The evening waning light, summer crickets chirping, the rustling of leaves and grass swaying in the breeze.
Swaying Grass
Picture of the Day for August 15, 2013
The lilies are dancing in the summertime sunshine and adding bright colors against the green backdrop.
Dancing Lily
Picture of the Day for August 14, 2013
One often thinks of a cardinal as a winter bird as its red colors stand out against the white snow since they do not molt into a dull winter plumage but they are rather striking in the summer time too. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning.
Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.
Northern Cardinal
Picture of the Day for August 13, 2013
Some road ditches and fields are displaying yellow flowers which are attracting a lot of bees. Birdsfoot Trefoil is a plant used in agriculture as a forage plant for pasture, hay and silage and used as an alternative to alfalfa in poor soils. It has become an invasive species in some regions of North America.
The flowers develop into small pea-like pods or legumes. The name ‘bird’s foot’ refers to the appearance of the seed pods on their stalk. There are five leaflets, but with the central three held conspicuously above the others, hence the use of the name trefoil.
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Picture of the Day for August 12, 2013
This fourteen sided barn, built 105 years ago, looks in fairly good shape. It has a two pitch roof and a nice looking rock foundation.
Fourteen Sided Barn
Picture of the Day for August 11, 2013
Lots of sunny, smiling flowers for a Sunday afternoon.
Smiling Flowers
Picture of the Day for August 10, 2013
The wheat and oats are ripening and you can see combines in the fields but once in a while you can see an image from the past.
Typically, grain binders, invented in 1872, were most common in the humid Midwest where the grain dried unevenly, and it was necessary to have additional drying before it was threshed. Early grain binders were all ground-driven and pulled by a team of horses around the field. As the horses pulled the grain binder forward, the driving wheel was rotated, which powered the sickle and reel of the grain binder. As the reel rotated, it bent the grain stalks inward towards the sickle, and the sickle cut the grain stalks off a few inches above the ground. A cloth canvas then conveyed the grain to a gear driven knotter which tied several stalks together into a small bundle. After the grain bundle was tied, it slid onto the bundle carrier, and was dropped onto the field. Following close behind, field workers picked up the tied grain bundles and placed several of them together to form a small shock. The grain bundles were placed in shocks so that the unripened grain would have a chance to dry, and so that they would easily shed water if they were rained on.
Grain Binder
Picture of the Day for August 9, 2013
When I walked down to the pond this week, I scared a frog and it hopped from the shore into the water. Walking closer to the edge of the pond in an attempt to see the frog, I heard a bigger slash and the next thing I knew, a green heron was flying up with a frog in its beak. So my curiosity caused the death of a frog but some baby herons probably enjoyed a frog leg supper.
At least this frog was smart floating out in the middle of the pond since the green heron stays on the shore line.
Floating Frog
Picture of the Day for August 8, 2013
Emerging from grass like foliage, the unusual shape blooms of the Blazing Star make a dramatic statement in magenta and white colors.
Blazing Star
Picture of the Day for August 7, 2013
The grain fields are ripening and the combine had pulled into the field to start harvesting and I hope the harvest was good.
Grain Field
