Mid-week shenanigans....

Did I mention that Hailee made an appearance last weekend? She is getting around REALLY well at this point. But with a minimum of mis-adventures, I must say. She still appears to be quite jovial and maybe a little less fearful of me these days. I managed to share some Cheerios and grape juice with her Sunday morning, which was quite a change from the past. Maybe we can become friends after all.....



The clay bird event was quite a good time. Flinging the clays out over a small gravel pit (which also offered a good place for plinking with .22's) provided some space to shoot before the birds got to the woods.



Multiply this view by about 5 or 6 and you get an idea of what the ground looked like after the guns fell silent. Empty clay bird boxes were handy for holding all of the empty casings when we cleaned up afterward.



Back in Ottertail country, more birds made an appearance. This is a pair of Cardinals that have been around since early spring. I have been trying to get a photo of them out in the open, but I am never quick enough. We also have some redwings and robins(they can look miserable out in the wet, snowy weather).



Another tom turkey goes sneaking through the yard. It's amazing how the composition of the flocks keeps changing. Nine hens one day, three the next, two hens/no toms the next, etc.... I don't understand how that all works, but what the hey?



Now this bird did not show up in the yard. It's another Noble addition to the artworld, planning to be showed at the "Birds In Art" event at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau. Way to go, John!!



This is a random addition. I put a pic of this somewhere in this blog many months ago. It's part of the big change in the Highway 51/I39 route on Wausau's west side. I'm not sure why they left this bit of overhead road, but it was still there a few weeks ago.... go figure.



Turkey hunting starts today, Wednesday, if you got a first season permit. Last weekend I put up the blind in the little white pines in the south field. It's a little sturdier than previous ones. I had a lot of small tree parts from the clearing effort at the south end of the field. It was hard getting some of them in the ground, what with the return of the FROST!!! We're going backwards in the weather realm. Strong winds and snow this afternoon, but not like they are getting south of here. They can have it, I don't want it, it's too wet for me.



I guess it will work out. It's not too obvious and as long as those birds don't see motion, I think we'll be alright. You need to remember that as much as they want to stay alive, they are in posession of a brain that is about the size of a peanut.... I doubt that they will figure out that the nice, square wierd thing in the edge of the trees can hurt them?



No, I'm not starting any buisness... just trying to get the hang of this photoshop program. I'm sure I'm just scratching the surface, but it's a challenge that I can not ignore for some perverse reason....


Anyway, have fun at whatever you're doing, and don't do anything I wouldn't do (actually, that gives you considerable latitude in your choices....)