Voodoo Magic

There's a bit of Voodoo at our house right now. Specifically, the Voodoo Lily out by the pond is blooming.

It's scientifically known as Dracunculus vulgaris (aka Arum dracunculus). Some of the common names are Dragon Arum, Ragons, Snake Lily, Black Arum, Black Dragon, Dragonwort, & Stink Lily. In Greece it is called Drakondia, with the dragon being the long spadex inside the enormous maroon-lipped spathe.

There is also at least one plant nursery that has dubbed it "The Viagra Lily" for obvious reasons.

When we first moved here, there was a whole colony of these plants on the hillside above the spring feeding our pond. Unfortunately, when the guys dug out the pond we lost a lot of them. It will take a while for the colony to rebuild. The plant spreads by tubers underground, and spreading seeds above ground.

It's an interesting plant. Way up there on the cool-o-meter! Not only is it funky looking, but it's a thermogenic plant! The first day or so it's in bloom, the flower produces heat. I suppose that's to help carry the stink. Yeah, for a short period the plant also rates high on the yuck-o-meter.

It smells like something that died a long time ago. The Voodoo Lily uses the carrion smell to attract insects that like dead stuff, like flies, for pollination. You can see in this video the smell works very well at attracting flies.

Fortunately the smell doesn't last long, but all kinds of bugs seem to love it.

The flower (spathe) on this plant is a couple feet across. The shimmering purple-black "jack supposedly can grow to as long as fifty inches. This one has a ways to go before it reaches that size, being only a little over 23 inches long from the base down in the throat of the flower, to the tip. It really is a neat plant. Just don't breath deep the first day it's blooming!

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rose

Paul's a rambler. No, not a rambling man, a rambling rose that was named after the guy who hybridized it and registered it in 1916. It's got a light pink double bloom, lots of thorns, resistant to most rose diseases, and fragrant. (What's a rose without the rose smell?)
I first became enamored of these tall growing roses when I was a very young newlywed, working night shift at the hospital where my husband spent part of his days in training as a Physician's Assistant. We had rented and moved out to this little farm, and in the front yard one of these rambling roses was growing way up in the tree. WAY up.

It only puts on a real show of bloom once a year, in the late spring or early summer. But oh! What a sight when you can look high up in a tree and see it full of rose blooms!

Mine isn't as full or so far up yet as that first one I ever saw, but it's working on it. I planted it beside a huge oak tree at the front right corner of our yard, alongside the driveway. Every once in a while The Farmer has to get a tall ladder and push a few of the straggling branches over a tree limb. He hasn't done it this year because his ladder got too short for the height of the rose.

Every year it's gets taller and fuller, and it's so lovely when full of blooms!
I love rambling roses, even when they're named Paul.

Springtime on the Farm

I love this weather. It's still cool at nights and the first part of the morning, then warms up in the afternoon, but doesn't get so HOT as it does later. Unfortunately, this moderate weather usually doesn't last very long, and we have a very brief bout of spring.

Trees, bushes and flowers are in bloom all over the place! When I walk out our front door, there's a flower bed with a white pulsatilla and several ajuga in bloom, coral bells and iris with buds not quite open, and several other plants greening up but not yet in bloom.

The pond is scummed over with pollen. Our vehicles turn yellow overnight from all the pollen the trees are puffing out.

We have a row of cherry laurels across the front of the yard blooming.

This is the first year the two dogwoods I planted in the front yard have bloomed. I really like the pink variety.
On the north end of the house, the hostas have got a good growth going, the Lenten Rose is still full of blooms, as is the Viburnum bush.

The honeysuckle (Alabama Crimson Red) is also blooming. I saw a hummingbird enjoying some nectar from the honeysuckle blooms just this morning!

When the wind is right, the sweet smell of the viburnum in the front yard and the lilac in the back yard mingle, and oh! What a heavenly aroma!

It won't be long until the roses start blooming, and out in the woods, I've seen trillium, mayapple, trout lily, and all kinds of wild dogwoods in bloom.

It's wonderful to see all this color. Later in the year the flowerbeds are still colorful, but when traveling down the road, it's mostly green that meets the eye, with only a few splashes of color from things like crepe myrtles or butterfly bushes.

