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Category Archives: Life Science
Visitation
Last week on the morning after St. Patrick’s Day, it was crisp and clear but warm enough for me to have coffee on the porch. One nice thing about a taste of spring….no bugs yet. So I’m sitting in a … Continue reading
Lone Trees
Lone Tree Farm was named for a huge old cottonwood tree that originally stood along Knanranzi Creek just beyond the present-day farmyard. Although it was been gone for almost a century there still are some isolated trees that carry on … Continue reading
Posted in Farm History, Life Science
Tagged apple tree, ash tree, cottonwood, elm tree
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Winter Harvest
Before the warm weather melted all of our snow last week, there were lots of signs that small mammals were busy with their winter harvest. Rabbits, mice and beavers all root around in the snow looking for lunch….or dinner….or second … Continue reading
Cold Snap
This past week has been a week of holidays: Chinese New Year, Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Margaret’s Birthday! We’re about half way between the fist day of winter and the first day of … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged daylight, soil health, tall grass, weather records
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Who’s Awake?
In the cycle of seasonal rounds, winter is a time when many organisms—plants, animals, and humans—slow down. But in the morning after a fresh snowfall, there are tracks that make you wonder exactly who’s awake and who’s hibernating. And after … Continue reading
Double Eagle Days
Earlier this month we had a string of eight or nine days that were mostly clear, sunny, and warm. And, almost every day we saw a mature bald eagle “parked” in the big cottonwood that we can see from our … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged eagles, Happy New Year, Nature's lessons, weather
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SEASONS CHANGE
Seasonal rounds are an intrinsic part of life on the prairie. They’re an experience shared by Ice Age animals and plants, by Native American hunters and farmers, and by homesteaders and people in agribusiness. But, 2020 has been different. COVID-19 … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Family History, Farm History, Life Science
Tagged pandemic, precipitation, rural, urban
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ENVIRONMNETAL CHANGES
This is the first in a series of four seasonal posts that speak to changes: environmental changes, cultural changes, generational changes, and seasonal changes. They’re all based on insights provided directly by life on the Farm and rooted in the … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged climate change, Covid-19, glaciers, mammoths
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Fly Over Country
Our bird populations have seasonal rounds. Most of the songbirds like robins and meadowlarks have left. Now the main birds that we see are either passing through or are the ones that stay around all winter. Bald eagles stay year … Continue reading
Nature Will Not Be Denied
This time of year, plants and animals seem to loosen their grip on the Farm. Corn and soybeans have been harvested, cattle have been moved off the pasture paddocks, leaves have fallen off the trees, and grass is brown. But, … Continue reading
Lone Tree Farm on Kanaranzi Creek 