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| Our back yard |
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| Gotta reach that itch....ooooohhhhh |
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| "Hey, Lee. You gettin' a shot of this?" |
4/22/12
SPRINGTIME PACK-GOAT MOZEY
"The Boyz" have been waiting since last fall to once again taste the lush green grass and fresh baby pine cones of the Black Hills forest. We took and entire Saturday afternoon, trying to go slow enough to nibble something from every square foot in our path. What a wonderful day to celebrate life in the best place on Earth. (Hope you enjoy the nifty little rompalong video below. Just click on it. Or, click on any photo to enlarge it.)
4/12/12
AN ABSOLUTE GREY AREA
Well, Grey gets a big goose-egg score on his first s*x education lab test. We went to check in on the white goose's ellipsoidal progeny production, which, we had discovered, were well hidden deep under the hay in the nest.
But I get ahead of myself.
But I get ahead of myself.
Over the past year Grey Goose has been sparking his Lovely, the white-feathered Ms. Absolute. Grey took her out on late-night dates at the goat zoo.
He even took his dear lady to the spa, and tended to her every wish.
The two of them patrolled and prowled every inch of the farm, ending each day together in silent intimacy as they preened in preparation for a night of bedding together.
We all knew where this was headed.
Then she began roosting on a perfect mound of empty nest she had carved in the hay on the bedroom floor of their goose house. It went on for weeks, with no apparent eggs. Then one day we discovered that, unlike chickens, geese apparently hide their eggs under 6" of hay, way down. And, boy, were those things big!
Then she began roosting on a perfect mound of empty nest she had carved in the hay on the bedroom floor of their goose house. It went on for weeks, with no apparent eggs. Then one day we discovered that, unlike chickens, geese apparently hide their eggs under 6" of hay, way down. And, boy, were those things big!
So then, we waited. And waited. Just sat down and patiently awaited the soft pecking from inside an egg.
Then yesterday we candle tested an egg. Bad news.
In-fertile.
In-fertile.
But, why? He did everything right. She played her part right down the DNA mainline.
But, did he? I remembered a video I had taken of them during an amorous moment last winter, and hadn't really thought about it. Then it hit me. Maybe he didn't do everything right. Maybe he needs a big brother to take him aside. What do you think? Click on this video below.
4/3/12
3/14/12
LEE'z B'z GO GROCERY SHOPPING
After a weirdly warm winter, we're having a very early warm Spring season. I started feeding The Ladies with sugar water, but it appears Mother Nature stocked the grocery shelves somewhere out in the forest. See the food they are packing back home in their thigh-high grocery bags.
I find the last picture below to be the most interesting. It appears to support the claim that hive-bound bees intercept incoming forager bees to transfer pollen, so the foragers can take off right away and get back to the grocery store. What do you think?
I find the last picture below to be the most interesting. It appears to support the claim that hive-bound bees intercept incoming forager bees to transfer pollen, so the foragers can take off right away and get back to the grocery store. What do you think?
2/4/12
SENIOR EXPLORERS PURSUE THE CAVALRY
On January 14 the Black Hills Explorers set out to find the remnants of General Custer's cavalry unit. We found plenty strong evidence at the old Fort Meade cavalry training grounds. Starting from the Alkali Creek trail head of the Centennial trail, the Explorers hiked a few miles overland to Fort Meade for a sit-on-the-ground picnic lunch. We also examined historical photo's and stories about how Ft. Meade was formed originally from the remaining soldiers of General Custer's unit (thanks to a great book recommended by Nila Boone, from the Canyon Lake Center's library).
En route we found an overlook to gaze down upon the Ft. Meade National Cemetery. The turn-around destination was another overlook, one that provides a vast and dramatic panoramic view of Ft. Meade with Bear Butte in the background. Along the way we saw historical evidence of the old cavalry training area.
We also discovered old ruts in the prairie left over from the 1870's Sydney-Deadwood Trail. Sidney, Nebraska was a booming freighting point when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. (Not to mention its 80 saloons, plus gaming halls and brothels. Initially, Sidney was the most established trading-supply point for Deadwood, the largest town in the Black Hills. Then the trains came to the Black Hills.
And, did you know our current national anthem was first formally played officially at Ft. Meade? Standing on the hillside overlooking Ft. Meade, imagining the thousands of pioneers who tread the wagon trails on this ground, contemplating the thousands of U.S. veterans who have served and been treated there...I could nearly hear the U.S. flag fluttering proudly in the wind at fort down below, lofting its song upon the prairie wind:
En route we found an overlook to gaze down upon the Ft. Meade National Cemetery. The turn-around destination was another overlook, one that provides a vast and dramatic panoramic view of Ft. Meade with Bear Butte in the background. Along the way we saw historical evidence of the old cavalry training area.
We also discovered old ruts in the prairie left over from the 1870's Sydney-Deadwood Trail. Sidney, Nebraska was a booming freighting point when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. (Not to mention its 80 saloons, plus gaming halls and brothels. Initially, Sidney was the most established trading-supply point for Deadwood, the largest town in the Black Hills. Then the trains came to the Black Hills.
And, did you know our current national anthem was first formally played officially at Ft. Meade? Standing on the hillside overlooking Ft. Meade, imagining the thousands of pioneers who tread the wagon trails on this ground, contemplating the thousands of U.S. veterans who have served and been treated there...I could nearly hear the U.S. flag fluttering proudly in the wind at fort down below, lofting its song upon the prairie wind:
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!.
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!.
WINTER SCIENCE PROJECTS FOR THE GRANDCHILDREN
Annalise will recieve a refurbished hand made mahogany cabinet her grandpa made in 1968.
Paul will become custodian for a 30-year old professional-grade laboratory microscope. Great for helping the kiddo's grow up science-like and all that.
SATURDAY CHORES ON THE FARM
The geese decided to try for their Saturday baths. It was a bit cold. The grey goose kept shouting "Hurry! Before it freezes again."
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