Buffalo berries?

If you haven't followed my blog, I am a berry picking fiend.  I love making jams, wines, and syrups from the bounty around me.  This year I am super excited as the buffalo berry bushes on our prairie property have berries.  Last year a late frost crushed all hopes of a harvest.  This year I see jam in my future.  Unfortunately, the area received golf to baseball sized hail.  I am not sure how things on our property fared.  We had just been out there to pick currants and check our game camera.  I can tell you my husband's pickup did not fare well.  It was a pretty terrifying experience being trapped in a pickup during a storm with hail that large.

 Things were peaceful, before all hell broke loose.  We had fawns all around us.  They really didn't care that we were there.  They were actually miffed that we were on their nicely mowed trails.  Little did they know, we mowed the trails for them.

 On the home front, I am busy with Juneberries and raspberries.  I don't think the raspberry harvest will be as good as last year.  Everything is a balance, as I didn't have any Juneberries last year.

 Besides the fawns, I met a few other friends picking berries.  I've never seen a baby Wooly Caterpillar.  He was adorable.

I'm berry picking like crazy.  That and the peas are ripening pretty quick.  What are you harvesting?

Birthdays, racoons, pelicans, tulips, and dandelions...

My husband and I had a fabulous weekend.  We celebrated his birthday.  We went out to eat and enjoyed the day.  My husband is an amazing man and I am thankful that we are able to share our lives together.  

This weekend we went turkey hunting.  We didn't see a turkey, but we sure saw plenty of other creatures.  It isn't about shooting something.  It is about sitting and listening to the geese and meadowlarks.  It is about watching what goes on out in nature, when nature doesn't think you are around.

 Rocky lives in the cottonwood right next to our hunting stand.  He isn't a very large raccoon, but is always ready to provide us some entertainment when hunting is slow.  I have never seen a raccoon that is so painfully pokey when he is going down a tree. 

 After a fruitless morning hunt, we swung by the fishing hole on our way out.  It may be a bit light on fish the next time we go, as this group of professional fishers have been in the area.

 Those two male mallards hung out with the pelicans the whole time.  I could only wonder if they were discussing their travels. 

 I cannot believe that huge horn and hook on the bills.   They are impressive birds.  They flew over me as I was leaving and the whole group was silent.  That was interesting.

I was watering my newly planted apricots, when I noticed the plethora of dandelions. What the heck, that wine was pretty darn good.  I started picking them.  Yes, I don't learn.  Preparing dandelions for wine is the biggest pain.  You have to separate them from the green stuff and that isn't easy.  My loving husband even came out and helped me for a bit.  He doesn't even like wine.  Hours later 6 cups of dandelion petals.  Then the problem.  Those of you who follow my blog know I lack when it comes to scientific notation, or even the most basic of notes.  Well, go figure.  I tried to decide what recipe I used for the perfect wine of last year and there are problems.  The recipe from my tried and true wine recipe book says to use white grape juice.  The thing is I'm somewhat of a purist and rarely add to the original fruit.  I highly doubt that I added white grape juice.  If I kept good notes or had even mentioned something in last year's blog I could repeat the success of last year's batch.  Alas, all I did in last year's dandelion blog was complain about what a pain they are to prepare them.  Very similar to this year's blog.  Only I am going to mention that I did not add any juice or raisins to this batch.  Only 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is similar to last year's experiment.

My bulbs are blooming like crazy. Sitting on the porch pulling dandelion petals isn't so bad when you are surrounded by flourishing flowers. I took a risk and transplanted my eggplants, melons, pumpkins, and flower seedlings outside.  I hope it was a good decision.  This is probably the earliest I've put seedlings out.  I also planted my corn, cucumbers, and beans.  I also divided some plants and watered everything.  It was supposed to rain today, but that didn't pan out.  

I have to show the fish windchime my brother made for me.  He calls it my early detection tornado warning wind chime.  It took awhile to put everything together and I love how it looks.  It makes a pretty cool sound, but he is right that there may have to be a rather strong "breeze" before it chimes to life.   I've been trying to add more art to the garden and his fish creation is exactly what I was looking to incorporate.  

