Whenever I see these type of displays in the sky, I think of a light shining down from Heaven. The mix of sun and clouds can create invigorating visuals to our eyes. A gloomy day can turn into something so beautiful, even for a short glimpse before it disappears, giving us hope of the future […]
Author Archives: Lance Kleckner
Yucca Glauca
Yucca plants are unusual where I live. This one, that is flowering, was planted 15 years ago. It is the species named Yucca glauca, which stays evergreen. It didn’t flower until 10 years after it was planted in this location. But has flowered most years after that. The tall flower spikes really set it apart […]
Bigger Than Me
Ever since I was born, cattle have roamed our pastures and I have watched them. So big, yet not afraid what they are capable of. Our cattle are gentle and have names, as if these big cows are my pets. But it is not always so utopian. Some cows and bulls have a crazy streak […]
Monsters In the Valley
The layout of Kleckner Oasis is a bunch of hills with a lot of valleys in between them. The valleys are host to some big cottonwoods(Populus deltoides). This Eastern Cottonwood tree is over 16 feet in circumference, and as with most of these giants, has been hit by lightning in years past. Definitely stay away […]
Miracle Tube Tree Shelters
Deer, rabbits, and many other critters use my trees that I plant as their food. Lately I am testing some tree shelters around my trees and see how this works. Obviously since these tree shelters are only 4 feet tall, the real question will be if deer just walk by the miracle tubes and browse […]
Red Elm, Slippery Elm, Ulmus rubra…whatever name you want to call it, it is going to die!
During my childhood, I would come across many large trunks of trees that were long dead. I always thought they were cottonwood trees because that is the common big tree on our place nowadays. I was wrong. Dutch Elm Disease swept through this area in the 1970’s, and with it, most of the large American […]
Douglas Fir Windbreak
Planting windbreaks can be a guessing game. What species, how far apart, and planning for what disease or insect problems comes its way in the future can make it like a strategy game. A few of the trees that were used in our windbreak go by the name of Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. […]
Asparagus Beyond Perfection
What happens if all I grew was annual vegetables in my garden? I would not experience the pleasure of harvesting and eating the earliest veggie in my garden: Asparagus. Early to rise and a long harvest window gives me servings of it every day for weeks from April to June, and sometimes the asparagus spears […]
Cattle Pond
It seems like every time I look at our ponds, I see chocolate milk. A craving comes upon me for that sugary touch added to the goat milk I drink. But something amidst is going on here… The cattle have been causing erosion to this pond for decades. Currently the pond is only a couple […]