I guess I'll enjoy the plethora of colors and moderate temperatures while they last, and try not to think of the heat to come!

Spring Flowers

After a couple of rainy days, we had some sunshine this morning so I went looking to see if there were any wildflowers out in the woods. I figured it was about time for the trillium to show their faces.

Sure enough, I saw several peeking through last year's leaves for the first time this year.

There were other wildflowers in evidence also...

And when I got back in our yard, I noticed even the lilac bush is starting to leaf out...

I do believe spring may decide to show up after all this year.

Is it a mini-Hobbit hole?

After I finished this morning's critter chores, I took a short walk in the woods. There is yet another type of wildflower starting to produce blooms.

The slue is more of an algae soup right now, chock-full of vibrant green strands of algae. Along the bank I saw some creature has made a hole in the hillside. I wonder what it could be?
It's pretty round - suppose it's a miniature Hobbit hole?

As usual, since I was looking and READY, I didn't see any deer, owls, or even rabbits or squirrels. I'm afraid my leaf-crunching as I walk is a detriment to seeing much wildlife.

Back at the house, I noticed the Lenten Rose on the north side of the house has a couple of new buds. It may still be February, but there are definite signs of growth!

I can't wait for spring, all two days of it that we get in the south before the heat of summer slams into force!

Daffodils

I saw the first daffodil blooms of the year here yesterday.

Another sign that spring is coming!

Bright yellow flowers poke up towards the sky
Bringing forth hope that springtime draws nigh.
Their grace and great beauty are all sure to please
As the cheery toned flowers bob round in the breeze.

Snow!

It's snowing here for only the second time this year. Now everyone north of the Mason-Dixon line, don't be laughing about how excited people in the south get over such a little dab of snow!

When I went out to do chores this morning, the first thing I saw was Toby cavorting around with snow dusting his back.

A couple of the peahens were out and had even more snow on their backs.

After I finished taking care of the critters, I walked down into the woods. There was snow dusting all the leaves on the ground, and some sticking to the trees. I took a picture of the slue on one side on our property.

I didn't see any owls or deer today. They probably had the good sense to stay tucked inside some sort of shelter.

My quince bush has frozen blossoms. Right now the iced blossoms look rather pretty, but I'm sure when it warms up they'll all turn brown and die.
Back up near the house, the birds were busy at the feeders and birdbath. We always have several cardinals and woodpeckers dining at our buffet.

They take turns at the feeders, and sit on the fence posts patiently waiting their turn.

You can see what blustery weather we're having by the way the feathers of this lady Cardinal are all ruffled up. She even tucked one of her feet up in her feathers to stay warm.
We won't get any accumulation worth mentioning from this morning's snowfall, but it was still fun to see some snow for a change!

A Sunny Sunday on the Farm

After record breaking warm temperatures earlier this week, it’s back to cold weather. Yeah, I know “cold” is a relative term, and what’s cold for us is a balmy day further north. There was a hard frost this morning, but the sun came out and it turned into a lovely day.

The return to cold weather hasn't obliterated all signs of a coming spring either. After doing the critter care chores, I went for a short walk in the woods. I noticed the redbud trees have - what else? - red buds appearing.

I noticed other signs of growth in a slue towards the back of our wooded area that is filled with water again, thanks to the recent rains. The algae is bright green there. The moss in the woods also continues to green up, and there are a few plant leaves poking up here and there.

In my flower garden, the plant my Granny used to call "Live Forever" is already showing new growth for this season.
This particular variety is officially known as Sedum 'Matrona'. It has lovely pink flower heads that the butterflies and bees dearly love.

The animals enjoy the sunshine too, and I noticed a bunch of the guineas in the front yard, headed down towards the pond.

All in all, it's just nice to enjoy a sunny Sunday here on the farm.

Signs of Spring

When I went outside to do chores this morning I was pleased to see signs of spring. Yes, I know it’s still February, and we have more winter weather to come. Today, however, with 70+ F. temperatures and blossoms starting to appear, it reminds me of spring.

The first bright spot of color I noticed was a dandelion. Come summer, they’ll pollute the place, but for now, it’s nice to see that splash of sunny color in an otherwise cheerless landscape.

