What?

What?
Originally uploaded by BillRey74

The robin chicks have fledged the nest. Which, took place right after climbing the ladder and getting a quick shot or two. This image is this little birds first venture outside nest and the old building. The impression I get is, WHAT are you looking at?

For a large image click on the bird!

Gray Tree Frog

I can hear your thinking...fool this frog isn't gray!  Dispite it's name this is the Gray Tree Frog of Minnesota.  This evening as I was cutting grass, I spied this little guy hopping madly in its attempt to get out of the way.  Knowing that I don't have any good photos of this critter and Trish hasn't seen one...  well, you know the rest of the story.  You can read more about this frog and hear its song at eNature.   For a full sized image click here!

Poison Ivy

Now that spring has sprung and the itching has started, I want to lay to rest a long standing issue that I have some folks with miss-identifying Poison Ivy!  This is Poison Ivy in spring (image 1) colors, a set of three shinny green leafs.   

image 1

This is Poison Ivy in  fall (image 2) colors, the same set of three leafs, but now they turn a rusty red.

image 2

Now, the confusion!  This is sarsaparilli (image 3) in spring colors.  They have five leafs in a group of three. Notice they are not show shinny and again five leafs.

image 3

And now more confusion!  This sarsaparilli (image 4)  in fall colors. It is still sporting five leafs, and a rusty reddish color.  Again, five leafs and it don't cause the rash.  Actually, some earthy type drinks have been made from the root of this plant. The problem lying in the eradication of the wrong plant and still the itch appears.

image 4

Showy Lady Slipper

Ladyslipper
Originally uploaded by BillRey74

The Showy Lady's Slipper is the Minnesota state flower.  It was adopted as such in 1902.  See maps for where I found these flowers.  See map for Showy!

Other Lady's Slipper I have come across in Minnesota.

The Pink Lady's Slipper   See map for Pink!

The Yellow Lady's Slipper  See map for Yellow!

Morning walk with Trish

We took a walk down the driveway and back this morning, with a cup of coffee and tea in hand and the sun started peeking over the tops of the trees. You could just feel the earth waking up as the light seeked out the dark and warmed the night air. Birds were the topic this morning as we walked.. a pair of Eastern Bluebird has adopted the house in the garden, a pair of tree swallows have move into the new bird house I mounted to an old fence post earlier this spring, a pair of barn swallow are trying to convince me that it is ok to move into the shed and a Robin pair has chicks in the old barn. As we walked we were privledged to see a male Rosy Breasted Grosbeak for the first time this spring, Gold Finches by the ton, a female hummingbird, blackbirds, Eastern Kingbirds, Crows, ducks, geese and in the distance sing Sandhill cranes... This my favorite part of the day, as mother earth is waking up. I hope to share this part of the day often with Trish.

Rain falls main on the Plains!

Last night some good thunder boomers move through our area! Lots of rain and wind, like mother nature doing some spring cleaning. As I checked on the garden, yard, and shed this morning I noticed things were knocked out of the trees, pine cones, dead branches, bird nests, and this paper wasp nest. No worries! Its dead and a left over from last year. In this area there are a number of wasps that will build good sized nest, this one, I believe, belongs the Bald-Faced hornet. An aggressive predator of small in insects, including flys. So, if you can, leave them be and they will help keep the bug population in check.

Gurl approving trailer!

Gurl approving trailer!
Originally uploaded by BillRey74

Gurl, which sometimes can be "Squirrel", is still learning her way about being in the country. She was raised in town with not much of a yard to run around in. Now, she has acres to run, explore and rule over. Which is both good and bad. The good; she is tired at the end of the day, verses bouncing off the walls or chewing on the cats. The bad; well that would her collection of ticks that she inevitable shares with us during the night. "G" damn is what I would hear from the other side of the bed. What? A tick is on my cheek!

Phlox in the chicken coop!

Phlox in the chicken coop!
Originally uploaded by BillRey74

With the chickens gone and the fence broke down, the phlox is in the chicken yard.

Northern Prairie Skink

Northern Prairie Skink
Originally uploaded by BillRey74

One of the first things I learned about the prairie is; there are lizards living out here. The Northern Prairie Skink makes the prairie in northern US and southern Canada home.

Baby Robin

Baby Robin
Originally uploaded by BillRey74
We have many bird friends that have made Prairie Home their home. One of which is a pair of American Robins. They set up home in an old shed that has more missing slats then good ones. In the coming days, I will post a few more images of the growing twins. Yes, there are two chicks in this nest.

Update!  The robin have fledge the nest.  See new image of one of the chicks outside the nest.

The beginning!

Recently, I bought a house out on the northern prairie of Minnesota. Its an old place, but the country living is what I was looking for. So, hence the name to this site. This is new for me, since I grew up in the east of Minnesota, where there are lakes, streams, rivers and trees. Out here its open, windy and few trees. But, its home!