Picture of the Day for July 24, 2015

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This odd looking wildflower called Indian Pipe, or Corpse Plant, contains no chlorophyll and therefore has to “borrow” or take nutrients from other sources. Its roots tap into the root-like threads of fungus, which the fungus tap into tree roots. The tree gives nutrients to the fungus and the fungus gives nutrients to the tree but Indian Pipes don’t give anything back and actually a parasite to both the tree and fungus.

I spotted a clump of them just peeking out of the ground with a couple that were further along. The flower head is bent down to prevent rain from getting in, but as the plant gets older, it raises the head to attract insects to pollinate. The blossom inside turns pink when fertilized and as the plant matures, the head is straight up. Eventually the plant turns black as it matures even more.

Odd Looking Wildflower

Odd Looking Wildflower

Picture of the Day for July 23, 2015

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I don’t know what changed this year; whether more of the baby orioles survived or there is a better communication system pointing to the feed lunch but I am having trouble keeping the sugar water feeders and grape jelly can filled. The hummingbirds have to take a number as I have seen three orioles on the sugar water feeder at the same time and more than a half dozen lined up at the jelly, at least until the male Baltimore Oriole shows up. He scares the rest away so he can have it all to himself but the smaller Orchard Oriole male (the dark bird in the picture) has no trouble eating with the other females and youngsters.

Unlike  many other fruit-eating birds, Baltimore Orioles seem to prefer only ripe, dark-colored fruit like the deepest-purple grapes and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries even if they are ripe. I guess that is why they like the grape jelly over other types of jelly. The orioles forage for insects, drink nectar from flowers and eat berries. According to the All About Birds website, Orchard Orioles “sometimes visit hummingbird feeders or eat orange slices or jelly at feeding stations.” Well the sometimes seems to be a constant thing this year with the number of jars of jelly and bags of sugar I have gone through so far this season.

The Grub Line

The Grub Line

Watch the video below to see the crowded grub line.

Picture of the Day for July 22, 2015

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Train stations or depots were the hub of most towns and almost every town had one as it not only moved goods from town to town, but provided a means for people to travel to other parts of the country. But as the use of the automobile became more common, the local depot fell in its importance to a town and by 1950s the smaller towns and cities depots were closed and disappeared from the landscape. Some larger depots are still in use and some of the abandons ones have survived by serving another function such as housing a different business or as the local museum.

End of the Line for the Depot

End of the Line for the Depot

Picture of the Day for July 18, 2015

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The roaring of the wind and thunder rumble last night from the storm sounded like being near a loud waterfall. The humid day made my shirt wet but not a cool wet like from the waterfall mist and the heavy rainfall cut ‘rivers’ into the gravel driveway creating rushing water and mini waterfalls.

The Upper Falls on the Amnicon River  flows over dark basalt formed by lava that flowed across the region about a billion years ago.  The fine texture of this rock suggests that the lava was very fluid and cooled rapidly enough to prevent the formation of crystals. The river runs along the Douglas Fault formed about 500 million years ago.  A few feet downstream the Amnicon River flows over Lake Superior sandstone at the Lower Falls.

Upper Falls on the Amnicon River

Upper Falls on the Amnicon River

Listen to the waterfall’s roar in the video.

Picture of the Day for July 17, 2015

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The local county fair is going on this week so there is excitement for the kids (and probably some headache and hassle for the parents). And the livestock and other critters shown at the fair have their daily routine messed up too and have to content with strange noises, place and extra people staring at them. And for the dairyDairy goats, who are used to a milking machine, have to be milked by hand at the fair, but this little girl who wasn’t old enough to show in the regular goat classes like her siblings, knew how to milk the goat like a pro.

Milking the Goat

Milking the Goat

Picture of the Day for July 15, 2015

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Last evening I was walking through the pasture to take a picture of the new calf and on my way, I spotted a bald eagle circling overhead as I suppose it wanted to eat the afterbirth. After circling a few times, it landed in a tall pine tree since I wasn’t leaving but then the smaller birds weren’t leaving the eagle alone either. Finally it had enough harassment and took off although the smaller birds were still chasing the eagle as it left.

Eagle Being Harassed 

Eagle Being Harassed

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