Into The Swamp With Shuck - intotheswampwithshuck

2008-11-29

Great Gray Owl
A visitor from the north. When we see one of these we know the winter is hard enough up north to drive these huge owls south.

Bald Eagle Fishing

A bald eagle fishes down on the river.

Young Bear In The River

A young bear swims across the river while I hiked along side of it.

Fox Pup
The fox have used this den for years.

Mink

A mink walks down the side of the road near Jenson's Pond.

Porkie in the hunting shed
We tend not to eat these guys as they are too easy to catch and should be saved for emergency food only. This one, however was roasted over the fire as we didn't want to get hurt getting it out of the shed.

Rose Breasted Grossbeak

Male rose breasted grossbeak at the feeders.

Indigo Bunting

Male indigo bunting at the feeders.

Ring Necked Pheasants

Male ring necked pheasants under the feeders.

Baby snapper
Small now but this little 'un may grow up to be large and dangerous.

Young Owl In His Nest

This owlette is in his nest about 60 feet up in the air.

Red Tail Hawk

Red tail hawk hunting from the top of the old barn.

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill crane out in the field.

Seasonal Movings

Flocks of geese come in seasonally for migration.

Chippy

Chipmunk in the woods.

Clouds and Plants 120.jpg
Clouds and Plants 120.jpg 2006-08-23

Raccoon

Raccoon caught on a game camera.

Cooper's Hawk
This stinker has come into the bird feeders to catch an easy meal.

Early spring 2 032.jpg
Early spring 2 032.jpg 2006-03-29

Porkie
Porkies often seek out salt from humans and will destroy anything that you hold for long hours, like canoe paddles or shovels.

Spotted Sandpiper

Baby box turtles
Rare here, these box turtles will be released to restore themselves to their former range.

Loon
Loon nest out on the flowage

Snowy Visitor

In hard winters the snow owls come down from the north to hunt in better hunting grounds.

Coyote

Coyote caught on a game camera

Coyote

coyote caught on a game camera

Eagle Fishing

Bald Eagle fishing along the river.

Skunk

A deer died at the edge of the back pasture so I set up a game camera over it. Here a skunk comes to dine on it.

Coyote

Coyote caught on a game camera.

Red Tail Hawk

Red Tail Hawk dining on a deer carcass.

Red Fox

Red Fox dining on a deer carcass.

Red Fox

Red fox at deer carcass

Skunk

Skunk dining on a deer carcass

Coyote

Coyote dining on a deer carcass

Coyote
Coyote dining on a deer carcass.

Bald Eagle Fishing

Bald Eagle fishing on the river.

EagleRiverMay07 016.jpg
EagleRiverMay07 016.jpg 2007-05-18

Bald Eagle

A blad eagle enjoys his meal on the bank of the river.

Skunk

Skunk out near the road during the daytime. Not a good sign.

Eagles Fishing

An immature and mature eagle eating on the side of the river.

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature bald eagle fishing along the river.

Young Bear At the Salt Block

A young bear, probably a yearling was sitting at the salt block that I set out for the deer.

Skunk

Seeing a skunk in the day time is not a good sign. Usually it means the skunk is diseased.

05-06-07blt 057.jpg
05-06-07blt 057.jpg 2007-05-06

White Crowned Sparrow

White crowned sparrow under the feeders.

Great Horned Owlette

This great horned owlette's parents took over a red tail hawks nest to raise their own offspring.

Hawken The Chickadee Tamer
Hawken sat still long enough for this chickadee to start eating from his hat.

Turkey Babies
Turkey babies on the side of the road.

Toad
It's a toad

Bird Banding
Hairy woodpecker female

Bird Banding
Bird Banding May 2007 018.jpg 2008-11-25

Bird Banding
Blue Jay

Bird Banding
Indigo Bunting

Bird Banding May 2007 043.jpg
Bird Banding May 2007 043.jpg 2008-11-25

Loon
Loon out on the flowage

Barred Owl
Owl of the lowlands. If you see one of these you know you're near water.

Baby Turkeys

Young wild turkeys along side the road.

