After a very bad, long winter, two years ago, with deep snow and very cold temperatures, we lost a lot of local deer and our wild turkeys. From flocks of 20 or more in several areas, we saw no wild turkeys for a whole year. Then, an occasional one. Our old wild turkey hen, who had been coming to the buildings to be fed, and winter over didn’t return. But she’d come for 7 years and was getting old, for a wild turkey. However, this summer, we started to see a few.
First, there was a pair of hens with some half-grown poults. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, we saw another hen with some newly hatched babies and lots of them! Some friends stopped by yesterday and said they saw a big mixed bunch of both nearly grown and smaller poults. That made us really happy. We just wish we could entice them nearer so we could feed them over winter. We’ll keep working on that.
On Friday, David called and invited us to Family Days at Ziegler Cat, where he works. Will was busy working on his haybine but I went. Not as soon as I would have liked, as I was right in the middle of canning green beans, but I got there. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to visit with my granddaughters and Elizabeth, as they had to get home for the kids’ overdue naps. However, I did get to see some amazing equipment! Holy cow is it ever huge. I couldn’t imagine David working on those monsters.
It’s raining today so we’re doing in-the-house stuff that got ignored when we could work outside. Will’s carrying the boxes of canned green beans and Cowboy Candy downstairs, and I’ve got to get to work and clean up the nasty kitchen. It’s amazing how quickly it can go from fairly clean to horrible!
I’m tickled at how nice our Oriental lilies are this year. Every year I plant a few, here and there, even though they’re supposed to be only Zone 4 hardy. But just like our Black Walnut tree, which is bearing nuts this year, they’re thriving. That makes me very happy! — Jackie
Im glad you are getting turkeys again. We have large flocks around here and they are so fun to see out in the fields. Those CAT equipment vehicles are huge! I can’t imagine working on or driving one. I love your lilies. I put out a few a couple of years ago and they are doing well. It’s nice to look out and see a splash of color. Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Thanks again for the prayers!! Yep, that equipment is huge. David showed me the engine out of one and it’s as big as our Ford Edge! I worry that he gets hurt, working on such huge parts. But they are very safety-oriented at Ziegler.
We’re so happy our turkeys are coming back. We lost so many deer and turkeys a couple years back, when we had such a bad winter.
L8ve seeing your individual blooms, but, sure would love to see pics of your whole flower garden
Well, Kim, I’ll try to shoot a few. I have multiple flower beds everywhere!!
Those machines are incredibly huge! So glad you got to go see them. Cat sounds like a good place to work if they have family days.
Tomatoes here are finally starting to ripen, and fall planting of beans are starting to produce. With all the hot weather the peppers went crazy, so yesterday I made pickled sweet banana peppers for the first time. Hope they taste as good as they look.
Turkeys are fun to watch. We don’t have many here, but at the camp by the river where I used to work there were hundreds.
Your lilies are beautiful!
Yes, Ziegler Cat is a great place to work. They treat their employees very well and keep them safe too.
Our tomatoes are late this year, due to our bi-polar weather. Today, I’m going out to pick the first batches to seed out though. Yea!!!
Holy moly ! Those are huge! Our turkeys are doing well here in Pacific Northwest. Peach tree is Loaded and good sized for once. Not loosing as many to birds( as picking them yesterday I found my barn cat was calmly hiding in the foliage!) good cat!. Had to purchase my green beans for the first time Ever. Heat was in the 100’s just as bloom set s:( next year hopefully. Kitchens are so busy this time of year! Just finished cleaning up from salsa batch. More tomorrow.
Wonderful that you’ll get peaches. Thank your cat!! When we lived in New Mexico, our neighbor’s peaches were attacked by hummingbirds. They poked holes in the peaches and sucked the juice. That was strange!
Every year, there are challenges in the garden for sure. That’s why I can us as much “extra” as I can…for those years we don’t get anything.
