This is our new hoophouse that Pat built this Spring. We will be planting the Cafe au Lait and Ice Cube Dahlias in the soil within the hoophouse. We will lay drip lines to water them and as the season progresses and starts to get warmer, (I hope), we can roll up the sides of the house so there is only the roof covering the Dahlias. This will allow the Dinnerplate Dahlias to grow with a little more vigor as they will be protected from the elements and will allow the season to extend a bit more into September.
Dahlias ready to be planted.
Another addition to the farm this week are our baby chickens.
The grandkids love to hang out with the chicks. They are very curious little creatures, checking out Kristan's nail polish on her fingernails.
Along with all the birds that make their home with us, are a couple of rabbits that have taken up residence in our valley by the house. We usually see them in the mornings munching on the grass.
The bird sightings this week have been a few Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, they are passing through on their way northward, and the Northern Oriole, whom nest at the farm. We love to listen to their melodic song. In the pasture we have several pairs of Killdeer's nesting and we have been observing a family (already hatched) of Sandpipers which forage along the shoreline of the sloughs. There are eleven babies which are quite small and they all stay together in a bunch wherever they go. The Bluebirds and the Tree Swallows have all claimed their nesting boxes and are busy building their nests or tending to their eggs. The farm is a chorus of bird songs right now.