Early spring 2 029.jpg
Early spring 2 029.jpg 2006-03-29

Early spring 2 024.jpg
Early spring 2 024.jpg 2006-03-29

2008-11-29

Seating at the River

Here we get together with friends to enjoy time by the river.

Opening Into A Secret Room

Here is the door open into the back room that is behind my son's room. This is from a few years ago.

Hidden Place

Our house has many little hidden rooms. Here is one before we redid my son's room. Here you can't see the secret room.

Seating along the trail
Between the farms there are a few different spots where neighbors can come out of the fields and sit with each other.

Fire Ring
One of the multitudes of fire rings scattered around the valley.

Back Garden
This garden is quite a walk through the woods. I love working this garden because of all the wildlife I get to watch when here.

Spring
Pogo (the big dog) at the spring at the creek.

Kitchen garden
The garden out the side (kitchen) door.

Garden between gardens
this is the prairie garden that is between the kitchen garden and the main front garden.

Swimming hole
My son's favorite place in the summer. The swimming hole!

Swimming hole
Where we come to cool off on summer days (Pogo by the dock).

Grapes
Grapes growing on the arbor

The Grape Arbor
I built this little grape arbor for shade and a place to sit and talk with friends

Moon Over The Gazebo
Hunter's Moon rising over the gaebo

Frozen Swimming Hole
What the swimming hole looks like in the heart of winter

Hidden Spring
This spring is hidden up near the top of a hill. The only give away it is there is the cottonwood tree growing over the top of it.

Cooking Cabin
Here is the back cooking cabin where I go to boil up maple syrup and my share of the sorghum and anytime we need to just vanish for a while.

Simple but Elegant
Clair's simple hidden get away for her family

Clair's Place
Clair's second home in case she needs to leave her first one.

Driveway
The drive is a tiny bit over a mile long and very primitive

Prettiest Drive Any Where
No drive is prettier than mine

homecomingturkey 038.jpg
homecomingturkey 038.jpg 2008-09-18

Again, Can't get Any Prettier
I love to watch the seasons change as I drive in and out of my driveway.

Pretty, Pretty
homecomingturkey 040.jpg 2008-09-18

Sheep Herders Wall
The sheep herder's shed is surrounded by this old handmade wall that keeps the sheep out and gives the herder a bit of down time.

Back Way Out
One of the secret roads that run through the valley allowing for a back exit if needed.

Native Markings
The early American Indians found their seasonal paths to be so sacred they often marked them like this.

Bison Stone
This stone is shaped like a sleeping bison. Carved thousands of years ago to mark a sacred hill.

My Own Private Island
Pirates beware! This is the "tropical" island in my steam. Okay, it's just big enough for two people to lay down on, but it's all mine.;-)

Seating Area For Friends

When friends and neighbors show up we have a beautiful spot to enjoy each others company.

Bedroom Stove

Each of the bedrooms have their own stove just in case someone needs a little extra warmth. Here is mine when I was riding a snow storm last winter. A little warmth and a little homemade wine makes for a cozy retreat.

Fireplace

Here's my fireplace with the mantle stone of the four seasons. This is more for looks than for warmth but it's nice to have a warm spot when guest come over in the winter.

Bedroom Stove

A front view of the bedroom stove.

Observation Nest

When staying at the river cabin we often set up a nest to relax and watch the world go by.

Fireplace At The River Cabin

The eclectic collection that surround the river cabin's fireplace.

Animals On The Farm

2008-11-29

Siere and Kesha Winter Of '08

My two smaller dogs had some problems making their way through the 100+ inches of snow we had in the winter of '07 and '08.

Peacocks and Peahens

Some of the peacocks and peahens hang out on top of the hay rounds.

Scout In The Woods

My favorite horse, Scout, goes for walks with me just like the dogs do. Here we are playing in the woods.

Kesha and Siere

My two little dogs, Kesha, the black tiny, 4 pound dog, and Siere, the larger 25 pound Aussie cattle dog mix.

