Happened to see a heron land in a cypress tree.
Not the usual heron tree; one to the east.
I’m pretty sure it’s a Great Blue Heron. Those and anhingas are all that usually nest in the middle of the pond.
I was assisted by Blondie (mysteriously not filthy) and Honeybun (not visible).
Here is some video:
After chainsawing through late deadfall aftereffects of Hurricane Helene (trees weekend by that storm and blown down later), I took these pictures of the pond.
It’s very low. We’re in a drought, in case you haven’t heard.
![[Very low pond, 2026-04-25 --jsq for OPF]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-25--pond/20260425_124424.jpg)
Very low pond, 2026-04-25 –jsq for OPF
Here’s a video:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/822238487605857/
No dogs this time. They find chainsawing boring.
No Gretchen, either. She ran away to the frozen north. Something about baseball and trains. Continue reading
Can’t garden without dogs.
![[Blondie, Sky, Gretchen and her shadow River]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-05--gardening-dogs/20260405_092002.jpg)
Blondie, Sky, Gretchen and her shadow River
Honeybun was nearby somewhere.
-jsq
I kind of liked the catchy tune the old, failing, fan made, but here’s the new fan ready to go in.
Not only is the laptop quieter now, but it seems to run better. Maybe not getting overheated with both fans working.
-jsq
This is a honeysuckle that is native to the southeast U.S.
![[Native coral honeysuckle, 2026-03-28 Lonicera sempervirens --jsq for OPF]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-03-28--native-honeysuckle/20260328_170554.jpg)
Native coral honeysuckle, 2026-03-28 Lonicera sempervirens –jsq for OPF
-jsq
A stroll after breakfast into the Desolation of Helene.
I didn’t video many of the blown-down pines, oaks, maples, etc. Some of them I will saw later to re-open some of the paths. Hurricanes: I do not like them.
Meanwhile, there are native wild azaleas, sphagmum moss, crawfish, cinnamon fern, and a few still-standing tulip trees.
Plus muddy dogs, two of them visible; the other two showed up shortly. Continue reading
Two dogs went walkabout.
River mostly washed off in her bathtub.
Sky was still wearing mud boots. Continue reading
You saw the sugarcane in its winter bed and rows to plant it.
Well, it’s planted now.
![[Sugarcane planted, with Gretchen and Blondie]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-03-24--sugarcane-planted/20260324_105843.jpg)
Sugarcane planted, with Gretchen and Blondie
-jsq
Update 2026-03-26: Sugarcane planted 2026-03-24.
With a little shovel and hoe work, we got the insulating dirt off the sugarcane bed.
![[Anna's father, Bob Gronko, Anna Stange, Gretchen Quarterman, sugar cane]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-03-22--sugar-cane/20260322_111915.jpg)
Anna’s father, Bob Gronko, Anna Stange, Gretchen Quarterman, sugar cane
Inside, the cane is in good shape, much of it already sprouting.
So I used the tractor to make rows to plant it. Continue reading
![[Movie: Heron landing (52M)]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-26--heron-in-tree/20260426_124437.jpg)
![[New fan ready to go in]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-09--laptop-fan/20260409_090832.jpg)
![[Bird nest on porch shelf 2026-04-09, Probably a wren, Dogs can't reach it]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-09--bird-nest-porch/nest.jpg)
![[Wild Azaleas]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-04-02--tulip-trees/20260402_083534.jpg)
![[River in her bathtub]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2026-03-28--river-sky-bath/20260328_171640.jpg)