A Few Trees are Beginning to Show Color

Monday, October 4, 2021
Hello friends,
A few trees are beginning to show color, but mainly the leaves just look tired. The cottonwood and black walnut trees have already shed quite a bit in the recent windy weather. Bill tells me that this is peak color time in northern Wisconsin where he used to live. I had hoped to plant a colorful sugar maple in the yard years ago, but I apparently ordered the wrong thing and it’s just a maple. Oh well, nice shade.
Our neighbors to the north raise beef cattle and they are having calves. Yesterday afternoon I heard them out there with a 4-wheeler, going around and around, herding them into a group. I assume they need to put tags in their ears. I don’t know how they catch them. When the calves are so young that they are still learning to walk, you can catch them, but once they get acclimated to walking, running comes right after! We only tag a few heifers that are about the same age and look similar. Tags tend to come out and defeat their purpose. You can tattoo their ears, but you have to really get close and have the right angle to see. It’s better when they have a distinguishing mark like spots or a blond tail switch…..