The landscape is also pretty in pink as down by the pond, as there is a quince bush starting to bloom. It’s the first bush I notice blooming here in the spring, and is extra special because it came from my dad’s farm in West Virginia. Some of the buds got frost bitten, but others bravely hung on and are opening up.

In the woods I noticed the patches of moss are starting to take on a vibrant green hue in sharp contrast to the drab brown leaves.

But splashes of color aren’t the only signs of spring. There’s also the sounds.. First thing I noticed when I went outside this morning was the spring peepers song. It’s the first day I’ve heard them, and they will get progressively louder. Some nights they make it hard to sleep!

It's not the picture here that matters - it's just the boggy area of our bottom pasture, where a spring in the hillside seeps out and the water collects in this low lying area. Nothing much to see, but you can HEAR the spring peepers doing their thing. (Ignore the ever present noise of guineas in the background now and then.)

I know we’ll have more wintry weather, but today is an encouragement I can hold onto. Cause peepers and posies, they’re both a promise of the spring to come.

Continuing Cold…

The weather has remained rather frosty every morning. I noticed three little lambs ears peeking through a drift of fallen leaves, 3 erect little soldiers in a row.
Our old goat gals must suffer some aches and pains with the cold, but they gamely move out in the morning, checking to see if I’ve thrown out any corn or put out any hay. One way or another, we’ll all survive this frigid-to-us weather.

It's that time of year...

No, I'm not talking about the time of year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, though it certainly is the season for those also! But here on the farm it's also time for the yearly bloom of my 'Winter Star' Camellia...
I hope to get some better pictures when more of the buds have opened!

The Frost is on the Pumpkin

Okay, I lied. The frost is NOT on the pumpkin. However, we did finally get a hard frost last night, and as I was headed out the door to take pictures this morning, I was just sure I'd be able to use that title. Wouldn't you know the few little pumpkins I bought were in sheltered locations and didn't get frosted!?!

You can see it on the windshield of Youngest Son's car:

You can see frost on the sheep's wool and where they were sleeping:

The last of the roses got frosted:

And of course, the grass and fallen leaves are frosty:
The sun hitting the newly frosted leaves is causing a shower of leaves to fall this morning:


Right now the oak trees, like the one shown here at the end of our driveway, still have most of their leaves:But the leaves are falling faster and faster:


So I figure it won't be long until all the trees look as naked as the walnuts do:
(... that picture is for you Robin! See, you're not the only one with leafless trees!)

And last, though you can't see the frost on the trees in this picture, I decided to include it because I like it, even if I do have it upside down here:
It may not LOOK upside down, but it's not really a picture of the trees, but a picture of their REFLECTION in our pond.

So, even though the frost wasn't on the pumpkin...
It was on most everything else this morning!

It's really fall...

Today was a beautiful fall day with lots of sunshine and a vivid blue sky. It was just a tad chilly, with lots of wind. It was my kind of day!

The pine trees to the left are along the front edge of our yard, and the big tree at the right is a huge oak sitting at the corner of the yard by our driveway.

We don’t seem to get the right weather conditions to have a lot of leaf coloration in the fall. Most of the time the leaves just turn brown and fall off the tree, but we do have a few with some colored leaves.
Here's a close-up of some of the leaves near the top of the oak. It was tough to get a sharp picture since the wind kept blowing the leaves around!

There were all kinds of bugs out busily gathering nectar from any flowers they could find.

This goldenrod seemed to be a particular favorite for all kinds of bugs and bees!

Somewhere along the line this summer, some butterfly bush seed must have floated over to the pond banks, since I see we now have a little bush growing there. It's even blooming!

The pond water is beautifully clear around the edges. A lot of leaves have fallen into the water, which the wind has blown to the edges.

If we're really lucky, we'll have a lot more nice weather like today. I'm not going to count on it though. A hard frost can't be too far away, and winter coming fast behind that.

But for today, it was fall and it was beautiful.

Busy as a Bee!

Bang, bang, bang! I can’t decide if I feel like I’m sitting in the middle of a shooting gallery, or it sounds like someone shooting off fireworks. Dove hunting season began at 12 noon here, and there are obviously LOTS of hunters busy taking advantage of it.

