Late Summer sightings #phenology

We noticed this morning the (re)appearance in our sand plain fields of some of the purple love grass whose disappearance we were wondering about several weeks ago. As we write this, the afternoon temperature's in the low 80's, definitely a Summertime range. The plants growing around the wet spot in the back yard are dominated by goldenrod, with a blossom or two of swamp milkweed thrown in and some impressive vervain on the Western bank. The landscape is showing more and more Autumnal shades as counterpoints to Summer temperatures.

purple love grass and round-headed bush clover

Photo by J. Harrington

The scattered clumps of bluestem grasses, both big and little, are displaying their seed heads. Round-headed bush clover has begun to bloom. We also may have seen this year's first tumbleseed from the purple love grass get blown across the field by the Southerly breeze.. When the late afternoon sun shines on and through these grasses, the fields look magical.

Hummingbirds are still around, chasing each other back and forth to see who gets to claim the nectar feeder. We've no idea how to tell if migrants show up on their way South. Another sign of one season sliding into another.

the magic of late afternoon sun on late Summer grasses

Photo by J. Harrington

Since we're contemplating pulling more buckthorn and trimming some oak branches, we once again started to explore less laborious ways to manage our woods and fields. The idea of goats eating buckthorn seems more organically sound than burning the buckthorn after it's bee pulled or cut, but the idea to caring for goats must be at least as much work as pulling, piling and burning buckthorn. The Friends of the Mississippi River have a helpful web page about the what's and why's of buckthorn control. We even came across reference to the idea that the MNDNR has actually engaged in buckthorn control using goats. We'll keep picking away at what's growing and do more research this Winter.

Meanwhile, please repeat after us "Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved."

300 Goats

By Naomi Shihab Nye

In icy fields.

Is water flowing in the tank?

Will they huddle together, warm bodies pressing?

(Is it the year of the goat or the sheep?

Scholars debating Chinese zodiac,

follower or leader.)

O lead them to a warm corner,

little ones toward bulkier bodies.

Lead them to the brush, which cuts the icy wind.

Another frigid night swooping down — 

Aren’t you worried about them? I ask my friend,

who lives by herself on the ranch of goats,

far from here near the town of Ozona.

She shrugs, “Not really,

they know what to do. They’re goats.”

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