm yesterday with the first calf born early Sunday morning, even though the trips to the barn checking on the cows have going on for a week already. At least the calf will have a warmer and sunny week instead of snow.
First Calf
Picture of the Day for April 26, 2015
On a hill in southwestern Wisconsin, a small chapel built in 1903 overlooks the valleys emerging from long winter as signs of spring begin to emerge. The small shrine was rededicated to Our Lady of the Fields in 1958 by Bishop William O’Connor.
With the spring planting underway, ladies and men are working in the fields and inside the shrine is a statue of Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers.
Our Lady of the Fields Shrine
Saint Isidore
Picture of the Day for April 25, 2015
With the look of autumn, the tree buds of spring add some red and yellow color on the hillside before leafing out to the summertime green.
Springtime Tree Bud Colors
Picture of the Day for April 24, 2015
The last Friday in April in National Arbor Day (from the Latin arbor, meaning tree), a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees, although some states observe it on different dates to coincide with the local area’s best planting times. For instance, Hawaii celebrates it on the first Friday of November, and Alaskans celebrate it on the third Monday in May.
The first American Arbor Day was originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton who had moved from Michigan to 160 treeless acres in Nebraska felt the state’s landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. On April 10, 1872, an estimated one million trees were planted in Nebraska.
This poor old willow tree has seen better days and lost many big limbs last year, reducing the shade which the beef cattle love in the summertime, so planting some trees in this area probably be appreciated by the critters.
Old Willow Tree
Picture of the Day for April 23, 2015
Generally my barn pictures are outside shots since I am shooting from the road, but once in a while I get to venture inside an old wooden barn. Each barn in unique with knot holes letting light seeping through or how it is built.
This barn has a rare piece of loose hay equipment called a “mower” and not a mower that cuts hay, but a platform which distributes the hay. Most older barns had a system of pulleys and tracks for the hayfork to raise the loose hay up from the wagon to the barn haymow and across the barn and tripped to drop the hay to the floor. The platform of the mower tips to either side to dump the hay closer to the side walls so required less pitching by hand when stacking the loose hay in the barn.
The exact year when this platform mower was added to the barn is unclear but the article I found about the mower was in the November 1921 issue of the Popular Mechanics magazine. The platform mower can be seen in the upper right corner and a closer view in the second picture.
The Haymow
The Platform of the Mower
Picture of the Day for April 22, 2015
The cold, snowy days are hampering Patch and the other kittens playtime since they need to cuddle together to stay warm so I know they are looking forward to the return of spring as much as I am. It is fun to watch them race around and explore their world.
Sad Patch
Picture of the Day for April 21, 2015
Spring has been put on hold since it is snowing at the moment and the petals of the bloodroot blossom are not open but they are still collecting the falling snow.
Camouflaged Blossom
Picture of the Day for April 20, 2015
I am hoping the white of the Bloodroots in the woods is all the white color I see tomorrow morning and not the white from snow.
White Blossom of the Bloodroot
Picture of the Day for April 19, 2015
While the bells may not toll for services on a regular basis for this church, with the sliver of the moon on the right side of the cross in the sky, it makes a pretty image for a Sunday morning. I couldn’t find much history on the Millston Union Church, other than for the second wedding in September, in which the altar was banked with lilac leaves and decorated with mixed garden flowers.
Millston Union Church