According to Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, the mourning dove is the most hunted migratory game bird in North America. I believe it, and I think every possible hunter is out there for the start of the season. The dove may be the symbol of peace, but they’ll be in pieces if they show a feather today.

While hunters are busy terminating doves, here on the farm we’re hoping for new life. One of the peahens is sitting on 4 eggs. It sure would be nice to see some little peachicks running around in the aviary. It just hasn’t been our year for peachicks. So far, zilch, nada, none.

While the hunters were after doves and the peahen sitting on her eggs, The Farmer was busy mowing the back yard today. This is news because it’s the first time he’s done it in years. We sold off the majority of our sheep and goats, and don’t have enough left to keep the grass eaten down like we used to.

He also tried out the new chainsaw he bought today. His previous chainsaw expired from old age. He sent it to the shop to be fixed and the bolts fell apart. Yeah, you could say it was extremely old.

While The Farmer was busy checking out his new chainsaw, some old trouble showed up to see what was happening. And what’s the biggest source of trouble on the farm? Why, the ornery little goats of course.

The one busy chewing Farmer’s pants is his special pet, a cashmere goat named Tom Thumb. He is the rare goat that would rather be petted than eat cracked corn.

And while the hunters hunted, the peafowl sat, and The Farmer sawed, there were bees and bugs busy gathering nectar from the newly blooming Sedum ‘Matrona’.

All around the area today, people and critters were busy as bees!

A Change in Weather

When I looked at the weather forecast today, it said the high would be 95° F. (35° C.). I thought, “Wow! It’s going to be a lot cooler today!”

You know it’s been too hot for too long, when 95°F. sounds cool!

It’s probably cooler because last night it rained. Not just a little-bitty, very brief hardly-wetted-down-anything shower, which is all we’ve got for weeks and weeks, but an honest to goodness thunder storm that lasted for hours. Wooooowwwww…. there was actually 2 ½ inches of water in the rain gauge this morning!

The garden was actually wet without me having to water it!
The dirt in the flower gardens was actually damp!

The pond had more water in it, which was all stirred up from the rain!

There were actually still WET spots on the driveway and road at mid-morning!

There was even a puddle of water on a little table on the front porch!

Did you notice all the fallen, brown leaves in these pictures? That's because of the drought, cause it certainly isn't fall, and the weather certainly hasn't been cool, let alone frosty!

Yes indeed, we sure could use some more of this change in weather.

More rain, and cooler temps please!

Of Gardens & Goats...

Jess and I wandered out to check the garden last night. The Alabama Crimson Tide Honeysuckle by the gate is blooming. I love the color, and the hummingbirds love the nectar.

We’re actually getting some tomatoes and peppers out of our little garden. Jess helped pick the produce. He enjoys the fresh tomatoes and peppers for lunch, and store bought tomatoes just do not compare to home-grown vine-ripened tomatoes.

He also pulled the water hose out to the other end of the garden, attached a sprinkler, and let the water soak the earth around the most recently planted tomatoes and peppers. We keep hearing rumbles of thunder, but it’s just a tease, and we still haven’t been getting much rain.

As Jess pulled the hose through the fence around the garden, he noticed a caterpillar hanging on the fence. Yes, hanging.

I would guess it’s going to pupate. I have no idea what kind of caterpillar it is, and what type of moth or butterfly it will turn into,so will be out checking it from time to time to see what happens.

This morning after the guys were both off to work, I went out to check the garden again, fill the water buckets for the animals, and throw scraps to the peafowl. Things looked fairly normal at first, but then I saw a strange sight in the peafowl’s aviary - - -

Apparently, Cinnamon’s twin buck kids had stretched out the bungee cord and pushed their way through the door. Once in the aviary, they obviously couldn’t figure out how to get back out. Cinnamon was bawling, and they were playing “butt heads” (which seems pretty appropriate to me).

Those little rascals are such escape artists, but this time they escaped INTO prison. Serves them right. However, getting the goats OUT while leaving the peahens IN was a chore, but I finally managed.

I really got my goat(s). … at least until the next time the little Houdini’s escape!