Spring!

 

 

Pasque Flower at Prairie Hill Farm

 

It isn't spring on the Tallgrass until the Pasque Flowers bloom!  Our south pasture gravel slope has Pasque Flowers near the crest of the hillside and they were clearly happy this spring!  One thing I did not notice however, was any pollinators.  Yet the blooming occurred for about 2 weeks and I certainly wasn't out there all the time to check.

Pasque Flowers at Prairie Hill Farm

 

 

We did manage some spring burns this year, and were able to rest the largest hillside in the north pasture, to allow it to rest a year.  We burnt the NW hillside which hadn't burned since the winter of 2022; and burned the NE bottom triangle for the first time in 3 years as well. 

I like the idea and practice of rotations, hopefully will give the invertebrates a break here and there.

About 1/3 of the south pasture was burned last fall and then seeded.  I've already been in there with some grass herbicide to help knock the brome down a bit and allow some newer seedlings an opportunity to get a head start.  I do have hopes of some decent moisture there...its a very gravelly hillside over there and doesn't seem to retain much moisture through the summer months...its been a struggle over the years getting that pasture to thrive, particularly because of the 4 straight drought years we've had.

 

"Whiskey" the Red-tailed Hawk!

On an ending note here, Whiskey the Red-tailed Hawk male was brought out to the acreage by our Falconer friend to be released back into the wild.  It was a bittersweet moment but still fun to watch.  Birds of prey are lawfully released by licensed Falconers if they were wild caught birds.  Whiskey had been caught 2 years back in November, and just west of here a few miles.  If a Falconer has a "captive raised" bird, they are not allowed to release them.  

Georgie and I watched Whiskey off and on for a week and a half, when he occasionally stopped by the acreage to hunt on his own.  The last time we saw him, he had caught something in the south pasture and sat on our hayrake for a bit.  We are hoping he finds a mate and finds a place to set up house!  Whether that's in the area or further north - who knows?  Best of luck Whiskey!!!

 But hey, it's Spring - lets get out there and enjoy it!!!

 Please treat each other well - we are all in this together. 

A Lot Going On...

Morrison's Studio Web Site

 

Boy has a lot happened since my last Blog entry - shame on me!!!  I just plain lost all sense of time...might be my age but its probably everything happening here and in our world outside the studio.

In December some business issues started getting untenable...my web site provider had been a nightmare for the past 3 years and I finally decided that enough was enough...apparently being a loyal customer for well over 20 years doesn't mean anything these days?

I decided to go with a web provider that has been "artist based" since their inception.  I wish they'd been around when I first started my first website back in the late 90's, but they weren't around yet.  But I'm back up and running...its been some work rebuilding. And its been some time to get back to where I should have been a long time ago.

One feature with this web platform I like is their "Newsletter" feature.  I had all but given up on my old newsletter (not to be confused with this long standing blog).  My old newsletter was created from scratch each time I published it - html coding and all...creating lots of testing and hammering out glitches.  Finally the software I had used for 25 years, was no longer compatible with my computer platform...just had aged out.  Should I commit to new html software or just stop publishing the newsletter?  I did try mail chimp type programs but was never happy with them, but now I think its in a good place again.

I won't bore everyone with newsletter stories I've already published...some of you may already be newsletter subscribers of mine (?).  If you're not, you certainly can subscribe for free and keep up that way, or at least catch up by checking the newsletter archives at - https://www.morrisons-studio.com/newsletter-archive  At this time there are 4 newsletters to catch up on and the last two is a "two-part" story - something I have been revisiting here at the studio for the first time in 45 years!

If you would like to start receiving the new Studio Newsletter, you can do so by visiting - this page - https://www.morrisons-studio.com/email-newsletter

In the meantime I'll still be keeping the Blog, and it will be similar to the newsletter but hopefully more of the same spin it has since it began about 20 years ago.  The "A Tallgrass Journal" Blog will also continue and be much the same as ever as well.  Yes!  I have two blogs and they have both been running for over 20 years...actually the "A Tallgrass Journal" has been running a few years longer.

"A Tallgrass Journal" has a bit more "prairie" slant than "art", although they often merge much the same, and is available through the following link - https://tallgrassjournal.blogspot.com/

In closing, be sure and check out the new web site and look for more news and tid bits down the road!  (https://morrisons-studio.com)  

I so appreciate having you follow along through the years, and if you're new to the blog, I hope you enjoy visiting from time to time!

Please be good and look out for one another in these uncertain times.  We are made from the same cloth and we are all in this together.  God Bless.