Sweet Peas

Ever since we have owned our barn property there has been a small patch of flowering Sweet Peas growing along the driveway. I have avoided mowing this area and each year during the mid-summer the Sweet Peas start blooming.



This variety of Sweet Pea (Lathyrus latifolius), also known as Everlasting Pea, is a perennial that is native to Europe. I'm not sure if this patch of Sweet Peas were started by the prior owners, but this species is often considered to be a weed despite its attractive appearance. I'll just keep mowing around it.

Bullfrogs

I was checking the small stream behind our house for damage from this week's heavy rains and I found this bullfrog enjoying this newly formed waterhole.

Don't fence me in

I was driving along Joyce Road when I noticed this fawn in the neighbor's pasture. The fawn had got inside the pasture and was looking for a way to get through the electric fence.



After a while the fawn was able to escape and return to the nearby woods.

Something is eating my Raspberries

I've noticed a lone turkey in the field below our barn several times in the past weeks and now I know why, its been eating my raspberries. I've seen the turkey near the barn and garden several times before and thought the bird was just passing through the area to get to the corn field behind the barn. As I waited at the barn with my camera ready to get a photo as the bird passed I noticed the bird head directly to the raspberry patch in my garden. I have an electric fence around the garden to keep the deer out, but it doesn't keep turkeys out.

Fawns in the Grass

This year's fawns are showing up all over the neighborhood. I caught some movement along the side of the road and found these two camouflaged in the tall grass.



As I waited along the edge of the road their curiosity got the best of them and they moved closer to me.





I found another fawn along the edge of the road having lunch with its mother. The flies are very bad this time of year as can be seen by the dark areas on the mother.



A doe and two fawns looking for a late evening meal.

Local Flooding

It was sunny this morning, but it started raining around 10:00PM last night and by daybreak we had recorded 2.66 inches of rain with our weather station. This was a large amount of rain but north of us a few miles they received over 5 inches of rain which caused Wysox Creek to flood the town of Rome. At 2:30PM we receive an additional 0.56 inches of rain to bring the total to 3.22 inches of rain, with more rain showing up on radar.

From WNEP.com - Flash Flooding in Northeastern Bradford County

Some of my photos:

Storage sheds along Wysox Creek were relocated





Wysox Creek at Bliss Road



Flooded lawns in Rome



Major damage at McGuire's



Seven Hills Trailer Court was flooded. The high water mark is located by the garbage can.



Outside of Rome many corn field were flattened.

Fawns and other Deer

This year's new fawns are now 4 to 6 weeks old and starting to be more socially visible with the other deer in the neighborhood.



One of these fawns is nursing as the second fawn watches me.



Still nursing as a second doe watches.



In another area of the neighborhood I found these two fawns watching the traffic on the township road.



This pair of fawns brought a buck for backup support.



Not sure if the buck is their dad, big brother or just a friend.

Lightning

A thunder storm passed through the neighborhood today around 4:00PM while I was mowing the lawn at our barn and I was forced to seek shelter in the barn until the storm pasted. During the storm I heard the loud thunder of several close lightning strikes but didn't know the exact location of the strikes. About an hour after the storm passed I was driving along the township road and noticed damaged bark on a hickory tree next to the road. I thought something had run into the tree but found a band of the bark had been removed from the base of the tree to the very top. The tree had been struck by lightning.



Not all of the bark had been removed from the tree but it formed stripe that twisted around the tree.



Some of the missing bark over 20 feet above the ground.

Reed's Check-up

Another big day for Mr. Reed, our grandson, as he starts his day with a healthy breakfast. He's now 10 months old and time for a visit with the doctor for a check-up.



At the doctor's office, killing time in the waiting room with mommy.



Still waiting for the doctor... selfie with grandpa. (I now have 4 teeth)



Go to examining room #4, take your clothes off and wait for the doctor.



These scales can't be right... are you sure?



Check my length... I feel like a bass at a fishing tournament.



Checking my knowledge container...



Checking the ears...



Time for a blood sample.



Time for a shot and we are done. Everything looked good and we will see you again in September.

Blueberries

Some of the early blueberries are starting to ripen in our blueberry patch.



It looks like a good crop of blueberries this year but I also saw some signs of the bushes being raided by some of the wildlife. There have been some sightings of bears in the neighborhood.

Underwing Caterpillar

I was cleaning out weeds from my raspberry patch when I came across this large caterpillar on a dead raspberry cane. This 4 inches long caterpillar is an Underwing Caterpillar, a Catocala ilia Moth.

Caterpillars

As I was leaving our barn today, in my truck, I noticed a limb on a walnut tree was hanging low and the back side of several of the leaves were almost solid white. After investigating I could see the white colored leaves were covered with caterpillars and some of the surrounding branches had been defoliated.



The caterpillars were about the size of a very large grain of rice and packed tightly on the leaves.



A close-up of the caterpillars.

Time to mow some hay

I have been busy with some other activities this year and have gotten behind on my mowing.



Its been hard to find the deer in the tall grass.



I put the sickle bar mower on the tractor and after a couple of passes around the field I had this fawn come out the tall grass.



Almost done with this section of the field and a second fawn came out of the grass.