This and That

     Today, I'm just going to let the pictures lead the way. There will be no particular direction to today's post, though I hope it will still be informative.

     This lovely pair of Barn Swallows took a moment out of their morning preening to pose for me. They're a very common site in the county. What's not common is to see them when not in flight or nesting. I suppose that this footbridge across the canal was warm and inviting in the morning sun. Barn Swallows enjoy congregating over the fields and canals where the the insects they catch in flight tend to gather in clouds. They'll nest under bridges, awnings, and cliff ledges all across the county.

     Artificial waterfalls like this appear at intervals along the canals and ditches here. It's called a weir, and what it does is raise the water in a measurable way so that when a farmer (or anyone else) needs water they know how much they are getting. There's a lot of math and science involved.

     I'm not sure what breed these cows and calves are. They sure do have big, fun horns. I like seeing cattle that are something different than the same old boring angus, herefords, and holstein. Like the swallows, I think the warm morning sun was just too nice for them to waste.

     Ever wonder what Owyhee County looked like before the farmers came? I do. The areas near the foothills would have looked like this, although they probably wouldn't have gotten as much water so the plants wouldn't be so thick. This undeveloped patch is full of native plants including but not limited to great basin rye, rabbit brush, and buck brush as well as some weeds from far away lands. There are many places to hide, so lots of animals make their homes here.
     Here in Owyhee County, around every corner there's another sight to see. (And another picture to take.) It can never be stressed enough that the land itself is a major character in the story of agriculture. So as I leave you with one last picture (Jump Creek) I hope you'll think about your own lands, and perhaps what sort of beauty and utility lies therein.