This very young deer is experiencing life on a different level now. His mother kicked him out of the comfort of the only home he knew as she is pregnant and nearing the birthing time of one that will occupy nearly all her time.

I am just starting to see a few more deer reappear. This time of the spring is fun as young deer often gang up together as they are on their own for the first time.

Deer are fairly commonplace in Minnesota so my goal in photographing them is to find unique poses, actions or surroundings. I found the color patterns in this shot to be quite interesting.

(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)

Tags:   whitetaildeer farming countryliving country sunsets storms sunrises pastures nostalgia skies outdoors seasons field hay silos dairybarns building architecture winter serene grass landscape plants CloudsStormsSunsetsSunrises countryhome CambridgeMN

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Young people in love and facing their first year of marriage together face a lot of challenges.

I have heard different ones over the years voice apprehension about exposing themselves to their partner by doing things that might embarrass them.

For example, how do you hide the fact you go to the bathroom like every other human? Or, what if they see me with my hair all messed up?

My advice to anyone in that stage of life is to relax. It won't be long until you will scratch where you want, pick what you want and generally put urgent needs on your priority list before thinking how it might look or appear to your mate.

Using that as a criteria, I am pretty sure these two mallards have been a married couple for quite a while.

(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)

Tags:   mallards farming countryliving country sunsets storms sunrises pastures nostalgia skies outdoors seasons field hay silos dairybarns building architecture winter serene grass landscape plants CloudsStormsSunsetsSunrises countryhome CambridgeMN

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It is a cruel world for most wildlife. This red-winged blackbird poked himself in the chest with a sharp reed and he is losing all his stuffing.

(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)

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Sitting by themselves off to one side of a vacant farm place is an old, empty barn, a deteriorating milk-house and an upright silo with silo pipes still attached. On the other side of the silo is a metal silage chute, the bane of many young farm lads and lasses over the years who are still picking pieces of silage out of their eyes and hair from the times they threw silage down the chute and the updraft brought it back.

In my years now that are often filled with the memories of a lifestyle I once lived under silent protest, the events and family surrounding me on the farm as I grew up are often recalled and think I would like to try a few of those events one more time.

It is difficult to summarize the experience of growing up on the farm but this photo touches on a trio of labor mainstays on the farm that many former farm kids can remember.

The open haymow speaks of arduous task of baling hay, normally on the hottest and most humid days of the summer. The twice-daily chore of milking cows is aptly represented by the milk-house while many of us can remember when we were young the loud excitement surrounding the day or two of filling the silo.

On our farm we didn’t milk enough cows to warrant a separate location for storing milk but baling hay and silo filling were days that imprinted a work ethic into my soul.

Most farmers did not have their own equipment to fill a silo so the filling was done by a hired crew who made rounds of area farmers in the fall to provide the service. In my earliest days, dad had a one row corn binder that would cut corn stalks off, bind them with twine and deposit them on the ground.

Usually young men with strong backs and weak minds were enlisted to trail behind the binder with a tractor-pulled hay-rack upon which the bundles were picked up and tossed to someone on the rack to stack. When the rack was full, it was pulled into the barnyard and up to the conveyor that transported the stalks into a power-takeoff powered grinder that then blew the silage up the long pipes.

Those days were part of the farm social scene as well. Tall tales were exchanged while coffee, lemonade and sandwiches were shared outside around 10 a.m. and again at the large dining room table a couple of hours later where perspiring housewives and their helpers carried large platters of fried chicken from a hot kitchen to the men.

When I was about 7 years old I had the first of my many times of trouble involving adults. We had a neighbor farmer who did not have a great reputation as a good farmer. In the twisted mind of a young fella I decided he needed a lesson. I snuck up behind him as he was putting sheaves of cornstalks on the silo-filling conveyor. When he was bent over and busy, I deposited a glass of cold water in one of his bib overall pockets.

If you ever wondered if it was possible to hear over the loud whine of a silo filling machine, I can attest to the fact you could. His shout of anger focused the attention of everyone working in the barnyard.


(Photographed near Dalbo, MN)

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A few miles from our small town there are quite a few wetland ponds. Fortunately, thus far in April the late snow melt and a couple of substantial rains have filled them up compared to the last few years.

This particular pond is about as large as one of Bill Gate’s yachts but has a plethora of broken logs, old trees and small grass islands. When there is an adequate water level, waterfowl of all types like to come here as it is surrounded by standing trees that offer a quick hide-out if necessary.

This year there is a good contingent of wood ducks. If I get out there just as the sun is edging over the trees to the east of it, it illuminates the pond yard by yard.

Yesterday this wood duck was giving a quiet welcome to his new day. It appears he was up early to fix his make-up.

(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)

Tags:   woodduck farming countryliving country sunsets storms sunrises pastures nostalgia skies outdoors seasons field hay silos dairybarns building architecture winter serene grass landscape plants CloudsStormsSunsetsSunrises countryhome CambridgeMN

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