Summer Plantings Continue

Dad helped last week as we continue to try to get our summer plantings in.  We still have lots to plant but we are getting there.  This field will be for chufa plantings.  There might  even be a money tree come up in that field.  Dad lost his billfold and he believes it fell out of his pocket here while he was plowing.  We are hoping to see a money tree come up somewhere here in the chufa.  We are going to try to keep the crows from pulling it up:)

WOW, Deer Healed

This is the picture I posted on 2/17/2014 of a doe that lives on our property.  She had been hurt by something and I got a picture of her.  I posted the story under the "Miscellaneous Tab".  We were not sure if she would survive or not.  SHE DID!  

Below are two pictures I made of her this past week.  It is amazing to see what she looks like now.  No, she was not sutured back together.  Mother Nature just took care of her.  If I had not watched her and seen it for myself I would not believe these pictures.  I wonder if she will have fawns this fall?

Trail-Big Helper

We are to host fifth grade students from schools in the county next week for "Classroom in the Forest".  This week we worked on preparing the trail next to the pond for the students.  My granddaughter, who is five and likes to help, staked rocks on the edge of the trail as I blew leaves from the walking area.

She loves working outdoors, planting plants and doing whatever needs to be done.  She wanted to make the trail nice for those visiting her trail next week. 

Multiple Use Forest (Camping)

Last weekend we camped with Nathan and his family next to the stream at our "Grand Mother's Park Area".  We had a blast! We didn't see any bears but sometime during the night we had one visitor just behind the tents in the Mountain Laurel that didn't like us in his territory.  It was hard to tell if it was a bobcat or a raccoon but it let us know he did not like us being there.  We built a rock crossing on one stream, gathered yellow root and talked about how Native 

Americans and our ancestors used the forest for medicine, caught large spring lizards and crawfish, hiked and made several pictures of wildflowers that we added to the wildflower tab.

Our forest is a " Multiple Use Forest".  Our primary goal is timber production but we enjoy using our forest for so much more.

Early Wildlife Corn Planted

This was my view last week as I planted our early wildlife corn.  Last year our wildlife fields were next to nothing and this year I am going to do everything I can do to make them better.  I have started with early corn plantings, this being first of our warm season crops to be planted.  Next, we will be planting soybeans, brown-top millet, sunflowers, and some more corn.  We are adding these crops to supplement native plants where we have burned and we will be adding fertilizer to Japanese Honeysuckle and Kudzu. We are trying to up the available protein for deer.  Salt was added to salt licks for the deer.  This helps the deer in hot weather. 

My newest helper showed up to check on me and bring me a drink that day with his Mom and big sister.  I think he is going to like being out on Dewberry Lands in the forest, what do you think?

Big smile for a 3 1/2 month old.