The monarch migration continues. Every day when I look outside at the backyard, there are at least a dozen monarchs I can count. Some may be making their way through our yard and stopping for nourishment along the way. Others may be staying for a while, not sure when their next opportunity to "fuel up" is possible.
I wish that more people would plant a monarch waystation with a diversity of plants for them to feed upon as they make their long journey south to Mexico.
Earlier this month, I started experimenting with the Waterlogue app. The original photograph that I used is one I took at Grand Portage State Park in July. This is the image after creating what I wanted using the app.
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There is a trio of Great Horned Owls that are spending a lot of time in our oak and pine trees. It always makes my day to hear them call to one another. Sometimes I will mimic what I think sounds like their call. When they answer me, it makes me feel like we are able to communicate with one another...owl to person.
The monarchs are migrating now and are spending a lot of time on the blazing stars - one of the many native plants we have at the farm. This is the first year that I have noticed so many monarchs in the fall. What also is interesting is that after they eat during the afternoon and early evening, the monarchs are roosting in the trees near the gardens. I have never seen this before. What a joy!!
Olivia did her test and was promoted to the next belt level in Tang Soo Do. She broke the board which always amazes me.
I was happy to see the swamp milkweed blooming this year. I had put some dormant plants out in the west pasture last year in the spots where there were depressions in the soil left by the horses' hooves. Surprisingly, the plants came up this year and are doing well. The monarchs (and the bees!) are loving the milkweed.
It was also nice to see that there are monarch caterpillars on the common milkweed. Pretty soon, there will be a chrysalis and a new butterfly!
In Osceola, there is a waterfall at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy. It's a rather precarious walk to the waterfall with some places on the trail no wider than two feet. Once at the waterfall, in order to get a view of it, Olivia and I used a rope that someone had put there that was attached to a tree root. Without that rope, there would not have been a way to safely descend the cliff.
As a side note, my long camera lens was in my pocket and fell out mid-descent. I watched it tumble down the cliff and land just at the edge of the waterfall - saved by a few rocks. Luckily, there was no damage to the lens.
The purple native wildflowers are blooming prolifically! The Ironweed in the west pasture is attracting the Swallowtail butterflies while the Prairie Onions in the gardens are providing meals for the bees.
On the pontoon boat ride on the St. Croix River yesterday, there was an abundance of wildlife - especially eagles and double-crested cormorants. I had no idea we would see so many raptors and waterfowl. Needless to say, it was an inspiring and uplifting day!
As a member of the Scandia-Marine Lions, I see how hard many of the seniors work to provide services and events to the community. As a "thank you" to them, I arranged with Let's Go Fishing for a pontoon boat ride on the St. Croix River. Here are two of the ten Lions who went on the ride.
Someone recommended the Waterlogue app, so I thought I would try it. It's a watercolor art filter or digital painting creation app that is fun to work with. The image is of the stony beach at the Grand Marais campground.
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