Buster and Pogo

My bigger dogs, Buster a pit bull ridgeback mix and Pogo my Pyrenese.

Turkeys

Yep, they're turkeys.;-) I have a wide variety that mix breed to give me the best turkeys to survie our cold winters.

Surivivng the Cold

After our first snow storm the temps. dropped fast. Here my 4 ducks and one of my many peacocks hunker down under shelter.

Glen P.
This is Glen P. He's my main little work horse for all the horse powered contraptions around the farm

Geese
Great watch dogs, good meat, nice source of fat. They can make a mess though.

Stormy and the goat
Here stormy the llama guards the goat pen.

Goats
Three of my goats trying to figure a way out.

Topper and Monk
My other two guard llamas

Geese Babies
Domestic geese make horrible mothers so we have to raise the gosling ourselves. here are an assortment of sizes.

Peacock
I have six of these darn things just move in one day. I always warn them that one day I'm going to find out if they do taste like chicken.;-)

Chicks in a Swimming Pool
Baby chickens before they go to the brooder house

Bobwhite Babies
My son's project. He sells their meat for a primium price.

More Goslings
Yes, even more goslings to raise

Cattle
The pride of my farm, my Scottish Highlanders. Here a young 'un comes up to check out the camera.

Cattle
More of my Highlanders

The Bull
While I would never trust a bull, this guy is gentle for being one.

Cattle in the Field
the herd in the front part of the field. Their meat and milk is very popular and sells for primium prices.

Horses
Here are some of my horses in the front pasture.

Bobwhite
New shed + 511.jpg 2007-08-24

Chicken egg compared to a Bobwhite egg
winter of dogs mark science proj 056.jpg 2008-05-04

More Horses
Here are some of my working horses

Thor
Thor is a good little draft horse

Molly Pulling the sleigh
Molly is my favorite horse for pulling the sleigh. She just never seems to mind the snow.

Molly hooked up to the Sleigh
Molly 004.jpg 2006-03-06

Patrone in a tree
One of my six barn cats. If a cat wanders into my barns they are spayed/neutered and then they can stay.

Animal Tracks and Sign

2008-11-29

Eagle Fluff

Here a bald eagle sat and groomed itself. Grooming is very important to birds to keep their feathers in working order. Here is a small piece of fluff from the underside of a bald eagle's tail.

Eggs Shell

Some birds carry their egg shells away from the nest like this one. Other birds eat their egg shells.

Wild Turkey's Take Flight

Here we can see wild turkey tracks through the deep snow. Their wing prints are visible where they took to flight.

Every Which Way

Older deer and wild turkey tracks are seen coming and going from a spring.

Beaver Chewings

Here a beaver popped out of the creek and took a few branches, most probably for dining on the bark.

Coyote Kill

Here a two year old beaver has been killed by coyotes. The coyotes were waiting on the ridge for me to leave so they could come back and retrieve their meal.

River Mud Highway

Many different animals travel along the mud of the river banks. Here we see bird tracks and raccoon tracks.

Coyote Kill

At age two beaver are kicked out of their parent's lodge to make way for the next litter of kits. These young beaver are not very smart and easily killed, as this one was by coyote.

Wild Turkey Dusting Bath

Wild turkeys don't bathe in water, instead they duct themselves in duct baths. Here is a well used one at the edge of a field. Look for them on south facing slopes as the birds like the warm sand for dusting.

Otter Slide

An otter slide into the pond just as I was walking up to it.

Dragging a Tail Behind Them

Porcupines tend to leave tail drag marks if they walk through deep snow.

Lots 'O Othher Scat

This must be a good fishing area because there is a great deal of otter scat here on the bank. See the fish scales in the scat?

Raccoon Dinner

While the bees are hibernating the raccoon has little to fear when he digs them up for an easy meal.

Kill Site

Here is a rather brutal kill site. Coyote tracks follow rabbit tracks but owl wing marks can be seen in the snow. Who made the actual kill is hard to say but because of the amount of blood it was probably the coyote. Who carried the meal away is another question.

Beaver Lodge

In the swamp most of the beaver lodges are well hidden unlike further north where they put their lodges right out in the middle of their ponds.

