A more aptly named bull I have never met. Evidently this guy never misses a meal, makes lovely strong babies and is very gentle.
He had a herd of heifers with him. Aunty Del feeling like the mature student in a class of teenagers sauntered over to see what the old girls were up to. The electric fence kept her from joining them. Evidently the old girls don’t like visitors but the younger heifers don’t mind.
Tia immediately made friends with the bull.
They played for a while then wandered off to graze.
This is a lovely little farm, the cows have a creek for water and trees for shade. Really nice place for my girls to meet their new Bull-friend.
What is this bush? (above). I want one – especially if it is native!
Yesterday my Airbnb guest and I went for a walk in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
We went on a short wander – about three miles, just enjoying the prairie and of course I came back with lots of information for my own wild areas.
The area we were walking in had many many old bunkers.
Such a large and wonderful project.
This morning I started early – collecting all the weeds in the hay field. I wanted to get going before it got too hot and before the planes started spraying.
After breakfast I will hook the rake to the tractor and get to rolling everything over. The oats will take some drying.
Hopefully the spray plane will have moved on to another field by then. The spraying is endless at this time of year.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
Monday 0% Precip. / 0 in
Sunny to partly cloudy. High 89F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night 20% Precip. / 0 in
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable
The Kitchen's Garden 
60 responses to “OTIS”
The shrub that looks like eucalyptus seems to be Lonicera reticulata, and might be a garden variety. I do not know much about it because we do not grow it here. I will be right back. I will see if I can find a cultivar name of something that looks familiar.
Thank you – I was hoping you would drop in today!!
You are welcome, but I can not positively identify it. There is a cultivar known as ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ that looks something like it with silvery foliage. However, because it is native to the Midwest, it could be a wild specimen. (I had assumed that it was an intentionally planted specimen of a cultivar because that is the only way I would have ever seen one here.) If you know that it was not planted there intentionally, and it is endemic to your region, it is likely the native species.
Oh Tony! You are soooo smart!!! This is indeed Kintzley’s Ghost honeysuckle! https://www.highcountrygardens.com/perennial-plants/flowering-vines/lonicera-reticulata-kintzleys-ghost. I’m not sure if it’s “native” but it grows a lot of places! I’m looking for a source (one that has not sold out already) for my cutting garden for next year. Bravo Tony!
Oh! If it is a native species that is observed growing wild, it is not a cultivar like ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’. That was just a guess. If it is Lonicera reticulata, and was not planted, it is just the straight species. If you want the exact same for your own garden, you would want to find the straight species of Lonicera reticulata. However, if you want the same plant, but would prefer an ‘improved’ cultivar with enhanced foliar color, then there would be no problem with ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’.
I think I will just go back and nick a piece!
I am unfamiliar with this species, but would guess that it might have rooted bits down near the base. If you can find a rooted bit, you only need a bit of stem above ground for it to grow the following spring, after digging and planting it in autumn or winter. (If the weather is bad, autumn might be better.)
What a beautiful place to wander. It pleases me when I hear about places that are being rehabilitated back to native state, and I find the plants fascinating. I’ve been following the comment trail on thr plant in question, very interesting.
Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle. Check out at Garden Answer
Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle. At Garden Answer
Otis is a beauty, and he’s going to make gorgeous calves. He’s just like a gorgeous man: a kind eye, broad shoulders and a narrow waist 😉
What a bull!!! And I love the “bull-friend”!
He is a lovely beastie!
Hey Celi .. now that’s a very handsome bull! Wonderful photos my friend. And that plant is something else, I wouldn’t mind one myself
Yes! I need to go back and ask the guides what it is – then I will swipe a cutting
Not keen on that spray plane! Bet you aren’t either …
No I am not. They are spraying pesticides out here almost constantly – one farm or the other