A Tough Old Hen

This old hen's not going to be scared away from the sunflower seeds by a squirrel.

More Pruning Pics

We have a Pound apple tree in the yard that produces a large green apple, not an "eater", more of a cooking apple. Most years the apples rot under the tree so this year I've decided to take some "radical" action. I've cut off most of the big limbs which will promote "water spouts" to grow this summer. Next spring I'll select the spouts that are growing in a suitable direction and graft some variety of fresh eating apple on to them. Although it looks sever apples are very resilient and I have no doubt that this tree will produce the growth I need to graft to next spring.

 

This is an Westfield-Seek-No-Further apple tree that I planted in the late 80's. I neglected pruning it for too many years. I bought a Silky pole saw last spring and have been slowly thinning branches that are crossing other branches or growing inward. The Silky saw has been one of the best "investments" I've made for the orchards.

 

Orchard Chores

Now that the hunting season is just a memory I've started pruning my apple trees and cutting scion wood for grafting later this spring. Since the majority of my apple trees are just 2 years old the pruning is pretty simply. Selecting limbs with good wide crotch angles and removing the ones with poor angles.

 

I took advantage of a warm sunny day and cut some scion wood, the growth from last year that is best to graft with. It's essential to mark your scion as soon as you cut it to keep from mislabeling it.

 

I swap scion with other grafting "addicts" via the internet to get varieties that I want to try. There are also several orchards scattered across the country that sell scion wood.

 

As I wrap up my pruning and scion cutting my thoughts drift to the woodcock who will passing through in several weeks. Hopefully I'll have pics of Emma and Thicket enjoying the aroma of the little russeted gypsies as they filter through my coverts.

Sharing a snack

Emma and Thicket sharing some dog chow with the cochin bantams.

 

 

A Warm Day

As the temperature rose above 50 degrees on Sunday the bees became active. Making their cleansing flights and removing bees who had died in the hive.

 

 

With all the pushing and shoving going on I removed the entrance reducer (used to limit the amount of cold air entering the hive) to give them more room to carry out their chores.

We're pleased to see that they seem to have made it through this much of the winter successfully and are looking forward to a good crop of honey next fall.

RIP Copper

Evitts Mountain Copper passed away earlier this week.  Although she was my "back-up" dog and always lived in the shadow of Hattie she gave me some wonderful memories of our days afield.

 

Her first solid woodcock point.

 

She always hunted "on the fly".

 

Some of her points that I was able to "capture" over the years.

 

She was always a "camera shy" dog and never liked to pose for pics with birds so I have only a few.

 

 

The last bird I shot over her was this grouse that she handled like a true veteran.

 

 

She's resting now beside Hattie at the top of the Home Orchard where I can visit with them both daily.

 

 

 

Ragged Mountain-North

A bout of arthritis in my neck has kept me out of the coverts, but yesterday Thicket and I took a short hunt in one of my southern coverts, Ragged Mountain-North. The game commission had taken the deer fence down around this clearcut this summer and we hunted around the perimeter.  Thick greenbrier on steep terrain makes this covert especially hard to hunt and although Thicket hunted hard I neither saw nor heard any flushes.