She Prepares

     Since it has been almost 2 years since I posted anything at all here and I'm not feeling particularly funny today, this will be sort of rambling but, I hope you find it entertaining none the less.
     As you should know by now, I walk with the dogs, a bunch! On our walk this morning I started to notice the changes Mother Nature is going through in preparation for the coming fall and winter. It was sort of strange to see all of this since Iowa is in the middle of the worst heat wave in 60 years. Nature doesn't know or care that we are sweating like crazy, what it does know is winter is coming.
     The beaver family can be seen in the early morning swimming across our lake with incredibly large branches to improve their lodge and make it strong for the coming ice. During the heat of the day they gather small willow branches to store for their winter food. I love to watch them working until they see me and smack their tail to warn the family. I always feel bad about scaring them but I can't resist watching Natures engineers at work.
     The  Double-crested Cormorants have returned to the lake during their migration  back south. They area among the earliest migratory birds and are a sure sign the seasons are changing. I have started to see a few ducks and geese again which means they have regrown their flight feathers and will be flocking up for their migration soon. Did you know that unlike other birds that molt all year and can fly all the time, ducks molt all of their flight feathers at once and can't fly!
     Although I am deathly allergic to bees I walk the lower lake path to watch them this time of year. It amazes me how they can even fly being so weighted down with all the pollen they have on their legs. I'm guessing it's their legs since I know nothing about bees except that they are dying by the millions. If we kill off all the bees Monsanto we will all starve to death! The loss of the bees habitat is why I am replacing all of my grass with white clover. I know it sounds like a death wish on my part but the honey bees have never stung me.
     I'm pretty sure I would have survived as a hunter gatherer. I don't hunt any more but I have and I could again if I had to. I'm more of a gatherer now and was thinking I needed to start bringing something other that poop bags on my walks to carry stuff in. There are still lots of elderberries both in our yard and on our walk. They make great syrup and would probably make fairly decent wine. In a few weeks the ground cherries will be ready. They are a pain in the butt to harvest and it would take most of the ones I know about to make a pie. I don't bake so they will make a nice meal for the ground squirrels. I noticed most of the wild grapes are ready to pick now and I may pick a few and put them in some vodka just to see what happens! Our poor pear tree is drooping with all the fruit on it. We are still learning about harvesting pears and everything we have read so far give contradictory  information so it is by trial and error. The plum tree and peach tree are still too young to produce fruit but maybe before I die I can have some! Remember my plan of not planting anything in my yard I can't eat!
     When I walk the neighborhood instead of the lake I have noticed the gardens are doing great if people have kept them watered. Lots of tomato and zucchini plants. That reminds me I never have formatted my book to be published. Maybe this winter I'll get around to it.
     It's sort of biter sweet to see the dogs gets so excited when they see and hear the school buses. I used to have to plan my walks around when the buses wouldn't be here. Our sweet Honey Bunch was terrified of them and would start pulling for home before I ever knew they were close.I sure miss that girl. Coshi and Fenwick both perk up at the sound of them since this means there will be children to play with soon!
     This is much longer than I had planned. I should take Mather Natures advice and get a plan together for winter.
     Until next time, Peace my friends.