Seen on the Farm
/This one isn't actually on OUR farm. I love this sunflower crop that is Across the Road.
I took the rest of these photos here.
Monarch caterpillar on narrow-leaf milkweed.
Alfalfa butterfly. The caterpillars are considered pests in fields of alfalfa. They also consume other legumes (like clover and trefoil in my pasture).
I still don't know what this one is. Previously I tentatively identified one in a better photo as a forage looper moth. Maybe? Do you know how hard it is to chase a butterfly/moth that doesn't want to be photographed?
California Red Dragonfly. While we're looking at insects here are nasty ones that supposedly the dragonflies eat.
We were doing pretty well keeping the pasture mosquitoes at bay. I guess it was the last irrigation followed by a heat wave that brought them on to this degree. This morning in the pasture I was covered head to foot--overalls and a hooded sweatshirt with the hood tied around my face. I could still hear them buzzing.
While on the subject of nasty buzzing things in the barn last year's paper wasp nests are active again. I guess I need to find the wasp spray.
Same subject. Different pest. This is another black widow on the hay. You have to be careful pulling bales of hay away from the wall or off the floor.
Also in the barn but no stings or bites (except maybe when the parents dive-bomb the dogs). This is another nest of Brewer's blackbirds. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago...
...and this one a little later. These birds have left the nest now.
Sheep going to pasture in the morning.
These are some of the new sheep. That's Bronagh who seems to take the lead. They are out with the rest of the flock now and are as anxious to come to the fence for grain when I rattle the bucket as the other sheep.
This was taken on the first walk a few weeks ago. The dogs are on the leash until we get off of Meridian Road.
The field was bedded up and planted about two weeks ago.
Can you see the sprouts when you look at one of the lines almost right in the middle of the photo? Those are sunflowers.
The most exciting thing for the dogs is that the canals were filled about a week ago.
On the last walk I noticed that Rusty spent more time than usual in the water. He usually just goes in when he's hot and gets out again, but this time he spent time cruising (the best way to describe his half walking/half swimming) up the canal. I think his hips are bothering him so much that it felt better to move that way.
He also needs help getting out now. Last year I helped Ginny out. This year it will be Rusty. 
Wet dog.
The alfalfa has been cut and baled once already and is now being irrigated.
Here is another week's growth of the sunflowers.
The best surprise for Ginny I think is that she got to chase the Toy into the water again. Rusty will have more of these photos on 