Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) at the Prairie Hill Farm Prairie
Photograph © Bruce A. Morrison
How's the prairie where you are right now?! The native pasture here is transitioning from mid summer to late. The goldenrods are just beginning to tinge with blossoming, the False Boneset is in bloom, the asters are showing signs of awakening, the warm season grasses are either all in bloom or just finishing that stage.
The season is progressing! I sure hate to see things move this fast; wouldn't it be great to put the brakes on for a bit?!! One thing I really appreciate this time of year is the insects and their music. The Katydids are really making the afternoon and evenings seem alive! The Robber Flies are out now again, making their raids through the grasses. This is a banner grasshopper year here so hope the Robber Flies concentrate there some. I've been hoping to video tape Monarchs depositing their eggs on the milkweed here...I haven't succeeded yet but have witnessed the "deed"...they're just too quick about it! I'll get lucky one of these days.
"From the Tallgrass", an exhibit of paintings, drawings and photography of the Tallgrass Prairie opens on Tuesday, August 16th next week! I'm both excited and nervous but I think that comes from spending all your time in the tallgrass and not enough around other homo sapiens! OK, thats a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it has been a long time since I went solo in an exhibit. Most of the last few weeks has been completely devoted to framing, re-framing, and all the other things that figure into something like this...there is so much more to it than meets the eye.
The prairie is the subject matter of course, and the prairie has been going great guns this summer - very hard to keep up!!! I think once we get the show hung in a few days, I need to step back onto the prairie and see what I've been missing these past weeks!!!
The Exhibit "From the Tallgrass" runs through September 25th. There will be an artist's reception on August 25th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The exhibit is at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa. You can always give them a call, should you have any questions, at (712) 262-4307; they're open Tuesday through Saturday!
Hope to get to see and talk with you at the reception on the 25th (last Thursday in August)! If not, please try and get over to Arts on Grand to see the show!
