Chance and I went for a drive to see how a few of the remaining Tall Grass Prairies are doing. We were glad to see that no one had plowed them up. It has been a wet year..so it would be tickling the bellies of Buffalo if there were any.
Photographs were hard to take because it was very windy. The light purple flower in front is Spotted Knapweed. This healthy prairie keeps it at bay along the roadsides. I wonder what caused the darker green strip in the field..might have been where someone emptied a manure spreader.
We went by Joe’s old pasture..the pasture where the horses used to entertain us. It has been planted.
This field was a horse pasture for a long time. No more Joe to take care of a bunch of old horses anymore. I am not sure where the horses went and I haven’t asked. You know the old saying “If you won’t like the answer, don’t ask the question.”
Slowly the landscape around us is changing..not all for the good but changing none the less.
Farm land is being bought up by big corporate farms. More and more acreage every year. I watch a couple of sections of Tall Grass Prairie every year..and hope they don’t get gobbled up. I will return in the Fall when the grasses turn golden/red:)
“There are idle spots on every farm, and every highway is bordered by an idle strip as long as it is; keep cow, plow, and mower out of these idle spots, and the full native flora, plus dozens of interesting stowaways from foreign parts, could be part of the normal environment of every citizen.” Aldo Leopold
Morning, beautiful Prairie grasses, we have lots around here on the Prairies, so pretty, Francine.
ReplyDeleteOh yes......
ReplyDeleteNice pictures, and since YOU introduced me to Aldo Leopold, he's one of my favorite naturalists. Love that quote. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that "someone" should start a foundation to preserve the prairie ground that remains. It would be sad to lose that "wildness."
ReplyDeleteI detest deer flies AND horse flies: their bites cause huge welts on me.
Wish everyone had such an appreciation for native prairie grass. There are so few places left untouched. Most people look at it as weeds -such a shame. I think it is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos ! It is a shame that so many of the beautiful lands are being taken over by corporate companies ! Deer fly's are always waiting for a snack here to lol ! Thanks for sharing and taking us along ! Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteI grieve when I see the land swallowed up --
ReplyDeleteI haven't been reading or writing -- so I apologize for not stopping by.
Tickle Chance behind the ear .. thx
Always difficult to see changes. These are beautiful pics. I always think of you when I see wildflowers.
ReplyDeleteI've never actually seen original tall grass prairie, but it sounds like I'd better hurry if I'm ever going to do so.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't live in the prairie, around here, we're fortunate to see a bit of what your Aldo Leopold quote mentioned: strips of uncultivated land letting stuff happen, without any demanding hand pursuing "organization." I like driving along and seeing the vines, the undergrowth, the sapling trees, the wildflowers. There is a beauty in this unregimented "wildness." Maybe that's why I can't bring myself to step over the line and live within city limits...with all their transplanted marigolds lined up in rows.
We have a few designated area around here where they let the native prairie grass grow. However, the areas are growing smaller.
ReplyDeleteI'm with youn when it comes to protecting native habitat. As a child on the farm much of the prairie was left. It was beautiful. Now there is very little left. They don't make an more native habitat.
ReplyDeleteThat question goes right along with "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it."
ReplyDeleteVery pretty pictures, Connie. Here's hoping you can continue taking pictures of many years to come. ♥
Interesting quote. I loved the wild flowers along the road sides when I was growing up in the farmland of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I think the only place where I did not see natural roadsides was in Lancaster County, Penn, where the Amish let nary a "weed" grow.
ReplyDeleteI so hate to see land just gobbled up and turned into other things...I so love the open spaces the forests and the wooded lots. But I think you knew that about me....even though we farm, we try not to gobble and leave about 20 acres on our place as it was when it was homesteaded in the 1890s.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
There was wild tall prairie grass in large fields nearby when we moved to the brand new suburb of Minneapolis (Fridley) when I was five. I feel blessed to have had those years growing up where I got to play in the prairie grass and sand dunes! By the time I was ten half of it was gone. By fifteen--all that remained was the narrow strip of land between a road and the lake. The little piece of the prairie I knew as a kid was all paved and sodded away around buildings in no time. I am thrilled when I see it. Thanks, Connie!! I look forward to seeing it in the fall. :):)
ReplyDeleteNot all progress is good. The prairie grass and clovers are lovely. And your header is to die for!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...those horses... Nice shots.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to see the prairie lands gobbled up. Fortunately, there is still plenty where I live.
ReplyDelete