The Heat of Summer

The summer heat has come on with a vengeance.  This was yesterday at about 4 o'clock.

On the hottest of days some of the bees hang on the outside of the hive, their way of regulating the temperature inside the hive.

The start of the new chicken coop.  It's being built where formerly I had a 10 by 12 foot dog kennel.

I confess to neglecting my nursery of apple grafts this spring and that let the aphid population explode. The aphids feed on the new leaves, sucking the fluid out of them and making them curl up and eventually die. Several sprayings of Sevin and I have them under control and the grafts are putting on some good height.

My Cochin flock has grown in the past month.  I've added three Black Mottled pullets.

I've started fishing my "big water" The Raystown Branch of the Juniata River.

 

 

I've been able to catch a few smallmouth and enjoy some wonderful scenery.

 

 

 

As the end of July draws near, I tell Thicket that Fall is coming and we will make some wonderful memories in my coverts.

Some Fishing Pics

I've been getting out once a week for the past several weeks fishing some old familiar stretches of creeks and exploring some new waters.

My first trip was along a stretch of Licking Creek that I've fished for years. The old farm that it runs through was for sale last year and on this trip I noticed footprints and trampled weeds along the stream, the first time I've ever seen signs of anyone fishing this water. I was at first disappointed, but then I realized how lucky I had been all those past years to have this piece of stream to myself.

My second trip out as along another stretch of Licking Creek.  In my hurry to leave early in the morning I forgot my camera so I have no pics of this trip.  Only a few small bass were caught but the highlight of the trip was a Bald Eagle flying below the treetops down the creek and a large beaver who entertained me for awhile.

My trip this week was to some new water. A stretch of Little Tonoloway Creek that was before inaccessible due to the near vertical drop of the ridge that was the only reasonable access point to it. Last winter a logging road was carved down this ridge to access the timber in the bottom along the creek so I got to explore this section of creek. A view of the stream from atop the ridge.

I only caught a few small bass and I saw signs of other fishermen who probably accessed the stream from the old farm that bordered the steam opposite the ridge. I did get to enjoy the sight of two large mink hunting along the steam who proved too wily for a pic.

 

 

The stream levels have really begun to drop due to the dry weather we've been having. I'll try some of my "bigger" water next week and maybe improve my catch.

 

 

Catching up

I've been neglecting my blog as the summer slips by.  Here are some pics of things that are happening on the farm.

The bees seem to be doing OK.

 This is my last nest of Tree Swallows.  I had 5 boxes that produced fledglings.

The Bluebirds are starting their second nests.

 

 

I always leave as much milkweed grow as I can for the Monarch butterflies to feed on.  Here a honeybee takes advantage of the flowers.

 



 

Although I'm still some years away from a major apple crop some of my young trees are bearing a few apples. I'll only let a tree produce several apples at this stage of their life so as not to stunt their growth.

 



That's all for now.