What types of art do you have in the garden?  Is there something that is difficult to make, but you still make it because it is so good?  Have you ever seen a pelican up close?  Hope everyone had a wonderful a weekend as we did.

A cool spring weekend...

Although the sun was shining all weekend, it wasn't super warm.  We went turkey hunting and saw every bird possible, except a turkey.  We saw hawks, wood ducks, other ducks, geese, kingfishers, meadowlarks, robins, black birds, and even heard some pheasants.    We only heard one gobble far far away.  Still it was very fun to sit and enjoy the sounds of spring.  

 I got some quick shots of the geese as they swam away.  They nest along the river.  

 At the home front, my orchard is blooming.  I'm pretty excited about that.  I thought they were fickel to keep as a houseplant.  This fella has been a pretty easy keeper.

 My seedlings look great.  At some point, I need to transplant them.

In the Black Hills the snow has melted and the pasque flowers are making their appearance.

Another weekend flew by.  We kept busy.  I hope everyone had a happy Easter.

February Thaw...

We have seen the 60's and 70's the last couple of days.  It isn't helping my desire to garden.  I have managed to keep busy.  I am currently working on the backyard bird count.  These 8 crows and 1 magpie raised a racket to make sure they were included in the count.

 I'm always looking for projects and I have seen many beneficial bug bungalows.  I have wanted to make one and yesterday while cleaning the beds I had an epiphany the garden has everything I needed to make one.  The stems of the sunflowers, daylilies, and delphiniums are all hollow.  Then in the garage were a couple of hollow birch trunks that I was making into birdhouses.  I decided to repurpose one into a bug house holder.    Then I found an old stick that I had covered in bedsprings, stuck the beneficial bug bungalow on top, then poked it in the snow for a photoshoot.  It needs some tweaking and maybe a stronger stick.  I am pretty pleased with my creation.  I will keep close tabs on it and see if it is just decoration or if it will actually provide refuge for some bugs or butterflies.  

 Keeping with my hygge traditions I made some pumpkin pie white chocolate and drank it in my Danish cup.

Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. nutmeg
dash of cloves
dash of ginger
dash of salt
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. white chocolate chips

Gently whisk on low heat until the white chocolate chips melt.
www.thefrugalhomemaker.com 

 My husband and I went shed hunting on the prairie property.  Our neighbor had extensive beaver damage.  Funny thing is we never saw where their dam was.  As you can see from their attempts at the giant cottonwood below, they have grandiose plans. 

 We had some results from our search.  The large jar is very interesting as it has thumb divots around the top.  The little half pint bottle will make an excellent vase.  

 It is actually melting up on the mountain also.  I finally found my little hedgehog.  He got covered by the snow, but came out of hibernation.  He is now safely on the porch.  I finally got around to wrapping my roses.  You may think it is too late, but actually winter doesn't kill them.  It is the freezing and thawing in the spring.  I put fencing around them and will stuff them with pine boughs.

 While I was out piddling around my husband has been spending his weekends completing the room above our barn.  It is looking pretty good.  I am very proud of his progress.

He has pretty much done everything on his own.  Once and a while I hold things, but that is about it.  I can't wait to show you the finished product.  It will be fabulous.

Well that is all I have.  Quite a bit actually.  It is amazing how much energy a person has when the weather is nice.  It is supposed to snow on Wednesday, so it will be back to the grind.  That doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the break.  

What is the weather where you are?  Have you been able to see your garden, much less putter around in it?  

Blue skies...

It is a bright sunshiney day.  We went out to our property on the river.  There was quite a bit of snow, which is much needed moisture for the area.

 I tried out my new camera's zoom.  That bird was a dot, but the camera was able to capture it.  Isn't that sky grand?  I love how the light is shining through the little rabbit's ear.

 The snow has driven the antelope down to the river.  Our neighbor said he has never seen them down here before.  They are enjoying the sunshine and a field of soybeans.  It was fun to watch them.  There are even a few deer among them if you look hard in the photo below.

There wasn't much else going on.  Despite the fact the temp was only around 21 degrees, it felt warm on the sunny prairie.  Up in the hills it was a balmy 35 degrees.  It was a need break from the snow and winter winds.  

What wild life are you seeing around your place?