Whazziss? : Wheaty Stuff

Rural life is a whole new experience. There are plants, bugs, animals, and all sorts of things we never encountered in the city. Things that we've found here in the open air, wild trees & exciting way of life.

I started googling these items, but honestly, trying to match a picture with another picture, viewing hundreds that look the same....ugh. Too tough. So, as I run across these many things around here, I'll post them on a small blog post, for you, my trusty friends, to tell me what it is! It's called.... Whazziss?

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Wheaty Stuff

This stuff is all around my property.

It is tall (about 2-3 feet), and has a type of seed head on the tip that opened up when it turned brown.





My bunny and chickens liked to eat the tops when it was green.

It sprouted late April, and was green.

Close ups of the tops when green, and then, when brown.

In early June it tuned brown, but doesn't look dead...just brown.

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Can anyone tell my what this 'wheaty' weed is?

Whazziss? : Blue Bell Flowers

Rural life is a whole new experience. There are plants, bugs, animals, and all sorts of things we never encountered in the city. Things that we've found here in the open air, wild trees & exciting way of life.

I started googling these items, but honestly, trying to match a picture with another picture, viewing hundreds that look the same....ugh. Too tough. So, as I run across these many things around here, I'll post them on a small blog post, for you, my trusty friends, to tell me what it is! It's called.... Whazziss?

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Blue Bell Flowers

Here's a pretty flower my daughter found & loves.

 

They are blue-ish purple, and hang down in a bell shape.

Whatcha think? Can you tell me what type of flower this is?

Pretty, isn't it?!

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Do you know what this plant is called?

Whazziss? : Spider in the Laundry Room

Rural life is a whole new experience. There are plants, bugs, animals, and all sorts of things we never encountered in the city. Things that we've found here in the open air, wild trees & exciting way of life.

I started googling these items, but honestly, trying to match a picture with another picture, viewing hundreds that look the same....ugh. Too tough. So, as I run across these many things around here, I'll post them on a small blog post, for you, my trusty friends, to tell me what it is! It's called.... Whazziss?

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Spider in the Laundry Room

I found this guy while doing laundry last August in the basement. 

I never saw him after this.

That's the drier his reflection is in.

He was the second huge spider we had seen in the house.

I've seen quite a large number of ginormous grass/funnel spiders outside. This isn't the same type.

I did some research, and we have a few large spiders in this neck of the woods.

Grass, funnel, wolf, and.... a few I can't remember off the top of my head.

He has very distinct markings on his back. He was a brownish-grey & fuzzy. I'd say the diameter, including his legs, was about 4 inches total.

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Do you know what type of spider this guy is?

Missing the city....

I was going to just posts a small blurb on my Deer Tales facebook page....but it got a little long. So, I decided I would write a blog post instead.

I have to say, I really love living in the 'country'. I love the fresh air, the quiet, the wild animals. I love being able to take a hike in my own backyard. I love not having neighbors & city officials always keeping an eye on you. I love being able to see the stars at night. I love how nice everyone is out here.

However, this is one of those days that I'm thoroughly depressed about being out here. I miss being able to just jump in the car & go to the store to pick up something I need. I miss being able to just run out & do some errands on the the spur of the moment. I used to like the fact when the kids (or hubby) drove me nuts, I could take an hour or two & get some stuff done in town.

Whew. Finally...the hardtop!

Now I have to 'plan' my excursions to the city. My grocery & staples shopping list has to be diligent in order to make sure I pick up EVERY thing I might need for the next two weeks. Each time I run errands it's a day-long affair. Three hours driving to & fro, and then 4-6 hours running around, rushing to get everything done in the allotted time, hoping to remember everything. Hoping that on the day you plan to escape to the city it doesn't rain, or you can't go.  It's tiring, exhausting & depressing. I like shopping. Window shopping. It relaxes me being out of the four walls of the house for a while, not cleaning, cooking, or doing chores. I don't get that anymore.

Miles & miles of dirt road.

I might be able to handle the long drive to the city. I like drives. But with only having one drivable car, I have to wait for the weekends when hubby is home. The Silverado is too big for me, and it's a gas guzzler, so we only use the car unless absolutely necessary. Plus, it has a tranny problem.

But then, I'd have to go alone. I spend everyday home, alone (except for the kids). To take a day of the weekend to spend alone is just, saddening.

I didn't get a picture of it on it's top...I was too pissed.

And then, ever since rolling the Jimmy into the ditch, driving the dirt roads scares the shit outta me. I have flashbacks of sliding and rolling & being upside down in the cab. Wondering if I was gonna die, being thankful I was on the way to get my daughter at school, not on the way home with her in the car.

The sand throws the car all over the place, and driving 15-25 miles (depending which city I go to) all white knuckled just to get to the paved road is NOT relaxing to say the least. I'd just rather not go at all. I joke that I have PTSD.

I guess I just want to best of both worlds. Is that possible??  I've got a major case of cabin fever and missing city life...... And it SUCKS!

Whazziss? : The Purple Tree

Rural life is a whole new experience. There are plants, bugs, animals, and all sorts of things we never encountered in the city. Things that we've found here in the open air, wild trees & exciting way of life.

I started googling these items, but honestly, trying to match a picture with another picture, viewing hundreds that look the same....ugh. Too tough. So, as I run across these many things around here, I'll post them on a small blog post, for you, my trusty friends, to tell me what it is! It's called.... Whazziss?

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The Purple Tree

This one has been driving me crazy for months. It's a tree right out front.

What the tree looks like today, in June

After the long winter, with the tree being dormant & just twigs, in early April it budded bright purple leaves.  The leaf buds grew into a deep plum color.

...... Sadly I didn't get a picture of those beautiful purple leaves.

I really wish i had. Next year I will!

Once the leaves had fully developed, it started budding little purple flowers. Once the flowers started blooming, the leaves turned green. It only took a couple days for the leaves to go from purple to green. It was amazing!

Bright purple flowers totally covered the tree. Pretty, huh?!

This is the only tree like this on the property.

Someone obviously planted this tree where it is.

There were so many buds & flowers, the tree looked pink.

The flowers bloomed for about a month. It really was beautiful.

After the month of flowers, they started to die off.

The bees LOVED this tree. You couldn't walk near the tree without hearing the 'hummmmm' of the hundreds of bees.


Now, the tree has small purple-ish red berries developing from the died off flowers.
Now, after doing research, I'm guessing that it's a crab-apple. I'd love a crab-apple tree. I've read that it wakes a great preserve/jam. However, I don't want to make a food from berries off a tree without knowing for sure what it is, ya know?!

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Can anyone tell me from experience what this purple tree is?