Otters Playing On The Ice

The otters were out playing on the ice on the swimming pond.

More Otters Playing On The Ice

Here we see the otters using the opening in the pond's ice to get in and out.

Still More Otters Playing

Here the otters came up into the deep snow to slide around.

Can You Believe IT, More Otters Playing

It's easy to see how they slid around in the deep snow along the banks of the swimming pond.

Crow Tracks

Here a crow came down to the spring to get a drink. The mute (bird scat) is dropped just before the bird took to flight to lose the weight.

Pilieated Woodpecker Sculpture

Even in the dead of winter there are bugs in these poplars and the pilieated woodpeckers will tear the tree apart to get to them.

Owl Pellets

Owls for the most part, swallow their prey whole. Then later they regurgitate a pellet of fur and bones with the fur wrapped around the bones to protect the owl's digestive tract.

Possum Trail

Here a possum made his way into my barn. These poor animals have a hard time here in the northern winters but it doesn't seem to stop them from coming.

Gray Fox Trail
The gray fox used this log on the hunting trail

Well Used Trail
The deer come up out of the valley here. It's a good place to set up a stand

Turkey Tracks
The frost and blurred sides show that the turkey passed by here two days earlier. The frost gives the track an artistic look.

Beaver chew
On the edge of the creek this young maple was taken down by a beaver to help strengthen their dam.

Otter Scat
The fish scales in the scat lets us know an otter cam ashore here.

Deer bone
An old kill site.

Deer Bone
The amount of bones that were found at this site let us know that this is a place that deer go to die instead of a place where they are killed.

Otter Slide
Here an otter pushed itself in a slide down to the creek.

Turtle eggs
Something had a meal of snapping turtle eggs.

Wolf Scat
The pointed ends show this to be canine, the size shows it to be wolf. The amount of hair show that this was one of the last meals eaten off the deer. A wold eats the goods stuff first and the deer hide only after all the meat is gone.

Birds at water
Seed eating birds need to come to water often.

Winter Muscrat house
Deep in this house is a musrcat or muscrat family slowly eating their house. By spring this house will either be quite hollow or gone. Humans aren't the only animal smart enough to store food for the winter.

Dove meal
Hear a coyote or fox dined on a dove they had caught.

Owl Kill
Here an owl came down and took a skunk that had come out of tupor to have a look around in the winter.

Wood duck egg
Here a wood duck nest has been raided in early spring/late winter

Raided nest
Wood duck nest raided in early spring/late winter

Hidden Nest
Duck nest hidden in the tall grass.

Hidden Nest
Duck nest hidden in the tall grass

Pheasant takes flight
Here a pheasant came out of the tall grass and decided to take flight across an open field.

Nest in the swamp
I almost stepped on this nest while swamp walking. Animals are smart enough to know how to hide.

Bear Tracks in The Driveway

Here a bear has walked along my drive in late summer.

Bear Tracks in the Driveway
The DNR says that bears are rare here but I find their tracks all over. Just shows the experts aren't always as expert as they claim.

Birds nest

Yep, it's a bird's nest in the swamp.

Wolf Sign

Wolf scat that shows that this wolf was eating the last of the carcass. The first thing that is eaten is the meat but when hungry a wolf will return to eat the hide as well.

Bird Dinner

Here something enjoyed a meal of bird down by the creek.

Some odd track

I'm thinking that this is a muscrat track but it was the only one with no other sign. I really don't know.

Rabbit dinner

The rabbit fur under an owl perch shows what this owl dined on last night.

Hunting

2008-12-04

Teasing?
It looks like this little girl is just daring me to come get her.;-)

Kesha With Deer
Kesha didn't quite know what to make of her supper with it original wrapping still on.

Spring Snare

One of my son's spring snares that he and his buddies catch their dinners with.

Bucks
Took Two bucks on opening day

Hawken's First
Hawken in disguise (my son) proudly shows off his first turkey. We will be eating it on Thanksgiving day 2008.

