Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Got a call from a neighbor at the lake . Big oak down in my second drive . More lumber . Nature made the choice . He said power was off 2 1/2 days . Ralphie those are blackberry .I will have to look for some mushrooms while at the lake . Got to 92 here today . 109 heat index . Very humid .

I thought the blackberries we had as kids were larger.

So if the birds leave them alone I can make blackberry jam!!

 

[I Love Layers]

There were some very nice birds at the show today!
There was only on rude mom, a 10 year old boy was showing a White Plymouth Rock pullet. Decent sized and right on track for it's age for 5 months. The boys pullet beat the moms daughter, so the mom asked the boy what breed the bird it was, the boy replied with Plymouth Rock. She then asked to feel the bird, the boy said sure, so she felt the bird then sat back down and looked over at me and said "That kids a ******* liar and that's not a Plymouth Rock, and he shouldn't have won".

I just got up and walked away after this because I respect the boys family greatly.
The funny thing was that the mom's daughters bird would've been disqualified at any other show because of its comb!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Our Blackberries ripen up here in August/September almost. But the season started sooner this year....we'll see.
I think you have some chanterelles in some of those photos. Also don't eat the yellow one with dots. Very toxic. There is a great page on face book to follow called the Gentleman Forager. He will post photos of Mushroom foraging...and by what he collects you can tell which are the keepers. I know enough to make myself dangerous though...and should probably take a class.

Sorry to hear about the oak Jerry. It will be going to good use though it seems. Mother Nature just cleaning house.

Roger's progeny is here. We welcome Junior:

>Insert photo here!<

whelp. BYC is photo blocking Junior. Both phone and notebook will not upload...I will try later

 

[Bogtown Chick]

.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I love layers sorry about the foul mouthed mom. Thank u for taking higher ground and ignoring. Some adults are tacky. I can't believe how they talk to kids.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Finally...! Here's Junior!

 

[I Love Layers]

Some of the Grand Champions and Best of Breeds

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Beautiful. Especially that white rock.

 

[duluthralphie]

Some of the Grand Champions and Best of Breeds

You made this really hard to comment on the pictures as tight as you placed them...How did you do that? Are you a witch or something? What kind of magic is that?


The pigeon is cool.


That foul waterfowl is not... I am surprised the health official allow that smelly thing in public....


I can't really see the next black one well..


Anyone thinking that white rock is not a good bird is nuts.. Did the judges really let the woman touch it? I would be beyond ticked off if a stranger picked up and felt Andy when he gets his purple ribbon! Judges can but no one else. Showing a bird is a biosecurity risk having a disgruntled mother hold them is a biosecurity A-bomb...

The cochin is a great looking bird too.

I wanted to exhibit in the local fairs but neither Sherburne or Mille lacs county have an open division on poultry just 4H birds. Andy was heart broken when I told hi he could not go to the fair.

 

[duluthralphie]

Oh, I forgot to mention this adventure in chickening....

Judy helps me water the birds almost every night. We change all the water out and give them fresh water, and refill the feeders. It is a time we look for injuries and any sign of weakness in the birds. We also just visit during this time.

I was mentioning to her I have heard a really loud screaming Guinea keet but could not figure out where it is coming from for the last couple days. I have pretty poor hearing so locating where sounds come from is hard to do. All of a sudden I heard the screeching and said "there that sound"..



Judy was hysterical and she yelled ' It's a baby Eagle or Hawk'..

I said "what?"

She says "up there in the rafters, it just swooped over my head and flew in"

My first thought is she is crazy. Then I looked up and saw a small long tail bird, I could not see it well, my thoughts went to Kestrel, as they are horrible chick killers. I told her to shut the doors. As I wanted to make sure I could catch the kestrel in a net and safely remove it from the brooder shed without it flying into the doors and windows and hurting itself. After all it is illegal to hurt a kestrel, and I sure want not to be the one to hurt one.


We got the doors shut and I got my long handled net device ready to catch it. Then I looked closer and realized it was not a kestrel, it was a parrot. A grey and white Kestrel colored bird. It was screeching like a hawk or eagles does.

It became obvious this "parrot" did not like me. It would swoop towards Judy and circle her. I could not get the stupid bird to fly into the net. I almost had it about a dozen times. Finally the stupid bird landed on a ledge near Judy. Judy walked up and grabbed it. Why did I waste my time trying to net it.

It was someone's pet is our guess. I am betting it belonged to a woman as it is not fond of me. Of course, this could have something to do with my 16 ft long pole with the fishing net on the end of it.

We moved birds around to free up a cage we were using for a hospital bed. Putting the patient in the transfer cage for now.

I know some of you are not believing me, saying to yourself "there is not way a parrot flew into his barn"...

So here is it's picture. BTW Ethel did not like this bird at all!