Grazing in the Grass

The sun has finally come out and the grass is starting to grow - ever so slightly!  Driving by one of the local farms on my way to work the other day, I noticed a group of horses grazing in the field.

As I drove closer, I rolled down my window to snap a few shots. But no matter how much I cooed and begged, the guy below would NOT look up at me!  There must have been something quite delicious at the corner of that fence post. : -)

Incoming!

There are several pairs of Sand Hill Cranes that frequent our rural neighborhood each year. This pair is fond of the fields located next to the farmette in yesterday's post. The image is a little blurry because I had to zoom in quickly once I heard their throaty, garbled warble above me as they came in for a landing. Highly entertaining birds!

You can see all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

Eggs For Sale

Up on Swan Road, right at the border of Pewaukee and Lisbon, is a refurbished farmstead. It used to be a working farm with fields of corn and soybeans and several barns with cows, chickens, goats, and even a corral with horses. The elderly couple who lived there recently moved out and sold most of their land for development. The new owners use the smaller tract that remains as more of a "gentleman's farm" with a only few horses and a coop of chickens. Just recently we noticed the "Organic Farm-Fresh Eggs" sign out front. One of these days, as time allows, we'll have to give them a try!

Skywatch: Pewaukee Farm

This is one of my favorite vistas on the Ryan Road hiking trails. Such a pleasant, quiet refuge - far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Looking westward, it's a great place to watch the cloud formations and weather move in.

You can see more SkyWatch Friday photos here.

1908

On Mother's Day we took my mom on a drive around the city of La Crosse, to places we hadn't been for years. This barn and silo is at the east end of Cass Street, which turns into Ebner Coulee Road and meanders up behind Granddad's Bluff. From this angle, you can barely see the sign that says '1908' at the top of the roof...this farmstead was established over a century ago! Below is a back view of the barn from the next street over where you can better see how it is nestled at the bottom of the bluff.

Violet

On recent chilly morning on my way to work, I drove past the horse farm on Weyer Rd. and saw Violet sunning herself in the barnyard. :-)

Christmas Farmstead

This small farm is just off Cecelia Road in the Village of Pewaukee. Most of the land around it has been eaten up by housing and retail developments. Even so, it's nice to see the owners display their Christmas spirit by hanging a large wreath on their barn.

SkyWatch Friday: Slip-Sliding Away

A blue sky frames this decrepit, gothic farm house in Columbia County, Wisconsin. It can be seen in the distance from I-90/94, and is located just south of the I-39 Portage exit. Traveling this route for years, we have watched the steady decline of this old house. It appears to be leaning more and more each year, and I'm sure will eventually crumple to the ground unless it is demolished. In the photo below, you can see part of the newer home built to replace it.

See all SkyWatch entries here.

Theme Day - Waiting: Turkey Blind

This heap of what looked to be a giant block of hay first appeared around September in a nearby field. I've since learned it's a turkey blind - a small inner tent that is surround by hay, which is supported by sticks. Hunters can hide inside and shoot any hapless birds that wander by. Which is pretty likely, since this is the area where I've seen lots of turkey in the past.

But the key is patience...and lots of waiting.

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Rusted Farm Implement

Saw this tucked back in an overgrown field during our walk the other day. Not sure what it is, but it appears to be a very old horse-drawn combine or harvester of some sort.

Meeting Her Match

During our walk on Sunday afternoon, Nik and I passed by George's barn on the corner of Swan & Lindsay roads. His little miniature horse called "Patches" was out, and Nik was more than a little curious, as they had never met before. Nik is familiar with regular horses that we meet on the Ryan Road trails, and gives them a wide path. She's also met George's goats and shows no real interest in them. Patches, however, is very friendly and and more her size. They sniffed noses and Nik's tail wagged happily. As we left to continue on our walk, Nik looked back and did her "Woo-Roo" bark, as if to say good-bye.

On your honor

This untended pumpkin wagon is located on the edge of an old farmstead right, next to the railroad tracks on Duplainville Road. The little markers indicate different prices for each sized pumpkin - small, medium or large.

Pumpkins & More

One of the many farm pumpkin stands that dot Wisconsin during the fall months was offering free kittens along with the produce! I almost took this adorable gray and white kitten named Zoey home with me. Not sure how Phoebe and Nik would have felt about that... :-)

The stand is over on Silver Spring Road. By "more" they mean squash, gourds, Indian corn, straw bales, decorative corn stalks, and a small variety of home-made canned goods and crafts. It's also a popular place for local grade school kids to take a hay ride and wander the fields to "pick" their own pumpkins.

Fields of Gold

The many soybean fields in the area are now starting to turn a beautiful golden color. Often times you can catch turkeys and deer grazing through the area before harvest.

Déjà Vu

If the above scene looks somewhat familiar, it's because it's the same view shown in the stylized banner of this blog. The banner shot was taken last September and this photo was taken this past weekend. The view is of a farmstead just west of the Ryan Road horse farm trails. The surrounding fields are awash in purple asters and goldenrods. Fortunately, I'm taking my Claritin.

Stealth

This black and white cat was stalking a mouse that ran into the barn over at George's farm on the corner of Swan and Lindsay Roads.

Leading the Way

Meet our early morning alarm clock, Mr. Rooster. He lives at the farm across the road, past our back tree line, but his voice carries for miles. The bossy little fellow appears to be leading the way for an obedient sheep in this photo.

During the summer, from sunrise to mid-morning, he'll crow for hours. After a while you learn to tune it out. Or, thankfully, I get to go to work!

SkyWatch Friday: Part 2 - End of the Rainbow

Because I technically posted my "SkyWatch Friday" entry on Thursday of this week (which is allowed) - I thought I'd continue with the SkyWatch theme for my official Friday posting. On the same drive home along Duplainville Road the rainclouds that had just opened up sported a rainbow that ended somewhere over the soybean fields. I wonder if there's a pot of gold in that old barn?

The image from the previous post and this one were taken only about a half mile and a few minutes apart.

SkyWatch Friday: Clouds-a-Brewin'

On the way home from work earlier this week, the clouds seemed to grow to epic proportions at sunset. I had to lighten the foreground a bit so the farm shed would be visible, but the sky really was that opulent color.

See more Skywatch Friday posts here.

Forgotten

A winding gravel drive leads to a barn-style storage shed along Swan Road.