Amen! Can up cause next year, who knows how harvest will go
Absolutely incredible equipment and we did it in the USA!! Just finished digging the last of the onions in a 4 foot wide , 10 foot long and 24 inch high raised bed. I have never seen so many big onions in such a small space. Raised beds work and with even a small amount of mulching care and upkeep was about zero. Raised beds work!!👍
I’m so happy you got such good onions in your raised bed. Ours are pretty weedy, out in the field, but they are getting big. We just used up the last of ours from last year. I’m happy they lasted so long.
I’m having a bumper crop of ripe peaches this year after having only three last year. Here in the north eastern area of Washington there seems to be an abundance of produce this year as well. Evidently the weather can be a much stronger influence than anything i ever do to create success in my garden. Even the quail are producing a second crop of chicks… cute little popcorn size runners !
Quail chicks are so darned cute!! It’s wonderful you’re having a bumper crop of produce. Sometimes we have those bountiful years; some years, not so hot.
You are so deserving of the bounty and beauty that you work so hard for. Glad your summer is going so well. And that the turkeys are starting to come back. We had them in smaller numbers when we moved out here almost 40 years ago, but with the controlled burns and aerial spraying that ranchers do around here, I don’t see them anymore. Sad for them and for me. Blessings on your efforts.
That’s so sad to lose your turkeys that way. Usually, they’ll get ahead of controlled burns, but the spraying really kills them in big numbers.
Today, I’m going out to pick some tomatoes to start seeding. They’re late this year but coming on nicely.
Dear Jackie,
I know how you love the wild turkeys. We have a flock of blue heads that are more than 50 strong. Or at least that is all I can count. There are fields and fields of corn and soybean for them to eat. Last fall, they took a stroll through my back yard. Such fun. That is when I tried to count them. Hopefully, they will always be around. I can see the flock occasionally when I drive down our road. We have a neighbor that puts out corn for the turkeys and deer. The Canadian geese have discovered this, and they come, too. Such fun.
It is so much fun to see them. We feed the deer and turkeys too, if they come. We want to build up our local herds and flocks. We have two does that always come to have their fawns, one on each side of the buildings. I think they feel safer from predators as the dogs keep them away. And the dogs don’t bother the deer at all. When we feed the deer, the dogs walk around among them, nobody paying any attention to the other.
I thought Will got a new toy!!
Don’t tempt him!!!
As better half is removing invasive trees/plants, we have at least one walnut tree on our house proper property. But on the lots we bought, there are at *least* a dozen walnut trees, maybe more. Told the restoration guy no removing any walnut trees. Even if you don’t harvest for your own consumption, it is a great wildlife food (and yes, we need wildlife).
I feel fortunate my turkeys are doing just fine. Not as many poults as I’d like to see but I suspect more than I’ve seen. For at least the last four years (maybe five, I’d have to scroll through my camera pictures), there has been a set of twin fawns. This year there are TWO sets – I got to see the fawns plus the two does.
Raining here today too – had a half inch in less than an hour right after lunch. Suspect we’ve gotten twice that so far this evening.
Amazing to see what is truly heavy equipment.
We’re used to seeing and using heavy equipment. After all, we have two bulldozers. But, holy cow, those are BIG!!
I love eating and using Black Walnuts. As a child, Mom and Dad would drive way out in the country every fall and we would pick a burlap sack full of Black Walnuts and Hickory nuts to husk and shell during the winter. Mom used them in many of her baked goods. Yum!!
The storm we had last evening somehow knocked down about about a bushel of black walnuts from out lots (out into an open area). Trying to figure out where I can lay out the nuts to “dry” – walnut makes an excellent dye whether you want it or not!
Hmmmm.. perhaps I can make a little side scratch selling black walnut meats when I retire? Providing I don’t eat them all – they are so tasty. We have a lot of hickory trees too though not a bumper year (we’ve had years when you get hit walking through the yard). Pretty good acorn haul, the turkeys, squirrels, and chipmunks are quite happy.