Turkey's everywhere
this valley is full of wild turkeys

Nice Buck
this big guy liked to come to the water bucket left at the edge of thefield.

Trio
Deer looking across the field.

Deer Stand
It's stronger than it looks.

Squirrel in the frying pan
There really is no better meat than gray squirrel.

Opening Day
Our two bucks from opening day

Jenson's Pond
Geese on Jeson's pond just outside the valley. We take a few each year for breat meat and goose greese. Nice fat source.

Deer Under the Stand
this deer moved right under my stand every night in summer. See the nice red coat?

Doe
Doe staring across the field

Doe
Doe staring across field

Buck in velvet
Buck coming to the salt block as his antlers grow.

Buck Under the Stand
Here a buck walks under my deer stand during the summer.

Buck under the stand
Smaller buck under the deer stand

Doe and fawns
Doe brings her fawns under the deer stand in early summer

Blind

I had this nice portable blind donated to me. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I'll get it out into the woods somewhere.

Buck
Buck at edge of field

Turkey
Wild turkey at the edge of the field

Deer yard
The deer like my pine area and tend to yard up there when the weather starts turning cold.

Deer in a snow storm
These deer move through a snow storm

Deep snow
Here the deer have to plow through the deepening snow for food.

Doe in winter
2-18-07blt 082.jpg 2008-11-21

Lot's 'o Turkey
More turkey at the edge of the field

Turkey again!?!
Turkey up by the salt block.

Bear
Bear coming up by my swamp stand

More wild turkey
can't get enough wild turkey? We've got tons in this valley

Deer Yard
Markconcert-wildturkeys 118.jpg 2008-11-21

Deer Yard
4-22-07blt 328.jpg 2008-11-21

Deer at edge of the field
4-22-07blt 527.jpg 2008-11-21

Turkey checking out salt block
05-06-07blt 396.jpg 2008-11-21

Bear in the Swamp
Sow bear by the creek in the swamp

Nice Buck
This guy will be very nice once his velvet is gone.

Coon in Cage
Okay it's not really hunting but it is an easy way to catch food.

Badger with Pheasant
My old dog Badger brings me his last pheasant.

Hunting Blind
Picture 1062.jpg 2003-11-24

My Turkey
I took this one in spring

Hunting Blind
Using natural materials is not only cheaper but it makes a better hide.

Catch of the Day
Dinner for a few nights for the two of us.

Big Snapper
This big lady ended up in the stew pot. killing reptailes is not for the faint of heart.

Another snapper
Yet another week's worth of eating

Bobwhite
I love these little birds and have a hard time hunting them but my son loves the challenge. If he gets one he has to clean it though.

Fish dinner at camp
Staying out fishing for a weekend means we need to prepare where we are

cooking at fishing camp
July2004 158.jpg 2004-09-08

Fish taken off the flowage
Misc. 325.jpg 2006-07-07

Turkey taken from man made hunting blind
This wa the only tom that was stupid enough to fall for that blind being natural.;-)

Hawken's First

Here my son Hawken proudly shows off his first doe.

Misc

2008-12-04

Bubbling Spring

Here the water bubbles up from deep within the earth.

Frost In Late Fall

Winter is coming and the frost is beautiful.

Mammus Clouds

In this area if you see these clouds head for shelter. These came just before the first of our summer tornadoes hit.

Ice On The Beach

Ice forms on the rocky beach as winter approaches.

Double Yolked Egg

One of my hens gives me these double yolked eggs. It's a good thing we eat them or else we'd get weird twins.

Duck Hunting Trip
The boat is packed and ready to for us to disappear for a few days into the backwaters to bag some ducks for the freezer.

Clam Shells
The clams are in the stew. The shells will be used to make buttons and then ground up for chicken grit.

Ice
As the creek begins to freeze in its slower areas the ice shelves look like crystal.

Not Snow

The white on the ground is not snow but cottonwood seeds. If you see cottonwood trees you know that water isn't too far away. Maybe it's underground, but not too deep. Cottonwood also makes my favorite bow drill sets and the inner bark of cottonwood is great for simple cordage.

