Invasion!!
March 04, 2010 Filed in: Vineyard
On a whim, Ethan and I hopped up this passed Saturday morning and decided to head out to the vineyard. It is a three hour trip from here in Springfield, MO so I was a bit apprehensive. We made it though! Anyhow, we get there just a tad bit later than anticipated (which is pretty good) to find that Dad and Kristen were just finishing up getting some clippings from a few of the vines. After packing in we decided to take Ethan on a ride in the “Monster Truck” or so he likes to call it. (Jeep Wrangler to us taller than three feet).
Climbing the road between the sets of vine plots, we make it to the open field where the new rows are going to be. This is also the field that we typically use for our yearly campsite. See the map below if you need a reference.
A little further down the road and we came across a bit of a surprise. I’d say between 10 - 20 feet from the camp fire-pit, it looked like someone dig up the ground for some gardening, but was having trouble decided whether it should be “here... oh wait...maybe here...or here...”
Dad just stops the Jeep, pulls the near-iconic cigar off his lip, and says ... “Hog.” ... and then banjo music started playing out of nowhere.
Not really, but it might as well. A darn wild boar has started rutting up our campsite! The thing had pulled stones out of the ground that were the size of my head. Can’t imagine how hard it would be to move something buried that size. I’d stuggle with a shovel and a pick axe.
Dad said there was some serious ground damage up by one of the feeders on the other side of the pond in the east field as well. Not a good thing at all. One of these things could probably take out an entire row or more of vines in one night!
These aren’t the cute little pigs that have names like Wilbur. These are some ugly beasts. Here is a better photo of one taken recently near the farm:
Quite pleasant. These fellas will need to be dealt with.
If that isn’t enough, Saturday night around 10 pm, I stepped out onto the back porch and ran into skunk. He brought up the tail, and I didn’t move. Apparently I was deemed a bore, and he sauntered off.
Skunks also tear up the ground. The yard all around the farm house has little holes dug all over the place. What does one do about a skunk? Trap it? That sounds like a mess. A pistol can’t hardly result in anything too pleasant. Hopefully ignoring the little fella will be enough.
Anyhow, the critters are getting braver and moving in closer. And the bears are probably getting hungry.
Climbing the road between the sets of vine plots, we make it to the open field where the new rows are going to be. This is also the field that we typically use for our yearly campsite. See the map below if you need a reference.
A little further down the road and we came across a bit of a surprise. I’d say between 10 - 20 feet from the camp fire-pit, it looked like someone dig up the ground for some gardening, but was having trouble decided whether it should be “here... oh wait...maybe here...or here...”
Dad just stops the Jeep, pulls the near-iconic cigar off his lip, and says ... “Hog.” ... and then banjo music started playing out of nowhere.
Not really, but it might as well. A darn wild boar has started rutting up our campsite! The thing had pulled stones out of the ground that were the size of my head. Can’t imagine how hard it would be to move something buried that size. I’d stuggle with a shovel and a pick axe.
Dad said there was some serious ground damage up by one of the feeders on the other side of the pond in the east field as well. Not a good thing at all. One of these things could probably take out an entire row or more of vines in one night!
These aren’t the cute little pigs that have names like Wilbur. These are some ugly beasts. Here is a better photo of one taken recently near the farm:
Quite pleasant. These fellas will need to be dealt with.
If that isn’t enough, Saturday night around 10 pm, I stepped out onto the back porch and ran into skunk. He brought up the tail, and I didn’t move. Apparently I was deemed a bore, and he sauntered off.
Skunks also tear up the ground. The yard all around the farm house has little holes dug all over the place. What does one do about a skunk? Trap it? That sounds like a mess. A pistol can’t hardly result in anything too pleasant. Hopefully ignoring the little fella will be enough.
Anyhow, the critters are getting braver and moving in closer. And the bears are probably getting hungry.
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Preperations 2010
February 18, 2010 Filed in: Vineyard
Winter...Winter...Winter, why won’t you leave me be? Spring has popped into my head. I feel it on the horizon. There might even be a little pep in my step the last couple of days. This must mean that it is time to set down some good projects for the vineyard. Or at least to daydream about all these awesome hikes I’ve not yet gone on. Hmm...late February hikes...starting to like the sound of that!
Anyhow, first project on my list is to work on clearing out the little cabin we’ve got down by the creek. This will make a fine place to relax in the evenings, drop a few bunk beds in and tell some stories. Here is a picture of the cabin in question...just down the hill from the house:
And there’s the little cabin down the hill.
...Actually, this picture brings back some memories. This image was featured on a German video podcast about photography. Basically the show was about how bad my picture is... well...not exactly...but...anyhow have a look at Meet The GIMP - Wine and Curves.
GIMP stands for Gnu Image Manipulation Program for all you leary to click the link. :)
Also coming soon, there is another shipment of vines! These should be here in a month or two. I need to confirm the dates. The planting will begin once again! Pictures and stories will be posted as they happen.
Take care!
Matt
Anyhow, first project on my list is to work on clearing out the little cabin we’ve got down by the creek. This will make a fine place to relax in the evenings, drop a few bunk beds in and tell some stories. Here is a picture of the cabin in question...just down the hill from the house:
And there’s the little cabin down the hill.
...Actually, this picture brings back some memories. This image was featured on a German video podcast about photography. Basically the show was about how bad my picture is... well...not exactly...but...anyhow have a look at Meet The GIMP - Wine and Curves.
GIMP stands for Gnu Image Manipulation Program for all you leary to click the link. :)
Also coming soon, there is another shipment of vines! These should be here in a month or two. I need to confirm the dates. The planting will begin once again! Pictures and stories will be posted as they happen.
Take care!
Matt
Vineyard Safari
December 20, 2009 Filed in: Vineyard
Alright, so I’m a little late in getting the next blog post up.The holidays are going well though!
I may have been distracted a bit lately, but the critter cam that nabbed the bear photo in the previous post has it’s never blinking eye scanning the trees for us.
Here are the additional shots that were nabbed recently. (all of these shots are at the same location noted in the map of the previous post.
Here we have a very nice buck that has come along for a visit. Pretty sure he is the one who has been eating the grapes and nibbling off the new growth this past season!
This boar must have hiked over on the OT from Wild Boar Ridge where the Council Bluff campground is located.
Notice his traveling partner, Mr. Raccoon, slinking around in the background.
Have a look at this big fella! Of course, I was like “Mountain Lion!” with my jaw on the floor, but I suppose it is a bobcat. A big bobcat!
So, who is ready for that hike?
I may have been distracted a bit lately, but the critter cam that nabbed the bear photo in the previous post has it’s never blinking eye scanning the trees for us.
Here are the additional shots that were nabbed recently. (all of these shots are at the same location noted in the map of the previous post.
Here we have a very nice buck that has come along for a visit. Pretty sure he is the one who has been eating the grapes and nibbling off the new growth this past season!
This boar must have hiked over on the OT from Wild Boar Ridge where the Council Bluff campground is located.
Notice his traveling partner, Mr. Raccoon, slinking around in the background.
Have a look at this big fella! Of course, I was like “Mountain Lion!” with my jaw on the floor, but I suppose it is a bobcat. A big bobcat!
So, who is ready for that hike?