Hidden Well Pump

All through the valley we have little hidden sites like this one where we can stop and pump up safe watr to drink.

Prairie Fire

To keep prairies and prairie gardens healthy they need to be burned from time to time. Prairie fires are awe inspiring sights.

Bubbling Spring
Here the water bubbles up from deep in the earth.

Prairie Fire

Prairies offer up some of the greatest wild medicinals out there. To keep a prairie healthy they must be allowed to burn from time to time.

Prairie Fire

Without fire trees begin to grow on the prairie until they shade out the plants that are some of the great medicinals in the world. Prairies evolved in fire and their plants do not grow well without burning from time to time.

My Son, The Mountain Goat

My son is climbing up the back cliffs that circle the valley. The kid can go verticle like most people go horizontal.

Ice On The Beach
Little pockets of water on the beach by the creek are begining to crytalize.

My Creek
The feeder creek that flows through my land. Great for fishing, clamming, and gathering crayfish for a nice stew.

Hawken Kayaking

My son is as comfortable in the water as he is on land. He and his buddies like to go on kayak adventures to see what is out in the more watery part of our world.

Saw Mill
The valley now has it's own saw mill where we cut the planks for the floor of the new shed.

Winter on the creek
The creek flows through the snowy land last febuary

Jason's boat
Jason will be joining us on our duck hunting expeditions.

Moonrise On The River
The moon reflected in the river as we go out for a fishing trip.

How to Hypnotize An Owl
Rubbing an owl's head lightly can relax it if you know what you're doing.

The Creek In Winter
The creek flows through the cold winter last Febuary

Horse Carriage and Horse Logging

Wild Edibles and Medicinals

2008-12-04

Wild Grains Drying

Different wild grains are dried before going through the grist mill

Jewelweed

At this age is a medicinal against skin rashes.

Elderberries

Edible when cooked but make a better medicinal or wine.

Wild Strawberry Plants

edible

Wild Parsnip

The yellow flowers you see in the field are wild parsnips. It is a bad invasive but the roots are edible. This field can produce an entire years worth of edibles. Care shoud be used in harvesting but the plant should be harvested aggressively to keep it from spreading too much.

Pineapple Weed

edible, flavoring, medicinal

Columbus 07 200.jpg
Columbus 07 200.jpg 2007-06-19

Wintergreen

edible and medicinal

Wintergreen

edible and medicinal

EagleRiverMay07 166.jpg
EagleRiverMay07 166.jpg 2007-05-10

Horsetail

medicinal

Bloodroot

ONLY topical medicinal or insectiside

Bouncing Bet or Soapwort

Used for non-alkalide soap

05-06-07blt 022.jpg
05-06-07blt 022.jpg 2007-05-02

05-06-07blt 020.jpg
05-06-07blt 020.jpg 2007-05-02

05-06-07blt 025.jpg
05-06-07blt 025.jpg 2007-05-02

05-06-07blt 026.jpg
05-06-07blt 026.jpg 2007-05-02

05-06-07blt 027.jpg
05-06-07blt 027.jpg 2007-05-02

05-06-07blt 030.jpg
05-06-07blt 030.jpg 2007-05-04

Young Mayapples

ONLY, ONLY, ONLY the ripen fruit of this plant is edible.

Mayapples

ONLY the ripened fruit is edible

Wild Leeks

Edible

Wild Leeks

edible

Wild Leeks

A hillside full of wild leeks

TFD4-6-07 158.jpg
TFD4-6-07 158.jpg 2007-04-03

Lambs Quarter

excellent edible

Purslane

edible

WaterCress

edible and medicinal

Dried Wild Hops

medicinal and for brewing

Crab Apples

edible

Solomon Seal

edible and medicinal

Willow

medicinal

Hedge Mustard or Garlic Mustard

in one day a person could harvest enough of this stuff for a year's worth of eating. It is a bad invasive that should be harvested aggressively.

Cleavers

edible and medicinal

Spruce ends

Tea for drinking and medicinal. Use to rub hands to kill germs

Nettle

Makes the best broth in the world and can be used as edible and medicinal.

Garlic Mustard

edible invasive

Morels

The edible spring mushroom

Plantain

edible when young, medicinal externally and internally

Young Jewelweed

edible when young and medicinal

Colombine

edible flower

A meal of morels

edible spring mushroom. People pay up to $40.00 a pound for wild foraged morels.

Day Lily

edible

Wild Rice

Green rice at gathering-edible

Field of Bee Balm

edible as tea but mostly medicinal

More morels

A wonderful dinner from the woods.

Seed Mill
If you don't have one of these you are not serious about wild edibles

Purple ConeFlower

medicinal

Rattlesnake Master

Medicinal

Open Water
Picture 1336.jpg 2004-02-22

Vervain

Medicinal

Milkweed in Flower

Edible during different times in its life cycle.

Red Clover

medicinal for women

Wild Rice
This particular wild rice will be planted instead of eaten.

Rose Hips
15 minutes of gathering time produced these wild rose hips. Edible and medicinal

Watercress

Watercress should only be eaten if you know the source of the water in which it grows.

Wintergreen

Tiny wintergreen is easy to overlook

Skunk Cabbage

Can be eaten ONLY with the proper preperation. It will hurt too much to eat it without being prepared right.

Maiden Hair Fern

Medicinal only

Vervain

Medicinal for relaxation.

Giant Puffball
Really bigs and no gills when cut open. Here is a treat that makes a dinner.

raspberry

The best summer food there is. I can spend all day harvesting thses and am lucky if I come home with a couple gallons because I eat so many.;-)

Bee Balm

medicinal

Purple Coneflower

medicinal

Blackberries

edible

Stagehorn Sumac

for spices and drinking

Elderberry Flowers

One of the best medicinals you can harvest

Flood Of '08

2008-12-04

Flooded Bridge
The back brisge, which is normally about 5 1/2 feet above the water is now about 2 feet under water.

Flood Damage
The flood came tearing through here before blocking the back road into the valley.

High Water
The bridge in the background is completely underwater.

Train Derail
The flood washed away many railroad tracks. This train was derailed on its way from the gravel quarry.

Train Derail
The train dropped right into the swamp when the floods washed away the base beneath the tracks.

Foot Bridge Is Gone
The foot bridge on the neighborhood path was washed away.

Flattened Grass
Here the water torn through the edge of the way back field.

Foot Bridge Was Swept Away
The foot bridge was jammed into the trees by the flood waters.

Filled Ditch
This ditch is usually empty but for weeks after the flooding started it ran over its banks.

Flooded Fields
Flooded fields mean less crops this year

Rail Road Tracks
The flood tore away the foundation under the rail road tracks

Rail Road Tracks
The tracks after the foundation is washed away next to them.

Road Collapse
In the area many roads collapse as the flood waters tore out colverts or just ran over the roads themselves.

Over Flow
The creek that runs on my land picked up steam as it went on Here it is over 22 feet over its banks.

Flood Waters
here we see one of our hunting camps over run with flood water

No More Driveway
The driveway is invisible under the flood water

Hunting Camp
This hunting camp is pretty soggy.

Hunting camp
the water has flowed this far away from the creek

Snow before the flood
The deep snow of the winter of '07 & '08 melted into high water for the spring and early summer of '08.

Snow before the flood
While not actually the flood, the rr plow shows just where much of the water came from. Over 100 inches of snow in the last part of the winter.

Creek turned into a river
Normally you could step over this creek just outside the trailer. Now it is over 70 feet wide.

Into The Swamp With Shuck - intotheswampwithshuck

Featured pictures

Wild Animals Around The Farm

2008-11-29

Latest news

Welcome

Comments

Favorite links

Places In Our Lives

2008-11-29

Animals On The Farm

2008-11-29

Animal Tracks and Sign

2008-11-29

Hunting

2008-12-04

Misc

2008-12-04

Horse Carriage and Horse Logging

2008-12-04

Wild Edibles and Medicinals

2008-12-04

Flood Of '08

2008-12-04

Related Pages